New work...

I've been looking at the personalities of people, hidden sides and secrets. Its the thing of whats inside us that interest me, what we do and who we are. The stripped back and the hidden. Some people are bare, some wrapped tightly.

I'm working towards something but not sure what yet?

The outcome created through different media interests me. The theme stays the same but the overall look of the finished piece, which is 3D and lit with an old wire lamp, makes the finished piece a lot more intense and more of an experience. What experience would a closed room full of tightly crammed faces and time controlled lights create? 

Looking at each image we see its the eyes and mouth that give away the subjects feelings towards the viewer. The stares can show fear, anger anxiety and rage. These features alone could be something to concentrate on. A large blank space with one feature? 

Kathe Kollwitz.

 Kathe Kollwitz, 'Mother with dead child', 1903, Etching, 42 x 48cm.

At first glance its hard to tell exactly what this image is. The subject, with its delicate edges and soft detail blends into the background and it takes a few seconds to decipher what we're looking at. 

Created with a skilled hand through the process of etching 'Mother with dead child' is filled with emotion directed at us with a message from the artist. 

The slumped, lifeless body of the gaunt child lays in the folds of his mothers arms, tightly gripped by the oversized hands in a protective embrace. The child looks weak and fragile against the heavy strength of his mother. 

The image is all about protection and suffering but ultimately loss. 

The German artist Kathe Kollwitz looked at the suffering, hardship and poverty of humans in her works and the war had a major impact on what she produced and her her sculptures relay the same feelings.

' Kathe Kollwitz, 'Mother with twins' 1937, Bronze sculpture.

'Mother with Twins' again shows us the protective urges of parents over their children. This strong, solid piece of sculpture is softened through its subject. The mothers hands, arms and legs wrap around the children trying to protect and shelter them from the harshness of the outside world and the nakedness gives them a togetherness but also a feeling of vulnerability. 

Kollwitz showed her inside self through her work, her personal suffering and heart ache. She lived through 2 wars, lost her son in the trenches and she was heavily scared by the things she witnessed in Nazi Germany. But without this life would she have made these works with such feeling and emotion?

Kathe Kollwitz died in 1945 after producing a large body of work including an ongoing set of self portraits showing, in great depth and honesty, the change in her face through the years. She left her mark on not only the art world but also Germany where over 40 schools are named after her. 

'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.