Giorgio Morandi
based a lot of his paintings on still lives that he set up using a stock of objects such as vases, cups and bowls. Morandi had a unique colour palette in that he used quite soft, muted tones, a lot of grey and created his paintings using oil paints in a wet on wet technique.
Tate. 2020. ‘Still Life’, Giorgio Morandi, 1946 | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/morandi-still-life-n05782> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Tate. 2020. Giorgio Morandi 1890–1964 | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/giorgio-morandi-1660> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Tate. 2020. ‘Still Life’, Giorgio Morandi, 1960 | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/morandi-still-life-t13636> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Influenced by the Impressionists and Renaisance painters such as Monet, Cezanne and Giotto, you can clearly see Morandi using these styles in his still life paintings. The objects seem to be very upright and it is almost as though Morandi is wanting the viewer’s eye to be lead from bottom to the top of the painting in the way each object is placed, almost in line with eachother. Some objects have more space around them but overall there is a sense of authority in each. I am not entirely sure what Morandi set out to achieve in his still life paintings, he was very devoted to this subject and painted many throughout his life time, often using the same objects in different ways. To dedicate most of your painting life to such a subject to me seems quite boring but there was something that captivated Morandi that kept him exploring the subject for so long.
based a lot of his paintings on still lives that he set up using a stock of objects such as vases, cups and bowls. Morandi had a unique colour palette in that he used quite soft, muted tones, a lot of grey and created his paintings using oil paints in a wet on wet technique.
Tate. 2020. ‘Still Life’, Giorgio Morandi, 1946 | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/morandi-still-life-n05782> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Tate. 2020. Giorgio Morandi 1890–1964 | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/giorgio-morandi-1660> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Tate. 2020. ‘Still Life’, Giorgio Morandi, 1960 | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/morandi-still-life-t13636> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Influenced by the Impressionists and Renaisance painters such as Monet, Cezanne and Giotto, you can clearly see Morandi using these styles in his still life paintings. The objects seem to be very upright and it is almost as though Morandi is wanting the viewer’s eye to be lead from bottom to the top of the painting in the way each object is placed, almost in line with eachother. Some objects have more space around them but overall there is a sense of authority in each. I am not entirely sure what Morandi set out to achieve in his still life paintings, he was very devoted to this subject and painted many throughout his life time, often using the same objects in different ways. To dedicate most of your painting life to such a subject to me seems quite boring but there was something that captivated Morandi that kept him exploring the subject for so long.
Roy Lichenstein’s still life paintings instantly give the viewer a comic book feel. With the bold black outlines, the bold bright primary colours and the basic patterns used for shadows and details. Lichenstein was a Pop artist covering several types of art work over the years with still lives being one of them.
Using a limited colour palette Lichenstein was able to capture this comic book feel using oil paints and magna. I am amazed that Lichenstein could achieve such a striking solid look using these mediums and that he had such a modern style for his time. Created mostly in the 1970’s these works remind me of 1950’s graphic design with the colours and bold lines. I really enjoy this style but for me these still life paintings are hard to look at. They feel almost too bold to me and my eyes struggle to really see them because there is so much going on in each piece. Other painting such as ‘Still Life With Portrait’, is much easier on the eyes and was created using lithograph and screenprint on paper.
Tate. 2020. ‘Still Life With Portrait From ‘Six Still Lifes’’, Roy Lichtenstein, 1974 | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/lichtenstein-still-life-with-portrait-from-six-still-lifes-p77053> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
It seems to me that Lichenstein was quite a rebel of his time, wanting to create a known subject and put his spin on it. Quite often Lichenstein’s still lives were not of traditional objects and instead more personal items, even photos in frames. In ‘Still Life With Portrait’, it looks almost as though the portrait of the woman is looking out to the viewer and the placement of the curtain is suggesting she is looking out at you.
Gagosian. 2020. Roy Lichtenstein: Still Lifes, 555 West 24Th Street, New York, May 8–July 30, 2010 | Gagosian. [online] Available at: <https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2010/roy-lichtenstein-still-lifes/> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Looking at other works by Lichenstein, it would seem he liked to include women in his paintings and so he continues that into his still lives also.
Armand Fernandez
Tate. 2020. Dada – Art Term | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/d/dada> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Armanstudio.com. 2020. Biography - Official Website Of ARMAN. [online] Available at: <http://www.armanstudio.com/the-artist/biography> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Was a French painter, sculptor and was known as a prolific artist in the late 20th Century. Inspired by books, travelling and art reviews, Fernandez was a great influence of the art movement Pop art.
Known to accumulate vast amounts of objects, Fernandez combined his Dada inspired style with his obsession with objects. Fernndez expressed his love of objects through many different mediums, it would seem as though he had a lot to say about the world and his opinions on it and used objects as his means of doing so. Fernandez works are quite bold and in your face, sometimes feeling as though they are screaming at you. Objects were portrayed in their traditional form in some pieces, having then been manipulated, repeated or combined with other things such as typography and in others they are multiplied and faded out to suggest a melody and movement as in ‘Heart Rainbow’ 1984.
Armanstudio.com. 2020. Prints - Artworks - Official Website Of ARMAN. [online] Available at: <http://www.armanstudio.com/artworks/prints?view=slider#8> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
I personally find Fernandez work quite garish and uncomfortable to look at, but it is clear he had a lot to say about the world and its issues and using objects to communicate these things was his perfect medium.
Georgia O’ Keeffe
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. 2020. About Georgia O'keeffe - The Georgia O'keeffe Museum. [online] Available at: <https://www.okeeffemuseum.org/about-georgia-okeeffe/> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Collections.okeeffemuseum.org. 2020. The Georgia O'keeffe Museum. [online] Available at: <https://collections.okeeffemuseum.org/> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Known as one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century O’Keeffe’s abstract, almost surrealist style depicts the still life theme in a unique way. Trained in traditional painting, O’Keeffe took further influence from Arthur Wesley Dow, who encouraged artist’s to aim for self expression in their paintings rather than just painting what they saw. This had a huge impact on O’Keeffe’s future work taking it into a more abstract and expressive form.
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Arthur Wesley Dow. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Wesley_Dow> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Looking at several of O’Keeffe’s paintings, particularly her florals, you can clearly see her traditional painting skills, mixed with her self expression. O’ Keefe’s paintings are quite bold and bright, you can see they clearly have a message and I would say each piece could be perceived in a different way dependant on the viewer. For me O’Keeffe’s paintings are intriguing and yet confusing. I’m not sure I understand what she is trying to convey but her influence in the history of art is certainly significant and my own personal interest in abstract art can definitely relate to her curiosity for self expression and communication in new ways.
"My painting is what I have to give back to the world for what the world gives to me."
—Georgia O‘Keeffe, 1940
This quote from O’Keeffe really resonates with me because that is how I feel about my own work. I am wanting to develop an artistic voice that communicates how I see the world and what I want to say back to it. I will definitely be digging further into O’Keeffe’s work and influence for my own personal study.
Judy Chicago
Tate. 2020. Judy Chicago | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/ey-exhibition-world-goes-pop/artist-biography/judy-chicago> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Judychicago.com. 2020. Biography « Judy Chicago. [online] Available at: <https://www.judychicago.com/about/biography/> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Looking at the works of Judy Chicago I find myself feeling quite overwhelmed and unsure as to how to digest the context of her works. Chicago has a huge diverse gallery of work on her website, covering a vast amount of subjects. Her values and beliefs are strongly communicated throughout and her still life works seem very vulgar and political. Chicago works on many mediums and in many styles, using bright bold colours to more somber colour palettes. Crafts also play a big part in her style and there are some very intricate pieces in her collection.
I would say Chicago’s work is very emotional and bold, its hard to look at and seems to convey strong messages. Whilst Chicago’s style is not to my taste, her prolific creative ability is to be admired.
Tate. 2020. Judy Chicago | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/ey-exhibition-world-goes-pop/artist-biography/judy-chicago> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Judychicago.com. 2020. Biography « Judy Chicago. [online] Available at: <https://www.judychicago.com/about/biography/> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Looking at the works of Judy Chicago I find myself feeling quite overwhelmed and unsure as to how to digest the context of her works. Chicago has a huge diverse gallery of work on her website, covering a vast amount of subjects. Her values and beliefs are strongly communicated throughout and her still life works seem very vulgar and political. Chicago works on many mediums and in many styles, using bright bold colours to more somber colour palettes. Crafts also play a big part in her style and there are some very intricate pieces in her collection.
I would say Chicago’s work is very emotional and bold, its hard to look at and seems to convey strong messages. Whilst Chicago’s style is not to my taste, her prolific creative ability is to be admired.
Lisa Milroy
Lisamilroy.net. 2020. Still Life | Lisa Milroy. [online] Available at: <http://www.lisamilroy.net/c/1000047/still-life> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Duguid, R., 2020. 5 Questions With Lisa Milroy - ELEPHANT. [online] ELEPHANT. Available at: <https://elephant.art/5-questions-lisa-milroy/> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Lisa Milroy has a vast range of expressions in her still life work. Seen as a subject that is “more of a mind-set than a genre”, this is shown in Milroys paintings and performance based art. The idea that the viewer can step into the art work, step out again and yet leave the art behind was the concept Milroy explains in her interview on elephant art’s website.
Like the other artists I have researched here there is a growing sense in me that my understanding of the still life genre is very narrow and bland. These artists have shown me there is much more that can be explored and expressed than just the object themselves.
Milroy’s painting ‘Blue’ 2017 acrylic and oil on canvas is a good example of how you can communicate a mood using objects and mark making. The paint water jars filled with blue water left over from previous paintings and the blue water drips coming down from the top all point to a sadness being expressed from the artist in this particular work. Whilst I myself have used abstract mark making in my own paintings, I have never considered to use objects to convey the message alongside the marks, this is an interesting combination which I will explore further.
Squeak Carnwarth
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Squeak Carnwath. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squeak_Carnwath> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Like Milroy, Carnwarth is another artist who mixes still life and mark making, pattern and bold colours to depict a message or expression. The three candle sticks in the holder and a ship seem to feature in many works and are surrounded by patterns, other objects and typography. Carnworth’s art seems to hold deep messages and some of her pieces remind me of Banksy in style such as Message in a Bottle, 2018
Oil and alkyd on canvas over panel
Squeakcarnwath.com. 2020. Artwork-Squeak Carnwath. [online] Available at: <http://squeakcarnwath.com/Artwork_Paintings_Recent.html> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Fernand Léger
Tate. 2020. ‘Still Life With A Beer Mug’, Fernand Léger, 1921–2 | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/leger-still-life-with-a-beer-mug-t02035> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Leger’s still life forms were depicted in his own form of Cubism which he called Tubism. Created using grids marked up on the canvas before precisely painting using oils this style is very very vibrant and busy. Full of shapes and patterns, it is sometimes hard to make out what you are actually looking at. Focusing on ‘Still Life With A Beer Mug’, Leger uses a lot of angles, to depict his subject and I think it is his use of colour that helps the main object stand out from the rest.
I chose this artist to add to the research of still life as a theme because Leger is another artist who takes the genre to a new level. We see so many still life paintings as traditionally painted objects with seemingly no meaning other than portraying the objects themselves and yet these artists have gone way beyond that and shown there is much more to be said. I believe that is what Leger what trying to say in his still life paintings, that these objects can be seen in new ways because of the life experiences he had gone through.
Krista van der Niet
Double Dialogues. 2020. ‘All Coherence Gone?’ Contemporary Still Life And The Potential Of The Historical Genre. [online] Available at: <http://www.doubledialogues.com/article/all-coherence-gone-contemporary-still-life-and-the-potential-of-the-historical-genre/> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
‘Flinders’ 2013
This piece caught my eye when searching for contemporary still life artwork. Shown on the Double Dialogues website under an article presenting an exhibition of still life works by varying artists called All Coherence Gone? Historical currents in contemporary still life on view at Bay Art Gallery, in Cardiff on 20 September to 17 October, 2014.
This particular artwork stood out to me because of my growing curiosity to discover more about still life as abstraction and expression and Van Der Niet’s piece ‘Flinders’ certainly captures that essence.
Looking at other works on Van Der Niet’s website, she appears to be a photographer with a talent for communicating using objects and the human figure to express her insights and observations of the worlds ways.
‘Flinders’ displays, butterflies sitting onto of fruit and cakes, some of which have been cut in half or quarters. There is one sweet amongst them and they are displayed on a marble surface with a stark black background. Whilst I am not sure what the message is in this piece, it certainly has a lot of interest and piques the imagination of the viewer. I chose this piece because once again it is challenging my beliefs about what still life is and what it can be.
Reflection:
Researching these artists has certainly expanded my own understanding of still life and what can be achieved in addition to the traditional still life painting genre. I have discovered there is much to be explored and an object can be much more than it appears to be. Mixing abstraction, traditional painting and contemporary art techniques can create powerful pieces of art and they don’t just have to be paintings, there are many mediums including photography, sculpture and performance art that can express the still life theme. I am fascinated by the notion of using objects to express a message or means of self expression and look forward to expanding my understanding and practice of this in future work.
*******************************************************************************
Degas and Tracey Emin Research:
Degas:
Searching for Degas' monoprints, I had a look around the web. I wanted to find an online book of his work but ended up finding something even better, an online exhibition of his works entitled 'A Strange New Beauty' at MoMa.org. It was wonderful to be able to see these works in the actual gallery from the photos they shared and the audio they offer. It would be wonderful to see these in the flesh sometime but for now viewing online is good enough.
MoMa gives quite a detailed walkthrough of Degas' inspirations and how he worked on these monoprints, it was very interesting to hear about and to try to work out what Degas was trying to communicate to us. You can view over 120 images in this current exhibition which include his monoprints and paintings that were inspired by those works also.
I really liked that you could see photos of the works framed and displayed in the gallery, it would be great to be able to see these more closely as it's hard to see the details.
Google Arts & Culture. 2020. Edgar Degas, Le Sommeil (Sleep), A Monotype - Google Arts & Culture. [online] Available at: <https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/edgar-degas-le-sommeil-sleep-a-monotype/OQHiliA3xQ9rng> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
The Museum of Modern Art. 2020. Edgar Degas: A Strange New Beauty. [online] Available at: <https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1613> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Degas started his journey with monotype printing in the 1870's, unusually he worked with oil paints, which were thick and hard to work with. This video discusses more about his process and shows how he may have created his monoprints.
Reference to MoMa.org video discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLfYVzk0sNiGEYF87Bj0us98NVd-h6aOvK&time_continue=256&v=DC8L2O7I0wk&feature=emb_title
Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas. Heads of a Man and a Woman (Homme et femme, en buste). 1877–80
Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas. Pas battu. 1879 - pastel over monotype
Metmuseum.org. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/359362> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
These landscapes were colour monoprints, enhanced with pastels using a scumbling technique. They are really beautiful and inspiring, I hope to be able to experiment myself in this type of monoprinting.
Researching Tracey Emin's monoprints I again wanted to find galleries that display her work. I came across this exhibition online at the Tate gallery.
Emins work is an expression, a release of her anguish, a therapy to heal from her abusive and traumatic experiences.
Tate. 2020. ‘Terribly Wrong’, Tracey Emin, 1997 | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-terribly-wrong-p11565> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Full exhibition at the Tate: Tate. 2020. Search Results | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/search?aid=2590&type=artwork> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
National Galleries of Scotland. 2020. Just Remember How It Was. [online] Available at: <https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/50497/just-remember-how-it-was> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Artsy.net. 2020. Tracey Emin, New Monotypes | Carolina Nitsch Contemporary Art | Artsy. [online] Available at: <https://www.artsy.net/show/carolina-nitsch-contemporary-art-tracey-emin-new-monotypes> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Like Milroy, Carnwarth is another artist who mixes still life and mark making, pattern and bold colours to depict a message or expression. The three candle sticks in the holder and a ship seem to feature in many works and are surrounded by patterns, other objects and typography. Carnworth’s art seems to hold deep messages and some of her pieces remind me of Banksy in style such as Message in a Bottle, 2018
Oil and alkyd on canvas over panel
Squeakcarnwath.com. 2020. Artwork-Squeak Carnwath. [online] Available at: <http://squeakcarnwath.com/Artwork_Paintings_Recent.html> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Tate. 2020. ‘Still Life With A Beer Mug’, Fernand Léger, 1921–2 | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/leger-still-life-with-a-beer-mug-t02035> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Leger’s still life forms were depicted in his own form of Cubism which he called Tubism. Created using grids marked up on the canvas before precisely painting using oils this style is very very vibrant and busy. Full of shapes and patterns, it is sometimes hard to make out what you are actually looking at. Focusing on ‘Still Life With A Beer Mug’, Leger uses a lot of angles, to depict his subject and I think it is his use of colour that helps the main object stand out from the rest.
I chose this artist to add to the research of still life as a theme because Leger is another artist who takes the genre to a new level. We see so many still life paintings as traditionally painted objects with seemingly no meaning other than portraying the objects themselves and yet these artists have gone way beyond that and shown there is much more to be said. I believe that is what Leger what trying to say in his still life paintings, that these objects can be seen in new ways because of the life experiences he had gone through.
Krista van der Niet
Double Dialogues. 2020. ‘All Coherence Gone?’ Contemporary Still Life And The Potential Of The Historical Genre. [online] Available at: <http://www.doubledialogues.com/article/all-coherence-gone-contemporary-still-life-and-the-potential-of-the-historical-genre/> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
‘Flinders’ 2013
This piece caught my eye when searching for contemporary still life artwork. Shown on the Double Dialogues website under an article presenting an exhibition of still life works by varying artists called All Coherence Gone? Historical currents in contemporary still life on view at Bay Art Gallery, in Cardiff on 20 September to 17 October, 2014.
This particular artwork stood out to me because of my growing curiosity to discover more about still life as abstraction and expression and Van Der Niet’s piece ‘Flinders’ certainly captures that essence.
Looking at other works on Van Der Niet’s website, she appears to be a photographer with a talent for communicating using objects and the human figure to express her insights and observations of the worlds ways.
‘Flinders’ displays, butterflies sitting onto of fruit and cakes, some of which have been cut in half or quarters. There is one sweet amongst them and they are displayed on a marble surface with a stark black background. Whilst I am not sure what the message is in this piece, it certainly has a lot of interest and piques the imagination of the viewer. I chose this piece because once again it is challenging my beliefs about what still life is and what it can be.
Reflection:
Researching these artists has certainly expanded my own understanding of still life and what can be achieved in addition to the traditional still life painting genre. I have discovered there is much to be explored and an object can be much more than it appears to be. Mixing abstraction, traditional painting and contemporary art techniques can create powerful pieces of art and they don’t just have to be paintings, there are many mediums including photography, sculpture and performance art that can express the still life theme. I am fascinated by the notion of using objects to express a message or means of self expression and look forward to expanding my understanding and practice of this in future work.
*******************************************************************************
Degas and Tracey Emin Research:
Degas:
Searching for Degas' monoprints, I had a look around the web. I wanted to find an online book of his work but ended up finding something even better, an online exhibition of his works entitled 'A Strange New Beauty' at MoMa.org. It was wonderful to be able to see these works in the actual gallery from the photos they shared and the audio they offer. It would be wonderful to see these in the flesh sometime but for now viewing online is good enough.
MoMa gives quite a detailed walkthrough of Degas' inspirations and how he worked on these monoprints, it was very interesting to hear about and to try to work out what Degas was trying to communicate to us. You can view over 120 images in this current exhibition which include his monoprints and paintings that were inspired by those works also.
I really liked that you could see photos of the works framed and displayed in the gallery, it would be great to be able to see these more closely as it's hard to see the details.
Google Arts & Culture. 2020. Edgar Degas, Le Sommeil (Sleep), A Monotype - Google Arts & Culture. [online] Available at: <https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/edgar-degas-le-sommeil-sleep-a-monotype/OQHiliA3xQ9rng> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
The Museum of Modern Art. 2020. Edgar Degas: A Strange New Beauty. [online] Available at: <https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1613> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Degas started his journey with monotype printing in the 1870's, unusually he worked with oil paints, which were thick and hard to work with. This video discusses more about his process and shows how he may have created his monoprints.
Reference to MoMa.org video discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLfYVzk0sNiGEYF87Bj0us98NVd-h6aOvK&time_continue=256&v=DC8L2O7I0wk&feature=emb_title
Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas. Heads of a Man and a Woman (Homme et femme, en buste). 1877–80
The above artworks were monoprints I found particularly interesting, the contrast of colours and the way they look more painterly and soft.
In this collection at MoMa, Degas' monoprints focus on capturing movement of people. The people rushing through the city of Paris, what they wore, how they moved and similarily ballet dancers jumping in the air, moving around in their performances, the lights and ambience of the room and then backstage to the quiet movements of the dancers preparing for their performance, tying their ballet shoes.
Degas also created monoprints of landscapes, both real and imagined. These were discussed in part during the exhibition and shown in beautiful framed displayed at the gallery. I wanted to research these landscapes further so I then went on to find other galleries with more information on them
I came across The Met Museum.org which talked of Degas collection of monoprint landscapes. According to them, Degas visited a friend in 1890 in Burgundy and began a collection of landscapes inspired by his surroundings which resulted in a collection of 50 images that were then exhibited at the Durand-Ruel gallery in 1892.
These landscapes were colour monoprints, enhanced with pastels using a scumbling technique. They are really beautiful and inspiring, I hope to be able to experiment myself in this type of monoprinting.
Tracey Emin
Tate. 2020. ‘Sad Shower In New York’, Tracey Emin, 1995 | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-sad-shower-in-new-york-p11567> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
This collection of Emin's monoprints are created in a sketchy style, with simple line and sparce detail. They depict her dark and emotional experiences like a visual diary. Emin began monoprinting in the 1980's. She was inspired by an Australian artist Egon Schiele and the German Expressionists who Emin came across while studying art at Maidstone college 1983-86.
This collection of Emin's monoprints are created in a sketchy style, with simple line and sparce detail. They depict her dark and emotional experiences like a visual diary. Emin began monoprinting in the 1980's. She was inspired by an Australian artist Egon Schiele and the German Expressionists who Emin came across while studying art at Maidstone college 1983-86.
Emins work is an expression, a release of her anguish, a therapy to heal from her abusive and traumatic experiences.
Tate. 2020. ‘Terribly Wrong’, Tracey Emin, 1997 | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-terribly-wrong-p11565> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Full exhibition at the Tate: Tate. 2020. Search Results | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/search?aid=2590&type=artwork> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Further research into Emin's monoprints led me to The National Galleries of Scotland where they explain a bit more about her process.
National Galleries of Scotland. 2020. Just Remember How It Was. [online] Available at: <https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/50497/just-remember-how-it-was> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Interestingly Emin has used calico to print on and has added stitching to this work linking it to her other art collections.
Reflections:
Emin's work is very harsh, very self exposing and very activist. Emin has clearly been scarred deeply by her awful and traumatic experiences of sexual abuse and chooses to speak of that in her work. I'm not quite sure how she gets the look she has in her monoprints. It looks like a pencil drawing in some ways but since the technique of monoprinting is to cover the plate with ink and then make marks into it I am unsure how she has achieved this. Perhaps she covered the plate in dark ink and wiped away the majority of it leaving the lines of her images? At this stage of the course I am unsure how this is achieved.
By the information that MoMa provide it looks like Degas created his monoprints by covering the plate in oil paint and then used rolled up felt and brushes to create the marks in his works. I find some of Degas' monoprints, particually the single colour ones hard to depict exactly what is happening in them. I was fascinated to hear about how he used pastels over the top of some of his works to make them brighter and more detailed.
The landscapes Degas created intrigued me the most and I really enjoy seeing his use of colour and form in those. Although the dancers and people of the city are beautiful, I find the landscapes the most inspiring.
Both artists work are successful in what they are portraying but both have very different styles. Degas put a lot of detail into his works and was mostly concerned with form and movement of the human figure, mostly women. Emin is focused on her fight against the world and her experiences and that comes across clearly in her monoprints.
Both artists are delivering their own messages to us as viewers, of their experiences of life. Degas in a more appealing light and Emin in a very dark one.
It is interesting to see the stark differences between these two artists work using the same or similar medium. Perhaps their techniques are different but both are using monoprinting to convey their message. I am looking forward to experiencing this technique for myself to see where it leads me.
***************************************************************
Reflection:
By the information that MoMa provide it looks like Degas created his monoprints by covering the plate in oil paint and then used rolled up felt and brushes to create the marks in his works. I find some of Degas' monoprints, particually the single colour ones hard to depict exactly what is happening in them. I was fascinated to hear about how he used pastels over the top of some of his works to make them brighter and more detailed.
The landscapes Degas created intrigued me the most and I really enjoy seeing his use of colour and form in those. Although the dancers and people of the city are beautiful, I find the landscapes the most inspiring.
Both artists work are successful in what they are portraying but both have very different styles. Degas put a lot of detail into his works and was mostly concerned with form and movement of the human figure, mostly women. Emin is focused on her fight against the world and her experiences and that comes across clearly in her monoprints.
Both artists are delivering their own messages to us as viewers, of their experiences of life. Degas in a more appealing light and Emin in a very dark one.
It is interesting to see the stark differences between these two artists work using the same or similar medium. Perhaps their techniques are different but both are using monoprinting to convey their message. I am looking forward to experiencing this technique for myself to see where it leads me.
***************************************************************
Matisse's blue nudes:
Installing the blue nudes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ek9gt18X-s
Metmuseum.org. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/492813> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Moma.org. 2020. Henri Matisse. Blue Nude II. 1952 | Moma. [online] Available at: <https://www.moma.org/audio/playlist/6/316> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Evening Standard. 2020. Henri Matisse's Iconic Blue Nudes Cut-Outs Back Together In Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/exhibitions/henri-matisses-iconic-blue-nudes-cut-outs-back-together-in-tate-modern-exhibition-9258955.html> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Henrimatisse.org. 2020. Nu Bleu IV, 1952 By Henri Matisse. [online] Available at: <https://www.henrimatisse.org/nu-bleu.jsp> [Accessed 2 June 2020].
Gauguin.org. 2020. Nevermore, 1897 By Paul Gauguin. [online] Available at: <https://www.gauguin.org/nevermore.jsp> [Accessed 2 June 2020].
Tate. 2020. Fauvism – Art Term | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/f/fauvism> [Accessed 2 June 2020].
Tate. 2020. German Expressionism – Art Term | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/g/german-expressionism> [Accessed 2 June 2020].
Installing the blue nudes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ek9gt18X-s
Metmuseum.org. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/492813> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Moma.org. 2020. Henri Matisse. Blue Nude II. 1952 | Moma. [online] Available at: <https://www.moma.org/audio/playlist/6/316> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Evening Standard. 2020. Henri Matisse's Iconic Blue Nudes Cut-Outs Back Together In Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/exhibitions/henri-matisses-iconic-blue-nudes-cut-outs-back-together-in-tate-modern-exhibition-9258955.html> [Accessed 26 March 2020].
Henrimatisse.org. 2020. Nu Bleu IV, 1952 By Henri Matisse. [online] Available at: <https://www.henrimatisse.org/nu-bleu.jsp> [Accessed 2 June 2020].
Gauguin.org. 2020. Nevermore, 1897 By Paul Gauguin. [online] Available at: <https://www.gauguin.org/nevermore.jsp> [Accessed 2 June 2020].
Tate. 2020. Fauvism – Art Term | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/f/fauvism> [Accessed 2 June 2020].
Tate. 2020. German Expressionism – Art Term | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/g/german-expressionism> [Accessed 2 June 2020].
Four blue nudes were created by Matisse in 1952, two years before his death aged 84 years. In 2004, Tate modern reunited the four works for the first time in Britain along with other works from Matisse's cut outs series.
Matisse continued to use Fauvism in his later works, but the other artists of that style drifted away into other styles.
Matisse had a focused interested in the female nude and used the subject in many of his works through different mediums, such as sculpture, painting and collage. He would explore the female figure in his sketchbooks. His daughter and wife were often models for Matisse.
His work took a simpler approach after he had surgery and was confined to a wheelchair in 1941. He called it 'Painting with scissors', focusing on bold colours and simplifying his expression of the female figure using gouache on paper, cutting out the shapes to form a bold and expressive form.
Matisse continued to use Fauvism in his later works, but the other artists of that style drifted away into other styles.
Matisse had a focused interested in the female nude and used the subject in many of his works through different mediums, such as sculpture, painting and collage. He would explore the female figure in his sketchbooks. His daughter and wife were often models for Matisse.
His work took a simpler approach after he had surgery and was confined to a wheelchair in 1941. He called it 'Painting with scissors', focusing on bold colours and simplifying his expression of the female figure using gouache on paper, cutting out the shapes to form a bold and expressive form.
Reflection:
The first thing that strikes me, watching the video of the installation of these works is their size. I don't think we appreciate how large an artwork is until you see it framed and hung on the gallery walls. The pose that each nude expresses is what makes them powerful for me. Simply the way the body is shaped expresses something different in each.
***************************************************************************
Squeak Carnwarth Monoprint Research:
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Squeak Carnwath. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squeak_Carnwath> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Squeakcarnwath.com. 2020. Artwork-Squeak Carnwath. [online] Available at: <http://squeakcarnwath.com/Artwork_Paintings_Recent.html> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
The monoprints of Squeak Carnwath are very bold and creative. I am impressed at how distinctive the drawings and shapes are and how clear the type and numbers are. I’m not a fan of Carnwath’s work, it is hard for me to understand the meaning, however I do like the kind of rustic look each of her works have and the almost moody colours work really well. A lot of Carnwath’s pieces seem to be split into thirds or quarters, using different colours or line work. I am sure there is some significance to this but it is not clear to me.
Carnwath seems to use multiple techniques in each of her pieces and this works well together, even the subtle impressions of leaves give the work more dimension. There is also a lot of texture. The use of patterns, type and colours give the works more dimension and the look of Carnwath’s art reminds me of techniques that can be used with acrylics. Blending colours and wiping away with rags giving that almost ghost-like quality. You can also achieve a similar look by varnishing with beeswax over acrylics which is something I’ve done a lot of in my past work. It gives a kind of dreamy haze to the piece when the wax goes cold and solid.
Abstract in nature Carnwath expresses herself through symbols, type and numbers, each piece seems to include most of these and her little numbers are amazingly clear. Looking at the titles of these monoprints, they don’t really elaborate to me on what they are about. They have a kind of secrecy about them, almost like the work is a personal diary that is not meant to be fully understood.
Although Carnwath’s work is not to my taste, they are inspiring in terms of the accuracy achieved in the techniques she has used.
Squeak Carnwarth Monoprint Research:
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Squeak Carnwath. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squeak_Carnwath> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
Squeakcarnwath.com. 2020. Artwork-Squeak Carnwath. [online] Available at: <http://squeakcarnwath.com/Artwork_Paintings_Recent.html> [Accessed 17 June 2020].
The monoprints of Squeak Carnwath are very bold and creative. I am impressed at how distinctive the drawings and shapes are and how clear the type and numbers are. I’m not a fan of Carnwath’s work, it is hard for me to understand the meaning, however I do like the kind of rustic look each of her works have and the almost moody colours work really well. A lot of Carnwath’s pieces seem to be split into thirds or quarters, using different colours or line work. I am sure there is some significance to this but it is not clear to me.
Carnwath seems to use multiple techniques in each of her pieces and this works well together, even the subtle impressions of leaves give the work more dimension. There is also a lot of texture. The use of patterns, type and colours give the works more dimension and the look of Carnwath’s art reminds me of techniques that can be used with acrylics. Blending colours and wiping away with rags giving that almost ghost-like quality. You can also achieve a similar look by varnishing with beeswax over acrylics which is something I’ve done a lot of in my past work. It gives a kind of dreamy haze to the piece when the wax goes cold and solid.
Abstract in nature Carnwath expresses herself through symbols, type and numbers, each piece seems to include most of these and her little numbers are amazingly clear. Looking at the titles of these monoprints, they don’t really elaborate to me on what they are about. They have a kind of secrecy about them, almost like the work is a personal diary that is not meant to be fully understood.
Although Carnwath’s work is not to my taste, they are inspiring in terms of the accuracy achieved in the techniques she has used.