Retro seems to be all the rage these days. There are retro sports shirts, sneakers, video games, movies, etc. What was old is new again. Some wall decorations, like wall vases, celebrate retro art styles. While some styles are traditional, others are so retro that they borrow styles from ancient Greek pottery. After Greek vases began to flourish, they began to use the black-figure technique. However, Greek pottery would continue to evolve.
HUMANS, CREATURES AND STORIES
After the Greeks began to include human figures on their vases, they began to add other images as well. Many of these objects were mythological in nature. However, it is fascinating how they depicted scenes from Greek literature. Today, we use book illustrations to show a particular scene in a story. Instead, the Greeks grouped together certain objects or even created new figures that had not previously appeared in the original stories! The best black-figure artists of this era would infuse their own experiences into their artwork.
RED IS THE NEW BLACK
Over time, Greek artists found themselves limited in their artistic expression, due to the limits of the black-figure technique. Therefore, around 530-525 a. C., they began to develop a new style of painting on vases, called the red-figure technique. The figures remain in the color of the clay, and thus turn red when someone heats the vase. In this spirit, the makers of the wall vase are always striving to improve their craftsmanship.
Greek artists used one of two main techniques. One method was to use a black polish to create a very thin line that rose up a bit. This line was a relief line. The other method, meanwhile, involved the use of a diluted glaze whose hue ranged from dark brown to light yellow. The artists also applied the glaze as a solid wash to certain sections of the vase.
BLACK, BACKGROUND AND BENEFITS
Also significant were the bottoms of vases created with the Red-Figure technique. This area included the space between the figures on the vase and their surroundings. Now, the area was a shimmering pitch black. This was in stark contrast to the black-figure vases that viewers seemed to see against a light shining against them. However, using the red figure method, each figure seemed to be covered in a personal focus!
Just as a wall vase can liven up a room today, the new Red-Figure method created some major benefits for viewers. Viewers of the vases could see it better from long distances. Also, the decorations on the vase wore less of their shape. The black background combined with the areas of the vase without figures. As a result, the shape of the vase was restored and the silhouette or outline of the vase was highlighted.
It is quite surprising how the black-figure method declined from its prominence in the late 7th century BC. C., to become practically obsolete a century later. However, even the red-figure method would eventually lose its prominence. Some of today’s contemporary wall decorations, such as wall vases, are retro Greek. Use them to turn something old into something new!