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^?l| A I*TP MAI 117C A a T i ni\ a nvvf ti/if For those of you who follow this column with some regularity, you will hopefully recall the article j 1 * : al a. l i n aeaiing wun uie iwo rreRaphaelite paintings by Evelyn de Morgan we discussed some weeks : back. In this discussion, one point I hoped to express was the fact that th?> Prp.Ranhaplitpc haH hoon virtually excluded from the general context of art history. The subject of today's verbalization, Art Nouveau, also shares this dubious twist of fate, although for slightly different reasons. H.W. Janson's History of Art, a standard text utilized for a number of years in art history instruction, makes no mention whatsoever of the Pre-Raphaelites, and only briefly mentions Art Nouveau in the context of architecture. One might assume from this that the movements were just too small or short-lived to be given consideration, yet this is not the case. The Pre-Raphaelistes were a relatively large group of painters, and Art Nouveau employed a vast array of printmakers, sculptors and craftsmen alike. Nor can their exclusion be attributed to a lack of public favor, in fact, both were greeted with considerable popular : i a n i a u praise anu support, so wnai couiu possibly be the reason for such imposed historical obsurdity? <p, /, n * * ^ : . :Yfc ,iu * E R| 1? 1801 M? P nlitm I 1 ifORMUlAIEO ESPtCiAlLY -vL__I FOR iXI In an art historical sense, the mnrfVi nf a oiiipn arf . nhio^f ic fYV* VII V? w vvu UA v Vtyjvw iu evaluated simply in terms of its contribution to the overall evolution of the aesthetic image. By this I mean that both PreRaphaelitism and Art Nouveau are considered regressive in form and siyie in reiauon 10 me nisioncai time they happened. Art Nouveau has also been saddled with the additional stigma of simply being a "decorative art", thus unworthy for consideration in a "high art" context. If all of this sounds like scholarly double-talk, don't feel alone, I too have often wondered how history can neglect that which doesn't "fit the pattern" of development. In any event, both of these styles have endured in spite of such ~i?*:??_ i i?iu uuMiCiiib, auu uuui i ciudiii as ti can and as lively today as when they were first produced. Art Nouveau, like PreRaphaelitism, also share numerous other similarities aside from historical banishment and nonular anneal. Both strove for a K?r ?ri strong sense of visual order, for harmony and elegance, and both saw art as possessive of social significance. This explains Art Nouveau's venture into the decorative, for these artists believed that all objects should be 1 Centro lin Street/Jefferson Square bia, South Carolina 29201 ephone: (803) 779-8325 t DrrM/CKF 1\LL/1\LI | treated with the same sensibilities one utilizes in the fine arts. Art Nouveau is primarily a French movement, and flourished in the 1890's and early 1900's. It was influenced by a variety of social changes, primarily the industrial revolution, which was viewed at first as a threat to the individuality of the arts. Artists survived the transition to industrialization, and quickly learned to utilize its technology in uie euiuuiuug ui pi iuu>, an pusicards, sculptures and a variety of other household items re-defined towards more aesthetic concerns. The collection of Art Nouveau that is currently on display at the Columbia Museum of Art, features examples of the many manifestation the style adapted itself to. From beautifully sculptural dancers that often double as table lights, (as in Raoul Larche's "Loie Fuller"), to the brilliant lithographs of Alphonse Mucha. The basic motif of Art Nouveau is a flowing organic form that winds its way into virtually every aspect the style consumed. Louis Maiorelle's mahoeanv desk is trimmed in vines that reappear as water-lily handles on the drawers. Art Nouveau is on loan from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, and comprises the entire Sydney and Frances Lewis Collection, considered one of the country's finest. The show wll continue through October 28. RIP'l ? i 1 . j stn The New Home of the ( Columbia's only Midnight Butte "" All You Can fat?? 1749 Saluda nilrl I Ave. VI IK M in 5 Points 1IIU I 256-6681 W * I ? * . dL ON>^V!SMR O i X ! % V i . .*-?< ,x $. ,V?# I JC I " x? ^ ' ' *' ^ ! 25* Off anv our ?f I L???ciip iM COW mammammmmammmmmmnmmwm r / ^c?i9 \! / Pat s j j I ! high in t 4j|j( P Pat's Place f U|)|)cr Level Columbia ? HICII! disci ?<** WTi Late Night Dinner Also Lunch, m f I Dinner CnrrvAii# CHINESE RESTAURANT [> (<,(! >?, u Jf jflg snail _*. ' ^ i] compieie meat v in a bun ' S I ^We wanted to show O ^ you one of our 5 Jksandwiches but it was I too big! | I chose with coupon j i,??-?j BOY! Mosey up to a [ner dress from nt s ?.j ridce ana riae he saddle at the cockpit. * "I j ! Vlall | I t ? ;