I have decided to withdraw from the painting 1 course. shortly after I started this one I realised that the painting degree pathway wasn't for me. The course was quite repetitious in terms of going over a lot of ground covered in Drawing 1 but with paint. The main reason for withdrawing, however was that I just wasn't enjoying the process of painting.
On a more positive note, the OCA has now introduced a degree pathway in drawing - I have decided to follow that pathway so will be starting with Printmaking 1 very soon.
I have published all the posts which were sitting uncompleted as drafts on my blog - some of them will not make a lot of sense because they are incomplete but at least it shows some of the work I had done before I ran out of enthusiasm.
Saturday 20 August 2016
Exploring contrast
'In visual perception a colour is almost never seen as it really is - as it physically is .
This fact makes colour the most relative medium in art.
In order to use colour effectively it is necessary to recognise that colour deceives continually'
Joseph Albers in 'Interaction of Colour' Yale University Press (first published 1963- 50th anniversary edition 2013)
Research Point: Optical Effects
Optical effects have been exploited by many artists to create movement and depict the effects of light . The impressionists and neo-impressionists, in particular the pointillists: Seurat and Signac, made full use of the new understanding of the nature of human perception. Find out what you can about these artists' aims and study their pictures to see how they achieved such effects as optical mixing. Look also at the work of Bridget Riley and the op artists.
Optical mixing is a phenomenon in which a field of colour composed of small coloured shapes are fused in the mind of the viewer to give rise to the impression of a a whole field of colour or colour graduation. (1) How well the colours mix in the mind of the beholder is dependent on the how large the individual shapes are and their distance from the eye.
Modern colour printing is an example of this phenomenon - for example inkjet printers produce images in a vast range of colours using tiny dots of 3 colours of ink (cyan, magenta and yellow) with black. (1)
In painting, collage and mosaics and other media, the individual shapes can be quite large allowing the phenomenon of 'dual visual awareness' to occur. Larger individual units of colour allow the viewer to alternate between to readings - from the physical presence of the spot of colour to their coalescence to form a picture or pattern. (1)
This phenomenon has been exploited as far back as Roman times in mosaics:
It is still utilised by artists today. Chuck Close's monumental portraits appear almost photorealistic from a distance but they are composed of complex shapes: Small boxes containing squiggles of various tones and hues. The brain is able to arrange this complicated arrangement into a coherent whole(1) Click Here to see a Self Portrait of Chuck Close on the Pace Gallery Website.
http://www.guggenheim-venice.it/inglese/exhibitions/avanguardie-parigine/avanguardie-parigine.html#prettyPhoto
References:
(1) Hornung, D. Colour: A workshop for artists and designers: Laurence King Publishing. 2005 (reprinted 2013)
(2) Petry, M. Nature Morte: Contemporary artists reinvigorate the Still-life tradition. Thames and Hudson. 2013
(3) Gage, G. Colour and Meaning: Art, Science and Symbolism. Thames and Hudson. 1999 (reprinted 2013)
(4)http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Never-Underestimate-the-Power-of-a-Paint-Tube-204116801.html
(5)Andrews, M. Landscape and Western Art :Oxford History of Western Art. Oxford University Press 1999
(6) Anderson, J. Monet. Grange Books. Regency House Publishing 2007.
Optical mixing is a phenomenon in which a field of colour composed of small coloured shapes are fused in the mind of the viewer to give rise to the impression of a a whole field of colour or colour graduation. (1) How well the colours mix in the mind of the beholder is dependent on the how large the individual shapes are and their distance from the eye.
Modern colour printing is an example of this phenomenon - for example inkjet printers produce images in a vast range of colours using tiny dots of 3 colours of ink (cyan, magenta and yellow) with black. (1)
In painting, collage and mosaics and other media, the individual shapes can be quite large allowing the phenomenon of 'dual visual awareness' to occur. Larger individual units of colour allow the viewer to alternate between to readings - from the physical presence of the spot of colour to their coalescence to form a picture or pattern. (1)
This phenomenon has been exploited as far back as Roman times in mosaics:
 |
| Image Source: http://www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/rome_art_mosaic.htm |
Caroline McCarthy has employed a technique using small dots punched out of plastic bin bags in the colours used in colour printing to create a still life. The technique replicates the process of colour printing but on a larger scale.(2) Click Here to see image of 'Floral Still Life' 2007 by C McCarthy on 'Parkers Box' Website
The impressionists were undoubtedly not the first to exploit optical effects such as simultaneous and successive contrast. Delacroix said (Quoted by Charles Blanc in 1864) that the great colourists had always perceived the essential relativity of colour: they had never sought to establish 'le ton local', but had always worked through the manipulation of optical contrasts. (3) However this manipulation became more obvious with the impressionists and neo -impressionists.
The impressionists aimed to paint nature as it was. The advent of oil paint in tubes allowed them to paint outdoors directly from their subjects(4). Given that the effects of light outdoors are constantly changing, they had to paint rapidly to record their subjective responses. This resulted in bold brushstrokes and dabs of colour rather than the subtle graduations and glazing techniques favoured by the academic establishment of the time. The impressionists were more interested in the effects of changing light that the 'local colour' of their subjects. For example Monet painted a series of paintings of Rouen Cathedral which is composed of quite colourless stone. He painted it at different times of day and under differing weather conditions resulting in very different paintings of the same subject. The skilful juxtaposition of colours achieves both modelling of the structure and vibrant yet harmonious colour.
Click here for more details about Monet's approach in a previous research point.
Click here to see numerous examples of Monet's Rouen Cathedral series courtesy of Wikipedia
The impressionists were undoubtedly not the first to exploit optical effects such as simultaneous and successive contrast. Delacroix said (Quoted by Charles Blanc in 1864) that the great colourists had always perceived the essential relativity of colour: they had never sought to establish 'le ton local', but had always worked through the manipulation of optical contrasts. (3) However this manipulation became more obvious with the impressionists and neo -impressionists.
The impressionists aimed to paint nature as it was. The advent of oil paint in tubes allowed them to paint outdoors directly from their subjects(4). Given that the effects of light outdoors are constantly changing, they had to paint rapidly to record their subjective responses. This resulted in bold brushstrokes and dabs of colour rather than the subtle graduations and glazing techniques favoured by the academic establishment of the time. The impressionists were more interested in the effects of changing light that the 'local colour' of their subjects. For example Monet painted a series of paintings of Rouen Cathedral which is composed of quite colourless stone. He painted it at different times of day and under differing weather conditions resulting in very different paintings of the same subject. The skilful juxtaposition of colours achieves both modelling of the structure and vibrant yet harmonious colour.
Click here for more details about Monet's approach in a previous research point.
Click here to see numerous examples of Monet's Rouen Cathedral series courtesy of Wikipedia
As I alluded to in the previous research point about Chevreul, the impressionists' reported aim of painting nature in her 'true colours' is probably an impossibility because each colour placed on the canvas has an influence on how adjacent colours are perceived. Nevertheless, their work represents a revolution in the approach to painting.
Seurat and his fellow neo-impressionists wanted to take this process further via a scientific rather than a purely subjective approach. Seurat is quoted as writing, " Technique is the should and body of the art". (3) He has, therefore come to be described as a scientific artist, applying the physical laws of light and colour rather than relying on his impressions.
Closer reading of the literature shows that he wasn't really up to date with with all the scientific optical and colour theory of his day, preferring toe stick with Chevreul's theories rather than the more up-to date publications of Heimholtz and Ogden Rood. This was probably because he was very interested in colour harmony and Chevreul gave easy to follow rules for the harmonious combination of colours. However, John Gage writes:
" His painterly sensitivity and technical ingenuity nevertheless enabled him to extract from the theoretical literature a number of simple concepts and put them to work in the formation of a new style, avoiding many of the pitfalls that situations of such enormous complexity were bound to present" (3)
Seurat was an experimenter. He continually modified his technique as he made new discoveries. He described his working method as follows:
"The means of expression is the optical mixture of tonal values and colours (both local colour and the colour of the light source, be it sun, oil lamps, gas etc). That us to say the optical mixture of lights and their reactions (shadows) in accordance with the laws of contrast , gradation and irradiation."
Seurat called himself an 'impressioniste luministe'. It is thought that he hoped that the dotted technique, interspersing contrasting colours would give greater luminosity to his work. This approach has subsequently been criticised, based on the fact that optical mixture of complementary colours, rather than providing luminosty, actually reults in a greyish mixture. (3)
One of the flaws in Seurat's argument that his was a scientific approach is the fact that talked about 'local colour' in his explanation. What is perceived as 'local colour' is the light reflected back from an object - that is its appearance when illuminated by white light. Scientific theory of the day held that there was no such thing as local colour and Seurat can't have it both ways - he talks about local colour combined with the colour of the illuminating light but scientifically speaking if the colour of the illuminating light source changes, then the perceived 'local colour' would also change.
In his iconic work 'Sunday afternoon on the island of La Grande Jatte' (1884-6), there are established large areas of local tone and hue over which are superimposed the dotted transient effects of light.
Seurat and his fellow neo-impressionists wanted to take this process further via a scientific rather than a purely subjective approach. Seurat is quoted as writing, " Technique is the should and body of the art". (3) He has, therefore come to be described as a scientific artist, applying the physical laws of light and colour rather than relying on his impressions.
Closer reading of the literature shows that he wasn't really up to date with with all the scientific optical and colour theory of his day, preferring toe stick with Chevreul's theories rather than the more up-to date publications of Heimholtz and Ogden Rood. This was probably because he was very interested in colour harmony and Chevreul gave easy to follow rules for the harmonious combination of colours. However, John Gage writes:
" His painterly sensitivity and technical ingenuity nevertheless enabled him to extract from the theoretical literature a number of simple concepts and put them to work in the formation of a new style, avoiding many of the pitfalls that situations of such enormous complexity were bound to present" (3)
Seurat was an experimenter. He continually modified his technique as he made new discoveries. He described his working method as follows:
"The means of expression is the optical mixture of tonal values and colours (both local colour and the colour of the light source, be it sun, oil lamps, gas etc). That us to say the optical mixture of lights and their reactions (shadows) in accordance with the laws of contrast , gradation and irradiation."
Seurat called himself an 'impressioniste luministe'. It is thought that he hoped that the dotted technique, interspersing contrasting colours would give greater luminosity to his work. This approach has subsequently been criticised, based on the fact that optical mixture of complementary colours, rather than providing luminosty, actually reults in a greyish mixture. (3)
One of the flaws in Seurat's argument that his was a scientific approach is the fact that talked about 'local colour' in his explanation. What is perceived as 'local colour' is the light reflected back from an object - that is its appearance when illuminated by white light. Scientific theory of the day held that there was no such thing as local colour and Seurat can't have it both ways - he talks about local colour combined with the colour of the illuminating light but scientifically speaking if the colour of the illuminating light source changes, then the perceived 'local colour' would also change.
In his iconic work 'Sunday afternoon on the island of La Grande Jatte' (1884-6), there are established large areas of local tone and hue over which are superimposed the dotted transient effects of light.
http://www.guggenheim-venice.it/inglese/exhibitions/avanguardie-parigine/avanguardie-parigine.html#prettyPhoto
References:
(1) Hornung, D. Colour: A workshop for artists and designers: Laurence King Publishing. 2005 (reprinted 2013)
(2) Petry, M. Nature Morte: Contemporary artists reinvigorate the Still-life tradition. Thames and Hudson. 2013
(3) Gage, G. Colour and Meaning: Art, Science and Symbolism. Thames and Hudson. 1999 (reprinted 2013)
(4)http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Never-Underestimate-the-Power-of-a-Paint-Tube-204116801.html
(5)Andrews, M. Landscape and Western Art :Oxford History of Western Art. Oxford University Press 1999
(6) Anderson, J. Monet. Grange Books. Regency House Publishing 2007.
Research Point : Still Life (Part 2 :18th to 20th Century)
In the 18th century, artists concentrated less on the symbolic content of their work.(1) One of the most famous 18th Century still life painters was Jean-Siméon Chardin:
 |
| Chardin: The Silver Cup 1769. Oil on Canvas (Source: Wikipedia) |
 | ||
| Chardin: A Vase of Flowers. 1750. Oil on Canvas (Source: Wikipedia) |
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| Jean-Honoré Fragonard: The Swing. 1767 Oil on Canvas. (Source: Wikipedia) |
To a modern eye. the pared down simplicity of Chardin's compositions are more palatable and familiar than the over-the top Roccoco style. His work would influence may later painters of still life including Cezanne.
In the 17th and 18th Century, the dominance of the French Academy still held and the hierarchy of genres put still life firmly at the bottom of the pile. Even a still life painted with great mastery such as 'Still Life with Peacock and Dog' by Jan Weenix would be considered as just an exercise for the artist to learn techniques before moving up to a more worthy Genre. (1)
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| Jan Weenix: Still life with Peacock and Dog. 1796 Oil on Canvas. (Source: Wikipedia) |
With the start of the industrial revolution, people began to migrate into urban areas in search of wealth. There was a change in attitudes to religion and to the state bolstered by the French and American revolutions. People were therefore becoming less concerned with piety in this life to build up credit for a good afterlife and became more interested in the enjoyment of this life on earth. Still life also reflected this.
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| Francisco de Goya: A Butcher's Counter 1810-12 Oil on Canvas |
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| Francisco de Goya: Still Life with Golden Bream 1808-12 Oil on Canvas |
In Victorian times, the symbolism associated with still lives became much more bland. This was especially true of images of flowers as there was a codified meaning to flowers. It is well known that red roses would signify true love (they are still in widespread use as Valentine's day gifts today for this reason). However did you know that sunflowers were a symbol of haughtiness and a gift of hyacinths were given as an apology? (1) The work of French artist Henri Fantin-Latour was extremely popular in the UK at this time. To my eyes, accomplished somewhat insipid and repetitive but this reflects the tastes of the times.
In the second half of the 19th Century, paintings of everyday life and still life came to the fore with the rise of the impressionists. This was in part a reaction to the strict hierarchy of genres laid down by the French Academy. Edouard Manet was one of the earlier of the wave of artists pushing these boundaries.
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| Edouard Manet: Still Life with Fish 1864 Oil on Canvas |
Paul Cezanne pushed these boundaries further. His Still Life with Skull and Candlestick is a direct descendant of the vanitas still life but with much looser /more expressive brushwork. His later still lives show how much he had developed and honed his style. His Still Life with Apples of 1890-94 still looks modern today. He started to play with the rules of perspective and created forms with smoother brushstrokes than he had used previously. These developments went on to strongly influence the work of the Fauves and the Cubists.
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| Paul Cezanne : Still Life with Skull and Candlestick 1866 Oil on Canvas |
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| Paul Cezanne: Still Life with Apples 1890-94 Oil on Canvas |
References:
(1)
(2) http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/still_life/chardin.htm
Picture References:
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste-Siméon_Chardin#/media/File:Jean-Baptiste_Siméon_Chardin_007.jpg
(2)http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Still_life_paintings_by_Jean_Siméon_Chardin#/media/File:Chardin3.jpg
(3)http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Still_life_paintings_by_Jean_Siméon_Chardin#/media/File:Jean-Baptiste_Siméon_Chardin_026.jpg
(4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Swing_(painting)#/media/File:Fragonard,_The_Swing.jpg
(5) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Jan_Weenix_-_Still-Life_with_a_Peacock_and_a_Dog_-_WGA25517.jpg
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste-Siméon_Chardin#/media/File:Jean-Baptiste_Siméon_Chardin_007.jpg
(2)http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Still_life_paintings_by_Jean_Siméon_Chardin#/media/File:Chardin3.jpg
(3)http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Still_life_paintings_by_Jean_Siméon_Chardin#/media/File:Jean-Baptiste_Siméon_Chardin_026.jpg
(4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Swing_(painting)#/media/File:Fragonard,_The_Swing.jpg
(5) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Jan_Weenix_-_Still-Life_with_a_Peacock_and_a_Dog_-_WGA25517.jpg
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