PAGE 14 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022
LIFE OLD GOLD & BLACK
Adam Coil, coilat21@wfu.edu Josie Scratchard, scraja20@wfu.edu
Art piece captures intimacy and energy Klimt's "The Kiss" inspired new art styles by referencing older works ABBY KOMISKE Staff Writer
Austrian artist Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” — an oil painting on canvas with gold leaf, platinum and silver accents — depicts a man and woman in a world of gold. The couple is frozen in place, kneeling in a meadow of blue, yellow and green flowers with a scattering of scarlet. The man wears a cloak covered in intricate, rectangular patterns of black, white and gold, and he is crowned with vines. The woman wears a dress of floral circles with bright shades of red, green, blue and gold; she has flowers in her hair and gold chains wrapping her feet. Their bodies are brighter than the background as if the light of their embrace brightens their surroundings. He cradles the woman's face, kissing her cheek with his head turned away from the viewer. The woman's face is upturned, her eyes are closed as her arms surround him, centralizing her expression. Painted in the early twentieth century, the work fully illustrates Klimt’s bold and luminescent golden period of creating. “The Kiss” is considered his most famous work, but other notable pieces are “Portrait of Adele
Klimt's "The Kiss" is a painting from the early 20th century. Bloch-Bauer”, “Beethoven Frieze” or another shiny, intricate geometric piece wrapping of figures in metallic flakes that could either be attributed to Klimt or an outgrowth of the ornamental Art Nouveau style. His creativity, expression and energy — which lies in
the contrast between life and radiance — has inspired generations of artists by taking work from the past and creating new messages of love and eroticism using such a highly decorative style. Though not well received by religious and popular culture at the time, “The Kiss” is particularly reminiscent of the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. This structure was constructed during the reign of Emperor Justinian I and holds many well-preserved Byzantine mosaics from hundreds of years ago. For reference, Byzantine art — primarily in the 6th century — utilized gold mosaics and natural light within churches to explore the glory of God and transform the worshiper. Thus, while Klimt’s work is not religious, his reference to divinity, beauty and splendor is apparent. I love this piece. It is one of my all-time favorites, and yet I am still confused by it. And I’ll admit, I’m not the most-well versed artconnoisseur. I can recognize the big names and even bigger styles, but I love art museums, student galleries and online platforms because there are so many ideas that people express about love, life and more — all with varying degrees of popularity. Furthermore, communication can be so wide-ranging. You
can look at Klimt’s piece and compare it to other pieces exemplifying the embrace of lovers in such contrasting expressions. Constantin Brancusi’s “The Kiss”, a limestone statue in the pure, cubic form of a couple morphed together, is one such work. An interesting aspect about art is that you can look at a painting — even knowing that someone like Klimt’s inspiration comes from Egyptian, Byzantine and Minoan influences — and recognize other elements that add to its interest. For instance, the Art Nouveau attributes that were popular in 1900s Vienna and the impact of Japanese prints, illuminated manuscripts and the modernist style can be recognized in Klimt’s pieces I can see the gentle intimacy of two people alone in the world, the quietness of comfort, the conception of simultaneous delight, rapture and the weight of such a relationship. However, some also see abandonment or possible resignation in the woman’s face — which is possible with her unusual expression — but with her hand on his, I think it’s more about privacy. And, there are so many interpretations beyond this that merit consideration. Contact Abby Komiske at
Student shares the memories of her experience in France SOFIA BAZANT Staff Writer
Three years ago today, I was a junior in high school living as a study abroad student in France. It was one of the most enriching experiences of my life. It all began on Friday, Sept. 5, 2018, when I arrived in Paris for my study abroad orientation. I ate dinner in a hostel cafeteria with 300 other exchange students waiting to depart to our new French homes the following morning. Students from around the world sat dispersed among tables, connecting through broken French and bits of other languages. The air was palpable with nervous excitement as we all imagined the adventures that waited for us just around the corner. Soon enough I was touring Le CateauCambrésis, a modest countryside town in Northeastern France, home to the Matisse museum. My host parents welcomed me to the quiet center of their traditional red-brick village, while my two and three-year-old host sisters spoke excitedly over one another. My bedroom window overlooked an abandoned bed-and-breakfast with chipped pearl shutters, among the closely-packed buildings that evoked a city. Little did I know, these people would become my second family and the house my second home. My year abroad exposed me to a level of independence I had never experienced — my host parents encouraged me to be proactive and responsible on my own accord.
On my first day of school — less than 48 hours after my arrival in France — I walked up the stairs by the iron gates of my school with no instructions other than to go to the front desk. After about four words, the woman at the desk exclaimed that I was “l’américaine” and sent me off with a classmate. I embraced this independence every day by exploring my town on my own and working hard in my classes. I completely immersed myself completely in the language and culture. Everyone
seemed to want to help me improve my French — during my first week, the baker at the local boulangerie said “une” with a smile when I ordered “un baguette”; my host family sparked intellectual conversations that would broaden my knowledge and language skills; we discussed our days at dinner and conversed about topics ranging from politics to pop culture. I carefully documented all memories and relationships from the year through photos and routine journal entries that I still possess.
Sofia Bazant poses for a picture in a city square in Paris, France as a foreign exchange student while still in high school.
They are filled with photos of each vibrant sunset, from my house on the hill to photos of croissants I got for less than a euro during my 15-minute school breaks and everything in between. My photos were a way of slowing down and appreciating the little things in life. My classmates became my best friends. I spent every class period with the same twenty students who shared a specialization for the baccalaureat, a French college entrance exam. At the end of the year, my friends made me a scrapbook of photos with goodbye notes that I keep in my room as a reminder of the beautiful relationships and memories that I’ll always cherish. I also created my own elaborate photo album for my host family as a goodbye gift. Inside, I glued hundreds of photos from our activities, such as cooking new recipes together, playing board games in the house and traveling around France. Reflecting on this time brings me unparalleled joy because I am unbelievably thankful for the experiences and relationships that brought me such an excitingly tumultuous year of memories. While I would need far more than a few short paragraphs to describe all that I gained in my time abroad, I feel that no amount of words could truly do justice to all that gained that year. I hope that I will soon return to the people that made my junior year so wonderful and to the country that made it all happen.
