'Wols'.

I've recently discovered the fascinating work of the German artist Alfred Otto Wolfgang Shultze or 'Wols' as he was known before his death in 1951.
His early works, made with pen and ink are drawings and etchings made with a push towards experimentation and the creation of something that hadn't been seen before.
These delicate yet direct studies are complex in form and subject but could be seen as ideas recorded on to paper for future reference but are actually finished pieces.

                                                                                Untitled 1937. 

Wols' paintings appear to be influenced by the world around him but he takes what he views then turns it into what he wants us to see, his own vision of the world. 

This is particularly apparent in his 'Windmill' painting.

                                                        'The Windmill', 1913, Oil on Canvas, 73 x 60cm. 

At first glance we don't see what it is. The paint is scraped, scratched and dragged onto the canvas in a very hasty, rushed manner but Wols knew what he was doing. He's concentrated on the movement, the liveliness and the overall abstract reality of the scene instead of the form and structure. Once given the title we can instantly see what it is but without this we are left wondering, and thats the beauty of his work. Did he produce this work whilst studying a windmill or did he give the painting this name after he'd finished because it resembled a windmill? 

He tells a story with each piece but these stories need to be explained for us to fully understand and appreciate what we see. Once explained, the true beauty shines through and we can fully take in what he's presented to us even if at first it looks like a spontaneous attack on the canvas. 

Again we see his love of experimentation coming into play. Each stroke of paint is direct and builds a strong but loose form. 

The colours, bright yellow, green and brown suggest a sunny day with the structure set against a countryside landscape backdrop but this is only suggested and we need to decide if thats what were actually seeing. He gives us the basics but We need to finish Wols' story ourselves. He is a master of experimentation and expression through shape and mark making. Nothing is as it seems and the title and explanation are a spoiler for me. I don't want to be told what his paintings or drawings are, I want to enjoy what I see, especially if I don't know exactly what I'm looking at.

That'll do...

DMU 2nd years and Kevin Holdaway exhibitions.

KEV HOLDAWAY

Kev's exhibition at the Curve Theatre in Leicester was, as expected, full of perfectly made printworks. His choice of subject, bright eye-catching colours and his meticulous eye for detail guarantees brilliant finished works.  I've always loved the medium of print and Kev's work is an inspiration to me. A lot of the prints are made with complicated reduction techniques and multiple layering of ink but watching Kev work in the studio always makes it look really easy, which I know it isn't.
Well done mate, excellent show.
 

2nd YEAR GROUP SHOW

The 2nd year show was interesting with a big mixture of different styles and the overall experience was good. Two pieces which stood out to me were the large drawing by Amy Packham and the portrait paintings of Piotr.
Amy works with nature and makes line drawings which are full of detail and pattern which echoes the natural patterns which occur in the things she draws. The works cross the line between fine art and illustration which is fine and she looks like she could do well in either one.

  

Amy Packham. 

Piotr showed a collection of paintings in his usual style. beautiful faces emerge from detailed backdrops of fashion prints and designs and I know from talking to him about his work that his mother is a fashion designer and this influence really shows through in his finished paintings. Piotr has a definite style of his own and sticks to it which I think is a good thing. He makes the paintings from copying magazine images and mixing them with his own designs and the effect is quite eye-catching. Definitely some of the best works in the show. 

Piotr's painting. 

Drawing feedback 2014...

My drawing feedback from Andy was very positive with an A as my mark. 

This has been my strongest and most enjoyed area of this first year at DMU and I intend to carry on experimenting in drawing until I find a style that is unique to myself. 

self directed project 2014 statement

I made this work as a response to seeing a group of hoodies in the centre of Leicester. One kid in particular stood out to me and I wanted to create a character based on him and the life I think he may live.
I'm inspired and intrigued by whats going on in the UK and the people living in different circumstances and situations and this work represents a growing section of todays society.
The project took me on a journey around areas of Leicester I hadn't seen before and through photography I recorded the scenes then reproduced parts of what I'd seen through various mediums including woodcut printing, screen printing, drawing, painting and discarded materials recovered from the areas I visited.
The life I've created is very much a work of my imagination, a false portrait of a real person, but is intended to reflect a very real way of living and is built from experiences I've had whilst researching the character.

Drawing project statement.

My drawings are inspired by the places I see as I wander the streets of the city. Unlike a lot of people I look upwards as I walk and am driven by a never ending desire to see whats around the next corner and I see a real beauty in the mundane structures. I'm attracted to the buildings and how they come together to form the streets. Through my drawings I want the viewer be transported to where I stood and to see these scenes in the same way as I did.

I started with my book, 'Wander, Record', which is a document of these journey's and a response to what I see surrounding me and through these drawings I progressed to larger pieces.
Complicated alleyways become broken down simple abstraction studies and line drawings built from shapes and angles but devoid of unnecessary detail. My writings give a glimpse into the small things I notice as I watch the world in front of myself. I want the work to capture the ever growing state of the city, it's shape and structural content, and the project, like the city itself, has no signs of stopping.
I tend to draw quickly when I make the larger drawings and will often start another drawing straight after finishing one. My urge to continuously experiment with different styles and mediums has led me to use technical pens and an old ink pen dipped in Indian ink over watercolour washes on Fabriano paper and discarded materials recovered from the places I've visited. 

Drawing Project 2014

The picture house was a centre for photography in the centre of Leicester.
A busy little meeting place for photographers, designers and artists but unfortunately it was closed by the council due to them not wanting to cover the costs any more, like a lot of public buildings in the UK.
The grubby old building is now just another skeleton or monument of 'what was', it's completely derelict and with the usual signs sitting on the front; for sale, to let etc.
Through the windows you can sometimes see figures wandering around inside and the eery shine of flickering lights at night.
Leicester city centre is full of these types of buildings, wasting away and waiting to be converted into social housing for the mass of unemployed people living in the city centre.

'Picture House', Ink, watercolour on Fabriano paper, 120cm x 100cm, April 2014.