Monochrome

The monochrome exercise has been interesting for me I suppose because it incorporates texture to a very large extent, texture other than paint texture, i.e. in small objects and things that do not appear in conventional representational work.  This departure, though only a small step, is a major consideration in my intentions to move away from the frankly pedestrian.  I realize that in light of the transfigurative change of the 60s and 70s this is a minor adaptation on my part, but nonetheless a significant one.

Inevitably Klein Blue has had an influence, because in historical terms the Lapis Lazuli of the Madonna's robes, and the Wilton Diptych, 1395,  in early history painting was a significant, although the Egyptians did know of it, although they did know how to produce blues from copper silicates, or blue vitriol. It is the West's favourite colour far outweighing any other colour, most probably because of its neutrality.

I could not therefore resist a blue monochrome:

It is a mixture of Royal Blue and Ultramarine to get a bit nearer to the vivid blue I wanted to achieve. I have used pipe lagging, sacking, tissue paper and cartridge paper to achieve effects.  Being blue it reminded me of the sea and my early years sailing with my father and sister, the objects relate to marine images.

My next attempt was more geometrical suggesting industrial rather than organic images.  It is achrome, that is to say white, although it doesn't look it here because I have had to increase the contrast to see the texture. I used spray paint to achieve an overall whiteness without any hint of modulation.  Inaterestingly Martin Barré used spray paint in his work but possibly for different reasons as his was a time of non-authorial working and the fact that the spray produced marks without contacting with the canvas it achieved that requirement. For me it is more pragmatic.

 

I found that I wasn't very good at low relief as the card seemed to buckle.  I guess a stronger card it probably called for.

 

My third monochrome is based on my lifelong interest in gems and geology.  I have always loved the effects one sees in Malachite, so I couldn't do a green monochrome without having a stab at replicating those wonderful swirls.  I don't think it works because I wasn't working from a particular stone, but then again it wasn't about that it was about monochrome.  It is not overall tone, which I find rather uninteresting but with tonal inflections to suggest the depth and interest of the Malachite. I used low relief here but it didn't work terribly well hence the idea to obscure it  a bit with the mixed tonal qualities, a reminder of those wonderful columns in St Basil's Cathedral in St Petersburg.

 

 

 



 























References: Blue, The History of Color, Michael Pastoureau, Princeton University Press, 2001

Conceptual Art

I regard myself as antipathetic when it comes to Conceptual Art, because for me it has moved too far from the creative to the introverted.  It seems to want to be controversial for its own sake.  It is an ideas based creativity originating in philosophical ideas of language, history, mathematics, non-authorial self reflexivity etc., and much of it to my mind is an incredible waste of time. That is not to say that some ideas did come from it, albeit with very little inspiration. (see post Redefining Reality) Darboven's work seeks to explore time passing, by listing dates and mathematical formulae, one page entry for every year of a century.  Time logged as opposed to slipping by.  A 39ft wall of entries.

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/darboven-card-index-filing-cabinet-part-2-t03410


  That to me is not art so I cannot approach the subject with much relish, but I admire her tenacity. Time is only valuable if it is used wisely or indeed joyously, not by documenting it. It turns her into an automaton, but perhaps that is what she has set out to do, as Adrian Piper attempts to switch off the sensory mode in order to become an "object", but this can only ever be superficial as the brain cannot be switched off only conveyed into a different state of consciousness with drug inducement. It is similar to the selfless act, which can never be. Like many other painters the desire seems to be to destroy art in the hope of creating something, it is a bizarre idealism.  Mondrian did it, Klein did it, the Dadaists started it.  The idea is to excoriate commercialism in art but it is a false and in my view completely unnecessary vision. The galleries and exhibition spaces around the world bring art to the masses, sitting in some studio keeping a record of dates does nothing for anyone, I would venture to say.  I have found it difficult to see any of her paintings but the "untitled" clock in white obviously adopts the monochrome of Klein. 

Nonetheless, I am supposed to be comparing/contrasting another artist like Darboven, and I would think that Douglas Huebler's work in terms of the scale and reach of his work matches that of Darboven. He investigates duration, location and variable pieces together with linguistic exploration. Stated existence of sculptures in an apartment and suggested viewers should call to view. Used maps, photos and descriptions to "install" sculptures too large to fit physically. Snow marks as sculpture. Marked out journeys on maps. Wedges located then moved. 3 photos at 30 secs, 20 secs, 10 secs of children jumping rope all displayed out of sequence. He intends to photograph everyone in the world, at least he should have fun doing it! It is difficult to talk in terms of size and format because there really isn't one, it is only by the concept and extent of work that comparisons can be made.

Likewise Adrian Piper initiallly worked on  table sequences with figures but she is interested in  the self-conscious in terms of space and time she moves through a photo relates to timed or random moments. Tries to become an "object" by closing off sensory mode, in public, a bit like a mime street artist. The move away from support, subject or object into the concept of issues relating to time, the passing of it, and how it is conceived and viewed is what these artist have in common.

Piero Manzoni's work continued in the nihilist approach of Fontana's art, but under the influence of Klein he started to work in monochromes, or more precisely, achromes.  At first he used cotton sheet soaked in kaolin, the clay used in porcelain manufacture, but they were in the mould of a pictorial work, later though still soaked in kaolin they became objects, collages of pebbles, bread rolls.  Later he eliminates kaolin altogether and produces objects for their own sake which are white, fibreglass, styrofoam, a poke at industrialization and toxicity hazards.  But his idea of kitsch, the culture of trash continues to interest him, and produces provocative works such as various Artist's faeces in cans, and other bizarre, actually rather childish pranks or practices.

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/manzoni-achrome-t01871

Alan Ebnother works in monochrome but with texture and ice cream colours, there is no element of collage, but they are in terms of size not wall paintings but easel paintings. They are not achrome i.e. without colour. 

It would of course be possible to use all red objects to create say a red monochrome,  if it is the object itself containing the colour.  I can't find anyone doing this, as most monochromists use paint to select their colour. For me once a minimalist monochrome has been produced I can't see a lot of point in reproducing it.  Manzoni did at least introduce texture and found objects into his work, yet artists like Markus Dobeli and Ellen Gallagher continue to produce fairly minimalist work, though Gallagher does incorporate an element of
abstracted figuration into her work which is not initially obvious.   Toba Khedoori also produces some interesting work which is almost achrome but highly personal she produces large fragile paper sheets with small confined images that evoke solitude and empty space.