A while ago I began keeping together any inspiring paintings/photographs etc I came across, and I think now is the time to shed a few. I've never known alot about art or taken it too seriously(in school), so I apologise if I appear to only be dipping my toes into the shallow end of art history, but hopefully for you, a few gems will follow.
I think I probably began to become more interested in art history just over a year ago when Kathy & Derek got me to
look into futurism for the pre-production project.
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| Will start with this one by Peter Lanyon (ring a bell?). It's called St.Just. This is the kind of painting that previously I would have looked at naively, and ignorantly ignored it. But knowing the context of the painting its quite striking. It was painted after a mine collapse in Cornwall, where several miners were killed. The vertical black mark represents the mineshaft. Altho appearing abstract, dont the colours look like the colours of cornwall to you? Interestingly, if you flip it on its side, it looks like an abstract cornish landscape, with a black scar tearing through the centre. |
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| These two are Andrew Wyeth. I really like the return to the theme consistent in his work |
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| Edward Hopper |
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| Robert Bevan, I like the idea that perhaps a subjective, heightened landscape like this, may speak more truth than a realistic representation. To me, it speaks more of hazy nostalgic summer days, lost in the fields, than a photograph could. |
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| John Martin. Victorian who painted the end of the world. |
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| Background for Peter Pan of London, the funny thing is that while animation isn't typically considered 'art', atleast in the same leagues as painting, this artist rendering of the London skyline is probably remembered more fruitfully (by the general public) than many other paintings of the city, thanks to its broad Disney audience. |
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| Picture of Virginia Woolf by (her sister) Vanessa Bell. I'm just coming to the end of To The Lighthouse and am getting really into V.Woolf. I really love this image, how its faceless and instead speaks for a broad range of people instead of the one person sitting. like 'an everyman character' in a film. |
A few more recent works now:
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| Left is a portrait by Richard Avedon, right is a picture by Frank Miller. I don't know whether the simillarities are intentional by Frank Miller (the expression, the frayed-at-the-edges hair) but I like it as an example of inspiration borrowed and lent to another cause. |
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| Arthur Glendinning. Simillar to the Bevan one above, maybe this speaks more for nostalgic days at the beach than a photo could? By it's heightened attributes (the colours)? I imagine myself to the reverse of this image, sat lazily getting annoyed at these three, trying to doze off. |
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| Mark Wagner. Much like Damien Hurst he continues themes Warhol toyed with (art/money/business etc) , except unlike Hurst, the work appears much less cynical, more fun for the viewer, than just for the artist. I think this image sold for a lot more than the amount it cost to make (simillar to Hirsts diamond skull). The difference is I feel Damien Hirst is laughing all the way to the bank, wheras Wagner would probably be having a chuckle with the buyer. This is more creative and fun than Hirst's dried up sense of humor/engineered way to make money. |
All done. Hope that was enjoyable to check out. Whilst on the subject, there's some really good documentaries on the uni library streaming service:
Why Beauty Matters - Interesting opinionated account of why beauty is important to art.
Ways of Seeing - this is a series. If you find the 1st one interesting enough, the others are all on there too.
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