The Renaissance master, Albrecht Durer has given himself the appearance of a transfigured, charismatic living god. There's no doubting the conscious quotation of the conventional image of Jesus. If the painting were to be seen from afar, then he would be mistaken for Jesus due to his long hair and beard. His fur coat on the other hand identifies him as a wealthy man. It was only natural for a man who combined populism and spirituality to paint himself as a living god. Durer has painted himself in many different views before even as a woman, but never really in this Christ-like manner.
From an early moment in his life, he was aware of himself as a genius, as an inspired creator. The 16th-century Florentine art chronicler Giorgio Vasari, though sniping at his style, had to praise his "extravagant imagination", and acknowledged that designers and painters all over Europe "have since availed themselves of the vast abundance of his beautiful fantasies and inventions". The distorted, psychoneurotic figuring’s of mannerist artists, the fantastic heroic visions of the baroque and, beyond that, 20th-century surrealism, delved happily into Durer's imagination. Due to Durer’s fame amongst Europe’s top artists he found himself climbing the social ladder quicker then he’d hoped.
Gavin Turk’s screen-print ‘Knob’ is closely related to egotism and his status as an artist. Having an art work that is simply displaying his name says that he is so far up the social ladder that all he needs to do is print his name and viewers will straight away be intrigued by his piece due to the importance of his name. It is also related to individualism because through his print he is trying to emphasise his moral worth as an individual.
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individualism
By creating a garment that has Damien Hirst’s print on it was a clever move in terms of self-promotion on his side. It advertises his design to the world with the help of his fashion designer/band manager girlfriend Maia Norman who is well known to the media. What Maia Norman wears is news ready to be told for the media and Hirst uses this advantage to promote his work to the world.
-http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG7733481/Maia-Norman-Damien-Hirsts-Californian-girl.html
Damien Hirst X Supreme Skateboard Decks
30 March 2009
Hirst again has used his design and printed them on products that help promote his work and design’s to the world. This is also a great way to appeal to a different crowd. He usually exhibits to people who are constantly attending galleries whereas the decks are appealing to a younger edgier crowd found on the streets rather galleries. Due to this he is promoting himself to different crowds and creating a larger fan club.
-http://www.highsnobiety.com/news/2009/03/30/damien-hirst-for-supreme-skateboard-decks/
Albrecht Durer
Self Portrait at 26
1498
Individualism makes the individual its focus. In this painting Durer has himself as the main focus point. “His stylish and expensive costume indicates, like the dramatic mountain view through the window (implying wider horizons), that he considers himself no mere limited provincial. What Dürer insists on above all else is his dignity, and this was a quality that he allowed to others too.” This painting is simply all about him and the ideas conveyed – such as dignity and social status - around it all link to individualism.
-http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/d/durer/1/02/05self26.html
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individualism
Artists and designers today I believe are still viewed in the same way they were during the renaissance to some extent. Social status and hierarchy still plays a big role in the design industry as it is always about whom you know and who knows you. The world has seen plenty new designers and people want to know what makes the next new breed a unique one. Artists on the other hand seem to be viewed more realistically as we really analyse their works fairly when seen in a gallery. Also painters today aren’t always trying to portray their expensive possessions and passions through paintings so we aren’t always trying to find a place for them on the social hierarchy.
