Kaitlin Dunn's Blog Post 1

Collaborative Efforts and the Reward

 
            While discussing Pre-Raphaelite art, the inner workings and relationships among the members and associates have become more visible. They coined their own title as a brotherhood and it is important to always remember that it was not just a brotherhood because it was a group of guys hanging out, being rebels, and creating art they all loved. It was a like-minded community that supported each other and felt a bond toward their art and beliefs that brought them together as tightly as kinship. The complexities and decline of some of the members’ relationships with each other illustrate obvious difficulties and strain that can be put on interpersonal relationships of such intensity. Despite their issues, however, they still managed to create a community that supported the growth and development of their beliefs in art.

                                     

                                                                        Oxford University Mural 1857-59

            Having an encouraging space or community can be taken for granted when it comes to achieving personal success and accomplishments. The Brotherhood, in both its first and second wave of members, cultivated a space for creation and progress of their ideology of art to flourish. Recently I have been thinking about effort and success and the relationship between the two. All of the Pre-Raphaelites were creating and perfecting their craft, but that does not mean that they could have achieved the same success and personal growth without a supportive system of associates. The same idea can be applied to any social situation: school, careers, any type of personal development. The collaboration between artists, writers, critics, and artisans allowed for success. The Brotherhood as well as Morris & Company all found success despite the lofty and eccentric ideas they were trying to manifest.
            Collaboration does not have to be perfect to succeed. The problematic, tenuous, and dramatic relationship among collaborators is not an ideal environment to be in, but that never distracted from the art’s future. Having been a part of a competitive rowing team for seven years gives me the opportunity to look at how collaboration and success can be connected. Wanting success and actually creating an environment for success are two entirely different things. This difference can also be seen in Victorian England between the Royal Academy and the Brotherhood. The Academy wanted a specific result and trained artists in order to achieve that, but that could never be mistaken for the collaborative community that dominated the behavior of the Pre-Raphaelites.

               
                          Morris & Company, founded 1875            
           
            Clearly, collaboration was apparent in the Brotherhood, but it can be utilized in any situation. Their success was not a guarantee, as usually is the case with success. The art world is a subjective place and a few of the associates even drifted out of the picture due to underachievement in their field; even Ford Madox Brown considered leaving Europe when his art career was stagnant at the beginning. Fortunately for us many of the Pre-Raphaelites continued with their careers and continued to work in and promote each other’s type of art. Rewards and success of all kinds are always a goal, but the achievement of those goals is heavily reliant on collaborative efforts and one’s supportive environments.