“Glass is a wonderful substance. Everything makes it an incomparable plastic medium in the hands of an ingenious artist, offering his imagination and talent almost limitless scope for discovery.” ―René Lalique This is the second part of an article about peacocks and the world’s fascination with them, including me. In Part I of The Magnificent Peacock (Issue 120), I covered some of the Byzantine era of art and early Christian symbolism of the peacock. The peacock continues to be a symbol of both spiritual symbolism and decadence right up to the present day. The scale of the peacock’s influence in art is prevalent in the art nouveau period (1890-‐1910), and the art deco movement of the the first part of the 20th century. And, today, in the culture of the abstract, modern, and post-‐modern art, the peacock still reigns as one of the most illustrated creatures in animal art.
Art Nouveau (1890-‐1910) The Art Nouveau movement swept through the decorative arts and architecture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was largely a reaction to the fussy, inhibited style of the Classic period. Nouveau artists worked to emphasize creativity, new techniques and materials. The style went out of fashion after it gave way to Art Deco in the 1920s, but it experienced a popular revival in the 1960s, and it is now seen as an important predecessor of modernism. Towards the end of the 1800’s, a group of English artists and designers became known as the
Aesthetics. Their credo was "art for art's sake," and their goal was to produce and experience works of beauty and pleasurable resonance.
British illustrator and author, Aubrey Beardsley was one of the Aesthetics. His illustrations comprised characteristics of Aestheticism, Decadence, Symbolism, and, most apparently, Art Nouveau. The title of his illustration “The Peacock Skirt” and the peacock décor is likely a reference to the play’s dialogue where Herod offers Salome a gift of peacocks.
By Martin Cheek
Part 2 The Magnificent Peacock
Art Nouveau to present
Fashion inspired by Art Alexander McQueen F/W 2008/ “The Peacock Skirt” for Oscar Wilde’s play Salomé 1892 illustration by Aubrey Beardsley
“One should either be a work of art or wear a piece of art” –Oscar Wilde
This group of artists was often inspired by the designs of other cultures and, the peacock, a creature defined by beauty, was one of the prevailing symbols of the movement. The other main symbol was the sunflower, which turns its face to follow the sun, another apt metaphor for this pleasure-‐seeking group. Louis Comfort Tiffany, (1848 – 1933) is famously known for his work in stained glass. He is also the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movement. Tiffany's work exemplified the movement's aims to develop a new aesthetic based in nature. What began as formal interpretations of nature grew into a love of lush naturalism, and as his artistic career progressed, he became increasingly preoccupied by illusionistic depictions of landscapes and flowers. As successful perfectionist he was known to be, he did not have an intellectual approach to art, but a sensory one, where he was keen to experience the feasts of color, light, and texture.
Rene Lalique (1860 – 1945), the famous French glass designer known for his creations of glass art, perfume bottles, vases, jewelry, chandeliers,
clocks and, even, automobile hood ornaments, made beautiful glass peacocks as perfume bottles and fine jewelled pendants. Lalique was an established jeweler in Paris, and by 1891, he had begun to research and experiment with glass, which became his favorite medium to work in. He discovered that glass was a more forgiving and less expensive material to work with. This medium became an endless source of inspiration for him.
William Morris (1834-‐1896), was the father of what the Arts & Crafts Movement in Britain which coincided with the Art Nouveau period. The movement has its roots in England and became an international phenomenon, which spread throughout Europe and North America between 1880 and 1910. Like Tiffany, Morris felt that the 'diligent study of Nature' was of central importance to design. It was, essentially, an anti-‐industrial movement, wherein the machine was soulless and inhuman. The ideals held by members of the movement were about social reform through the integration of labor and art by creating everyday objects that had the virtues of simplicity, utility, nature, and for Morris, in particular, beauty. Turning their backs to the industrial world, they felt that working with one’s hands was a much greater virtue.
Lalique, Tete De Paon Hood Ornament
Martin Cheek, 2015
"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." - Morris
Peacock Stained Glass Window Panel. Lalique
Contemporary and Modern Times
Peacock feathers have become a top wedding trend. The peacock is symbolism for bringing luck to marriage. Either the feather(s) or the bird image can be found as a motif on invitations, wedding programs and thank you notes. A bride will sometimes place peacock feathers into their hair pieces or gowns, coordinate the wedding party color schemes to that of dramatic blues and
purples, evoking the colors of the brightly-‐colored peacock. Even the traditional all white gown can be styled after a peacock such as this all-‐white peacock with graceful fanlike tails.
Source: Sweet Violet Bride, Google
The Wedding Dress, Martin Cheek Mosaic©
Peacock feather fabric, Liberty of London, 1887. William Morris.
Peacock Feathers, Martin Cheek©
The peacock dance, a performance that is very popular in Chinese culture, especially in the Yunnan, has nurtured the Dai people’s tradition and culture. To the Dai ethnic group, it stands for auspiciousness and beauty. Thus they create the Peacock Dance to reflect their respect for peace, honesty and beauty.
When the peacock opens it’s fan wide, this is called The Peacock Dance.
Flying peacock: Peacock flying on rice field at Karaikudi, Tamilnadu by Haribabu Pasup, 2012
In answering the question about why I make so many peacocks, there is not just one response to answer the question. There is so much beauty and expressionism surrounding this magnificent bird, that I never tire of creating the image. I do create my peacock mosaics to look pompous and self obsessed. But, the peacock's disposition is as variable as that of many other creatures, some being mild and good-‐tempered, while others are morose and jealous in the extreme, especially of all quadrupeds. Perhaps, like the Aesthetics and their credo "art for art's sake”, my credo is “I make peacocks for peacock’s sake! “, with the same goal: To produce and experience works of beauty and pleasurable resonance! Keep that in mind when you are working on your mosaics and make sure you are experiencing pleasurable resonance. If you are not, then, you are not connected to your subject and need to change course. Until next time, happy mosaicking. Cheers,
Pretty n Pink, Mosaic by Martin Cheek©