CONSTANTIN BRANCUȘI’S CONTRIBUTION TO MODERN CULTURE

Posted: December 22nd, 2022

CONSTANTIN BRANCUȘI’S CONTRIBUTION TO MODERN CULTURE

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Constantin Brancuși’s Contribution to Modern Sculpture

Introduction

Art has developed over the years and many influential people made enormous contributions to change the production of paintings and sculptures. The report pays considerable attention to Brancuși who emerged to be one of the greatest sculptors regardless of his humble background. The paper illustrates how following the guidance of pioneers such as Auguste Rodin Brancuși became the father of modern sculptor, but after taking bold steps. He moved away from his homeland in Romania and settles in Paris where he established a studio from where he created different works. He called on artists to shift away from the concept of naturalism and to focus on abstract art that permits for more creativity and freedom. It is his call to embrace abstract art that encouraged many artists to develop sculptors that carry hidden meaning. He became more famous with his rejection of cubism, which he termed as confining artists to particular ways of production. His desire to achieve freedom in the production of sculptors led him to battle a court case in the U.S. where he did not only win but also changed the perception of Americans on the definition of art. Brancuși’s work did not only influence individuals but art movements as well, which further add onto his title as the father of modern sculpture. The courage and level of innovativeness Brancuși displayed during his time as an artist made him famous, and is the reason many now regard him as one of the greatest contributors to modern sculpture.

Brancuși’s Background

Contantin Brancusi (1876-1957) was born in Romania but later moved to France to build his career. He is perceived to be the originator of modernism, and one of the most prominent sculptors of the 20^th century.[1] Some scholars even regard him as the father of modern sculpture. He developed an interest in developing sculptures as a child, and as a young boy he maintained a different lifestyle from other painters and sculptors. Young Brancuși wore shoes that were different from others, dressed his hair differently, and listened to music that differentiated him from the rest.[2] Same to his artwork, his style took a different approach from his predecessors, and deviated from the dominant traditions during his time. His approach helped shape the guidelines of non-representational and reductive modernism that are equally encouraged and criticized today. Rodin played a key role in building Brancuși’s experience while the latter worked under him. Even though the sculptor valued working close to Rodin he set out to develop his own place of work only after a few months of being together, arguing that he would build his skills more efficiently when he starts his own place. Soon his carvings such as The Prayer, Sleeping Muse, and The Kiss attracted global attention with buyers and collectors from Romania, the U.S., and France buying the various pieces.[3] The interest and passion viewers developed in his works encouraged him to pursue what he knew would change the course of developing sculptors.

Brancuși’s Contribution to Modern Sculpture

Brancusi is considered the most essential sculpture of the 20^th century, and many of his sculptures often depict ideal representation of their theme. A special feature of Brancuși’s sculpture is they are simple in appearance, with their reduced nature seeking to expose the hidden truth. Many regard him as the father of modern sculptor because instead of working with intermediaries such as clay or plaster models, he introduced the idea of direct carving, which offered him the chance to work directly with his materials. The artist mostly worked with metal, bronze, marble, and stone to guide the shapes he formed. Brancuși paid much attention to his mediums, carefully polishing some pieces for several days to attain a gleam that implied endless continuity to the surrounding area.[4] The innovativeness to practice direct carving changed the perception of many artists and sculptors who started to work on mediums directly rather than relying on models that made it hard to identify their skills and competency in working without any model or guide.

Today, artists develop sculptors with the aim of presenting certain hidden or clear meanings that the audience can identify or relate with and Brancuși is attributed for developing clear connection between sculptors and certain aspects. The sculptor used appropriate geometrical features that helped him balance the various features that formed his materials with the figurative impression of representational art. One of Brancuși’s works that develops some meaning that many people can relate with is the 1918 Endless Column.[5] The concept used to in the creation of the Endless Column is essential to the beliefs of many cultures in the way it signifies the connection between heaven and earth. Brancuși’s focus in the creation reflects his strong and consistent attraction to mythical, sacred, cosmic powers. Other than presenting ideas that people can relate with, Endless Column present’s the artist idea of infinity, especially through the creation of identical rhomboid structures that stand on top of each other.  

Brancusi introduced the concept of abstract sculpture in reaction to Auguste Rodin’s naturalism. Brancuși believed that the idea of being real is much more than resembling nature, and holding to this perception he made it central to his work, something that made him controversial during his time.[6] The artist further claimed that anything pretending to produce a similar impression of nature would only be an imitation yet he was trying to develop a spiritual aspect and feeling. Abstract art that gained popularity during the 20^th century seeks to divert from the traditional portrayal of physical features, and seeks to explore the connections of colors and forms, whereas more conventional arts depict the world in easy-to-recognize images. Brancuși marketed the notion that abstract art has a moral part, such that it can represent appropriate desires such as straightforwardness, spirituality, and purity.

The attempts by Brancuși to sell the concept of abstraction influenced other art movements that dominated during the early to mid-1900s. The artist believed the proponents of expressionism in the early 20^th century played vital foundational roles in building abstract art through their highly colored and non-naturalistic paintings, often depicting the creator’s inner feelings. Expressionists built on Brancuși’s perception that abstract art offers an alternative gateway to spiritual reality, and the movement transformed the perception of many artists. The influence Brancuși had on other art movements, especially with regard to abstract art provides adequate proof that the shift had significant effect on the production of sculptors.

The sculptor attracted the attention of many people in France and across Europe when he criticized and rejected cubism, which had gained much fame during the 20^th century. Mathematics and geometry were rampant subjects around 1909, which pushed artists such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque to emphasize on developing two-dimensional artworks.[7] The cubism art movement rejected traditional aspects such as modeling, imitation of nature, chiaroscuro, and foreshadowing, and the painters during this time were not limited to imitating from color, form, space, and texture. The cubism artists advocated for a new aspect in painting that showed thoroughly fragmented items whose several sides could be viewed simultaneously. Artists during the time presented analytical cubism, which focused on creating paintings that showed an analysis, breakdown, or form of an object or image. Most paintings employed straight lines and right-angles, though it was not uncommon to see paintings that took sculptural forms as it appears with Girl with a Mandolin by Picasso that he developed in 1910.[8] The other form was synthetic cubism, which stressed on the fusion or synthesis of various forms in the artwork. Even though cubism was growing and nearly all artists were embracing the approach, Brancuși followed an artistic approach that, in many ways, could be viewed as being different. Rather than fragmenting and fracturing the various forms as Picasso, Braque, and other cubists did, he began to streamline them, championing for clean lines. His rejection of confinement to the aspects of cubism offered artists and sculptors more freedom to explore the various styles they thought would give their work the feeling they need or hope to achieve.

The cubists, nevertheless, later embraced the concept of abstract art when it became apparent to many proponents that the artistic style is the most appropriate. The group started with a subject from real objects and figures, and later shifted to distinct planes and areas, depicting many viewpoints at the same time.[9] Soon after cubists embraced Brancuși’s concept of abstract art it became apparent that the approach could help build other forms of abstraction including neo-plasticism and constructivism.

Several theoretical ideas about abstract art exist, and while others consider art in its simplest form, which only focuses on the development of beautiful features and effects, others feel that art should be like music, such that it is formed using patterns of line, color, and form in the same way music is created using sequence of sounds. Current and future scholars need to spend considerable time learning and exploring new ways through which artists can explore the idea of abstract art to improve their creativity. Other than borrowing the idea of abstract production rather than relying on physical objects, current sculptors can find more information on how to create sculptures without relying on clay models or other guides. Working with their mediums allows them to master the art of developing the desired shape without relying on physical guides.

More importantly, Brancuși is perceived as a portraitist although he never served as one in the strict sense of the term. Rather than producing the portraits of live objects or models, but from photographs or his own imaginations. Early productions by Brancuși retained some features of the original subject, but over the years he erased some of the features that would relate to the original model as he embraced the concept of abstraction.[10] The creativity Brancusi employed in developing portraits differentiated him from other artists, and put him in his own league.

Challenges

Even though Brancuși gained fame for his different approach to artwork, especially in the creation of sculptors he experienced some challenges that showed not everyone welcome the artist’s approach to sculpture. The planners of an exhibition in Paris, for example, ordered sculptor to pull out Princess X from the competition because it resembled a male reproductive organ rather than a piece of creative art. Brancuși had to deal with another setback in 1927 when tax officers refused to acknowledge Bird in Space (1923) as an authentic artwork, and instead charged a customs rate, usually placed on things like kitchen appliances.[11] Even though Brancuși created nearly 15 variations of Bird in Space, one version that he formed in 1926, became the subject of a crucial legislation process in the U.S.  The tax officials argued that The Bird in Space should not enter New York where it was set for an exhibition organized by Duchamp without tax because the piece does not resemble a bird.[12] Photographer Edward Steichen experienced similar hurdles the same year Brancuși faced opposition when he tried to bring into the U.S. a version of Bird in Space he had purchased in France.

The challenges surrounding his controversial artwork, however, did not derail Brancuși’s desire to redefine art, especially the creation of sculptures. He moved to court and sued the tax officials where he emerged victorious. Judge Waite ruled in 1928 that the emergence of a new field of art, whose proponents try to develop abstract ideas rather than copy natural objects, was transforming the production of paintings and sculptures.[13] The court ruled that whether or not people accept the new aspects it is apparent their existence have significant effects on the development of artistic works. The judge said in his declaration that America’s definition of art was outdated and did not consider the perception of the new school. Whether or not the court was in favor of the new school view of art it became clear that Bird in Space is art but the U.S. needs to restructure its definition of such works to capture similar artistic creations. Brancuși’s win changed people’s perspective about artwork. It became clear that regardless of the name or appearance of an artwork the most critical thing is the creator’s idea.[14] Brancuși’s Bird in Space is presently one of the highly iconic artworks of the 20^th century with the various versions created in bronze and marble displayed in museums around the globe. The outcome of the case created nationwide desire to change how artists and viewers perceive art with media houses, artists, collectors, and writers joining the campaign that grew each day of 1928.

Brancuși influenced many people during his career and his approaches encouraged many to change their perception regarding the creation of sculptors. A Japanese-American student pursuing art was among the attendants at the 1926 controversial incidence Brancuși experienced at the Brummer Gallery in New York.[15] The student whose name was Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was highly encouraged with what he saw, which pushed him to apply for a scholarship that would move him to Paris to work alongside Brancuși in his studio. Noguchi did not let the language barrier between them distract their interaction, and the young man worked as the studio assistant for seven months without experiencing any problem. The Japanese-American student gained vast insight in stone sculptor, but after some time Brancuși managed to convince him to embrace modernism and the concept of abstraction. Noguchi having gained much awareness and skills from Brancuși moved to open his studio south of Paris in 1928, and would proceed to become one of the most essential and highly acclaimed sculptors of the 20^th century.[16] The two men, however, would remain great friends and continued to share information that would build each other.

Brancuși appreciated France for the support it offered him during his career. The artist at the time of his death left more than 1000 photographs and over 220 sculptors. The French government offered him citizenship in 1952, partly so that the sculptor could leave his studio and its content s to the state. Brancuși considered the accommodation the French offered him as vital because the Communist government in his native home (Romania) had declined to acknowledge any of his artworks.[17] The French government decided in 1997 to reconstruct Brancuși’s studio, which now stands close to the Pompidou Center in France’s capital. It is interesting that the market for Brancuși’s work is still strong, and constant despite the many years that have passed since the sculptor’s death. Some works by Brancuși have in the recent past have conquered the world record value for any sculptor at auction with Danaide scooping the price and Bird in Space winning in 2005.[18] The auction of Bird in Space, for example, generated $27.6 million, and is regarded one of the highest in the recent times. Many evaluators of Brancuși’s work believe the artist still evokes much interest in the current times because the artist’s career was quite short, and was not one of the most prolific creators such that when one of his works comes into light the market really takes special consideration.

Conclusion

Brancuși’s works and effort to improve the development of sculptors during the 20^th century makes him one of the prominent people in the development of modern sculpture. Many regard him as the father of modern sculpture because of his decision to work directly on his mediums rather than relying on clay models as it happened with many sculptors prior to the developments by Brancuși. The artist developed the concept of abstract artwork to give artists the freedom to develop works that do not have to copy nature, but present either direct or indirect meaning from the author’s point of view. He criticized the perception of naturalists such as Rodin, and argued that naturalism bars artists from recognizing their real strengths and weaknesses. Brancuși further opposed the views of cubists who put much emphasis on mathematical presentation. The sculptor believed that abstract art allows artists to enjoy freedom of production so long the work has meaning to them. His perception became famous when he won a case against U.S. tax officials who refused to acknowledge The Bird in Space as a sculpture. The Americans redefined their meaning of art, and many developers joined him in advocating for the ideology. Brancuși did not relent in his quest to transform the production of sculptures even when some people did not appreciate his work, but instead progressed to champion for what he thought was good for sculptor production. Current sculptors should acquire some lessons from Brancuși and use the information to build their production. Developers in the contemporary times should borrow Brancuși’s boldness and advocate for their styles even when they seem to experience hurdles that criticize their effort and works.

Bibliography

Balas, Edith. Brancusi and his World. Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2008.

Green, Christopher. Cubism and its Enemies: Modern Movements and Reaction in French Frt, 1916-1928. New Haven, Yale University Press, 1987. 

Pearson, James. Constantin Brancusi: Sculpting the Essence of Things. New York, Crescent Moon Publishing, 2016.  

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[1] Edith Balas. Brancusi and his World (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2008), p. 34 

[2] Ibid p. 36

[3] Ibid p. 36

[4] Balas p. 34 

[5] Ibid p. 46

[6] Balas  p. 49  

[7] James Pearson. Constantin Brancusi: Sculpting the Essence of Things (Crescent Moon Publishing, 2016), p. 55  

[8] Pearson p. 57

[9] Pearson p. 59

[10] Pearson p. 60

[11]Christopher Green. Cubism and its Enemies: Modern Movements and Reaction in French Frt, 1916-1928 (New Haven, Yale University Press, 1987), p. 82 

[12] Green p. 82 

[13] Ibid p. 85

[14] Ibid p. 86

[15] Green p. 94 

[16] Ibid p. 95

[17] Ibid p. 98

[18] Pearson p. 71