MIXED MEDIA
Part I TACTILE AND MULTIPLE SURFACES
Project: Physical Texture of Paint - Research
Rather than compare just two artists I wanted to explore
those artist whom I have been inspired by because of their ‘voluptuous’ and
dynamic use of paint.
I am effectively following a route from Van Gogh whose work,
though not appreciated at the time, caused artists to realize the potential of
the painting media in ways that had never been anticipated before. Van Gogh, using brushes of various sizes -
usually larger coarser hogss hair brushes, invented a world that explored the
sensuous charm of nature. His brush
strokes gave life to what he painted through texture. The thickness of the paint enabled him to express his emotional
feel for the object before him. His
series of sunflowers, the over exposure of which has caused the image to become
somewhat hackneyed, use a variety of mark making to convey the petals, leaves
and central seed head. His style did
not only apply to objects he was able to give movement to the skies he
produced, particularly with his Starry Night:
“The meaning lies inside the paint” is what Van Gogh said of
his work, it wasn’t just the meaning is was the quality of the brush strokes
which helped to determine the value of his work.
Van Gogh therefore uses texture to reinforce his emotional
reaction to the natural world.
Interestingly he is a precursor to many styles, pointillism,
abstraction, futurism.
Another artist whose work incorporates texture in a similar
way is indeed the Futurist Umberto Boccioni.
He effectively follows on from Van Gogh’s idea of using sweeping and
swirling strokes to indicate movement, speed and also chaos and noise. Boccioni is quoted as saying, similar to Van Gogh, “…to let the viewer live in the
midst of the picture…” is what he wanted to achieve.
Both artists used traditional canvas boards but hogshair
larger brushes, were probably included in their equipment.
Whereas Van Gogh was exploring the natural world, Boccioni,
who had been influenced by Munch, as well as Cubmism and Expressionism was
using texture as a dynamic tool to establish a concept, the concept of movement
and speed. He was particularly interested in the movement of the horse, it
is therefore ironic that he fell from
his horse and subsequently died at only 33 years of age, Another of those artists of whom we say, I
wonder what else he would have produced had he lived.
Moving into the 20th Century the next artist I
want to include is Jackson Pollock. He
is renowned for his drip paintings but before that he explored mystical works,
sometimes influenced by Indian culture.
His use of tools and materials broadened the approach of artists to the
availability of items which might be used in the production of works of art:
house enamel, syringes, sticks, house paint brushes, palette knife and so
on. He used large canvases on the floor
for his drip paintings but otherwise used conventional stretchers.
For Pollock the expression of mystical and psychological ideas
were partly achieved by his use of paint which was tactile by way of an
extension of himself. He too, talked
about wanting to actually be ‘ in the painting’
We can give these movements whatever titles we like
Abstraction, Abstract Expressionism, Futurism, but I think with all three of
these artists they are trying to bring something out of themselves and into the
canvas they work on, the paint acts as an extension from themselves, a conduit
if you like from the idea in their minds to the support, it is almost as though
their very blood issues from their fingertips in the form of paint to produce
the creative energy and dynamism they so want to achieve.
Moving on to contemporary artists, I want to include Gerhard
Richter
One cannot but be impressed by the work of Richter,
particularly his abstract paintings which use texture in an unusual way. Effectively as an overpainting technique on
large scale canvases using rollers, scrapers, trowels, brushes, palette knives
and various other tools to produce these fascinating works. He uses paint almost in an automatist way to
convey images which project the internal, unpredetermined ideas which develop
to a point which satisfies the artist, and fulfils some potential reality. “Art is the highest form of hope” Richter says.
As a concept it is difficult to understand
Richter’s rationale, suffice to say there are many different realities some of
which we cannot know and I think Richter is attempting to materialize or hint
at unknown potential realities, transcendentallly
in the same way that Pollock was exploring those ideas, but with his feet on
the ground. Richter seems to want to reach
out beyond knowledge to the realities that may or may not exist and which are intrinsically
within his work, as he says “the secret is in the painting”, and it is realized
through the painting method.
One of Richter’s pupils, Pia Fries is my next choice. An emerging artist of the 21st century,
Fries negates the idea of painting being dead and interred during the 1960s and
1970s by Conceptual, Performance, Installation arts. Artists like Fries have invalidated this idea. Painting on a wooden board with multi layers
of primer Fries paints with palette knives, spatulas, syringes, industrial
instruments and application objects she makes herself. Much of the pristine white of the canvas is
left, sometimes she silkscreens images on to the canvas then overpaints them
with textures which form abstract piles of paint twisting, interweaving smudging
and folding one colour into another almost like ethnic jewellery. Her work is
said to explore the musical harmonies of musique concrete. It will be
interesting to see her work develop.
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.newyorkartworld.com/images-reviews02/afries/caspian-500x382.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.newyorkartworld.com/reviews/fries.html&h=382&w=500&sz=15&tbnid=JEJq5e7-TZ3sxM:&tbnh=94&tbnw=123&zoom=1&usg=__3tynBtMr_Jq4-hwFeucVjdxygkQ=&docid=Yf_3MrVPZRpHmM&sa=X&ei=hnkHUs_FEoG7Oe3GgFg&ved=0CMcBEP4dM
Aw
Futurism - Sylvia Martin, published by Tasken 2006, Modern Art, David Britt published by Thames & Hudson 1974, Van Gogh by Brian Petrie, published by Phaidon Press 1974, Wickipedia, Vitamin P, Phaidon Press 2002, Gerhard Richter Large Abstracts by Ulrich Wilmes, Hatie Cantz 2008
