Landscape and the Sublime

'Wanderer in the mists' (1818) Caspar David Friedrich

'Untitled #2" (2002) Richard Misrach

 'Untitled # 394-03' (2003) Richard Misrach 

1. What and when was the Enlightenment?
The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that occurred in the 18th century and is commonly referred to as the Age of Reason. It supported a variety of ideas about man, society, and nature, which according Hamilton, P. (1992) "challenged existing conceptions rooted in traditional world-view, dominated by Christianity".

2. Define the concept of the Sublime.

The concept of Sublime was one of the most influential philosophies for landscape art. It was defined by Edmund Burke (1729-1797) who believed that "the life of feeling and spirit depended on a harmony within the larger order of the universe. The sublime, therefore, was the ultimate experience of divinity, a mixture of awe, fear, and enlightenment produced by the contemplation of a powerful, terrifying nature; for Burke, the sublime was already connected to landscape." ("A Philosophical Enquiry Into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful", 1757)

3. How did the concept of the Sublime come out of the Enlightenment thought?

The Sublime, like the Enlightenment thought, defied traditional and existing conceptions and values of the world. It focused very much on the value of nature as opposed to the traditional value of humanity. From the birth of the Sublime concept, landscape and setting became a newly important focus in traditional art and certain subjects began to require specific outdoor settings to portray their status.

4. Discuss the subject matter, and aesthetic (look) of Misrach's work to identify the Sublime in his work. Add some more images of his work.

 

Battleground Point #3 (1999)

  

Southeastern Nevada (1992)

Richard Misrach's works are commonly of human intervention in landscapes. It is not difficult to identify the sublime in Southeastern Nevada (1992) and Battleground Point #3 (1999) as nature is the prime focus of these images and it has been depicted so beautifully, it would be considered unnecessary to have the inclusion of a human figure in the photographs. However, human life is visually existent in Misrach's Untitled #2 (2002) and 
Untitled # 394-03 (2003). Where the sublime is concerned in these works is with the scale of land photographed, dominating much of the visuals which consequently portrays humanity as being of very minor value to the artist.

5. Identify some other artists or designers that work with ideas around the Sublime, from the Enlightenment era as well as contemporary artists.

William Hodges

A View of Cape Stephens in Cook's Straits New Zealand with Waterspout (1776)

Claude Monet

Poppies Blooming (1873)

Richard Diebenkorn

Cityscape I (1963)

6. How does Misrach's photography make you feel? Does it appeal to your imagination?
Misrach's photography makes me feel like I have yet to explore so much of the world's beauty. Much like the sense that a travel advertisement tries to create for its viewers. From viewing these images, I personally feel a sense of encouragement to explore and travel. This feeling I believe is provoked by the nature of these images. The fact that they are photographs and not paintings enables me to relate to them more in a sense that I know the image depicted is of a real and imaginable experience. The scale of the area photographed suggests a sense of exploration, and combined with the bright and natural features in the image, a strong depiction of the nature's beauty is created.

7. Add a Sublime image of your choice to your blog, which can be Art or just a Sublime photograph.

Colin McCahon

Maitai Valley (1947)

Reference List:

• Burke, E. (1757). A philosophical enquiry into the origin of our ideas of the Sublime and beautiful. London, England: T.W. Copeland.
  

• Hamilton, P. (1992). The Enlightenment and the birth of social science, in Hall, S. & Gieben B. (eds.), Formations of Modernity. Cambridge: Open University Press (p. 23)