History of Dance in Art
Dance, Music, and Performance
"The Joy of Life"
Introduction
In the nineteenth century some of the greatest innovations come from artists who strove to discover if art could work on the same level as music. I have decided to research the relationship between art, dance, and music. The interpretation of dance and music in art continually developed during the twentieth century. Firstly dance as a subject matter, drawn narratively and may have a symbolic meaning. This then moved on to dance interpreted emotionally. Thirdly music and dance can be interpreted abstractly. Endell's hypothesis (Fig.1) shows this idea of art working abstractly. Arshile Gorky describes abstraction as "allowing man to see with his mind what he cannot physically see with his eyes" and this works on the same level as a composer hearing the music in his mind before writing it down.
Some of the earliest drawings made by man are of people dancing (fig. 2). Dance is intimately associated with music and like image making it is a basic human act associated with emotional expression. Dancing is thought to be one of the most primitive instincts of mankind and this is why it has been recorded as early as 15 000 BC in Addaura, Sicily in the cave drawings of "Ritual Dance" (Fig. 2). The figures are created by simple arabesque line and are very effective in creating rhythm to the eye and therefore creating movement in the dancers.
Section 1
Matisse and Découpages
When Matisse interprets dance, it is the colours that express the feelings for the joy of life. Dance is a subject that Matisse has kept coming back to throughout the whole of his life. He took influence from early, primitive art and created raw energy and dynamism. Matisse looked at the cave drawings from Addaura, Sicily 15 000BC. In "Ritual Dance" (Fig 2) you can see diagrammatic, schematic, arabesque outlines of humans and animals in a dance which most likely would have been a ceremony for fertility. There is no use of
"The Joy of Life"
Introduction
In the nineteenth century some of the greatest innovations come from artists who strove to discover if art could work on the same level as music. I have decided to research the relationship between art, dance, and music. The interpretation of dance and music in art continually developed during the twentieth century. Firstly dance as a subject matter, drawn narratively and may have a symbolic meaning. This then moved on to dance interpreted emotionally. Thirdly music and dance can be interpreted abstractly. Endell's hypothesis (Fig.1) shows this idea of art working abstractly. Arshile Gorky describes abstraction as "allowing man to see with his mind what he cannot physically see with his eyes" and this works on the same level as a composer hearing the music in his mind before writing it down.
Some of the earliest drawings made by man are of people dancing (fig. 2). Dance is intimately associated with music and like image making it is a basic human act associated with emotional expression. Dancing is thought to be one of the most primitive instincts of mankind and this is why it has been recorded as early as 15 000 BC in Addaura, Sicily in the cave drawings of "Ritual Dance" (Fig. 2). The figures are created by simple arabesque line and are very effective in creating rhythm to the eye and therefore creating movement in the dancers.
Section 1
Matisse and Découpages
When Matisse interprets dance, it is the colours that express the feelings for the joy of life. Dance is a subject that Matisse has kept coming back to throughout the whole of his life. He took influence from early, primitive art and created raw energy and dynamism. Matisse looked at the cave drawings from Addaura, Sicily 15 000BC. In "Ritual Dance" (Fig 2) you can see diagrammatic, schematic, arabesque outlines of humans and animals in a dance which most likely would have been a ceremony for fertility. There is no use of