I have been reading Keri Smith's blog recently. Somewhere on the blog she gives a list of critical things to do to be a successful illustrator (or creative person). One of these is "Move your body" which is derived from the principle of getting more oxygen to the brain. I have noticed that I often do my best thinking when doing my 1000m at the swimming pool.
Today I went for a bike ride with Maurice and Jim. Apparently (as usual) I pedalled like a maniac along the Flitch Way, and had a lovely bike ride. While biking, I was thinking about the aspects of women's work, specifically in relation to me. Certain activities I do repeatedly and contentedly, others I want nothing to do with! Most of the roles that I enjoy are around cooking, food shopping, gardening, and ironing. I think this is because they are clean, creative activities. I loathe cleaning with a passion. So as we pedalled along I was happily looking at elderberries, sloes, rose hips, apples and blackberries, working out what I could turn them into, if I were so minded. Jim was experimenting with his new camera and took some lovely photos of these, and on returning home, I noted that some images would make excellent subjects for colour identification exercises. I could happily do design work from these sources.
Yet, when I think about cleaning as women's work, I can see some of my prints using cleaning fluid bottles is quite imaginative, but struggle to see how I would use them in my work.
Thinking about imagination, brings me back to yesterday's trip out to the theatre to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A wonderful show that left me with two key thoughts. The first is that at the end of the show, Willie Wonka makes the point to Charlie, that the reason he is chosen to inherit the chocolate factory, is because he has imagination to take the creative process forward.
The second thought was sheer admiration for the costumes. I thought the variety of Oompa-Loompa costumes were fantastic. As they are small people, they were portrayed in a variety of ways. One was with actors on their knees, always facing forward so you could not see their feet behind them. Another scene was with the Oompa-Loompas dancing on a bridge. It took a while to work out, but the face and legs were played by one actor, with the arms played by another actor completely covered in black, so unseen. The dance routine was very funny, quite gymnastic and entertaining. There were quite a few costumes where one actor was appearing as two characters (like an Oompa-Loompa riding a squirrel). A very old trick but well portrayed. I liked the one where one Oompa-Loompa appeared to be bent double while carrying another Oompa-Loompa sitting in a fruit crate on his back. I am very admiring of the costume designers who came up with these ideas. The imagination of others deserves respect. And these designers have mine.
Sunday 29 September 2013
Saturday 28 September 2013
Talking Threads: A history of Tapestry and Embroidery
On Wednesday I went to the first class of my latest course (10 weeks) at the Victoria & Albert Museum. (Great provider of high quality education, and considerably cheaper than a university module). The main lecturer is Jennifer Weardon, Honarary Research Fellow at the V&A Research Department.
She stated her interest in textiles came from being "excited by the clever things people do". What a lovely way of expressing the fascination of research. She gave an overview of textiles from the Bayeaux Tapestry to the advent of synthetics made by Courtaulds in the 1950s.
The Bayeaux Tapestry was created some time after the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066. Astonishing this has survived, almost complete, to date. Highly prized textiles tend to be cannibalised and given away. They are fragile as they are textiles made from animal or plant substances, and seldom survive. The Bayeaux Tapestry is long and narrow, and reads from left to right.
There are other very old, significant, textile works, for example the original Star Spangled banner, 30 feet x 42 feet. Other tapestry fragments exist from different works, although much smaller, showing that story tapestries and friezes have been used throughout history.
In order for ancient textiles to be preserved, there are 3 key requirements:
- a culture that uses textiles
- a culture that buries textiles
- a culture within a dry climate.
For example Paracas, Peru (south of Lima); Egypt; where both cultures buried textiles with the dead, and Central Asia where textile fragments are found in caves with the dead. These textile fragments are now found in archeological collections, but are not part of the V&A collection.
The Bayeaux Tapestry came to attention on 25/7/44 when there was concern about where it was - it had disappeared from view. The Bayeaux Tapestry showed the subjugation of the British and therefore the Nazis loved it!! And wanted it! The SS and Gestapo both wanted ownership of it, but it was not found. Eventually it was 'found' in the basement of the Louvre Museum many years later. The implication was that it had been stored elsewhere for many years, and it being found in the Louvre was convenient on many levels!
The tapestry was made in 9 sections from a half width of woven linen fabric, embroidered with scenes from the Battle of Hastings. Motifs on the border were lifted and copied from expensive French silks. Words were added later, as shown from the random manner in which they fit the unworked background space. The embroidery was laid and couched work, where most thread is seen on the front of the work. This indicates the broderers were familiar with working with metal thread where it is important that expensive thread is not wasted by covering the back of the fabric, but visually maximised on the front.
The lecturer was very keen that we use the correct terms - the Bayeaux Tapestry is not a tapestry (hand woven multi coloured textile) but is actually an embroidery. She also noted that the broderers would have needed to work in daylight, therefore it implies that they worked near open window frames, probably from spring to autumn.
Jennifer Weardon discussed the value given to embroidery. This is pertinent to me, as I really struggle with it. I like textiles and embroidery, but don't want to be seen as trivial or insignificant. Therefore I want my work to have meaning and insight. In Victorian times it was described as a pastime, therefore not worthy for study. I think it is very easy for it to continue to be seen this way and have not yet worked out how my work is to overcome the stigma of pastime and become something more (I have not yet defined what the definition of Something More is!) However in the Arts & Crafts movement, William Morris was impressed with its beauty as an artisan product and took on board the theme. He started to store lengths of embroidery on spools and continued the use of long pieces by incorporating them into valances for 4 poster beds.
The Aesthetic movement referred to embroidery as art needlework. In 1862 the precursor of the Royal School of Needlework was founded. This enabled distressed gentlewomen to earn their living. William Morris and Thomas Wardle were working together, and Elizabeth Wardle (wife) ran the RSN. One of their commissions was to create a replica Bayeaux Tapestry and it successfully toured the UK.
We looked at some Victorian applique. Tristan and Isolde was a favourite narrative of the age, telling the story of Tristan, a cornish knight, who goes to Ireland to collect Isolde from Dublin for marriage, defeating the dragon of Dublin in order to do so. We also looked at the Overlord Embroidery, designed by Margaret Bartlett, RSN, made by Sandra Lawrence and team. There was some discussion about how designs have to be adapted by the workers when the designer has not taken technique into account.
Tapestry weaving was explained. A loom is warped up (vertical threads running parallel to the selvedge) and weft threads are woven in, thereby making the weft threads dominate as the warp can no longer be seen. This gives a slight rib effect. Different colours can be woven to create a pattern or imagery. Diagonal colour changes create a strong fabric. Where there is a colour change along a vertical axis, it usually creates a slit, unless complicated and slow interweaving of colours is done. This means the weaver has to keep changing shuttles, rather than working an area of one colour at a time. Vertical slits are manually sewn closed. This is tedious.
There are high warp looms where the warps run vertically, and low warp looms running horizontally across a frame. They have different operating styles, but give the same effect. Gobelin technique is woven from the back, therefore reverses the image on the cartoon from which the weaver works.
The advent of synthetic dyes in 1856 was covered. Perkins (1838-1907) was trying to synthesise quinine and discovered synthetic dyes instead.
Manmade - adjusted natural materials. Eg viscose Rayon, or art silk (caustic soda and wood pulp), actate rayon (acetic acid and wood pulp). Courtaulds bought the viscose patent in 1907.
Synthetic - non-organic materials. Nylon is carbon and petroleum. Dupont had the nylon patent.
A great lecture which covered the general background of the subject. Next week we learn about The Medieval World - gothic tapestries and opus anglicanum (English ecclesiastical embroidery). I really want to know why people used stitch to express themselves, and what it was about, so I might have some answers to why I want to use textile and stitch to express myself. Also why is stitch associated with women and why is it often more valued when men get involved (eg Morris, Brennand Wood)
She stated her interest in textiles came from being "excited by the clever things people do". What a lovely way of expressing the fascination of research. She gave an overview of textiles from the Bayeaux Tapestry to the advent of synthetics made by Courtaulds in the 1950s.
The Bayeaux Tapestry was created some time after the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066. Astonishing this has survived, almost complete, to date. Highly prized textiles tend to be cannibalised and given away. They are fragile as they are textiles made from animal or plant substances, and seldom survive. The Bayeaux Tapestry is long and narrow, and reads from left to right.
There are other very old, significant, textile works, for example the original Star Spangled banner, 30 feet x 42 feet. Other tapestry fragments exist from different works, although much smaller, showing that story tapestries and friezes have been used throughout history.
In order for ancient textiles to be preserved, there are 3 key requirements:
- a culture that uses textiles
- a culture that buries textiles
- a culture within a dry climate.
For example Paracas, Peru (south of Lima); Egypt; where both cultures buried textiles with the dead, and Central Asia where textile fragments are found in caves with the dead. These textile fragments are now found in archeological collections, but are not part of the V&A collection.
The Bayeaux Tapestry came to attention on 25/7/44 when there was concern about where it was - it had disappeared from view. The Bayeaux Tapestry showed the subjugation of the British and therefore the Nazis loved it!! And wanted it! The SS and Gestapo both wanted ownership of it, but it was not found. Eventually it was 'found' in the basement of the Louvre Museum many years later. The implication was that it had been stored elsewhere for many years, and it being found in the Louvre was convenient on many levels!
The tapestry was made in 9 sections from a half width of woven linen fabric, embroidered with scenes from the Battle of Hastings. Motifs on the border were lifted and copied from expensive French silks. Words were added later, as shown from the random manner in which they fit the unworked background space. The embroidery was laid and couched work, where most thread is seen on the front of the work. This indicates the broderers were familiar with working with metal thread where it is important that expensive thread is not wasted by covering the back of the fabric, but visually maximised on the front.
The lecturer was very keen that we use the correct terms - the Bayeaux Tapestry is not a tapestry (hand woven multi coloured textile) but is actually an embroidery. She also noted that the broderers would have needed to work in daylight, therefore it implies that they worked near open window frames, probably from spring to autumn.
Jennifer Weardon discussed the value given to embroidery. This is pertinent to me, as I really struggle with it. I like textiles and embroidery, but don't want to be seen as trivial or insignificant. Therefore I want my work to have meaning and insight. In Victorian times it was described as a pastime, therefore not worthy for study. I think it is very easy for it to continue to be seen this way and have not yet worked out how my work is to overcome the stigma of pastime and become something more (I have not yet defined what the definition of Something More is!) However in the Arts & Crafts movement, William Morris was impressed with its beauty as an artisan product and took on board the theme. He started to store lengths of embroidery on spools and continued the use of long pieces by incorporating them into valances for 4 poster beds.
The Aesthetic movement referred to embroidery as art needlework. In 1862 the precursor of the Royal School of Needlework was founded. This enabled distressed gentlewomen to earn their living. William Morris and Thomas Wardle were working together, and Elizabeth Wardle (wife) ran the RSN. One of their commissions was to create a replica Bayeaux Tapestry and it successfully toured the UK.
We looked at some Victorian applique. Tristan and Isolde was a favourite narrative of the age, telling the story of Tristan, a cornish knight, who goes to Ireland to collect Isolde from Dublin for marriage, defeating the dragon of Dublin in order to do so. We also looked at the Overlord Embroidery, designed by Margaret Bartlett, RSN, made by Sandra Lawrence and team. There was some discussion about how designs have to be adapted by the workers when the designer has not taken technique into account.
Tapestry weaving was explained. A loom is warped up (vertical threads running parallel to the selvedge) and weft threads are woven in, thereby making the weft threads dominate as the warp can no longer be seen. This gives a slight rib effect. Different colours can be woven to create a pattern or imagery. Diagonal colour changes create a strong fabric. Where there is a colour change along a vertical axis, it usually creates a slit, unless complicated and slow interweaving of colours is done. This means the weaver has to keep changing shuttles, rather than working an area of one colour at a time. Vertical slits are manually sewn closed. This is tedious.
There are high warp looms where the warps run vertically, and low warp looms running horizontally across a frame. They have different operating styles, but give the same effect. Gobelin technique is woven from the back, therefore reverses the image on the cartoon from which the weaver works.
The advent of synthetic dyes in 1856 was covered. Perkins (1838-1907) was trying to synthesise quinine and discovered synthetic dyes instead.
Manmade - adjusted natural materials. Eg viscose Rayon, or art silk (caustic soda and wood pulp), actate rayon (acetic acid and wood pulp). Courtaulds bought the viscose patent in 1907.
Synthetic - non-organic materials. Nylon is carbon and petroleum. Dupont had the nylon patent.
A great lecture which covered the general background of the subject. Next week we learn about The Medieval World - gothic tapestries and opus anglicanum (English ecclesiastical embroidery). I really want to know why people used stitch to express themselves, and what it was about, so I might have some answers to why I want to use textile and stitch to express myself. Also why is stitch associated with women and why is it often more valued when men get involved (eg Morris, Brennand Wood)
Thursday 26 September 2013
Another great class with Vanda
Last Thursday, art classes started again with Vanda, after the summer break. I had really missed the classes over the summer. I miss the company and conversation with intelligent women and enjoy te discipline of the art exercises that Vanda sets.
We started with a photo of a selection of objects. My image was of red glass vessels, a lilac and gold plate and an apricot jug against a blue background, on a white table. We had to blend the colours identified using watercolours. This was quite difficult to get the colours right, but I managed to blend 42 colours!
Next we used isolating bars to select 4 different areas, and work up a sample using water colour, crayons, art bars (water soluble oil pastels), and oil pastels. finally we selected one section and enlarged it to 2 4" squares, and redrew it using the two most favourable media, in my case, crayon and art bars. Scratching into crayon works well for me. We were meant to then do a further exercise where we did the same with an actualobject of our choice, but we were all exhausted. All this thinking is very tiring!
We started with a photo of a selection of objects. My image was of red glass vessels, a lilac and gold plate and an apricot jug against a blue background, on a white table. We had to blend the colours identified using watercolours. This was quite difficult to get the colours right, but I managed to blend 42 colours!
Next we used isolating bars to select 4 different areas, and work up a sample using water colour, crayons, art bars (water soluble oil pastels), and oil pastels. finally we selected one section and enlarged it to 2 4" squares, and redrew it using the two most favourable media, in my case, crayon and art bars. Scratching into crayon works well for me. We were meant to then do a further exercise where we did the same with an actualobject of our choice, but we were all exhausted. All this thinking is very tiring!
Thursday 19 September 2013
Samplers continued
Two specific samplers were discussed. Ann Calton attended the Royal Freemason School as she was the daughter of a Freemason. She was born legitimately in 1820 when her father, a grocer, when he was 53. By the time she was 10 her parents were unable to care for her and she remained at the school between 1830-35 as a pupil, then 1835-40 as a pupil teacher. Girls were taught to sew, made and mended their own clothes, and made small items for sale. Every year their work was presented to the School Governors and the public for approval. On 24/7/1834 Ann Calton won the needlework prize, which was usually a morocco workbox. In the Fitzwilliam collection there were some very large, framed, samplers worked by Ann Calton and on one in particular, her name is at the top of a list of stitchers, implying she was the pupil teacher in charge of the project, although the list is headed as "Children", even though by this to e she was in her late teens. documentation shows she became a Governess and seamstress and died in1855, having been looked after by the Freemasons all her life.
Mary Ann Tipper entered Ashley Down Orphanage in 1863. She was born in 1852, her father died when she was 5 and her mother when she was 11. Documentation proved she was legitimate and she was accepted into this orphanage on this basis. This orphanage had a wider curriculum than most, supported by George Muller, who was criticised by society figures for educating girls above their station ie basic writing (not just reading the Bible) and basic arithmetic. Followed Bristol & District Needlework scheme which gave instructions to make samplers and small accessories. Samplers were very linear, often 3 columns in minuscule cross stitch, band patterns, rows of letters and numbers in different script styles, and paired initials. Mary Ann became a housemaid.
A very interesting trip out.
Mary Ann Tipper entered Ashley Down Orphanage in 1863. She was born in 1852, her father died when she was 5 and her mother when she was 11. Documentation proved she was legitimate and she was accepted into this orphanage on this basis. This orphanage had a wider curriculum than most, supported by George Muller, who was criticised by society figures for educating girls above their station ie basic writing (not just reading the Bible) and basic arithmetic. Followed Bristol & District Needlework scheme which gave instructions to make samplers and small accessories. Samplers were very linear, often 3 columns in minuscule cross stitch, band patterns, rows of letters and numbers in different script styles, and paired initials. Mary Ann became a housemaid.
A very interesting trip out.
Wednesday 18 September 2013
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge - Sampler Talk
I am so glad my friend Vanda tipped me off that there was a great talk coming up at the Fitzwillaim Museum "Stories Behind the Stitches - Schoolgirl Samplers".
The presenter, Leena Rana, was an intern on the Connecting with Collections programme at the Museum. She was a very slick presenter and this shows just how hot you need to be to to get an unpaid work placement at this type of museum! Great for the cv though!
Samplers at the Fitzwilliam dated from the 16th-20th centuries, of which 16 were on display and the rest were in store. Leena had selected 8 to study, on the grounds that they had both the makers name and the school stitched in them somewhere. With this information she had traced the school and genealogical information about the maker. If she could access a school log book, she found a lot of social and cultural information.
Samplers were a specimen of needlework skills, and used as a record of stitches. They tended to be long and narrow, to make them easy to roll and store. The purpose of a sampler varied according to the affluence of the maker - affluent girls made them for display purposes, whereas the poor used them to demonstrate their ability to work household linen. Like a portfolio really! There was much destitution in 18th century and therefore many charity schools, eg those run by SPCK, Society for Promotion of Christian Knowledge. This organisation advised parish groups who ran schools for the poor, by providing a curriculum and some funds. Girls were taught bible reading and needlework, whereas the boys were taught writing, arithmetic and outdoor manual skills as well as reading. Joseph Lancaster, a Quaker, had a slightly wider range of curriculum and introduced the monitoring system where older pupils were used to teach the younger ones, to address the teacher shortage of the time. The ethos was to prevent idleness and enhance employability. Girls were starting samplers at age 8. Simple embroidery stitches were used to initial linen- important in big households, along with simple sewing to mend and darn linen. Samplers from Lancaster's curriculum included literacy and numeracy, as well as religious or sentimental verses. always wholesome.
The presenter, Leena Rana, was an intern on the Connecting with Collections programme at the Museum. She was a very slick presenter and this shows just how hot you need to be to to get an unpaid work placement at this type of museum! Great for the cv though!
Samplers at the Fitzwilliam dated from the 16th-20th centuries, of which 16 were on display and the rest were in store. Leena had selected 8 to study, on the grounds that they had both the makers name and the school stitched in them somewhere. With this information she had traced the school and genealogical information about the maker. If she could access a school log book, she found a lot of social and cultural information.
Samplers were a specimen of needlework skills, and used as a record of stitches. They tended to be long and narrow, to make them easy to roll and store. The purpose of a sampler varied according to the affluence of the maker - affluent girls made them for display purposes, whereas the poor used them to demonstrate their ability to work household linen. Like a portfolio really! There was much destitution in 18th century and therefore many charity schools, eg those run by SPCK, Society for Promotion of Christian Knowledge. This organisation advised parish groups who ran schools for the poor, by providing a curriculum and some funds. Girls were taught bible reading and needlework, whereas the boys were taught writing, arithmetic and outdoor manual skills as well as reading. Joseph Lancaster, a Quaker, had a slightly wider range of curriculum and introduced the monitoring system where older pupils were used to teach the younger ones, to address the teacher shortage of the time. The ethos was to prevent idleness and enhance employability. Girls were starting samplers at age 8. Simple embroidery stitches were used to initial linen- important in big households, along with simple sewing to mend and darn linen. Samplers from Lancaster's curriculum included literacy and numeracy, as well as religious or sentimental verses. always wholesome.
Tuesday 17 September 2013
I have my best ideas at the swimming pool
I have been exploring different types of print recently, using monoprints and linocuts . When playing with Wreck This Journal, I used a wooden spoon to make sticky marks, as directed in the instructions. This made me start to look at the stains I made on the hob when I cooked.
While swimming, I thought about other kitchen utensils and the type of marks they would make, when used as a printing implement. Some could make obvious identifiable marks, like the potato masher, and others less so, like the potato peeler. And once on this theme, there are all sorts of marks associated with Women's Work, that women would find identifiable, if household detritus were used as a printing media - rubber gloves, detergent bottles, spilt cleaning materials etc. So that is what I am doing this afternoon - printing with acrylic paint and household materials.
While swimming, I thought about other kitchen utensils and the type of marks they would make, when used as a printing implement. Some could make obvious identifiable marks, like the potato masher, and others less so, like the potato peeler. And once on this theme, there are all sorts of marks associated with Women's Work, that women would find identifiable, if household detritus were used as a printing media - rubber gloves, detergent bottles, spilt cleaning materials etc. So that is what I am doing this afternoon - printing with acrylic paint and household materials.
Monday 16 September 2013
London Design Festival - Moleskine Sketch Relay
This was an excellent free event at the V&A. A panel discussion about the role of sketchbooks and how previous festivals had focused on the 3D object, rather than the 2D sketchbook work that solves the design problems. Moleskine notebooks were the choice of most designers.
Sketching is immediate and model making leads to the 3D design process, and critically, leads to a stronger relationship with the object. Powerful. Define through words, then draw. therefore sketchbooks are the beginning of works. 1st point. Portable. Means of managing inspiration. OK for sketchbooks to be free and rough. Curation comes later. Be free. Absolutely no editing in sketchbook. There is no brief for doing a sketch. Terrible sketches with scribbled notes in the corner give a clue to direction and are the important bit. Need to understand the germination of design.
The Jerwood Prize came about at a time when art education was changing and teaching of drawing ceased. Generally believed not to be a good move. But there are a wide range of people drawing in varied ways. Anita Taylor, Director of Jerwood Prize "The page is the mirror of the mind". No definition of drawing; slippy boundaries. "Good drawing is fit for purpose". Need to develop drawing skill. What is it and what is the purpose of drawing? Be clear about what you want to achieve. Drawing is alive and kicking; the new black. Part of being an artist.
Not keen on the "university brand" approach to drawing. (Mind you, the verifiers attending UH were complimentary about how we do NOT have a house style, so at least that is one thing we do well!). Sketchbooks good to communicate the nub of an idea. The idea is what is important. Drawing is a means of communicating. Need to use the communication tool to best effect.
Sketching not necessarily beautiful. It is the process of collecting and thinking that is important. Moleskine is a portable atelier - not a photo! Slower. More selective when drawn. Photos too flat, too many, too easy. Put lists in sketchbook.
Values of drawing - expand thought processes while sketching. Pluralist activity - many right answers. Unpack the definition - see the world anew. Transform with meaning.
Computers adopt someone else's mindset. Computer processes sap confidence in the manual techniques. Very hard to be creative with computers. Very glossy world. Not good. Creative experiences limited because of computers. How inventive can you be with form and function. Possible to get trapped in sketchbook. Need to go to tactility of object. People shy away from it. Easier to go from sketch to digital rendering without doing the tactile object. Lack of craft skills and confidence. Making mistakes is good. Essential that time and money is spent in order to acquire making skills. Lack of value in the space in between the sketchbook and finished object. Capacity of hand making and testing invaluable.
This lecture was excellent and put some useful theory and validation around the work I did last year, when I felt I was working in the dark, evolving a concept, and doing material samples. Very helpful.
Sketching is immediate and model making leads to the 3D design process, and critically, leads to a stronger relationship with the object. Powerful. Define through words, then draw. therefore sketchbooks are the beginning of works. 1st point. Portable. Means of managing inspiration. OK for sketchbooks to be free and rough. Curation comes later. Be free. Absolutely no editing in sketchbook. There is no brief for doing a sketch. Terrible sketches with scribbled notes in the corner give a clue to direction and are the important bit. Need to understand the germination of design.
The Jerwood Prize came about at a time when art education was changing and teaching of drawing ceased. Generally believed not to be a good move. But there are a wide range of people drawing in varied ways. Anita Taylor, Director of Jerwood Prize "The page is the mirror of the mind". No definition of drawing; slippy boundaries. "Good drawing is fit for purpose". Need to develop drawing skill. What is it and what is the purpose of drawing? Be clear about what you want to achieve. Drawing is alive and kicking; the new black. Part of being an artist.
Not keen on the "university brand" approach to drawing. (Mind you, the verifiers attending UH were complimentary about how we do NOT have a house style, so at least that is one thing we do well!). Sketchbooks good to communicate the nub of an idea. The idea is what is important. Drawing is a means of communicating. Need to use the communication tool to best effect.
Sketching not necessarily beautiful. It is the process of collecting and thinking that is important. Moleskine is a portable atelier - not a photo! Slower. More selective when drawn. Photos too flat, too many, too easy. Put lists in sketchbook.
Values of drawing - expand thought processes while sketching. Pluralist activity - many right answers. Unpack the definition - see the world anew. Transform with meaning.
Computers adopt someone else's mindset. Computer processes sap confidence in the manual techniques. Very hard to be creative with computers. Very glossy world. Not good. Creative experiences limited because of computers. How inventive can you be with form and function. Possible to get trapped in sketchbook. Need to go to tactility of object. People shy away from it. Easier to go from sketch to digital rendering without doing the tactile object. Lack of craft skills and confidence. Making mistakes is good. Essential that time and money is spent in order to acquire making skills. Lack of value in the space in between the sketchbook and finished object. Capacity of hand making and testing invaluable.
This lecture was excellent and put some useful theory and validation around the work I did last year, when I felt I was working in the dark, evolving a concept, and doing material samples. Very helpful.
Sunday 15 September 2013
National Portrait Gallery- Warpaint lecture
Having been to the Jerwood Drawing Exhibition, I moved on to the NPG to hear a lecture on Warpaint: Women Artists in the War.
During WWII, Kenneth Clark of the War Artist Advisory Committee commissioned 5000 works, from 400 artists. Of these, only 13% were women artists! During the war, the art market for private commissions collapsed, so the WAAC was a key patron in wartime. Some artists had 6 month salaried positions, some artworks were commissioned and some were speculative purchases. Examples shown were by Nash of The Battle of Britain, and Pitchforth's WAAFs Packing Parachutes.
All works purchased had to be approved by the Wartime Artist Advisory Ctte and the Censor. For example, Laura Knight's portrait of WAAF Corporal Pearson was originally painted with her holding a rifle, but this was ordered to be changed and painted over with a gas mask, as WAAFs were unarmed staff. The WAAC regularly had fierce negotiations over prices with wat artists. Pre 1939 Laura Knight charged 300 guineas for a society portrait. The WAAC regularly tried to get 3 portraits in one artwork, and tried to negotiate the price down to 50guineas! Laura Knight made this commission into one solo portrait (price unknown) and one dual portrait for 60 guineas. The style was socialist realist art (whatever that is!) which to me looks like a detailed version of 1950s poster art. Ruby Loftus Screwing a Breech Ring was the most well known commission and was used in a lot of war propaganda as it positively promoted the role of women in wartime factory work. This style of artwork was praised by some for its accuracy as it fulfilled it's brief, but received little critical accolade.
There was a difference in the taste of commissions for the home market, and commissions for black propaganda to undermine the morale of the enemy. Official art hides things and shows the palatable side of war art - lots of commissions of land army girls and nurses eg Evelyn Dunbar's Land Army Girls Going to Bed. Lots of work showing attractive scenes of British agricultural life. Nursing commissions also popular - fits with a suitable role for British women in wartime. Black propaganda showed dreadful images of fatalities of an air raid, dropped by the Allies on U boat bases. Examples of unofficial art were shown, demonstrating how this is designed to undermine via salacious licentiousness - an image of a foreign soldier with his trousers undone and a huge erection, with a naked German housefrau, who appeared to be quite happy about it!
Another point made during the lecture was that there are many more female war artists now. During the Falklands War in 1982, Linda Kitson did 200 drawings, 50 of which are in the Imperial War Museum art collection. Many independent artists working now. Imperial War Museum now commissions 40% of its new works from women.
A very interesting evening.
During WWII, Kenneth Clark of the War Artist Advisory Committee commissioned 5000 works, from 400 artists. Of these, only 13% were women artists! During the war, the art market for private commissions collapsed, so the WAAC was a key patron in wartime. Some artists had 6 month salaried positions, some artworks were commissioned and some were speculative purchases. Examples shown were by Nash of The Battle of Britain, and Pitchforth's WAAFs Packing Parachutes.
All works purchased had to be approved by the Wartime Artist Advisory Ctte and the Censor. For example, Laura Knight's portrait of WAAF Corporal Pearson was originally painted with her holding a rifle, but this was ordered to be changed and painted over with a gas mask, as WAAFs were unarmed staff. The WAAC regularly had fierce negotiations over prices with wat artists. Pre 1939 Laura Knight charged 300 guineas for a society portrait. The WAAC regularly tried to get 3 portraits in one artwork, and tried to negotiate the price down to 50guineas! Laura Knight made this commission into one solo portrait (price unknown) and one dual portrait for 60 guineas. The style was socialist realist art (whatever that is!) which to me looks like a detailed version of 1950s poster art. Ruby Loftus Screwing a Breech Ring was the most well known commission and was used in a lot of war propaganda as it positively promoted the role of women in wartime factory work. This style of artwork was praised by some for its accuracy as it fulfilled it's brief, but received little critical accolade.
There was a difference in the taste of commissions for the home market, and commissions for black propaganda to undermine the morale of the enemy. Official art hides things and shows the palatable side of war art - lots of commissions of land army girls and nurses eg Evelyn Dunbar's Land Army Girls Going to Bed. Lots of work showing attractive scenes of British agricultural life. Nursing commissions also popular - fits with a suitable role for British women in wartime. Black propaganda showed dreadful images of fatalities of an air raid, dropped by the Allies on U boat bases. Examples of unofficial art were shown, demonstrating how this is designed to undermine via salacious licentiousness - an image of a foreign soldier with his trousers undone and a huge erection, with a naked German housefrau, who appeared to be quite happy about it!
Another point made during the lecture was that there are many more female war artists now. During the Falklands War in 1982, Linda Kitson did 200 drawings, 50 of which are in the Imperial War Museum art collection. Many independent artists working now. Imperial War Museum now commissions 40% of its new works from women.
A very interesting evening.
Saturday 14 September 2013
Jerwood Drawing Exhibition
I had a really interesting day out on Thursday. The Jerwood Drawing exhibition has just opened in Southwark. It is an annual competition designed to display drawing in its widest sense. The only thing that I think is definitely excluded is painting (because it is wet media?). The criteria for exhibition was:
- to experience the artist's voice and view
- to have something to interest and intrigue the viewer.
There were 3,080 entries, of which 76 made it to the show. The selection process was observed by art students, many of whom had submitted entries, so they could hear the comments made by selectors. Work selected was diverse, although the selectors said there was a lot of work submitted that was "obsessive", which I interpreted as beautifully detailed but overpowering and somewhat anal. I felt too much work selected was monochrome pencil. all the work that appealed to me was monochrome (unusually) but none of it was pencil.
I liked:
Bolas. Beatriz Olaburrieta.
Video of artist holding a marker pen in each hand, drawing around rolling balls as they moved. this resulted in a complicated dense scribble. Original way of drawing and showing the process
Important. Act Now. Lindsay Connors.
Scalpel drawing on Inland Revenue envelope seen through window on envelope. Innovative use of materials and media
They looked like silver birds. Roy Eastland
silverpoint on gesso on board. 1917 victims of bomb explosion in Folkestone. Grid of tiny artwork images and script, taken from newspaper accounts of the event. Artist states "I hope it is a respectful piece of art". Strong on narrative and emotion.
Apocalypse in Fragments . Jolanta Rejs
monotype with pencil on reverse.
Horse's head image on monotype. Looks like there was a wire grid laid over the painted image, and the paper pressed over. Clever use of monotype, and quite large, so considerable skill required.
Crown. Tim Patrick.
Very dark charcoal drawing of table and chairs at dusk, to question identity and perception of an object in space. Very dark and hazy. Interesting effect.
- to experience the artist's voice and view
- to have something to interest and intrigue the viewer.
There were 3,080 entries, of which 76 made it to the show. The selection process was observed by art students, many of whom had submitted entries, so they could hear the comments made by selectors. Work selected was diverse, although the selectors said there was a lot of work submitted that was "obsessive", which I interpreted as beautifully detailed but overpowering and somewhat anal. I felt too much work selected was monochrome pencil. all the work that appealed to me was monochrome (unusually) but none of it was pencil.
I liked:
Bolas. Beatriz Olaburrieta.
Video of artist holding a marker pen in each hand, drawing around rolling balls as they moved. this resulted in a complicated dense scribble. Original way of drawing and showing the process
Important. Act Now. Lindsay Connors.
Scalpel drawing on Inland Revenue envelope seen through window on envelope. Innovative use of materials and media
They looked like silver birds. Roy Eastland
silverpoint on gesso on board. 1917 victims of bomb explosion in Folkestone. Grid of tiny artwork images and script, taken from newspaper accounts of the event. Artist states "I hope it is a respectful piece of art". Strong on narrative and emotion.
Apocalypse in Fragments . Jolanta Rejs
monotype with pencil on reverse.
Horse's head image on monotype. Looks like there was a wire grid laid over the painted image, and the paper pressed over. Clever use of monotype, and quite large, so considerable skill required.
Crown. Tim Patrick.
Very dark charcoal drawing of table and chairs at dusk, to question identity and perception of an object in space. Very dark and hazy. Interesting effect.
Wednesday 11 September 2013
Fashion Rules Exhibition
Beth and I went to the Fashion Rules exhibition at Kensington Palace yesterday. There were fewer dresses than I expected but it was most interesting. There were about 30 dresses on display from Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and Princess Diana.
The "rules" of the Royal formal wear for women were explained and it demonstrated how the rules changed over time. for example, in the 1950s, when Norman Hartnell was dressing the Queen, he believed light colours (white, beige, grey) were desirable as it meant onlookers would find it easier to see the Queen if she wore light clothes. I find this a bit odd, as I would have thought bright colours would have been more visible, but maybe the darker colours were more usual for evening wear as laundry was more onerous then, and light colours would have therefore been more distinctive for the Queen. The gowns were beautiful, scissor cut (whatever this is) and heavily beaded.
Princess Margaret's clothes were very fitted and flared in the 50s, shorter, narrower and brighter in the 60s but became more flowing and looser in line with ethnic trends in the 1970s, and possibly in line with an expanding waistline!
Princess Diana's dresses were fantastic. I particularly liked a bright red one that she wore at a state visit dinner in Saudi Arabia. The colour was a courtesy to the host country (their state flag is red and white). The style was tall and narrow, with big shoulder pads. Diana would have had all her flesh covered except face and hands, once again to comply with their hosts expectations, but it was the most fantastic piece of power dressing.
This made me think about colour symbolism and the way in which circumstances change the message of the colour. For example Red can indicate anger, love, danger, and national pride, depending on context and which colours it is displayed with. So if in my work, I want to portray celebration and respect in relation to Women's Work, which colours do I choose? Respect for me is a dark colour, because it is serious, sensible and thoutful, but maybe not black or charcoal grey, as this represents depression to me. Unless maybe depression is black or charcoal as a single colour? Celebration is bright colours, particularly yellow and orange, but not totally brilliant, just subdued a little. Further thought required here.
The "rules" of the Royal formal wear for women were explained and it demonstrated how the rules changed over time. for example, in the 1950s, when Norman Hartnell was dressing the Queen, he believed light colours (white, beige, grey) were desirable as it meant onlookers would find it easier to see the Queen if she wore light clothes. I find this a bit odd, as I would have thought bright colours would have been more visible, but maybe the darker colours were more usual for evening wear as laundry was more onerous then, and light colours would have therefore been more distinctive for the Queen. The gowns were beautiful, scissor cut (whatever this is) and heavily beaded.
Princess Margaret's clothes were very fitted and flared in the 50s, shorter, narrower and brighter in the 60s but became more flowing and looser in line with ethnic trends in the 1970s, and possibly in line with an expanding waistline!
Princess Diana's dresses were fantastic. I particularly liked a bright red one that she wore at a state visit dinner in Saudi Arabia. The colour was a courtesy to the host country (their state flag is red and white). The style was tall and narrow, with big shoulder pads. Diana would have had all her flesh covered except face and hands, once again to comply with their hosts expectations, but it was the most fantastic piece of power dressing.
This made me think about colour symbolism and the way in which circumstances change the message of the colour. For example Red can indicate anger, love, danger, and national pride, depending on context and which colours it is displayed with. So if in my work, I want to portray celebration and respect in relation to Women's Work, which colours do I choose? Respect for me is a dark colour, because it is serious, sensible and thoutful, but maybe not black or charcoal grey, as this represents depression to me. Unless maybe depression is black or charcoal as a single colour? Celebration is bright colours, particularly yellow and orange, but not totally brilliant, just subdued a little. Further thought required here.
Monday 9 September 2013
Day 2 of the Linocut Class
Overnight I had a think about what I wanted to achieve on Saturday with my linocut book. As I am a total beginner, I decided to try something different with each page of my book. My colander image was black lines and spots on a white ground. I decided to do another simple line drawing, white lines on a black ground, of a pressure cooker. Then a saucepan defined with a textured pattern on it, and a maslin pan with linear pattern on it. I also decided to do a cover sheet with the words Women's Work, to see if I could get the writing correct, as the linocut needs to be written in reverse, in order to print correctly.
This is a lot of linocutting to do in one day, so I had to keep it relatively simple. As I was working quite quickly, the style was quite free. As there were a lot of us in the class, it was quite hot in the studio. This meant that as we rolled out the ink of the glass, it dried rather quickly and it was easy to get little dried blobs of ink on the roller, which then left lumps on the linocut (difficult to see) and showed on the print (easy to see!). Also, as we were working on small pieces of lino, there were a lot of fibres from the hessian backing floating in the air. I discovered that these hairs stuck to the linocuts and were almost invisible, until you printed with them, when they became black lines surrounded by a white area in the middle of your image. So key learning points were: don't work in front of an open window as it dries the ink and dust/grit gets embedded; cut Lino carefully and sweep up all stray fibres.
We were shown how to blend colours on the roller. Put a tiny blob of red on the left and a tiny blob or yellow on the right. Pick up some of each colour on either side of the roller and roll out until the ink spreads to the central area and blends to orange. I used this when printing my title page.
I found printing in the hot classroom quite difficult. I am just not strong enough to get a good print using the baren and the hessian fibres wrecked a lot of my prints. I need a mechanical press to get a good result.
Having printed 4 images and a cover, I cut the images in half vertically and bound them together with book screw in the top left and bottom right corner, so the pages rotated and you could match different right and left hand images. I was quite careful with the image sizes so the different halves matched. I think this went well, but as I had 2 images with a black background and 2 with a white background, I felt it jarred a little. However, it was a good learning exercise.
I bought a small linocut set from Nick, as I think I could use this technique quite a lot. I like the manual nature of this type of printing, and once you have cut the Lino, there are several ways it can be used. Printing with ink is an obvious technique, but I wonder what effect I could get if I printed with glue and then foiled it? Or printed on fabric and foiled it? The possibilities are endless.
This is a lot of linocutting to do in one day, so I had to keep it relatively simple. As I was working quite quickly, the style was quite free. As there were a lot of us in the class, it was quite hot in the studio. This meant that as we rolled out the ink of the glass, it dried rather quickly and it was easy to get little dried blobs of ink on the roller, which then left lumps on the linocut (difficult to see) and showed on the print (easy to see!). Also, as we were working on small pieces of lino, there were a lot of fibres from the hessian backing floating in the air. I discovered that these hairs stuck to the linocuts and were almost invisible, until you printed with them, when they became black lines surrounded by a white area in the middle of your image. So key learning points were: don't work in front of an open window as it dries the ink and dust/grit gets embedded; cut Lino carefully and sweep up all stray fibres.
We were shown how to blend colours on the roller. Put a tiny blob of red on the left and a tiny blob or yellow on the right. Pick up some of each colour on either side of the roller and roll out until the ink spreads to the central area and blends to orange. I used this when printing my title page.
I found printing in the hot classroom quite difficult. I am just not strong enough to get a good print using the baren and the hessian fibres wrecked a lot of my prints. I need a mechanical press to get a good result.
Having printed 4 images and a cover, I cut the images in half vertically and bound them together with book screw in the top left and bottom right corner, so the pages rotated and you could match different right and left hand images. I was quite careful with the image sizes so the different halves matched. I think this went well, but as I had 2 images with a black background and 2 with a white background, I felt it jarred a little. However, it was a good learning exercise.
I bought a small linocut set from Nick, as I think I could use this technique quite a lot. I like the manual nature of this type of printing, and once you have cut the Lino, there are several ways it can be used. Printing with ink is an obvious technique, but I wonder what effect I could get if I printed with glue and then foiled it? Or printed on fabric and foiled it? The possibilities are endless.
Friday 6 September 2013
A wonderful linocut class at the V&A
Today I had the most fantastic day at the V&A linocut class. I had never done linocuts before and as it is a relatively easy form of print, and one that can have a clear manual hand, I thought I should give it a go.
First we looked at actual linocut prints from the V&A collection. There was a simple handmade booklet by Morris Cox who set up the Gog Magog Press; a simple line cut from Matisse(!); one by Babette Katz about a visual train journey, and another about knitting; and one about Ockers from Australia. This is what makes V&A classes so different venues. You get to see great resource material from their archive, and presumably this recorded in some form of stats that support the running costs of the museum.
The lead artist, Nick Morley (linocut boy.com), earns his living as a linocut artist and does commissions for Penguin and Faber publishers amongst others. He showed various simple book forms, and I was particularly taken with books with two spines, on the right and left and pages split in the centre. His book "Throne Together" had Lino cuts of different kings on the left and queens on the right, so you could vary which characters met each other, eg the frog prince could meet the mermaid princess or the Red Queen from Alice inWonderland.
We did a little sample block so we could learn how the tools worked, then my first block was a simple colander image to fit with my theme of Women's Work.
Must rush. Off to day 2 of the class.
First we looked at actual linocut prints from the V&A collection. There was a simple handmade booklet by Morris Cox who set up the Gog Magog Press; a simple line cut from Matisse(!); one by Babette Katz about a visual train journey, and another about knitting; and one about Ockers from Australia. This is what makes V&A classes so different venues. You get to see great resource material from their archive, and presumably this recorded in some form of stats that support the running costs of the museum.
The lead artist, Nick Morley (linocut boy.com), earns his living as a linocut artist and does commissions for Penguin and Faber publishers amongst others. He showed various simple book forms, and I was particularly taken with books with two spines, on the right and left and pages split in the centre. His book "Throne Together" had Lino cuts of different kings on the left and queens on the right, so you could vary which characters met each other, eg the frog prince could meet the mermaid princess or the Red Queen from Alice inWonderland.
We did a little sample block so we could learn how the tools worked, then my first block was a simple colander image to fit with my theme of Women's Work.
Must rush. Off to day 2 of the class.
Sunday 1 September 2013
Further thoughts on Laura Knight Portraits
The second interesting conversation was about the portrait of Barbara Bonner, who was a ballerina depicted backstage between rehearsals for a west end show in 1930. The sketch was in watercolour, gouache and charcoal, and the main portrait I think was in oils. I spoke to a New Zealand lady who was really excited to see the picture. She was friends with Barbara Bonner's daughter in NZ, and the family had never seen the portrait. The oil painting was in the private collection of Earl Hoover and the sketch was credited to Nottingham City Museums & Galleries.
This made me start thinking about who knows the location of paintings. Family members may know that a portrait was done, but not know where it ended up. So in order for an exhibition to be assembled, how does the curator find the owners? If the artist kept records of commissions and sales, that would be a starting point, but what about subsequent sales or gifts? For an exhibition of someone like Laura Knight, her estate might have knowledge of where her unsold paintings were distributed and her work as a War Artist would be documented. I also wonder whether her portraits of people less valued by society remained in her estate, whereas the commissions of the great and the good were sold, and possibly resold. Maybe I need to go back a second time and talk to the staff about how exhibitions are researched and compiled. What criteria are involved in owners agreeing to lend their works, and what criteria do curators use to select the works?
This made me start thinking about who knows the location of paintings. Family members may know that a portrait was done, but not know where it ended up. So in order for an exhibition to be assembled, how does the curator find the owners? If the artist kept records of commissions and sales, that would be a starting point, but what about subsequent sales or gifts? For an exhibition of someone like Laura Knight, her estate might have knowledge of where her unsold paintings were distributed and her work as a War Artist would be documented. I also wonder whether her portraits of people less valued by society remained in her estate, whereas the commissions of the great and the good were sold, and possibly resold. Maybe I need to go back a second time and talk to the staff about how exhibitions are researched and compiled. What criteria are involved in owners agreeing to lend their works, and what criteria do curators use to select the works?
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