Cone, sculpture by Andy Goldsworthy, 1990

Land art.

Goldsworthy is a critically aclaimed artist who’s career had spanned over 30 years. He has describled his work as a “collaboration with nature,” therfore demands a physical connection. He does this by building the works in the space it will sit in, with materials found only meters away. His famous technique is to use the natural materials to make un-natural forms, playing with peoples perseptions of the limitations of nature.

Bibliography:

Andy Goldsworthy | Biography, Art, & Facts | Britannica. (2021). In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Andy-Goldsworthy [Accessed 2 Feb. 2021].

No Woman No Cry, Chris Ofili, 1998,  2438 × 1828 × 51 mm.

The multimedia painting depicts a black woman crying behind a pattern of dots arranged in diamond shapes, almost prison-like. The woman wears a dung pendant and the canvas is stood on two pieces of elephant dung. Within the teardrops are pictures of Stephan Lawrence, a London teenager who was a died from a racist attack. Ofili was moved by Doreen Lawrence’s continual dignity during the public enquiry of her son’s death. This painting challenges the prejudice towards BAME communities by shedding light onto the challenges faced by people on a daily basis.

Bibliography:

Tate (2015). “No Woman, No Cry”, Chris Ofili, 1998 | Tate. [online] Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/ofili-no-woman-no-cry-t07502 [Accessed 2 Feb. 2021].

NHS vs. COVID by The Singh Twins 2020

This is a digital drawing by the Singh Twins of their response to the NHS fighting the coronavirus and the government’s response to it. They have included a range if symbolic imagery aluding to the lack support given to the NHS by the UK government. This work was shown on Greyson Perry’s Art Club on channel 4 during the first lockdown, and presented in the limited exhibition in Manchester.

One way they have used imagery to convey their message is by including a  representation of Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, as a small clown stabbing a much larger image of an NHS worker, in the back which illustrates the feelings of NHS workers of the time, as they have been promised time and time again that the NHS would be supported and wages would increase, all the while the government has been privatising and stripping the NHS of money and recorces.

Bibliography:

Singhtwins.co.uk. (2017). Home. [online] Available at: https://www.singhtwins.co.uk/ [Accessed Feb. 2021].

‌in (2019). Privatisation in the English NHS: fact or fiction? [online] The Nuffield Trust. Available at: https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/privatisation-in-the-english-nhs-fact-or-fiction?gclid=CjwKCAiAjeSABhAPEiwAqfxURQ8B2Knk9vVEm6e6MMlM3xc-j0lzDRT8LCGpmVoYwJO1BOygNgI_ABoCrY8QAvD_BwE [Accessed Feb. 2021].‌

Graysonsartclub.com. (2021). Home. [online] Available at: https://www.graysonsartclub.com/ [Accessed Feb. 2021].

Bendy Wendy by Bella Bradford, 2020, 240x270cm.

“[This work is made from a kabab-like armature and recycled materials to try to use these famously weak materials together to make a structure that will hold its self-up.]”(Bradford 2020). The combination of materials with the structure creates a creature-like form; the many layers of material “are used to emulate the rhythm of a creature’s skin.” (Bradford 2020).

The shape reminds me of children’s toys in waiting rooms of doctor’s surgeries. I remember sliding the beads along the thick wire forms, creating narratives in my head, to take my mind off of the inevitable doctor appointment.

The artist tried to produce a sense of movement and life in the form, which I feel they have achieved through the layers of what would be rubbish. They have given life to artificial products.

Bibliography:

May (2021). FaB Festival. [online] FaB Festival. Available at: https://www.fringeartsbath.co.uk/assemblage [Accessed Feb. 2021].

Portariture

1) King Henry VIII; King Henry VIIby Hans Holbein the Younger ink and watercolour, circa 1536-1537 101 1/2 in. x 54 in. (2578 mm x 1372 mm)

2) 'The Royal Family: A Centenary Portrait by John Wonnacott oil on canvas on foamboard, 2000 144 1/4 in. x 98 1/8 in. (3663 mm x 2493 mm) overall Commissioned, 2000

In the 16th century portraiture was used not only to describe a person’s features but to also tell the viewer something of their wealth, power and status at the time. And to document this in time. The current Royal family had this portrait commissioned not out of necessity of documenting appearances but out of a sense of tradition.

The media of photography and video recording has made the necessity for traditional documentation obsolete. Photography is much more easily available and cheaper for the masses of first world countries to get hold of, than those of the 16th century, to oil portraiture, which has changed the way people perceive 16th century portraiture. It is now more valued, as it would have taken a very long period of time to produce, longer then than what it would take to complete in recent years, as the paint would have had to be mixed by hand before starting and during the painting. For this reason, paintings from this time have sold at auction for extremely high prices, and are cherished in national galleries.

Bibliography:

Npg.org.uk. (2018). “The Royal Family: A Centenary Portrait” - National Portrait Gallery. [online] Available at: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw16828/The-Royal-Family-A-Centenary-Portrait [Accessed 2021].

Npg.org.uk. (2018). King Henry VIII; King Henry VII - National Portrait Gallery. [online] Available at: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw03080/King-Henry-VIII-King-Henry-VII [Accessed 2021].

Male identiy

Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini, made around 1545 in Florence, Italy. Cast in bronze.

The sculpture was commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici, the Duke who had “cut off the head” of the republic, and had gained control. During this time societal standers were very high for men, to be strong and brave and powerful, perpetuated by statues like this. These notions carry on into modern life which has a damaging effect on male identity, as men are taught to be strong and powerful and brave but are misguided when it comes to processing emotion, a stereotypically female thing to be in touch with and therefore something that is discouraged in men, as they are taught that female attributes are insecurities that should be suppressed.

The sculpture conveys power and strength through the use of bronze and marble, these are typically strong materials that last a long time. The use of these materials illudes to the artist incorporating this element of power and fulfilling the patron’s wishes to continue to circulate ideals of toxic masculinity.

These ideals are also hinted to in the fact that the figure is presented with defined muscles which have been used to kill a creature. This decision by the artist may have been second nature as at the time men were idealised if they were strong and killed things, however it is in recent history that men are coming to the conclusion, or being shown that physical strength and being emotionally withdrawn is unhealthy for their mental wellbeing. The fact that this is only recently being widely discussed is a positive step towards a better understanding of mental health and wellbeing, however as these ideals have circulated for so long it is going to take a long time to educate people that these aren’t beneficial for anyone.

Bibliography:

Visittuscany.com. (2020). Statue of Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini in Florence | Visit Tuscany. [online] Available at: https://www.visittuscany.com/en/attractions/perseus-with-the-head-of-medusa-by-benvenuto-cellini/ [Accessed Feb. 2021].

‌Abrahams, S. (2021). EPPH | Cellini’s Perseus (1545-54). [online] Everypainterpaintshimself.com. Available at: https://www.everypainterpaintshimself.com/article/cellinis_perseus [Accessed Feb. 2021].‌

What Is Toxic Masculinity? (Published 2019). (2021). The New York Times. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/us/toxic-masculinity.html [Accessed Feb. 2021].

Propped - Jenny Saville, 1992,  213.4 x 182.9cm

Female Identity

‘Propped’ is an oil painting by Jenny Saville, first showcased at her Edinburgh Degree show in 1992. The painting sold for £9.5 million at Sotheby’s London, in 1992, which broke the record for the most expensive painting of a living artist. It is a superlative self-portrait.

The female figure is positioned on a small black pedestal with the words “If we continue to speak in this sameness — speak as men have spoken for centuries, we will fail each other” written towards her. It looks as if she is examining herself in the mirror and telling these words to herself. The painting challenges the restrictions placed on female nudity, by presenting her body in this state of vulnerability, honesty, and strength. The expression on her face conveys vulnerability of the exposure of her body to a wide audience, while the scale of the painting illustrates her confidence and strength to do so.

Female bodies have had so many expectations put upon them over hundreds of years. ‘Don’t show too much skin’, ‘you have to be this shape or you won’t be desirable’ esc. It is a relief when a female painter actively resists these societal bounds as it shows others that they are able to do the same in their own way.

The chosen angle of the view foreshortens the knee and thighs, exaggerating their size and shape. The artist may have chosen to do this to convey the exaggerated view of one’s insecurities that the mind creates when comparing to others and listening to societal standards.

Bibliography:

Artlyst. (2021). Artlyst. [online] Available at: https://www.artlyst.com/features/jenny-saville-propped-1992-significant-works-sue-hubbard/ [Accessed Feb. 2021].

‌Trujillo, M. (2018). Jenny Saville’s “Propped”: Female Worth in the Art Market. [online] Art Critique. Available at: https://www.art-critique.com/en/2018/10/jenny-savilles-propped-female-worth-in-the-art-market/ [Accessed 2 Feb. 2021].‌

Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View, 1991. Cornelia Parker.

Installation art.

This work is made from an exploded domestic garden shed, and its contents. The pieces were suspended from the ceiling with a 200W bulb in the centre, covering the walls with shadows. 

The audience is able to walk around the space observing the fragments and charred items, possibly imaging its narrative. Why is this shed exploding? who’s shed is it? Did it once sit in a garden? How long was it used for? So many stories can be interpreted from this moment in time, captured and preserved in this format. Also, if one stands in a corner of the room, they may be able to watch the shadows of others move around the space, which I imagine could be quite disorientating as they would be confronted by the conflicting narratives of a paused moment suspended in time and space, and those alive moving across the shadows of the stationary. This would only be made possible the fact that this piece is a suspended installation. An alternative way of presenting work 

Parker frequently works with cliche objects to illustrate a transformation. Flattening these objects or changing them in some way maybe to make the viewer notice them and remind them not to take them for granted. In this instance Parker has exploded a garden shed, an object which is very familiar to many and has been used for many years. She has possibly resurrected this moment in time to express to the audience the fleeting nature of time and how little we all have, as everything ends.

Parker also has an interest with gravity. How peoples’ perceptions of it can alter the perception of the work, as with Cold Dark Matter people see gravity as a force that pulls everything to the ground and a measurable force is needed to defy that so Parker is using that perception of gravity to make the pieces look as if they are exploding.

It is significant that Cold dark Matter is communicated through the genre of installation art, as it would not have had the impact or conversation around it.

Bibliography:

Tate (2021). Cornelia Parker born 1956 | Tate. [online] Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/cornelia-parker-2358 [Accessed 31 Jan. 2021].

Walking Woman

By Maurice Blik. Bronze edition of 6. 36 x 20 x 20 cms.

How the patination of a sculpture informs the work.

By the age of four Blik was faced with the horrors of WW2 concentration camps. After being liberated to England, Blik started to make clay sculptures, which he cast in bronze, capturing figures during a moment of suffering, as he remembers them. The process of making these sculptures is to confront the traumas that he faced during his early life.

This sculpture ‘Walking Woman’ is cast in bronze which gives the form a sense of strength and rigidity. The right arm and leg have been given anatomical form, completely stretched out conveying that the figure is in great pain. The dark patination of the metal emphasizes the strain of the body as when the light hits it the eye is drawn to the contours of the muscle straining under the pain that this form is experiencing. 

The depth of colour that has been achieved on this sculpture, to me, represents the feeling of despair and fear that I imagine was rife in concentration camps of WW2. The colour also reminds me of ash and embers and cremation, which was the main way of disposing bodies of those killed in the camps.

This sculpture gives a glimpse into what someone could look like during a moment of suffering. The left side of the body either looks as if it is melting from being burned, or a physical representation of the emotional response to suffering. 

The patination of this piece has emphasized the tension and stress that this form is under. The hardness of bronze coupled with the surface treatment exaggerates the form of the muscle and detail in the left side.

Bibliography:

Mauriceblik.com. (2021). Walking Woman - Sculpture: Back-Catalogue - Maurice Blik. [online] Available at: http://www.mauriceblik.com/sculpture/184/4508/sculpture-back-catalogue-walking-woman [Accessed 31 Jan. 2021].

Guernica, by Pablo Picasso, 349.3 cm × 776.6 cm, oil on canvas, 1937.

This piece by Picasso was made as a response to the bombing of the Basque Country town, Guernica, in northern Spain, by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy at the request of the Spanish Nationalists. It depicts the suffering and anguish of the affected civilians and the outrage of the artist through a range of hidden messages in the symbolism of elements presented.

One way in which he has incourperated symbolism is through the use of the monochromatic palette. The lack of colour evens out the focus of each figure,  introducing them as equal parts of one painting, linking to the fact that they are all civillians. Even if the artist had decided to include red blood from the figures, that would have created more focus on them therefore overshadowing the other elements.

Another symbolic element picasso has included is the farting bull on the far left. The bull is a symbol of Spain and a link to General Franco who ordered the attack on the city. The fact that the bull is farting is an insult to the General, which Picasso included to convey his anger with the him.

Picasso has utilised cubism and surrealism to make the whole piece seem jumbled and distorted which illustrates the panic and chaos of the scene. The inclusion of detached body parts and distressed figures exaggerates the feeling of discord and suffering. The artist has done this to communicate to the audience how atrocious an act this was.

Guernica was exhibited at the Spanish display at the 1937 Paris International Exposition and then at other venues around the world. The range of exposure that it recieved greatly helped bring national attention to the conflict of the Spanish Civil War, and the funds raised from the exhibitions went towards the Spanish war relief.

The scale of the piece is very significant, as Picasso has chosen this size to emphisise the horrors that occured in this city and to spark conversation and debate among highly influential people, getting them to rethink the effects of war. 

Bibliography

Dean, N.E. (2020). The Strategy Bridge. [online] The Strategy Bridge. Available at: https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2020/7/13/the-art-of-war-examining-picassos-guernica-as-a-tool-for-leader-professional-development [Accessed 19 Jan. 2021].

Wikipedia Contributors (2021). Guernica (Picasso). [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guernica_(Picasso) [Accessed 19 Jan. 2021].

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FLESH, Antony Gormley

How the form of a building tells you about its function.