conclusion
Throughout my essay I have attempted to describe how Cornell began a series of work referred to as the 'Medici slot machines', and how he appropriated Renaissance images and made them fit comfortably with contemporary objects of the 1940's. I believe Joseph Cornell absorbed many traditions and influences when creating his box constructions including: the earliest 'Cabinets of Wonder', the religious 'Confessional box', the American folk-art 'Shadow box' and the early museum cabinet called the 'Diarama'. I have described how he fused all these traditions with more contemporary influences, 'Shop displays', the 'Sailor's box', the 'Penny arcade' and the 'Museum in a box' idea from Duchamp.
However, why was Cornell fascinated with the Medici and the Renaissance? Cornell may have been aware of two art movements, the 'Transcendentalists' and the 'American Renaissance'. The Transcendentalist movement, roughly designated from 1835-1880 is described by PBS.(2003) as being: "derived from the philosopher Kant, who called "all knowledge transcendental which is concerned not with objects but with our mode of knowing objects."
Its origins, again according to PBS.(2003) go back to the: "English Romantics such as Blake, Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats, and Byron...its resonances reverberated through American life well into the 20th century."
The Transcendentalists were at the heart of what became known as the 'American Renaissance' which emerged between the 1870's and the early 1900's, Davis (2003) describes it as: "An interest in idealistic subjects ... An appreciation for the artistic works of classical antiquity... many American artists and architects began to study the works of the Italian Renaissance (1420-1580), a period of renewed interest in the art, architecture, and literature of classical antiquity."
In an attempt to create America's own sense of history and tradition in their fledgling country, it is my opinion that these American artists and architects looked back and borrowed from a previous golden age of 15th century Renaissance Italy. I believe that Cornell was also influenced by these ideas, but what makes Cornell's art so unique is that he fused these high art traditions with cheap and low art iconography of the Penny Dreadful arcades. From all these diverse ideas, we get a distillation that is totally unique in the art world, the 'Medici slot machine' series of works. When looking at Cornell's box constructions it seems that the objects and images are all connected, and yet on closer inspection are they? Untitled (Medici Princess) in an earlier chapter describes a reproduction detail of the painting Portrait of a young princess by Agnolo Bronzino together with all kinds of objects. wood blocks, Baedeker maps, metal jacks, a cork ball, a red marble and small red wood dowel, a purple feather, pink and silver foil ball, a fan, a seal of clock face, and packet of map details, tied with orange thread As stated earlier Waldman (2000, p.70) comment is: "Cornell used these to contexualise the princess."
Yet many of the objects are from the 20th century. Waldman (2000, p.70) also states: "The purple feather and fan suggest the woman and monarch she would become."
I think the author- knowing some of the history of Cornell's work is putting their own interpretation on this work. The human mind automatically makes connections, we can not stop ourselves trying to make sense of things we see. Using colour, scale and composition, I think Cornell worked intuitively until a particular combination seemed to make sense or imply a narrative. Rather than consciously telling us a story, he invites us to imagine, to travel into the past, to play and dream like a child. Cornell's many ideas and influences are so diverse that in looking at his work I believe that our imagination works overtime as if trying to solve some kind of cosmic puzzle. In the BBC4's television program 'The World in a Box' Jardine (2003) spoke about the early 'Cabinets of Wonder', from the 16th century, stated: "It was the last time in the world when man dared believe they could master all the mysteries of the universe."
I have to say that I disagree with this statement because when Jardine (2003) also stated: "Objects have a solidarity and permanence that gives us comfort in uncertain times. We fill them with memory and meaning"
In stating this she is actually describing Joseph Cornell's working method. In my opinion, Cornell's seemingly random objects drawn from many traditions and influences, do seem to have solidarity and permanence. Looking back on his huge body of work that he left, it is my opinion, in a poetic and artistic way, Cornell actually achieved in a poetic way to master all the mysteries of the universe. My final quote is an excerpt from the American T.V. program 'Message in a Box' Solman (1997) on commenting on Cornell's death said: "Joseph Cornell never revelled in his growing status as seminal figure, however. His last years were his most isolated. He would watch neighbourhood children from his window, leaving boxes out on the porch for them to play with. In 1972, Cornell died at his Utopia Parkway home. He was cremated; his ashes buried in a small wooden box."
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