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Sunday, 3 May 2015

James Turrell - Installation Artist - (born 1943)

' I make spaces that apprehend light for our perception, and in some ways gather it, or seem to hold it… my work is more about your seeing than it is about my seeing, although it is a product of my seeing.'

James Turrell

Turrell is an avid aviator and considers the sky as his studio, material and canvas. He trained as a perceptual psychologist which undoubtedly has informed his work. Interestingly I have noted that many of the contemporary light artists have also trained in mathematics, this must be related to the technicality of the work. In the late 60's he created his first light projections and then went onto participate in an Art and Technology program at the Los Angeles County Museum with artist Robert Irwin and psychologist Edward Wortz which investigated perceptual phenomena. Following his experimentation at the Mendota Hotel in Santa Monica where he sealed off windows to allow natural and artificial light to enter the darkened spaces in specific ways led to his series of work 'The Medoda Stoppages'. Most famous for his purchase and subsequent renovations of the Roden Crator, an extinct volcano in the Arizona Desert he's turning the crater into a massive naked eye observatory, designed specifically for the viewing of celestial phenomena, all his other work encloses the viewer in order to control their perception of light.

Skyspace

His work on 'Skyspaces' started in the 1970's and they involve an enclosed space open to the sky through a hole in the roof. The viewer sits inside to view the sky through the opening in the roof.There are now over 60 of these Skyspaces installed across the globe.

His work with human perception is toyed with with his light tunnels and light projections which create shapes that appear to have mass and weight but they are purely created by light, his exhibitions play with the human senses.

Influence on my work:

Turrell I find incredible, I have been wrestling with this question about how to portray infinity and space in an image. He has been the first artist I discovered that for me captured the essence of what Im after. Although he is a light artist, I shall never be one of those, he has helped me think about how I can create illusion through my work, specifically currently through paint. How do I capture infinity on a canvas? My plan is to work and blend Turrells perceptual magic with that of the abstract expressionists, I need to experiment but he has certainly given me the ideas and creativity I need to take my work to the next step.

References:
http://jamesturrell.com
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/dec/15/james-turrell-retrospective-review-light-and-colour-reach-for-the-sublime
http://rodencrater.com/james
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Turrell
http://www.sculpture.org/documents/scmag02/nov02/turrell/turrell.shtml

Robert Motherwell - Abstract Expressionist (1915 - 1991)

American painter, printmaker and editor and member of the School of New York painters, contemporaries being Rothko, Barnett Newman, Kooning et al. He was well versed in literature, philosophy and the European modernist traditions, having studies at Harvard and Stanford University. His paintings feature simple shapes, bold colour contrasts and a fine balance between fine and bold gestural brushstrokes. It was through his lectures and publications he became what was referred to as an 'unofficial spokesman and interpreter' for the abstract expressionist movement.

Key themes found in his work articulate the dialogue between repression and rebellion, using his knowledge of the European art scene the difference between European modernism and a new American vision, and between formal and emotional approaches to making art.

He communicated his feelings towards war and politics through his art as well as in verse. He painted a series of dark menacing works,which communicated his feelings felt of war torn Europe as well as a series of political references in the late 1940's in relation to the lost cause of the Spanish civil war.

Influence on my work:
Its been an interesting learning how the abstract expressionists have approached communicating their personal politics and emotions through abstraction. In my opinion they have shunned the figurative imagery and have learnt how to use colour, shapes and gestural markings to articulate and communicate to the viewer. I am inspired by the freedom this gives to a painter to really allow the imagery to become all encompassing.

'Every artists problem is to invent himself'

Robert Motherwell

References:

http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=4126

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi56BczdiEs

http://www.theartstory.org/artist-motherwell-robert.htm

http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/artists/bios/1394

Saturday, 2 May 2015

Frank Auerbach - Figurative painter - born 1931

Portrait of Frank Auerbach

Frank Auerbach, born to Jewish parents, sent to Britain in 1939 to escape the Nazi regime he became a British citizen in 1947. He lives and works in Camden, London. He studied at the St Martins School of Art and then the Royal College of Art 1952-55. He doesn't try to paint an accurate photographic equivalent of his subject but develops an obsessive need to scrutinise the subject leading to an intense relationship with his subject, he captures the essence and identity of his subjects on a spiritual level rather than a physical one - he delves into their inner soul. An example of which is the repeated sittings of his portraiture studies over many years, he paints them in one sitting, scrapes off the paint and starts again next sitting, this is based not on achieving a layering effect but simply he just wants to get it 'right'. He is renowned for his excessive use of paint, sometime his paintings are too heavy to actually hang.

Auerbach obsession with painting translates to him taking just one day off a year, he both works and sleeps in his small Camden studio. He affords himself no luxuries even though his painting now fetch millions of pounds. 'I became solvent so late in my life its too late to change' Frank once said. He commented in an interview with the Telegraph in 2013, 'The whole thing is about the struggle and the struggle makes it a fun activity' he is an 'obsessive'. Lucian Freud was a great friend and collector of his work, they used to discuss their works. He was part of the 'School of London' with contemporaries such as Francis Bacon and Leon Kossoff.

He is also known for his landscape paintings, mainly of his surrounding area in Camden Town.

Has he influenced my work?

A suprising artist I hear you say, well what stuck me about Auerbach was his intensity of painting. I can't say I emulate his obsessive nature and Im certainly currently not painting everyday but I really warm to his painterly style, his hint of expressionism. The colours appeal along with his gestural mark making. What intrigues me is his intensity in trying to capture the spiritual element of his subject, digging much deeper than the figurative, something I am striving for.

Reference:
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/sep/21/frank-auerbach-constable-turner-and-me-interview
http://www.artnet.com/artists/frank-auerbach/
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/aug/29/frank-auerbach-painters-painter-freud-tate-retrospective
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/frank-helmuth-auerbach
http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/frank-auerbach

Group of Seven - Landscape artists - 1920's

The Group of Seven

A group of Canadian based painters who proclaimed themselves 'modern artists'. They were famous for their bright colours and their depiction of the Canadian landscape. The original group included; Franklin Carmichael,Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Franz Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. Macdonald and F.H. Varley. They became friends during 1911 in Toronto, Canada. Tom Thomson, another commercial artist of this time was key to this group although he didn't become a member he led them to paint the outdoors and specifically the rugged Ontario landscape for which many of them became famous for.

Lawren Harris

Franklin Carmichael

Arthur Lismer

Frank Johnston

They shifted from the commonplace imitation of nature and pushed towards the expression of their feelings for their subject. They simplified the colours and layout of their paintings and developed their own stylised approaches. Harris was the outlier who stripped is paintings to minimal form and became the one of the first Canadian artists to turn to abstraction.

Influence on my work:
I found this an interesting group of artists, although for me they don't have the looseness of brush strokes that I favour. However I do like their use of colour and its interesting to see the artists forging into a new style of painting for this time period. I greatly admired how they grouped together and formed a community of like minded artists, working and learning from each other to develop their styles. I lean towards Lawren Harris who was bold with his colours and was indeed heading towards abstraction.

Reference:
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/group-of-seven/
http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/canadian/The-Group-of-Seven.html
http://www.groupofsevenart.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_of_Seven_(artists)

JMW Turner - Landscape Artist (1775 - 1851)

Turner was an English Romanticist landscape painter, water-colourist and printmaker. He was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting (1).

The Snowstorm

Although renowned for his oil paintings, Turner is also one of the greatest masters of British watercolour landscape painting. He is commonly known as "the painter of light" because of his increasing interest in brilliant colours as the main constituent in his landscape and seascapes(2)

Turner and his fellow romantic painters of this time, such as Blake, Constable and Freidrich wanted to use their imagination and expression in their work unlike the works produced at this time which could be described as unemotional, and a matter of fact document of reality, artistic flourishes were frowned upon. This new group of painters wanted to depict emotions such as fear, love, desolation. Turners 'Snowstorm' depicts an atmospheric swirling mass of lashing wind, spray, sea and smoke which captures the ships stubble in the heart of a storm. The loose brushstrokes spontaneous and could be described as impressionistic.

The Burning of the House of Lords and Commons

How he has influenced my work:
The painterly and looseness of his approach to his work is inspiring. The free brush stokes in which you can feel the emotion and energy he transposes into his work is masterful. His clever use of colour and light add a depth and movement to his work adds an energy that takes you into the painting, dare I try and emulate !!?? I want to use this energy he has in my skies, I want to capture movement and light. The colour mixing and interesting placement of just one bright mark which completely pulls the whole image together is fantastic. For me its the energy and movement in his oils that really inspire, evoking an emotion from the viewer this is the trick!

Reference:
1. Lacayo, Richard (11 October 2007). The Sunshine Boy
2 Joseph Mallord William Turner. National Gallery. Retrieved 2014-09-03
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/joseph-mallord-william-turner
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/jmw-turner/joseph-mallord-william-turner-1775-1851-r1141041
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/610274/JMW-Turner
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2008/aug/05/turnerssimplytooradiantfor
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/sep/08/late-turner-tate-britain-review

Fred Ingrams - Landscape Painter

Fred Ingrams a contemporary landscape painter having studied at Camberwell and St Martins School of Art, his former years were based in London as a painter, graphic designer and art director. He moved to Norfolk in the 1990's and it was once he moved here he became obsessed with painting 'The Fens' - the marshy flat agricultural region nestled between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.

Prickwillow, The Fens

Sedge Fen Road

'There may be other flat landscapes in this country but none quite like this. It is difficult to describe it, or paint it, or photograph it - you can only see it in all its magnitude'

Edward Storey

Neeps Bridge, Middle Drain

For me Fred really captures the essence of the Fens. He paints 'Pleine Air' which is a feat in itself, as it is a cold, windswept, harsh environment. I did do some sketching out on the Fens but it was incredibly cold and with my large canvas' proved too windy to paint.
I feel that he really captures the rawness of the environment, using blocks of bright colours to give perspective and vibrancy to the image. The horizon which for me is the key element of the landscape, is captured strongly to give that sense of open space and vastness.

Reference:
http://www.fredingrams.com
http://www.strovergallery.co.uk/artists/fred-ingrams
http://www.greatfen.org.uk/heritage/stories

John Virtue - Contemporary Landscape Painter.

Born in Accrington, Lancashire 1947, known for his monolithic landscape paintings. His work rides a fine line between abstraction and figurative. A combination of American abstract expressionism meets Turner and Constable the infamous English landscape painters whom Virtue admires enormously.

Virtue tends to work from the landscape where he is living, he spent time in South Devon focussing on the Exe estuary as his subject. He then moved to London where he spends his days sketching primarily along the banks of the Thames capturing 'life on and around the river. He works solely in black and white. All of his paintings are created on large scale canvas' using white acrylic paint, black ink and shellac. Virtue is said to regard colour a superfluous to his needs.

Landscape No 710

Simon Scharma, art critic and historian commented on his London Landscape series, ' Virtue's London is more a battlefield than a playground….. there is a whipsaw excitement of the city; its rain-sodden, dirt caked, you tempered, beery eyed, jack hammered, traffic jammed, nervy exhilaration' (1)

John Virtue at work

I find Virtues loose, painterly style extremely inspiring, the pure scale of his paintings (some up to 14ft x 28ft), it astonishes me how he manages to capture such a deep sense of atmosphere and energy whilst having to constantly get down from his scaffolding to view his work as a whole. Having watched a documentary on him and seen him in action, he was filmed during his 2 yr position as The National Gallery, Associate artist 2003-5, the key learnings and inspiration I took from him was his rigour at sketching his subject before painting (Im not really there yet as a discipline, this will be discussed further in my drawing module !! need to work on it! ) the scale of his work is fantastically inspiring, I absolutely love it, and have started to explore working on larger canvas. This I find freeing as I can use wide brushes and be more expansive with my brush strokes. His use of light , I think, learning from him it doesn't need to be complicated, keep it simple, after all he's using only 2 colours on his palate!