On view through December 15
Amarillo Museum of Art is proud to be a community partner conducting events around the new PBS film Leonardo da Vinci from filmmakers Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon.
The art works selected from AMoA’s permanent collection for After da Vinci: Experiments & Expressions are mostly modern and contemporary pieces by a range of artists whose work exemplifies the spirit of Leonardo da Vinci’s diverse body of work. Characteristics of these works demonstrate notions of applied mathematics to design, scientific inquiry, experimentation, a wonder of the natural world, and studies in art history.
Leonardo da Vinci premieres November 18th and 19th on Panhandle PBS and the PBS app. A full listing of local engagement events around the film, including youth classes hosted by the Amarillo Museum of Art, are available at panhandlePBS.org/LeonardoDaVinci.
Corporate funding for LEONARDO da VINCI was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and by The Better Angels Society and by its individual members The Paul and Sandra Montrone Family; Stephen A. Schwarzman; Diane and Hal Brierley; Carol and Ned Spieker; Michael and Sandy Collins; Mario J. Gabelli; The Lynch Foundation; McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Cappy and Janie McGarr; and John and Leslie McQuown. Funding was also provided by Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha Darling; the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; and the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation.
Dennis Oppenheim, Detail Study for “Scan (A Detection Device)”
The work of Dennis Oppenheim certainly resonates with that of Leonardo da Vinci. Both were pushing the limits of what art could be in their own time, and they used their engineering minds to plan the drafting phases of their architectural inventions. Like da Vinci, Oppenheim’s drawings are masterful works on their own. Also similar to da Vinci, not all of Oppenheim’s designs were actualized as completed sculptures. That was the case for this detailed drawing of a proposed public sculpture. Many of da Vinci’s designs for his inventions would not be created in his lifetime due to not having the technology to build them. Be inspired by Oppenheim and da Vinci by designing your own invention or public sculpture. Think outside the box and use the blueprint layout to formulate your innovative idea.
Dennis Oppenheim (American, 1938-2011), Detail Study for "Scan (A Detection Device)" Ball State University, 1983, Charcoal and watercolor on paper, 50 x 38 inches, Gift of Ray Graham
Jiri Anderle, Leonardo and Isabella d’ Este
Jiri Anderle cites old masters, and especially Leonardo da Vinci, as a primary source of inspiration for his complex and ghostly etchings. This particular etching is referencing a Leonardo da Vinci portrait of Isabella d’ Este. Anderle has honored the essence of da Vinci’s original drawing and imbued it with new meaning through complex layering and automatic mark-making. Many accomplished artists study great works of art from the past before finding their own voice. Historically, artists would take their drawing materials to museums and make copies of masterpieces. Revisit this activity by choosing a famous work of art to study in detail. You may use tracing paper or draw using the picture as a reference. How close to the original you can make your drawing? Picasso once said, “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Jiri Anderle (Czechoslovakian, b. 1936), Leonardo and Isabella d'Este, 1978, Drypoint and mezzotint on paper, 17 3/8 x 26 1/8 inches, Gift of Grant Lawrence in honor of Roger and Sue Lawrence
Tracy Harris, Untitled
Looking at the work of Tracy Harris we can see that her paintings are informed by close observations of organic forms and a love of drawing. Leonardo da Vinci was also captivated by systems found in nature and made many drawings of geometric patterns found in plants and seashells. These closeup nature studies informed the designs of his more functional visions like bridges, flying machines and weapons of war. Look closely at these seashells and pine cones and notice the intricate details and spiraling forms. Sketch these objects and allow their distinctive nature to inspire your imagination.
Tracy Harris (American, b. 1958), Untitled, 1990, Oil and wax on wood, 80 x 72 inches, The Barrett Collection, gift of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Russell Lee, Sicilian Woman
Russell Lee’s photograph, Sicilian Woman, is a portrait of an Italian woman whose pose and smile appear to be inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous painting, the Mona Lisa. Da Vinci’s mysterious portrait of the wife of a Florentine merchant transformed portraiture. Prior to da Vinci’s masterpiece, portrait paintings were typically side profiles or depicted the subject looking straight forward at the viewer. Da Vinci revolutionized the Renaissance style of realism by shifting the Mona Lisa’s pose to a three-quarter position. Also, rather than outlining the figure against the background, Da Vinci utilized a technique called sfumato, which softens the transitions between colors. Because of the popularity of the Mona Lisa, artists of every generation have since paid homage to the famous painting through various tributes and parodies. Using the provided copies of the Mona Lisa, create your own tribute to da Vinci’s most recognizable work of art.
Russell Lee (American, 1903—1986), Sicilian Woman, 1960, Gelatin silver on paper, Gift of the artist
Junichiro Sekino, Untitled
Junichiro’s work brings together eastern and western aesthetics. The Dutch painter Piet Mondrian was a notable influence on his simplified architectural illustrations. We can draw a connection between Leonardo da Vinci, Mondrian and Sekino through their interest in the Golden Ratio as an important design element. The Golden Ratio is a ratio between two numbers that equals approximately 1.618. The Greeks believed that it provided the most aesthetically pleasing proportions to sides of a rectangle. This idea was further explored during the Renaissance. Use the Golden Ratio stencil to make a collage with construction paper or a drawing with colored pencils of the front of buildings. The provided Golden Ratio stencil has squares cut out that are each 1.618 times the size of the previous smaller square.
Junichiro Sekino (Japanese, 1914-1988), Untitled, n.d., Woodblock print on paper, Gift of Art Vaughan
Steve Dennie, Suite of Six Drawings
In this group of six drawings, Steve Dennie has placed an invented form into six different scenarios. The six frames could be interpreted as a comic strip, giving the abstract character human emotions. The six drawings could also be seen as an experiment utilizing ideas about the scientific method, where we see the invented form in six different conditions with varied outcomes. Dennie’s invented forms resemble da Vinci’s drawings of imagined machines. What would it look like if we could test da Vinci’s machines in various conditions? Use your imagination and try sketching different scenarios then collage da Vinci’s machines into different circumstances as either a story or an experiment.
Steve Dennie (American, b. 1954), Suite of Six Drawings, 1994, Ink on paper, Gift of the Dallas Museum of Art: The Barrett Collection, Dallas Texas
David Ligare, Study of Grape Leaves
Like da Vinci, David Ligare is fascinated with the natural world. His highly realistic drawings and paintings emerge from his interest in classical art and contemporary concepts. Looking at Study of Grape Leaves we can appreciate the quality of focus that he has given to carefully examining the leaves of a grapevine. David Ligare has a drawing style that is similar to da Vinci’s. Both artists chose to use mostly middle tones. We don’t see a lot of heavy darks or bright whites. Instead, the artists render their subjects with soft tonal values. It is also fascinating to see how the grape leaves grow from small to large. Perhaps this an example of the Golden Ratio showing up in nature—where each leaf could be 1.618 the size the previous smaller leaf. Take time to study and draw the provided plant forms and create a representation that seems to grow from the sheet of paper like da Vinci or Ligare.
David Ligare (American, b. 1945), Study of Grape Leaves, 1984, Pencil on paper, Gift of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters
