From my previous experiments with larger scale imagery I found it essential to not only explore further details of form, but also the general shapes found within gesture. Towards the beginning of my observational sketchbook, I had completed observation sketches from life in predominantly charcoal. As these were taken at a rapid rate, a lot of form was lost. This was due to both the speed of the drawing and the lack of definition due to a soft media choice This lead me to complete some drawings with mainly pen in my sketchbook focusing on the simplistic forms, taken from some of my own photography. 

I began completing studies in biro with some aspects of charcoal retained at first. However, I found myself falling back into the habit of very expressive mark making with charcoal deviating from my initial study. I decided to remove all charcoal from my bench in order to work solely in pen. By forcing myself to define gesture in only line I had a better understanding of the shapes inside the gestures I was studying. This simplistic format of drawing the human form led me to a similar style of early cubism. Pablo Picasso's Les Demoiseles d'avignon (MoMa n.d.) similarly focused on simplistic shapes to convey the subjects. Similarities from my studies to Picasso's work can be seen in particular in the studies of arms. Looking at each component as separate shapes and joining them together at almost narrow hinges.

The images which acted as the base for my studies of simplistic gesture were taken from shoots I completed in a photography studio. I took many images looking at slow shutter speed in order to portray movement. As a result of this some of my studies required me to layer the same gesture over one another to mimic the distortion seen within my photography. Despite drawing in the same fashion as before, comparative to that of Picasso's work, my studies also mimicked that of Marcel Duchamp's Nude descending a staircase N^o2 (Phillidelphia MoA n.d.). Duchamp being also an early cubist artist, his suggestions to form are far more abstract in concept comparative to Picasso. Rather than a still somewhat organic form created from rounded marks in Les Demoiselles d'avignon, Duchamp's Nude depicts figures in mainly geometric fashion. The image was comprised of twenty individual positions each layered over one another. Similar by nature and idea of that of slow shutter speed, here many movements of the model are delayed to create the same fragmented tone. Many photographers, such as Gjon Mili, have recreated Nude descending with similar photography effects similar to what I used to capture movement.

Mili's interpretation of Nude descending takes on a far more figurative tone. Here you are able to distinguish between individual positions, this is due to the choice to have some gestures brighter and other translucent in appearance. This image is comprised of multiple shots edited over one another to create the illusion of the subjects’ journey down the staircase. When looking in detail at some of the individual gestures it is clear to see there has been an aspect of long exposure was used. A ghost like shadow of the motion can be seen to almost attach to the same limb, this mimics the fragmented nature of Duchamp's work. Despite my photography lacking this additional editing process it is clear to see the transition of how I would be able to interpret this style. A textural way of achieving this finish would be to layer the same image over itself with prints onto acetate. Within my first year in art I experimented heavily with the idea of using acetate prints in order to re-contextualise an image and found the technique to be something I thoroughly enjoyed.

Upon my recent visit to the Royal Academy of Arts for the Abstract Expressionist Exhibition I came across a piece of Mili’s entitled ‘Figure Skater Carol Lynne’ (Light painting photography n.d.). This was a style of Mili’s work that I had not previously seen however found direct links to the style I am attempting to portray within my personal investigation. Here Mili has capture the motion of a figure in a truly abstract format. I took sketches from this work and found how the image gradually developed further away from human form and more into pure abstraction. This gave me the idea to use a similar style of photography to bridge the gap between the human form and abstraction, I did this by using slow shutter speed and sparklers. Also mimicking the images created by Mili I decided to look at re-contextualising different photographs using layering, however using different subject matters. This led to an entirely different outcome within appearance, however maintaining the concept of his work. I still found this outcome to be successful as the main subject for both mages was the same model. This then created the illusion of a figure moving across the page. To further expand on this technique, I plan to include observational studies both under and directly on top of the acetate. 

Light Painting Photography (n.d.) History [online] available from http://lightpaintingphotography.com/light-painting-history/ [28 October 2016]

Museum of Modern Art (n.d.) Pablo Picasso Les Desmoiselles d’Avignon [online] available from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79766  [28 October 2016]

Philadelphia Museum of Art (n.d.) Marcel Duchamp Nude Descending a Staircase N^o2  [online] available from < http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/51449.html> [28 October 2016]

Gerhard Richter

Gerhard Richter.

Brünings Ohne Titel

After looking at the way my work had developed as I ventured further into abstract art it had moved away from the sparse marks of Brüning's work. The marks I made had become denser and focusing more on layering up colours. This caused me to look more into artists such as Gerhard Richter there is a more obvious connection to his work within my more recent pieces.

Catalogue  865-1 170cm x 120cm oil alu dibond

2000

Richter is a German artist who studied painting at the time of the German communist regime which took away the freedom of many artists and caused a vast amount of it to be geared towards political propaganda. Meaning as a young artists Richter was caused to limit his paintings to mainly landscapes. However, many years later Richter encountered the work of the new Abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock, his innovative style of painting caused Richter to break out of the realism he had been trapped in. In light of this change in style Richter destroyed many of his earlier paintings from the 50’s and 60’s. Richter began to trace figures onto canvas however many of paintings held no resemblance to the subjects of the photographs he was studying. The colours and marks he used caused the viewer to look more at the raw shapes and to not be distracted by what was the ‘pictures implied content or its emotional element of humanity’. It was in 1966 that his work became something that my style relates to, he began to layer paint with expressive and aggressive movements using unusual means such as squeegees or rollers. In the later years he gave all of his work the generic title of ‘Abstract Painting’ I Found that the collection ranging from 2000-2004 has the greatest and strongest link to the style I have taken on. 


Looking at a particular mark within Richter's piece (catalogue 865-2) I noticed that many of the marks I had made in my first larger scale image mirrored this style. He has seemingly dragged a single colour through the centre of the rest of the paint on the surface, creating an almost branch like protrusion. In many of the pieces I have completed sharp, branch like extensions flow through the image ( much like in the section of one of my pieces above.) I have found that within my pieces unlike in Richter's there is a wider use of brighter colours. However after looking at detail at Richter's pieces I think more muted tones with subtle suggestions to colour seems to be far more successful. 

2000

Catalogue 868-6 147cm x 102cm

Oil on canvas 

Once again looking at the marks made particularity this piece by Richter mirrors the way I have been applying paint to a surface. For many of the pieces of work that I have both inside and out of my sketchbook, I have been using cardboard as a means of applying paint. This creates the straight, block like mark across a surface. In this piece in particularity the deep red used by Richter links with the clear colour theme of warm harmonies that my work has developed. Comparatively to Richter almost wash of colour, I have been layering paint on generously in order to bring texture back into my artwork. After looking in detail at both Richter's and Brüning's work it is clear to me that the style I have developed over my time on this course has stronger connections to the work of Richter. This is something that I am planning to expand on within the studio. Using the process of presenting my work on the boards for the upcoming presentation it will give me a clear platform to show the development of mark making. 

Sample photogrpahs.

Photography.

I decided to take some mainly nature inspired images as I went to the local woodlands and had the opportunity to use some of my friends as subjects. There is also a few images here that were taken external from this visit.

   

   

           

      

       

           

                    

        

      

Refinement

Refinement of exhibition pieces.

only small sections here covered in emulsion.

After reviewing my work from the exhibition I initially wanted to leave the pieces as I wasn't particularly happy with their outcome. However after talking to many of my peers I decided to work back into the larger of the three pieces with emulsion. At first I was hesitant applying the paint and only made small marks often scrapping them back off, however this wasn't making a big enough impact to the image. I then decided to take a larger brush and make many expressive movements to leave some parts of the piece exposed and still cover the majority of the paint.

I had someone take pictures of me while I was doing this to show the work process.

The emulsions muted the colours that I had initially layered onto the board leaving a trace of what was originally there. Different marks were made by the way paint had hit the board, leaving both thick areas of paint and a wash in other areas. However after standing away from the piece and reflecting many of the marks from a distance looked the same causing the overall piece to look flat.



It was at this point I decided to vary the materials I used to apply the paint. I used a sponge to layer the paint in thick sections to cause the emulsion to drip down the board, contrasting to the flat wash the brush had left. I also used cardboard in a similar fashion to that which I had done within my sketch book to drag paint across the board, incorporating the element of line into my piece. Varying mark making gave dimension to the painting, causing it to have a more satisfying appearance.

I want to continue to work back into this piece maybe to the point where it could be used as part of my final outcome. I want to look at maybe bring colour back over the emulsion layer and experiment in my smaller sketchbook with different styles of mark making techniques.