Dear Research Diary,

I went to Piazza Venezia on Monday and read Celant’s Arte Povera. Yesterday Professor Dohna came to present her research to the class. It was very intriguing. She works mostly on the theoretical aspects of Art History, methods of analysis and communication. She applies modern theory to Renaissance works, because it is important for a good theory to be universal and not only fit into a certain time period. Her theory was that colors have an intrinsic significance which she dubs “iconosophy” in contrast to iconography which can be figured out by reading period texts to see what certain signs mean to a Medieval or Renaissance observer. Iconosophy on the other hand cannot be put into words because it is not a verbal intellectual communication, but a sensual impact. She contrasted Albrecht Durer’s Allegory of Death and Mark Rothko’s Houston Chapel, both works dealing with the subject of death. It’s a good comparison because Durer’s woodblock print is black and white but is extremely fine in detail. Therefore people may find it easier to describe due to the fact that it contains some sort of Imitatio. Rothko on the other hand is pure color and gradations, but it is able to make viewers go through death in order to reach joy. Much like a Medieval icon of the Cruxifixion which would make viewers feel suffering and pain for Christ only to arrive at the conclusion of joy because he was their salvation, the promise of eternal joy.

I think the most important part of this to come away with is that theory is crucial but it doesn’t have to be simply memorized and learned but really applied, and not necessarily to that which it is about.

I also wrote the assignment Professor Gianni gave to me, some pages about the socio-political situation which Arte Povera finds itself in. With some artistic background in which I included Lucio Fontana, the Situationists, and the ICA and Pop Art.