Art and Film

July 5th, 2023

Written by Rachelle Pimental, Fine Art Consultant

I’ve noticed recently how sometimes looking at a painting will evoke similar feelings I have while watching a movie or T.V. show. It seems there are many parallels between the cinematography of film and the aesthetic of other visual mediums. When it comes to film, you’re told a story, but when it comes to art, often times a piece will prompt you to create your own story. This month I collected a few pieces in the gallery that prompted me to create a story similar to one I had already seen on the screen.

1883

The television series 1883, which I would say is the ultimate cowboy drama, is actually the prelude to the more popular “Yellowstone.” In this drama a family crosses the US on horse-drawn wagons via the Oregon trail to settle the land that was being offered for free in the West during those years. They occasionally had to capture and break wild horses and use them to round up wild cattle so they could have a source of food for their journey. The American West was a harsh and unforgiving place to exist during the late 1800s. Maura Allen‘s work often depicts scenes from this era. She often uses real photographs and postcards from that time in her work and draws inspiration from the scenes of days long gone. This piece makes me feel like I’m looking back in time though a nostalgic lens to a real moment in history, the same way 1883 did.

“Copper Longitude” by Maura Allen, 10″ x 32″

Titanic

The following painting by T. S. Harris immediately made me think of the classic movie “Titanic.” It wasn’t simply that the piece depicts a turn of the century Olympic- class ocean liner, but also the dark and ominous feeling of the painting. Is it the moody blues? Or the visual angle of the ship itself? I couldn’t help but imagine that this was the last view passengers on escape rafts might have had of the Titanic, looking up as they rowed away from the sinking behemoth. It’s a dramatic and somewhat romantic piece. No wonder I was forced to recall one of the most romantic dramas of the century.

“Bon Voyage” by T.S. Harris 60″ x 40″

Sex and The City

When I look at Jane Maxwell‘s work there are a couple phrases that always seem to come to mind; “Girl Boss,” and “Girl Power.” Similarly, I feel like those were the driving themes of one of my favorite sitcoms and guilty pleasures of my college days; Sex and The City. Maxwell’s pieces often depict stylish, powerful, and confident female figures. How do I know they’re confident? Posture says a lot. The torn magazine clippings give her work a very urban feel and remind me of ads and articles I had seen in fashion magazines that just scream “New York City” which is the backdrop and setting for this iconic television series that tells the story of four female friends all trying to find success and love in The Big Apple.