BP Portrait Award 2018. National Portrait Gallery.
After seeing this exhibition, I realized that there is still a lot to see and explore. The quality of the artworks made me feel so small. The best part was that for the first time I agreed with the judges decision. The winners were definitely the best.
An Angel at my Table by Miriam Escofet is this year’s winner. The Spanish painter mastered an astonishing technique. Her work is normally selected for the annual exhibitions of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and also BP Portrait Award in 2007-2010 and 2012. Her masterpiece was about her mother. Escofet says: ‘My mother has a wonderful inner stillness and calm that I really wanted to convey in this work. She is at the centre of the pictorial space and the perspective of the tea crockery leads to a vanishing point contained within her.’ (NPG,2018)
I also decided to do a small research since I am interested in this award. Basically, I was looking for keywords which can help me to see what the criteria of the selection of the artworks is. The judges mentioned the words: the self, contemporary fashion, the past and the present, atmosphere, colour, and private.
My personal favorite was Jack Freeman’s painting Tim and the dog (2017). What a magnificent piece. He decided to honour one of his friends, Tim and his strong bond with his dog. It was a sincere painting. The artist decided to dress his friend up in black and white to match the colours of Tim’s dog. Freeman says he: ‘Aimed to make something that is no more complex than a double portrait of two great friends and two great characters’. (NPG,2018)
Bibliography
National Portrait Gallery (2018) BP Portrait award Winners. Available at: https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/bp-portrait-award-2018/exhibition/exhibitors-entries/tim-and-the-dog
(Accessed: 8 August 2018)
After seeing this exhibition, I realized that there is still a lot to see and explore. The quality of the artworks made me feel so small. The best part was that for the first time I agreed with the judges decision. The winners were definitely the best.
An Angel at my Table by Miriam Escofet is this year’s winner. The Spanish painter mastered an astonishing technique. Her work is normally selected for the annual exhibitions of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and also BP Portrait Award in 2007-2010 and 2012. Her masterpiece was about her mother. Escofet says: ‘My mother has a wonderful inner stillness and calm that I really wanted to convey in this work. She is at the centre of the pictorial space and the perspective of the tea crockery leads to a vanishing point contained within her.’ (NPG,2018)
I also decided to do a small research since I am interested in this award. Basically, I was looking for keywords which can help me to see what the criteria of the selection of the artworks is. The judges mentioned the words: the self, contemporary fashion, the past and the present, atmosphere, colour, and private.
My personal favorite was Jack Freeman’s painting Tim and the dog (2017). What a magnificent piece. He decided to honour one of his friends, Tim and his strong bond with his dog. It was a sincere painting. The artist decided to dress his friend up in black and white to match the colours of Tim’s dog. Freeman says he: ‘Aimed to make something that is no more complex than a double portrait of two great friends and two great characters’. (NPG,2018)
Bibliography
National Portrait Gallery (2018) BP Portrait award Winners. Available at: https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/bp-portrait-award-2018/exhibition/exhibitors-entries/tim-and-the-dog
(Accessed: 8 August 2018)
Mona Osman. Saatchi Gallery
I was quite disappointed with my last visit. Luckily, I found Osman's work. Her artwork explores anxiety, perceptions of being, and the self. One of the most interesting things about her language is the narratives that she perfectly builds. It has a perpetual logic that communicates the struggles of being human. Other curious fact about her work is the use of Space. For her, is a tool that juxtaposes the figures and the environment. Everything have the same or similar importance.
I was quite disappointed with my last visit. Luckily, I found Osman's work. Her artwork explores anxiety, perceptions of being, and the self. One of the most interesting things about her language is the narratives that she perfectly builds. It has a perpetual logic that communicates the struggles of being human. Other curious fact about her work is the use of Space. For her, is a tool that juxtaposes the figures and the environment. Everything have the same or similar importance.
Rodin and the Art of Ancient Greece. British Museum
Great exhibition. It is a shame that Rodin’s masterpieces were obscured by the Parthenon Marbles. It was definitely an astonishing show but I went there to learn more about Rodin and I ended up admiring some of the British museum’s permanent collection pieces from the Parthenon. Probably, I was expecting too much.
The Kiss by Rodin was one of the main attractions since it is one of the most important artworks of the modern world. Its mystery was revealed in 1882 when it was first shown in Paris. However, the beauty of the Parthenon sculptures destroyed the harmony in Rodin’s works. It made it feel less attractive/ Not many artworks were originals. I had the idea of learning more about the Rodin but the exhibition narrative made me think more about Phidias.
Great exhibition. It is a shame that Rodin’s masterpieces were obscured by the Parthenon Marbles. It was definitely an astonishing show but I went there to learn more about Rodin and I ended up admiring some of the British museum’s permanent collection pieces from the Parthenon. Probably, I was expecting too much.
The Kiss by Rodin was one of the main attractions since it is one of the most important artworks of the modern world. Its mystery was revealed in 1882 when it was first shown in Paris. However, the beauty of the Parthenon sculptures destroyed the harmony in Rodin’s works. It made it feel less attractive/ Not many artworks were originals. I had the idea of learning more about the Rodin but the exhibition narrative made me think more about Phidias.
Victorian Giants: The Birth of Art Photography | National Portrait Gallery
This exhibition was really interesting especially because it features the work of Lewis Carroll, one of my favorites writers. I found the work of Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–79), Lewis Carroll (1832–98), Lady Clementina Hawarden (1822–65) and Oscar Rejlander (1813–75). It features historical and really important photographs from public and private collections. I noticed certain influence of the Pre-Raphaelites, especially a similar flavour of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's painting and compositions. It was a familiar experience to me since I went to the Reflections exhibition at the National Gallery. After visiting this show I was able to appreciate the limits that these artists had reached. The mirror became an emblem in their lives to the point that they decorated their houses.
Technically, the composition and the ghostly feeling effect that these photographers created was amazing.
Bibliography
Carroll, L. (1858) Alice Liddell Available at: http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/2495955/see-lewis-carrolls-alice-at-victorian-giants-the-birth-of-art
(Accessed: 15/05/18)
This exhibition was really interesting especially because it features the work of Lewis Carroll, one of my favorites writers. I found the work of Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–79), Lewis Carroll (1832–98), Lady Clementina Hawarden (1822–65) and Oscar Rejlander (1813–75). It features historical and really important photographs from public and private collections. I noticed certain influence of the Pre-Raphaelites, especially a similar flavour of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's painting and compositions. It was a familiar experience to me since I went to the Reflections exhibition at the National Gallery. After visiting this show I was able to appreciate the limits that these artists had reached. The mirror became an emblem in their lives to the point that they decorated their houses.
Technically, the composition and the ghostly feeling effect that these photographers created was amazing.
Bibliography
Carroll, L. (1858) Alice Liddell Available at: http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/2495955/see-lewis-carrolls-alice-at-victorian-giants-the-birth-of-art
(Accessed: 15/05/18)
The EY Exhibition: Picasso 1932 - Love, Fame, Tragedy. TATE MODERN. Second Visit.
After my first visit I decided that I needed to learn more from this exhibition. So I decided to go with a purpose and this was exploring the ground as Picasso did in his own work. I knew that the focus in my work was changing so I needed to find new ways to represent this fresh ideas.
My research made me realize that my practice is directly engaged with space in a particular way. My main interest is to comprehend Drawing as a social tool. Therefore, I chose an institution since I believe that they develop our ideas and personalities. As an Artist, I was trying to find a place where I could understand myself, thus, I decided to go to prison and discover emptiness. After visiting HM Pentonville Prison, I realized that I wanted to honor the inmates for allowing me to draw them. The whole experience was transformative.
I collected leftover materials to create a metaphor between the prisoners and me. Most of the materials were found in the garbage. Now, they are pristine, they reborn. My increasing interest in the marked and unmarked space has heightened the need for making new solutions for the self-contained object and the ground. The study of ‘emptiness’ has become an important aspect of the scope of my artwork. Therefore, the marked and unmarked space is the unity of the division between mind and hand, and the subject is a reflection on Memory.
After my first visit I decided that I needed to learn more from this exhibition. So I decided to go with a purpose and this was exploring the ground as Picasso did in his own work. I knew that the focus in my work was changing so I needed to find new ways to represent this fresh ideas.
My research made me realize that my practice is directly engaged with space in a particular way. My main interest is to comprehend Drawing as a social tool. Therefore, I chose an institution since I believe that they develop our ideas and personalities. As an Artist, I was trying to find a place where I could understand myself, thus, I decided to go to prison and discover emptiness. After visiting HM Pentonville Prison, I realized that I wanted to honor the inmates for allowing me to draw them. The whole experience was transformative.
I collected leftover materials to create a metaphor between the prisoners and me. Most of the materials were found in the garbage. Now, they are pristine, they reborn. My increasing interest in the marked and unmarked space has heightened the need for making new solutions for the self-contained object and the ground. The study of ‘emptiness’ has become an important aspect of the scope of my artwork. Therefore, the marked and unmarked space is the unity of the division between mind and hand, and the subject is a reflection on Memory.
Land of Lads, Land of Lashes
Land of Lads, Land of Lashes was curated by Anke Kempkes. It presented sculptures and paintings by Wanda Czelkowska, Rosemarie Castoro, and Lydia Okumura. They were female artists of the 1960’s and 1970’s who were trying to break the boundaries of Art in that period. The bond among them is experimentation, this helped them to create an abstract personal language.
One of my favorite pieces was In front of Light (1977) by Okumura. It was a geometric installation build with mirrors and nylon. Castoro’s Land of Lashes (1976) was an experimentation with organic shapes. What I like about the work was the sense of motion and the conception of her sculptures as small deform creatures.
Land of Lads, Land of Lashes was curated by Anke Kempkes. It presented sculptures and paintings by Wanda Czelkowska, Rosemarie Castoro, and Lydia Okumura. They were female artists of the 1960’s and 1970’s who were trying to break the boundaries of Art in that period. The bond among them is experimentation, this helped them to create an abstract personal language.
One of my favorite pieces was In front of Light (1977) by Okumura. It was a geometric installation build with mirrors and nylon. Castoro’s Land of Lashes (1976) was an experimentation with organic shapes. What I like about the work was the sense of motion and the conception of her sculptures as small deform creatures.
Here then, was I/ Here now, am I. Thames - Side Studios Gallery
This exhibition features artworks by Annette Fernando, Alistair Leys, Sarah ‘Kinikie’ Palmer, Ema Pina, and Helen Wilson.
A room of One’s Own (1929) by Virginia Woolf and In Vanda’s room by Pedro Costa, inspired the title of the exhibition. This was conceiving by them as a desire to reclaim space and time. I had the opportunity to talk to Kinikie Palmer about her work. She mentioned that her creativity is inspired by television and also the exploration on the self. TV for her is a mirror and she goes beyond the entertainment that we can appreciate at first sight. The works reflect the relationship with the outside world and the artist perception which is considered by them as a personal quest.
This exhibition features artworks by Annette Fernando, Alistair Leys, Sarah ‘Kinikie’ Palmer, Ema Pina, and Helen Wilson.
A room of One’s Own (1929) by Virginia Woolf and In Vanda’s room by Pedro Costa, inspired the title of the exhibition. This was conceiving by them as a desire to reclaim space and time. I had the opportunity to talk to Kinikie Palmer about her work. She mentioned that her creativity is inspired by television and also the exploration on the self. TV for her is a mirror and she goes beyond the entertainment that we can appreciate at first sight. The works reflect the relationship with the outside world and the artist perception which is considered by them as a personal quest.
There Not There. The Courtland Institute of Art
The show was organized by students of MA Curating the Art Museum: Emma Batchelor, Marie-Kathrin Blanck, Camille Feidt, Saskia Flower, Beatriz Garcia-Velasco Bernal, Felicien Grand d’Esnon, Laura House, Hannah Marynissen, Margot Mottaz, Naomi, Polonsky, Helen Record, and Jane Simpkiss.
The main consideration this year was Making Space. Therefore, the students decided to select works which were ambiguous between the opposite notions of absence and presence.
The exhibition helped me to define my own practice thanks to the exploration on disappearance. This helped me to define what I was trying to achieve with the ground in my own artwork. The range of media was a decision taken to explore the boundaries of this subject. One of my favorites was the photograph by Armando Tudella. It is called Billboard 12 (from the Billboard series) . I realize that it was taken in my country, Peru. So I made I direct connection with it because I knew where it was taken. It also made me see the landscape in a different way since when I used to live there it was insignificant and I ignore it. Somehow, the photographer managed to capture an amazing photograph in this desolated and grayish-sandy landscape.
The show was organized by students of MA Curating the Art Museum: Emma Batchelor, Marie-Kathrin Blanck, Camille Feidt, Saskia Flower, Beatriz Garcia-Velasco Bernal, Felicien Grand d’Esnon, Laura House, Hannah Marynissen, Margot Mottaz, Naomi, Polonsky, Helen Record, and Jane Simpkiss.
The main consideration this year was Making Space. Therefore, the students decided to select works which were ambiguous between the opposite notions of absence and presence.
The exhibition helped me to define my own practice thanks to the exploration on disappearance. This helped me to define what I was trying to achieve with the ground in my own artwork. The range of media was a decision taken to explore the boundaries of this subject. One of my favorites was the photograph by Armando Tudella. It is called Billboard 12 (from the Billboard series) . I realize that it was taken in my country, Peru. So I made I direct connection with it because I knew where it was taken. It also made me see the landscape in a different way since when I used to live there it was insignificant and I ignore it. Somehow, the photographer managed to capture an amazing photograph in this desolated and grayish-sandy landscape.
Royal College of Arts Work-in-progress Show
This exhibition presented the work of MA, MRes and Ph.D. students in their workspaces.
I would like to mention that this was by far the best Art college exhibition that I have attended to. It was beautifully curated, and the selection of the artworks was magnificent. Most of the pieces were quite interesting and the map helped me to navigate through the different buildings without any problems. Ever work was labeled and each artist had a postcard near their works. If you were curious about the prices, there was a tablet to help you to find them.
Salama Nasib’s prints were my favorite works of the entire exhibition. It was beautifully curated, and it is the kind of work which makes you feel something without the need to understand what is behind it. Shadow Series no.1 it was my personal favorite piece from the whole series. It is a Photo-Lithography and blind embossing on Somerset which has also Audio describing feelings and diverse experiences. This helps to create a certain kind of mystic narrative behind the artwork. All the series consisted of 7 prints that measure 38x 55,5 cm. She is also a successful Emirati contemporary Artist.
This exhibition presented the work of MA, MRes and Ph.D. students in their workspaces.
I would like to mention that this was by far the best Art college exhibition that I have attended to. It was beautifully curated, and the selection of the artworks was magnificent. Most of the pieces were quite interesting and the map helped me to navigate through the different buildings without any problems. Ever work was labeled and each artist had a postcard near their works. If you were curious about the prices, there was a tablet to help you to find them.
Salama Nasib’s prints were my favorite works of the entire exhibition. It was beautifully curated, and it is the kind of work which makes you feel something without the need to understand what is behind it. Shadow Series no.1 it was my personal favorite piece from the whole series. It is a Photo-Lithography and blind embossing on Somerset which has also Audio describing feelings and diverse experiences. This helps to create a certain kind of mystic narrative behind the artwork. All the series consisted of 7 prints that measure 38x 55,5 cm. She is also a successful Emirati contemporary Artist.
Night Art 2018
Night Art 2018 is the biggest free contemporary Art festival in the world and I was honored to be one of the volunteers at Jeremy Deller’s musical performance called This Place (2018). This year, the main consideration was the different layers of meaning related to the word HOME. It was an ambitious project which tried to transform the Thames river for one day.
As a Volunteer, I had the opportunity to conduct surveys, identifying visitor’s profiles, and familiarize myself with the Art projects and venues. I also needed to have an understanding of the curated programmes. I had to assist and support my Duty Manager in setting up any front and back of House areas at my allocated venue and guiding and managing audiences throughout the event. The most exciting part was that I had the opportunity to meet Jeremy Deller. He was orchestrating his musical performance and stayed the whole event. I felt that he had a direct compromise with his ideas. This Place was the second collaboration between Deller and The Melodians Steel Orchestra UK after his video English magic which was displayed in the British pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennale. The venue was Prince of Wales Drive, an area currently under development. It’s a project that is trying to attract new visitors. The Melodians were playing the famous song Ghost Town by The Specials and it was a metaphor related to the space where the performance was located.
Night Art 2018 is the biggest free contemporary Art festival in the world and I was honored to be one of the volunteers at Jeremy Deller’s musical performance called This Place (2018). This year, the main consideration was the different layers of meaning related to the word HOME. It was an ambitious project which tried to transform the Thames river for one day.
As a Volunteer, I had the opportunity to conduct surveys, identifying visitor’s profiles, and familiarize myself with the Art projects and venues. I also needed to have an understanding of the curated programmes. I had to assist and support my Duty Manager in setting up any front and back of House areas at my allocated venue and guiding and managing audiences throughout the event. The most exciting part was that I had the opportunity to meet Jeremy Deller. He was orchestrating his musical performance and stayed the whole event. I felt that he had a direct compromise with his ideas. This Place was the second collaboration between Deller and The Melodians Steel Orchestra UK after his video English magic which was displayed in the British pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennale. The venue was Prince of Wales Drive, an area currently under development. It’s a project that is trying to attract new visitors. The Melodians were playing the famous song Ghost Town by The Specials and it was a metaphor related to the space where the performance was located.
Dorothea Lange / Vanessa Winship. A photography double bill. Barbican Gallery.
A photography double bill (2018) is probably one of the most important exhibitions in the UK since it shows masterpieces by Dorothea Lange and Vanessa Winship.
Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) is one of the most influential photographers in the world. She is still considered as a documentary pioneer. Politics of Seeing (2018) is a massive retrospective of the work of this American photographer. The main consideration that viewers should take is that for her, her camera was a political tool. She used it to report injustices and cruelties in her time.
In the early 1930’s she felt that it was her duty to document the dramatic changes in San Francisco’s reality. The Great Depression brought unemployment and misery and she captured the despairs and struggles of this time.
An American government agency called the Farm Security Administration (FSA) had the mission to promote Roosevelt’s New Deal programme. During the Great Depression, the FSA employed photographers (Lange, Evans, Shahn, Rothstein) to capture the extreme conditions in America. Lange successfully documented what the government was asking for and also, she created a body of work which marked her career and style. (Barbican, 2018)
Vanessa Winship (1960- ) is an award-winning contemporary photographer. Land, memory, desire, identity, and history are her main subjects. Her practice is related to the link between chronicle and fiction.
Her photographic series Imagined States and Desires: A Balkan Journey (1999–2003) and Black Sea: Between Chronicle and Fiction (2002–2006) explore the edge of frontiers of Eastern Europe and they were some of my personal favorites in the entire exhibition since she captured these fragile relationships in a political and also poetical way.
Vanessa Winship said: ‘I'm delighted to have the opportunity to be able to show what I've been doing these last years to an audience in my home country; to introduce older works, but also to have the possibility, for the first time, to reveal something of the new’. (Barbican, 2018)
Bibliography
Barbican (2018) Press release: Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing. Available at: https://www.barbican.org.uk/our-story/press-room/dorothea-lange-politics-of-seeing (Accessed: 8 August 2018)Barbican (2018) Press release: Vanessa Winship: And Time Folds. Available at: https://www.barbican.org.uk/our-story/press-room/vanessa-winship-and-time-foldsseeing (Accessed: 8 August 2018)Lange, D. (1936) Migrant Mother [Photography]. Available at: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2018/event/dorothea-lange-vanessa-winship#&gid=1&pid=1 (Accessed: 8 August 2018)
Winship, V. (2011) Untitled [Photography]. Available at: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2018/event/dorothea-lange-vanessa-winship#&gid=1&pid=1 (Accessed: 8 August 2018)
A photography double bill (2018) is probably one of the most important exhibitions in the UK since it shows masterpieces by Dorothea Lange and Vanessa Winship.
Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) is one of the most influential photographers in the world. She is still considered as a documentary pioneer. Politics of Seeing (2018) is a massive retrospective of the work of this American photographer. The main consideration that viewers should take is that for her, her camera was a political tool. She used it to report injustices and cruelties in her time.
In the early 1930’s she felt that it was her duty to document the dramatic changes in San Francisco’s reality. The Great Depression brought unemployment and misery and she captured the despairs and struggles of this time.
An American government agency called the Farm Security Administration (FSA) had the mission to promote Roosevelt’s New Deal programme. During the Great Depression, the FSA employed photographers (Lange, Evans, Shahn, Rothstein) to capture the extreme conditions in America. Lange successfully documented what the government was asking for and also, she created a body of work which marked her career and style. (Barbican, 2018)
Vanessa Winship (1960- ) is an award-winning contemporary photographer. Land, memory, desire, identity, and history are her main subjects. Her practice is related to the link between chronicle and fiction.
Her photographic series Imagined States and Desires: A Balkan Journey (1999–2003) and Black Sea: Between Chronicle and Fiction (2002–2006) explore the edge of frontiers of Eastern Europe and they were some of my personal favorites in the entire exhibition since she captured these fragile relationships in a political and also poetical way.
Vanessa Winship said: ‘I'm delighted to have the opportunity to be able to show what I've been doing these last years to an audience in my home country; to introduce older works, but also to have the possibility, for the first time, to reveal something of the new’. (Barbican, 2018)
Bibliography
Barbican (2018) Press release: Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing. Available at: https://www.barbican.org.uk/our-story/press-room/dorothea-lange-politics-of-seeing (Accessed: 8 August 2018)Barbican (2018) Press release: Vanessa Winship: And Time Folds. Available at: https://www.barbican.org.uk/our-story/press-room/vanessa-winship-and-time-foldsseeing (Accessed: 8 August 2018)Lange, D. (1936) Migrant Mother [Photography]. Available at: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2018/event/dorothea-lange-vanessa-winship#&gid=1&pid=1 (Accessed: 8 August 2018)
Winship, V. (2011) Untitled [Photography]. Available at: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2018/event/dorothea-lange-vanessa-winship#&gid=1&pid=1 (Accessed: 8 August 2018)
Summer Exhibition. Royal Academy
I went on one of the final days of the show and I was surprised by the number of artworks that were sold. First of all, I was stunned not by the quality of the selected work but by the horrible yellow wall in one of the exhibition spaces (‘maybe’ one of Perry’s ideas). Second, I talked to many artists who are based here in London and they also expressed their concern related to the quality of the works. TERRIBLE. It was probably one of the worst Summer Exhibitions ever…..
I went on one of the final days of the show and I was surprised by the number of artworks that were sold. First of all, I was stunned not by the quality of the selected work but by the horrible yellow wall in one of the exhibition spaces (‘maybe’ one of Perry’s ideas). Second, I talked to many artists who are based here in London and they also expressed their concern related to the quality of the works. TERRIBLE. It was probably one of the worst Summer Exhibitions ever…..
A History of Drawing
In spite of all the technical difficulties in the lecture of A History of Drawing by Kelly Chorpening, BA Drawing course leader and curator of the show, made a very interesting retrospective about Drawing and Camberwell students. This exhibition is the one that inaugurates the new gallery and brings with it more than 80 years of history and more than 70 artists. 'By no means to definitive history, it is instead to reveal some interesting consistencies and contrasts that are much a celebration of Camberwell's past as a claim for its future in shaping the subject of drawing.' (Chorpening, 2018)
This exhibition starts from the time of the post-war, as the curator mentioned. It tells us about a very politicized stage where there was a struggle to go beyond the method that professors of different institutions wanted to teach (representational art through imitation of the student’s own masters). This struggle is reflected in what we see now with contemporary drawing: different dynamics, techniques, and identities.
I would like to mention the artist Frank Auerbach and the selected work called Michael. He started in a period of change at school and his work is on a more personal side. We can observe the treatment of the portrait as a way of depicting expressions in different ways and giving sensations of textures and movements through a very loose and fine line. All these are resources that I intend to use in my own work when I am in the Project Space 208.
Mathew Ritchie’s artwork The Temptation of the Diagram, for the windows gallery, was also one of the most interesting works that I observed. However, we arrived at 7.00 pm and we could barely see it since he didn’t use light for his Drawing. The expressiveness and the ease of the line at times reminded me of Auerbach's work, although his intentions were not associated with the description of a figure but, in my opinion, were more related to the body expression and the state of mind. Diagrams are part of his work and they are associated to 'the immensity of digitally built space' (Chorpening, 2018).
Bibliography:
Chorpening, K. (2018) A History of Drawing [Lecture]. University of the Arts London. 25 January
In spite of all the technical difficulties in the lecture of A History of Drawing by Kelly Chorpening, BA Drawing course leader and curator of the show, made a very interesting retrospective about Drawing and Camberwell students. This exhibition is the one that inaugurates the new gallery and brings with it more than 80 years of history and more than 70 artists. 'By no means to definitive history, it is instead to reveal some interesting consistencies and contrasts that are much a celebration of Camberwell's past as a claim for its future in shaping the subject of drawing.' (Chorpening, 2018)
This exhibition starts from the time of the post-war, as the curator mentioned. It tells us about a very politicized stage where there was a struggle to go beyond the method that professors of different institutions wanted to teach (representational art through imitation of the student’s own masters). This struggle is reflected in what we see now with contemporary drawing: different dynamics, techniques, and identities.
I would like to mention the artist Frank Auerbach and the selected work called Michael. He started in a period of change at school and his work is on a more personal side. We can observe the treatment of the portrait as a way of depicting expressions in different ways and giving sensations of textures and movements through a very loose and fine line. All these are resources that I intend to use in my own work when I am in the Project Space 208.
Mathew Ritchie’s artwork The Temptation of the Diagram, for the windows gallery, was also one of the most interesting works that I observed. However, we arrived at 7.00 pm and we could barely see it since he didn’t use light for his Drawing. The expressiveness and the ease of the line at times reminded me of Auerbach's work, although his intentions were not associated with the description of a figure but, in my opinion, were more related to the body expression and the state of mind. Diagrams are part of his work and they are associated to 'the immensity of digitally built space' (Chorpening, 2018).
Bibliography:
Chorpening, K. (2018) A History of Drawing [Lecture]. University of the Arts London. 25 January
Everything we do is music. Drawing Room.
In this exhibition, curated by Shanay Jhaveri, we could find Indian miniature painting, Indian classical music, videos, installations, drawings by Indian and Pakistanis artists and its influence on contemporary art.
I realized that I didn’t know much about contemporary Indian Art but I was lucky that I decided to go with my friend Kundan Mondal, a quite successful contemporary Indian painter. Thanks to Indian miniature painting I could learn a different world where precision, detail, and perspective rule. For my practice, it was a really valuable experience since I noticed that there are many different ways to work with my line, precision skills, and also expression.
In this exhibition, curated by Shanay Jhaveri, we could find Indian miniature painting, Indian classical music, videos, installations, drawings by Indian and Pakistanis artists and its influence on contemporary art.
I realized that I didn’t know much about contemporary Indian Art but I was lucky that I decided to go with my friend Kundan Mondal, a quite successful contemporary Indian painter. Thanks to Indian miniature painting I could learn a different world where precision, detail, and perspective rule. For my practice, it was a really valuable experience since I noticed that there are many different ways to work with my line, precision skills, and also expression.
Jules de Balincourt | They Cast Long Shadows. Victoria Miro.
Jules de Balincourt was born in 1972 in Paris. He currently lives in Brooklyn and he still describes his practice as an approach related to intuition. We can understand that most of them are psychological paintings (especially the exhibition in Victoria Miro Gallery).
I saw an unstable world full of mysterious shapes and childish nightmares. Perspective doesn’t exist and I can easily perceive the distortion of our world. It was a visual experience (especially our political moment). Society, politics as a way to confront life with Art as a manifesto and as a post-modern deity.
Moving Through Mountains, 2017 was my favorite painting in the exhibition especially for the atmosphere that the artist captured. It’s a painting that reminded me how small we are compared to our world and also how scary it can be. For me, it was like a ritual, a path full of difficulties.
Bibliography
De Balincourt, J. (2017) Cave Country. Available at: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/jules-de-balincourt-cave-country
(Accessed: 21 March 2018)
Jules de Balincourt was born in 1972 in Paris. He currently lives in Brooklyn and he still describes his practice as an approach related to intuition. We can understand that most of them are psychological paintings (especially the exhibition in Victoria Miro Gallery).
I saw an unstable world full of mysterious shapes and childish nightmares. Perspective doesn’t exist and I can easily perceive the distortion of our world. It was a visual experience (especially our political moment). Society, politics as a way to confront life with Art as a manifesto and as a post-modern deity.
Moving Through Mountains, 2017 was my favorite painting in the exhibition especially for the atmosphere that the artist captured. It’s a painting that reminded me how small we are compared to our world and also how scary it can be. For me, it was like a ritual, a path full of difficulties.
Bibliography
De Balincourt, J. (2017) Cave Country. Available at: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/jules-de-balincourt-cave-country
(Accessed: 21 March 2018)
Glenn Brown | Come to Dust. Gagosian Gallery.
Glenn Brown was born in 1966 in England. He currently lives in London. It was the first time that I saw Brown’s work first hand and I was fascinated by the mixture of the past and the present. He is interested in drawings and paintings by the Old Masters. Thanks to this exploration he created a contemporary language based on the expression of his lines and the mixture of graduation of colors and shadings.
The title of the exhibition comes from a song (Shakespeare’s play) and I can easily feel all magic and mysterious works related to literature and music. He was inspired by artists such as Rembrandt, Delacroix, Abraham Bloemaert, Elizabeth Le Brun, Gaetano Gandolfini, Francesco Mancini, Greuze, and Bernardo Cavallino.
What was really interesting to me was the frames that he chose to emphasize this conception of the past. It was like a perfect harmony between Traditional Art and Contemporary Art. His sculptures were extremely fascinating I was delighted by the use of oil in such a powerful way (color, expression, and distortion of beauty in a response to create a personal world that captivates viewers).
My favorite painting was Life on the Moon, 2016 since the palette was so sophisticated and I was lost by the model’s eyes.
Bibliography
Brown, G. (?) They Slipped the Surly Bounds of Earth and Touched the Face of God. Available at: https://www.timeout.com/london/art/glenn-brown-come-to-dust-review
(Accessed: 21 March 2018)
Glenn Brown was born in 1966 in England. He currently lives in London. It was the first time that I saw Brown’s work first hand and I was fascinated by the mixture of the past and the present. He is interested in drawings and paintings by the Old Masters. Thanks to this exploration he created a contemporary language based on the expression of his lines and the mixture of graduation of colors and shadings.
The title of the exhibition comes from a song (Shakespeare’s play) and I can easily feel all magic and mysterious works related to literature and music. He was inspired by artists such as Rembrandt, Delacroix, Abraham Bloemaert, Elizabeth Le Brun, Gaetano Gandolfini, Francesco Mancini, Greuze, and Bernardo Cavallino.
What was really interesting to me was the frames that he chose to emphasize this conception of the past. It was like a perfect harmony between Traditional Art and Contemporary Art. His sculptures were extremely fascinating I was delighted by the use of oil in such a powerful way (color, expression, and distortion of beauty in a response to create a personal world that captivates viewers).
My favorite painting was Life on the Moon, 2016 since the palette was so sophisticated and I was lost by the model’s eyes.
Bibliography
Brown, G. (?) They Slipped the Surly Bounds of Earth and Touched the Face of God. Available at: https://www.timeout.com/london/art/glenn-brown-come-to-dust-review
(Accessed: 21 March 2018)
Bacon, Freud and a Century of Painting life | All Too Human. TATE BRITAIN.
This exhibition is my favorite so far since explores a century of art making and displays the work of many of my favorite British artists. The main subject of the exhibition was the human being and all ideas that are surrounded by the conception of this as an art subject. Life for me was also another way to see or to interpret the conceptual theme of this major exhibition. Therefore, painting is a way to understand what 'makes us human'.
The show is divided into eleven spaces. In the first one, The Raw Facts of Life, we can find the works of David Bomberg, Richard Sickert, Chaim Soutine and Stanley Spencer. It was important for the show since many of the works of these artists inspired the rest of the painters. 'They established important precedents in their approach to painting due to their subject matter and handling of paint'. (Crippa, 2018)
The second space was called Francis Bacon and Alberto Giacometti: Figures in Isolation. Personally, it was one of the best in the whole exhibition. Not only because it features the works of two of my favorite artists in the same room but their works express loneliness, loss, and the calamities of war. If we trace this period (after the Second World War) we can see that it is the beginning of Giacometti’s slender figures. (Crippa, 2018)
The third space was called F.N Souza: Icons of a Modern World. I must admit that I didn’t know much about this artist before the exhibition. Nevertheless, I didn’t enjoy this room that much, it was too chaotic for my taste. It's important to mention that his paintings transmit anxiety, anguish, and also a deeply personal crisis.
The fourth and fifth space were called, William Coldstream and The Slade School of Fine Art: an Analytical Gaze and David Bomberg and the Borough Polytechnic: Structure and Mass. We can see Coldstream’s exploration through measurement and we can easily tell how he was trying to depict reality it was almost an obsession for him. Is interesting the way he depicted his models it was almost like seeing that he was trying to capture the inner feelings of those persons. On the other hand, Bomberg’s was obsessed with the structure but also with academic and traditional methods of Art.
Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff: The Cityscape of London is the sixth space. They studied at The Royal College of Arts. Nevertheless, their approach to Art is completely different. If we analyze their similarities we can see their understanding of the natural light, everyday life and the city as a subject.
Lucian Freud: In the Studio, the seventh space, left me speechless. It is definitely my favorite, I do not have a particular painting that has attracted me more than the rest. At first, I was very curious about the famous portrait of Leigh Bowery, but after seeing the whole show I realized that there are works superior to the long-awaited portrait I wanted to see. I feel that this space demands a curious eye. Practically the oil can sneak through the nose. Feeling surrounded by the quality of those works was definitely a moment I will never forget
Francis Bacon and John Deakin: In Camera and Michael Andrews and R.B Kitaj: Painting relationships also demand time and patience especially for the content of the works. It's important because thanks to this show I could see the other side of artists that I thought I knew very well.
Paula Rego: Life is the Wildest Story was the penultimate room. She used to work with live models and made a lot of sketches before started painting. Pastel became her favorite medium. She explored personal events, drama, and fear. (Crippa, 2018)
Compared to the rest of the rooms, the last one left a lot to be desired. It was called Identity, Self, and Representation. It was the space reserved for young artists who supposedly have a dialogue with their predecessors. However, it can be seen that the level of distance is infinite and they still lack much to explore. It did not even seem to me that it was necessary to place them in the exhibition. Cecelia Paul, Cecily Brown, Jenny Saville and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye were the chosen artists to generate the dialogue with their predecessors.
Bibliography
Crippa, E. (2018) All Too Human. Bacon, Freud and a Century of Painting life Companion Guide. London
Freud, L. (1991) Leigh Bowery. Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/all-too-human/members-private-view-all-too-human-bacon-freud-and (Accessed: 21 March 2018)
This exhibition is my favorite so far since explores a century of art making and displays the work of many of my favorite British artists. The main subject of the exhibition was the human being and all ideas that are surrounded by the conception of this as an art subject. Life for me was also another way to see or to interpret the conceptual theme of this major exhibition. Therefore, painting is a way to understand what 'makes us human'.
The show is divided into eleven spaces. In the first one, The Raw Facts of Life, we can find the works of David Bomberg, Richard Sickert, Chaim Soutine and Stanley Spencer. It was important for the show since many of the works of these artists inspired the rest of the painters. 'They established important precedents in their approach to painting due to their subject matter and handling of paint'. (Crippa, 2018)
The second space was called Francis Bacon and Alberto Giacometti: Figures in Isolation. Personally, it was one of the best in the whole exhibition. Not only because it features the works of two of my favorite artists in the same room but their works express loneliness, loss, and the calamities of war. If we trace this period (after the Second World War) we can see that it is the beginning of Giacometti’s slender figures. (Crippa, 2018)
The third space was called F.N Souza: Icons of a Modern World. I must admit that I didn’t know much about this artist before the exhibition. Nevertheless, I didn’t enjoy this room that much, it was too chaotic for my taste. It's important to mention that his paintings transmit anxiety, anguish, and also a deeply personal crisis.
The fourth and fifth space were called, William Coldstream and The Slade School of Fine Art: an Analytical Gaze and David Bomberg and the Borough Polytechnic: Structure and Mass. We can see Coldstream’s exploration through measurement and we can easily tell how he was trying to depict reality it was almost an obsession for him. Is interesting the way he depicted his models it was almost like seeing that he was trying to capture the inner feelings of those persons. On the other hand, Bomberg’s was obsessed with the structure but also with academic and traditional methods of Art.
Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff: The Cityscape of London is the sixth space. They studied at The Royal College of Arts. Nevertheless, their approach to Art is completely different. If we analyze their similarities we can see their understanding of the natural light, everyday life and the city as a subject.
Lucian Freud: In the Studio, the seventh space, left me speechless. It is definitely my favorite, I do not have a particular painting that has attracted me more than the rest. At first, I was very curious about the famous portrait of Leigh Bowery, but after seeing the whole show I realized that there are works superior to the long-awaited portrait I wanted to see. I feel that this space demands a curious eye. Practically the oil can sneak through the nose. Feeling surrounded by the quality of those works was definitely a moment I will never forget
Francis Bacon and John Deakin: In Camera and Michael Andrews and R.B Kitaj: Painting relationships also demand time and patience especially for the content of the works. It's important because thanks to this show I could see the other side of artists that I thought I knew very well.
Paula Rego: Life is the Wildest Story was the penultimate room. She used to work with live models and made a lot of sketches before started painting. Pastel became her favorite medium. She explored personal events, drama, and fear. (Crippa, 2018)
Compared to the rest of the rooms, the last one left a lot to be desired. It was called Identity, Self, and Representation. It was the space reserved for young artists who supposedly have a dialogue with their predecessors. However, it can be seen that the level of distance is infinite and they still lack much to explore. It did not even seem to me that it was necessary to place them in the exhibition. Cecelia Paul, Cecily Brown, Jenny Saville and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye were the chosen artists to generate the dialogue with their predecessors.
Bibliography
Crippa, E. (2018) All Too Human. Bacon, Freud and a Century of Painting life Companion Guide. London
Freud, L. (1991) Leigh Bowery. Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/all-too-human/members-private-view-all-too-human-bacon-freud-and (Accessed: 21 March 2018)
The EY Exhibition: Picasso 1932 - Love, Fame, Tragedy. TATE MODERN.
Probably this exhibition is one of the best and most important that exists in the life of this emblematic artist. Especially because it focuses on a period of artistic freedom and personal exploration. This year, 1932, marks a before and after in Picasso’s life.
It is known that it was a period of great anguish where beauty and monstrosity are united. “A reflection of both the troubling time in which he lived and his attraction to the unknowable and dangerous human spirit within.” (Borchardt- Hume,2018)
'The EY Exhibition: Picasso 1932 – Love, Fame, Tragedy at Tate Modern (p36) will show how it was those closest to him – his wife Olga and his mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter in particular – who would fire his imagination compelling him to create artworks of astonishing originality.' (Grant, 2018)
With around more than 100 paintings it is very difficult to taste the show in a single day. I think that this demands a meticulous study of the quality of artworks that we can find. The Dream is probably my favorite painting in the whole exhibition. Simple composition, powerful brushstrokes, and vibrant colors are together in this almost erotic work.
'One of Picasso’s best-known paintings from this period, The Dream shows a woman in a state of complete abandon, or perhaps post-coital slumber. While the subject is generally perceived to be, Marie-Thérèse, Picasso was less concerned with painting portraits of specific people, and more engaged in expressing his (sometimes conflicted) state of mind.' (Borchardt- Hume,2018)
Bibliography
Grant, S. (2018) ‘Editorial’, Tate ETC., (March 2018), p.10.
Borchardt- Hume, A (2018) ‘Picasso 1932: The Years of Wonders’, Tate ETC., (March 2018), p.38.
Borchardt- Hume, A (2018) ‘Picasso 1932: The Years of Wonders’, Tate ETC., (March 2018), p.39.
Borchardt- Hume, A (2018) ‘Picasso 1932: The Years of Wonders’, Tate ETC., (March 2018), p.41.
Piccaso, P. (1932) Nude in a Black Armchair (Nu au fauteuil noir). Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/ey-exhibition-picasso-1932-love-fame-tragedy/picasso-1932-curators-tour
(Accessed: 21 March 2018)
Probably this exhibition is one of the best and most important that exists in the life of this emblematic artist. Especially because it focuses on a period of artistic freedom and personal exploration. This year, 1932, marks a before and after in Picasso’s life.
It is known that it was a period of great anguish where beauty and monstrosity are united. “A reflection of both the troubling time in which he lived and his attraction to the unknowable and dangerous human spirit within.” (Borchardt- Hume,2018)
'The EY Exhibition: Picasso 1932 – Love, Fame, Tragedy at Tate Modern (p36) will show how it was those closest to him – his wife Olga and his mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter in particular – who would fire his imagination compelling him to create artworks of astonishing originality.' (Grant, 2018)
With around more than 100 paintings it is very difficult to taste the show in a single day. I think that this demands a meticulous study of the quality of artworks that we can find. The Dream is probably my favorite painting in the whole exhibition. Simple composition, powerful brushstrokes, and vibrant colors are together in this almost erotic work.
'One of Picasso’s best-known paintings from this period, The Dream shows a woman in a state of complete abandon, or perhaps post-coital slumber. While the subject is generally perceived to be, Marie-Thérèse, Picasso was less concerned with painting portraits of specific people, and more engaged in expressing his (sometimes conflicted) state of mind.' (Borchardt- Hume,2018)
Bibliography
Grant, S. (2018) ‘Editorial’, Tate ETC., (March 2018), p.10.
Borchardt- Hume, A (2018) ‘Picasso 1932: The Years of Wonders’, Tate ETC., (March 2018), p.38.
Borchardt- Hume, A (2018) ‘Picasso 1932: The Years of Wonders’, Tate ETC., (March 2018), p.39.
Borchardt- Hume, A (2018) ‘Picasso 1932: The Years of Wonders’, Tate ETC., (March 2018), p.41.
Piccaso, P. (1932) Nude in a Black Armchair (Nu au fauteuil noir). Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/ey-exhibition-picasso-1932-love-fame-tragedy/picasso-1932-curators-tour
(Accessed: 21 March 2018)
Against static exhibition was our first success as a group. Especially in matters of organization, since each one had a specific task, furthermore, if we could not overcome certain tasks, we could always count on the rest of the group. We were divided into seven categories: Curatorial Team,
Amber, Silvia, Lucy, Jo expressed their interest in supporting the curation. They were in charge of decisions related to installations. Publicity offered by Clare Mitten, the person in charge of Wimbledon Space. She created an e-flyer and it went out to all CCW staff and to the gallery mailing list. Design of the Map of the exhibition, Ellis Scheer and I were in charge of the design. Mailing List, this was related to the importance of maintaining fans even if they were not able to come. Social media, Jo took care of this social tool for Against Static. Brochure Design, Charmaine Watkiss was in charge of the design and Denise Poote contacted the company. Maintenance of the gallery and labeling, Sepideh Khalili and I were in charge of this task.
It was a unique experience, we were really proud of our achievements as a group and of our artworks. I personally found every work intriguing and really especial.
I decided to exhibit Good Ol' Benjamin and The best person in Wimbledon for this exhibition. (Please see Portfolio- Artworks to see the description and the respective images of these works.)
Portraiture is a way of recalling my models, of making them present in a world that does not allow them to generate different connections. Making new relationships with people of different ages, thoughts, and cultures is part of my way of seeing drawing as a social process. My portraits tell a story, which can be perceived on the skin. They are real, raw, and at the same time, not static at all.
I feel indebted to my sitters for allowing me to draw them and I want to honor them. Consequently, I seek an experience of renewal.
Amber, Silvia, Lucy, Jo expressed their interest in supporting the curation. They were in charge of decisions related to installations. Publicity offered by Clare Mitten, the person in charge of Wimbledon Space. She created an e-flyer and it went out to all CCW staff and to the gallery mailing list. Design of the Map of the exhibition, Ellis Scheer and I were in charge of the design. Mailing List, this was related to the importance of maintaining fans even if they were not able to come. Social media, Jo took care of this social tool for Against Static. Brochure Design, Charmaine Watkiss was in charge of the design and Denise Poote contacted the company. Maintenance of the gallery and labeling, Sepideh Khalili and I were in charge of this task.
It was a unique experience, we were really proud of our achievements as a group and of our artworks. I personally found every work intriguing and really especial.
I decided to exhibit Good Ol' Benjamin and The best person in Wimbledon for this exhibition. (Please see Portfolio- Artworks to see the description and the respective images of these works.)
Portraiture is a way of recalling my models, of making them present in a world that does not allow them to generate different connections. Making new relationships with people of different ages, thoughts, and cultures is part of my way of seeing drawing as a social process. My portraits tell a story, which can be perceived on the skin. They are real, raw, and at the same time, not static at all.
I feel indebted to my sitters for allowing me to draw them and I want to honor them. Consequently, I seek an experience of renewal.
DRAWING NOW Art Fair | Paris
This Art Fair gave me the opportunity, as an art student, to familiarize myself with the most contemporary aspects of Drawing. We were very lucky to travel as a group and being able to share our vision of Drawing with our classmates. It was the 12 edition of DRAWING NOW Paris and there were two new sections. The first one was focused on the work of less known contemporary artists (INSIGHT) and the second one introduced galleries with specific projects (PROCESS). [Knowing this was a fantastic way to navigate through all the spaces].
Now, I would like to mention the work of the artists who I think will be relevant to my own work. First, I want to start with the work of Nathalie Vallois (Galerie Georges-Philippe et, Paris, France). Her work for me probably was one of the most intriguing in the entire art fair since she worked with mysterious characters, (some of them looked like creatures from nightmares and some of them were deformed) expressive line, and also the use of charcoal was magnificent. Many of the Drawings were really small. Apparently, the selection of her work for this exhibition was in small format but thanks to this strategy I could submerge in this world of fantasy and erotism. In the same line, Franz Burkhardt showed one of my portraits in the entire exhibition. It was about a woman performing oral sex. It was raw, real, and extremely explicit. However, it was also a moment of extreme privacy depicted with a lot of naturalness.
Second, the work of Olga Chernysheva (Focus Artist) was really valuable for me since she created these characters with a lot of detail without losing her expressive line. She created different atmospheres were I could see the light casting beautiful shadows around the whiteness of the paper and some of the drawings were accompanied by small text creating a scenery of mystery. Third, Natacha Lesueur worked with illusionism thanks to perspective created by tone and also the effect of as if we were looking through a magnifying glass. She charmed me with her childish figures and with her technique.
Finally, I would like to mention my favorite artist of the entire show. His name is Mathieu Dufois. The complexity of the composition, detail, realism, and the purity of his characters were what I was looking for. When I finally found the kind of artwork that I was expecting I felt a moment of relief and peace. I remember that I stay there for quite a lot since it was by far one of the most emblematic artists for me in the whole exhibition.
This Art Fair gave me the opportunity, as an art student, to familiarize myself with the most contemporary aspects of Drawing. We were very lucky to travel as a group and being able to share our vision of Drawing with our classmates. It was the 12 edition of DRAWING NOW Paris and there were two new sections. The first one was focused on the work of less known contemporary artists (INSIGHT) and the second one introduced galleries with specific projects (PROCESS). [Knowing this was a fantastic way to navigate through all the spaces].
Now, I would like to mention the work of the artists who I think will be relevant to my own work. First, I want to start with the work of Nathalie Vallois (Galerie Georges-Philippe et, Paris, France). Her work for me probably was one of the most intriguing in the entire art fair since she worked with mysterious characters, (some of them looked like creatures from nightmares and some of them were deformed) expressive line, and also the use of charcoal was magnificent. Many of the Drawings were really small. Apparently, the selection of her work for this exhibition was in small format but thanks to this strategy I could submerge in this world of fantasy and erotism. In the same line, Franz Burkhardt showed one of my portraits in the entire exhibition. It was about a woman performing oral sex. It was raw, real, and extremely explicit. However, it was also a moment of extreme privacy depicted with a lot of naturalness.
Second, the work of Olga Chernysheva (Focus Artist) was really valuable for me since she created these characters with a lot of detail without losing her expressive line. She created different atmospheres were I could see the light casting beautiful shadows around the whiteness of the paper and some of the drawings were accompanied by small text creating a scenery of mystery. Third, Natacha Lesueur worked with illusionism thanks to perspective created by tone and also the effect of as if we were looking through a magnifying glass. She charmed me with her childish figures and with her technique.
Finally, I would like to mention my favorite artist of the entire show. His name is Mathieu Dufois. The complexity of the composition, detail, realism, and the purity of his characters were what I was looking for. When I finally found the kind of artwork that I was expecting I felt a moment of relief and peace. I remember that I stay there for quite a lot since it was by far one of the most emblematic artists for me in the whole exhibition.
Louvre
I was really excited about my first visit to this magnificent museum. I was astonished by the architecture, itself, Louvre is an impressive work of art.
We can find in the collection: Oriental antiquities; Egyptian Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities; Arts of Islam; Paintings; Sculptures; Objects d’art; Graphic Arts; Arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. It would be impossible for me to describe my favorites works since the collection is massive. However, I would like to talk about its history and how it became the museum we know in our days.
According to the Louvre’s official guide, its history began in the late 12th century. Phillipe Auguste (1186-1223) designed a circular fortress. The main objective of this Medieval Fortress was to protect Paris against English attacks. Raymond du Temple was in charge of the restoration and the extension that turned the fortress in an abode. He was the one who created a spiral stairway. However, it was in 1536 when the architect Pierre Lescot, erected a new residence. Jean Goujon was also in charge of the sculptures in the Caryatids Room and the decoration of the facades. These modifications inspire subsequent enlargements. Lescot was also in charge of a wing right angles. He worked on a small gallery in the Italian Style while Catherine de Médicis had a palace built beyond city limits (The Tuileries). (Sefrioui, 2015)
Henry IV decided to link The Louvre to the Tuileries. He never saw his “Grand Design” dream fulfill for his assassination in 1610. Nevertheless, his successor Louis XIII took charge. Nicolas Poussin was in charge of the decoration of the Grande Galerie and Jacques Le Mercier took care of the Cour Carree. Under Louis XIV were additional enlargements by Louis Le Vau and Le Notre designed the formal gardens. Louis XIV moved to Versailles and the project was left unfinished. (Sefrioui, 2015)
It was until 50 years later Grand Design was again the main duty of the governance. Napoleon III (1808-73) decided to start again with the full-scale building programme. Louis Visconti and Hector Lefuel were in charge of the Louvre. The new Louvre was inaugurated in 1857. The Grand Louvre was the project launched by president Francois Mitterand in 1981. The most important feature was the glass pyramid designed by Ieoh Ming. The next goals were to make the entrance for the general public and also the growth of the collection was important. (Sefrioui, 2015)
Bibliography
Sefrioui, A (2015) A guide to the Louvre: From Palace to Museum. Paris: Museé du Louvre Editions.
Sanchez Sabogal, JC. (2018) Louvre [Photography].
The EY Exhibition. The Impressionists in London. TATE BRITAIN
French Artists in Exile 1870-1904
This astonishing exhibition, curated by Caroline Corbeau-Parsons and assisted by Elizabeth Jacklin, started with disturbing feelings related to the escape from the Prussian invasion. Britain welcomed many artists from France who mostly sought refuge in London in order to leave behind these unfortunate events. The British culture became part of the lives of the refugee artists. Later, the theme of landscape became fundamental for artists such as Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, and James Tissot.
James Tissot was a member of the National Guard, so he had to stay longer in France and was horrified by the events that he saw during the invasion. He suffered a mental imbalance and thanks to this misfortune he was finally able to escape and join the rest of the artists who had found a new home in London.
The exhibition is divided into 8 moments according to its historical period. I will limit myself to talk about the rooms that caused the most impression on me. The first is called The Future Impressionists' London Circle. In this stage, curators place the artist Daubigny as the first great explorer who had already visited in other times this city (full of new opportunities due to its large market).
The impoverished Monet, Sisley, and Pissarro found new roads in London with the help of Daubigny.
One of the exhibition halls that most impressed me was the second one called Tissot and High Society. It is about Tissot's relationship with Gibson Bowles and how he became a caricaturist. After this stage, he was introduced to the high society and his lifestyle took the course of the success he had in previously in France. I chose to analyze this artist because he is one that triumphs twice in his life in very different countries. The quality of the paintings, in general, and the treatment of the light on the characters characterize this space. However, it was in the painting called Portsmouth Dockyard that we found the incomparable light study on different objects that characterizes Tissot’s brush.
The room number 7 called Monet's Thames Series: Exploring Sensations from the Past invites us to enjoy the impressions of Charing Cross, Waterloo Bridge, and The Houses of Parliament. Definitely, it was my favorite room for capturing the atmospheric effects on the water and highlighting the London fog on elements that we can associate with the city giving it a very powerful character. The daring compositions and the ease of placing the colors create a very expressive effect on the painting that gives the composition a lot of movement. The palette used by the artist in the painting is very diverse and we can find different tonalities that optically satisfy our eye in unusual ways.
Bibliography
Monet, C. (1871) Thames below Westminster. Available at: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/claude-monet-the-thames-below-westminster
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
French Artists in Exile 1870-1904
This astonishing exhibition, curated by Caroline Corbeau-Parsons and assisted by Elizabeth Jacklin, started with disturbing feelings related to the escape from the Prussian invasion. Britain welcomed many artists from France who mostly sought refuge in London in order to leave behind these unfortunate events. The British culture became part of the lives of the refugee artists. Later, the theme of landscape became fundamental for artists such as Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, and James Tissot.
James Tissot was a member of the National Guard, so he had to stay longer in France and was horrified by the events that he saw during the invasion. He suffered a mental imbalance and thanks to this misfortune he was finally able to escape and join the rest of the artists who had found a new home in London.
The exhibition is divided into 8 moments according to its historical period. I will limit myself to talk about the rooms that caused the most impression on me. The first is called The Future Impressionists' London Circle. In this stage, curators place the artist Daubigny as the first great explorer who had already visited in other times this city (full of new opportunities due to its large market).
The impoverished Monet, Sisley, and Pissarro found new roads in London with the help of Daubigny.
One of the exhibition halls that most impressed me was the second one called Tissot and High Society. It is about Tissot's relationship with Gibson Bowles and how he became a caricaturist. After this stage, he was introduced to the high society and his lifestyle took the course of the success he had in previously in France. I chose to analyze this artist because he is one that triumphs twice in his life in very different countries. The quality of the paintings, in general, and the treatment of the light on the characters characterize this space. However, it was in the painting called Portsmouth Dockyard that we found the incomparable light study on different objects that characterizes Tissot’s brush.
The room number 7 called Monet's Thames Series: Exploring Sensations from the Past invites us to enjoy the impressions of Charing Cross, Waterloo Bridge, and The Houses of Parliament. Definitely, it was my favorite room for capturing the atmospheric effects on the water and highlighting the London fog on elements that we can associate with the city giving it a very powerful character. The daring compositions and the ease of placing the colors create a very expressive effect on the painting that gives the composition a lot of movement. The palette used by the artist in the painting is very diverse and we can find different tonalities that optically satisfy our eye in unusual ways.
Bibliography
Monet, C. (1871) Thames below Westminster. Available at: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/claude-monet-the-thames-below-westminster
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
Rachel Whiteread. TATE BRITAIN
Personally, I have never been very close to Whiteread's work. Therefore, I believe that the exhibition together with her work, in general, is pretentious. I will focus on the most captive work called Untitled (Pink Torso). Produced since 1998, the artist conceived them as if they had human characteristics. She described them as her 'headless, limbless babies'.
This work is my favorite because of the relationship that the artist had with her objects. She presents them as special and they are different from most of her sculptures as they have a poetic and less architectural side. We can appreciate how she tries to animate these objects in an 'alchemical' way and not only are supported by themes such as memory, dreams, and mystery. I believe that they stand on their own as artworks and sculptural objects.
Bibliography
Whiteread, R. (1995) Untitled (Pink Torso). Available at:
http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/rachel-whiteread
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
Personally, I have never been very close to Whiteread's work. Therefore, I believe that the exhibition together with her work, in general, is pretentious. I will focus on the most captive work called Untitled (Pink Torso). Produced since 1998, the artist conceived them as if they had human characteristics. She described them as her 'headless, limbless babies'.
This work is my favorite because of the relationship that the artist had with her objects. She presents them as special and they are different from most of her sculptures as they have a poetic and less architectural side. We can appreciate how she tries to animate these objects in an 'alchemical' way and not only are supported by themes such as memory, dreams, and mystery. I believe that they stand on their own as artworks and sculptural objects.
Bibliography
Whiteread, R. (1995) Untitled (Pink Torso). Available at:
http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/rachel-whiteread
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
Basquiat Boom for Real. Barbican Gallery.
Young talent, genius or just a lucky man? It does not matter, for me the show was perfect. It was curated by Dieter Buchhart and Eleanor Nairne and was organized in 14 spaces where each one really tells us about the life of the artist with a lot of vitality.
The collection of letters, posters, invitations, and belongings of Basquiat leads us to humanize this young talent and see his work from the non-commercial side (however difficult it may be). I feel that after seeing this show Basquiat became one more hero on our list. Previously, I was familiar, only, with his life as a painter and his relationship with Warhol, but I saw his evolution as a performer, musician, poet, and all of that captivated us completely.
The capacity he had to convert what he believed was art into Art was extraordinary. Especially for the enthusiasm with which he did his work, and the energy, and sincerity with which he represented them.
We can find among his early influences Cy Twombly, Primitivism, and the rejection of narrative in art. The latter we consider that makes it truly contemporary. 'Art today is produced in an art world unstructured by any master narrative at all, though of course there remains in artistic consciousness the knowledge of the narratives that no longer apply. Artists today are at the end of a history in which those narrative structures have played a role, and thus they have to be distinguished from artists I have somewhat sentimentally imagined who first emerge as specialist in the early division of labor which enables gifted individuals to take on the aesthetic responsibilities of society: to dance at marriages, sing at funerals, and decorate the spaces in which the members of the tribe commune with spirits.' (Danto, 1996)
Bibliography
Danto, A. C. (1996) After the End of Art: Contemporary Art and the Pale of History. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Basquiat, J-M. (1984) Self-Portrait. Available at:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/jean-michel-basquiat-artwork-180964403/
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
Young talent, genius or just a lucky man? It does not matter, for me the show was perfect. It was curated by Dieter Buchhart and Eleanor Nairne and was organized in 14 spaces where each one really tells us about the life of the artist with a lot of vitality.
The collection of letters, posters, invitations, and belongings of Basquiat leads us to humanize this young talent and see his work from the non-commercial side (however difficult it may be). I feel that after seeing this show Basquiat became one more hero on our list. Previously, I was familiar, only, with his life as a painter and his relationship with Warhol, but I saw his evolution as a performer, musician, poet, and all of that captivated us completely.
The capacity he had to convert what he believed was art into Art was extraordinary. Especially for the enthusiasm with which he did his work, and the energy, and sincerity with which he represented them.
We can find among his early influences Cy Twombly, Primitivism, and the rejection of narrative in art. The latter we consider that makes it truly contemporary. 'Art today is produced in an art world unstructured by any master narrative at all, though of course there remains in artistic consciousness the knowledge of the narratives that no longer apply. Artists today are at the end of a history in which those narrative structures have played a role, and thus they have to be distinguished from artists I have somewhat sentimentally imagined who first emerge as specialist in the early division of labor which enables gifted individuals to take on the aesthetic responsibilities of society: to dance at marriages, sing at funerals, and decorate the spaces in which the members of the tribe commune with spirits.' (Danto, 1996)
Bibliography
Danto, A. C. (1996) After the End of Art: Contemporary Art and the Pale of History. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Basquiat, J-M. (1984) Self-Portrait. Available at:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/jean-michel-basquiat-artwork-180964403/
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
Dalí/ Duchamp. Royal Academy of Arts.
There is a significant connector in the life of these two artists and it is Surrealism. Throughout their careers and lives we will see long similarities, but what really unites them is their true friendship. 'Apart from having notaries for fathers, the two artist’s family situations were different. Dali was a much-cosseted only son, an older brother having nine months and eleven days before his birth, with one younger sister, while Duchamp was one of six with two older brothers and three younger sisters.' (Ades, 2017, pg58)
Both artists had very different personalities. Dalí enjoyed and conquered the cameras in a defiant and provocative manner, becoming the idol of many not only for his talent but for his intellect, while Duchamp had a more reserved and mysterious personality. All this is reflected in the work of both artists and their language, although it has gone through different evolutions and experimentations we can easily say that Dalí is equal to Surrealism as Duchamp to Readymade.
The comparison of their parents as an authority figure in their lives was very touching. Having placed both paintings together brought us nostalgic feelings. We marvel at Duchamp's palette and also we love Dalí’s psychological portrait. We can understand from the beginning of their careers that they are very different artists, but they have very similar ideas.
The exhibition that mostly counted with paintings by The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida filled us with memories. Approximately six years ago, I saw the museum collection for the first time and it fascinated me. The Royal College of Arts not only achieve a wonderful exhibition but, for me, it was a reunion with paintings that we thought we would not see again for a long time or possibly never again. However, being able to see them in this exhibition, that built a dialogue between two very different artists, was very pleasant.
Bibliography
Ades, A. (2017) Dalí/ Duchamp. London: Royal Academy of the Arts.
Dalí, S. (1931) Surrealist Object Functioning Symbolically – Gala’s Shoe. Available at:
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/dali-duchamp
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
Duchamp, M. (reconstructed in 1965–66 and 1985) The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even. Available at:
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/dali-duchamp
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
There is a significant connector in the life of these two artists and it is Surrealism. Throughout their careers and lives we will see long similarities, but what really unites them is their true friendship. 'Apart from having notaries for fathers, the two artist’s family situations were different. Dali was a much-cosseted only son, an older brother having nine months and eleven days before his birth, with one younger sister, while Duchamp was one of six with two older brothers and three younger sisters.' (Ades, 2017, pg58)
Both artists had very different personalities. Dalí enjoyed and conquered the cameras in a defiant and provocative manner, becoming the idol of many not only for his talent but for his intellect, while Duchamp had a more reserved and mysterious personality. All this is reflected in the work of both artists and their language, although it has gone through different evolutions and experimentations we can easily say that Dalí is equal to Surrealism as Duchamp to Readymade.
The comparison of their parents as an authority figure in their lives was very touching. Having placed both paintings together brought us nostalgic feelings. We marvel at Duchamp's palette and also we love Dalí’s psychological portrait. We can understand from the beginning of their careers that they are very different artists, but they have very similar ideas.
The exhibition that mostly counted with paintings by The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida filled us with memories. Approximately six years ago, I saw the museum collection for the first time and it fascinated me. The Royal College of Arts not only achieve a wonderful exhibition but, for me, it was a reunion with paintings that we thought we would not see again for a long time or possibly never again. However, being able to see them in this exhibition, that built a dialogue between two very different artists, was very pleasant.
Bibliography
Ades, A. (2017) Dalí/ Duchamp. London: Royal Academy of the Arts.
Dalí, S. (1931) Surrealist Object Functioning Symbolically – Gala’s Shoe. Available at:
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/dali-duchamp
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
Duchamp, M. (reconstructed in 1965–66 and 1985) The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even. Available at:
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/dali-duchamp
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
The Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017
The Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017 exhibition was practically the starting point to introduce us to the different languages that Drawing can offer. In the exhibition we could appreciate different ways of approaching to Drawing. Our colleague Caroline Holt-Wilson presented one of her works on the show and was definitely one of my favorites. This was called Traces and it was a drawing made of graphite. "The question of what we do not know drives my interest. I see the enclosed space of the squash court as a chamber holding the invisible: traces left behind by the ball might be evidence of unremembered thoughts." (Holt-Wilson, 2017)
In 1994 was the inauguration of the Jerwood Drawing Prize and to date it remains one of the most appreciated artistic contests in England. 'The Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017 exhibition showcases contemporary drawing practice that is diverse in its subject matter and approach. The exhibition includes a range of work: dedicated drawing portraits, detailed graphic landscapes, geometric shapes, sketchbook records, text works, sculptures and videos and this publication sets out some of the themes from 69 selected works.' (Williams, 2017)
Bibliography
Williams, S. (2017) The Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017. London: Swallowtail Print
Holt-Wilson, C. (2017) The Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017. London: Swallowtail Print
Arca, A. (2017) Installation View – Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017, supported by Jerwood Charitable Foundation. Available at: http://www.jerwoodvisualarts.org/projects/jerwood-drawing-prize-2017/
(Accessed: 6 January 2018)
The Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017 exhibition was practically the starting point to introduce us to the different languages that Drawing can offer. In the exhibition we could appreciate different ways of approaching to Drawing. Our colleague Caroline Holt-Wilson presented one of her works on the show and was definitely one of my favorites. This was called Traces and it was a drawing made of graphite. "The question of what we do not know drives my interest. I see the enclosed space of the squash court as a chamber holding the invisible: traces left behind by the ball might be evidence of unremembered thoughts." (Holt-Wilson, 2017)
In 1994 was the inauguration of the Jerwood Drawing Prize and to date it remains one of the most appreciated artistic contests in England. 'The Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017 exhibition showcases contemporary drawing practice that is diverse in its subject matter and approach. The exhibition includes a range of work: dedicated drawing portraits, detailed graphic landscapes, geometric shapes, sketchbook records, text works, sculptures and videos and this publication sets out some of the themes from 69 selected works.' (Williams, 2017)
Bibliography
Williams, S. (2017) The Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017. London: Swallowtail Print
Holt-Wilson, C. (2017) The Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017. London: Swallowtail Print
Arca, A. (2017) Installation View – Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017, supported by Jerwood Charitable Foundation. Available at: http://www.jerwoodvisualarts.org/projects/jerwood-drawing-prize-2017/
(Accessed: 6 January 2018)
Reflections: Van Eyck and the Pre-Raphaelites. National Gallery
This exhibition places the Arnolfini Portrait by Jan Van Eyck as the starting point and catalyst for the inauguration of a new movement called in our time the Pre-Raphaelites. Its main representatives were Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Sir John Everett Millais, and William Holman Hunt. They were delighted by Van Eyck’s technique since he was able to paint every texture realistically. There was something completely different in his painting. “As we can see in this famous double portrait, he was able to imitate convincingly any surface texture – the silky hairs of the little dog, the polished brass of the chandelier, the convex silver glass of the mirror and the amber rosary beads hanging on the wall” (Langmuir, 2016)
The atmospheric effect that he makes with the use of the mirror in the back of the room gives another dimension to the painting. Therefore, this object will become permanently a hallmark of this future movement. Even these artists took it to other limits and they continued to "play" on the poetic and atmospheric effects that this element can create.
After my first visit, I was able to appreciate the limits that these artists had reached. The mirror became an emblem in their lives to the point that they decorated their houses with them and constantly influenced the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite painters. Technically, the representation of textures was far from perfection, if we compared them with Van Eyck's, but I consider that they did not seek to copy the old master literally. Rather, they found a key element that they wanted to convert as if it were theirs.
My favorite painting of the whole exhibition was Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?) since I discovered another Van Eyck. In this 33x26cm painting in oil on oak, we can find even details such as wrinkles, bloodshot in the eyes, different details in the red turban, and, at the same time, a very fine work on the lips. This description is very similar to the work of Van Eyck, but I find that it is a painting that focuses more on the volumetric finish and study of the human figure instead of creating an atmospheric effects. The human figure prevails and I conceive it with respect, authority, and vitality.
Bibliography
Langmuir, E. (2016) The National Gallery Companion Guide. London: Yale University Press
Van Eyck, J. (1434) The Portrait of Giovanni (?) Arnolfini and his Wife (The Arnolfini Portrait). Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/oct/17/hannah-gadsby-why-i-love-the-arnolfini-portrait-one-of-art-historys-greatest-riddles
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
This exhibition places the Arnolfini Portrait by Jan Van Eyck as the starting point and catalyst for the inauguration of a new movement called in our time the Pre-Raphaelites. Its main representatives were Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Sir John Everett Millais, and William Holman Hunt. They were delighted by Van Eyck’s technique since he was able to paint every texture realistically. There was something completely different in his painting. “As we can see in this famous double portrait, he was able to imitate convincingly any surface texture – the silky hairs of the little dog, the polished brass of the chandelier, the convex silver glass of the mirror and the amber rosary beads hanging on the wall” (Langmuir, 2016)
The atmospheric effect that he makes with the use of the mirror in the back of the room gives another dimension to the painting. Therefore, this object will become permanently a hallmark of this future movement. Even these artists took it to other limits and they continued to "play" on the poetic and atmospheric effects that this element can create.
After my first visit, I was able to appreciate the limits that these artists had reached. The mirror became an emblem in their lives to the point that they decorated their houses with them and constantly influenced the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite painters. Technically, the representation of textures was far from perfection, if we compared them with Van Eyck's, but I consider that they did not seek to copy the old master literally. Rather, they found a key element that they wanted to convert as if it were theirs.
My favorite painting of the whole exhibition was Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?) since I discovered another Van Eyck. In this 33x26cm painting in oil on oak, we can find even details such as wrinkles, bloodshot in the eyes, different details in the red turban, and, at the same time, a very fine work on the lips. This description is very similar to the work of Van Eyck, but I find that it is a painting that focuses more on the volumetric finish and study of the human figure instead of creating an atmospheric effects. The human figure prevails and I conceive it with respect, authority, and vitality.
Bibliography
Langmuir, E. (2016) The National Gallery Companion Guide. London: Yale University Press
Van Eyck, J. (1434) The Portrait of Giovanni (?) Arnolfini and his Wife (The Arnolfini Portrait). Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/oct/17/hannah-gadsby-why-i-love-the-arnolfini-portrait-one-of-art-historys-greatest-riddles
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
The Encounter. National Portrait Gallery.
Drawings from Leonardo to Rembrandt
The Encounter was the first exhibition that I attended to in London. The National Portrait Gallery gathered unique drawings by European artists such as Pisanello, Leonardo da Vinci, Annibale Carracci, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Albrecht Dürer, Francoise Clouet, Rembrandt Van Rijn, and Hans Holbein the Younger.
This major exhibition explored the development of portraiture and honored Drawing practice as a way to comprehend our surroundings and life itself. Therefore, these drawings from the Renaissance and Baroque were carefully selected due to their importance related to terms such as “disegno” (Italian term related to the practice of drawing and also as a tool each could help composition) and also because they illustrate the relevance of Drawing in artists lives. (Cooper & Bolland, 2017)
Portraiture was during this 200-year-old period was very common and, at the same time, probably these drawings were not considered as Portraits but experiments only since they were really casual. (Cooper & Bolland, 2017)
We can easily tell that the artists were trying to depict with black, white, red chalk, ink, and even oil, their models’ temperament, gestures, expressions, and their ‘souls’. Portraiture was a thing of every day. They were really common in artists lives and these studies were fundamental for later compositions or for the understanding of the figure and the psychological character of the models, thus everyone is unique, and they express different feelings.
I was delighted by even the simplest sketches since they captured, not only light, but movement, and life in a wonderful way that left us speechless. I realized that they were considered by the artists as only experiments and they were not even signed, so that fascinated me even more. Due to their sophisticated treatment, I understand them as real works. Furthermore, I could see the effort that they put in the skin (we can easily tell how old a person is for the line they used), fabrics, hair, and even paper.
A Sheet of Figure Studies, with Male Heads and Three Sketches of a Woman with a Child, c.1636 by Rembrandt Van Rijn was my favorite piece of the entire show by far. This work illustrates Rembrandt’s observational skills. The composition of the whole piece is extravagant since it was conceived as only a sheet of several studies.
Bibliography
Cooper, T. & Bolland, C. (2017) The Encounter: Drawings from Leonardo to Rembrandt. London: National Portrait Gallery Publications.
Van Rijn, R. (1636) A Sheet of Figure Studies, with Male Heads and Three Sketches of a Woman with a Child. Available at:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=A+Sheet+of+Figure+Studies,+with+Male+Heads+and+Three+Sketches+of+a+Woman+with+a+Child%7C&rlz=1C1AZAA_enPE743PE744&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjew_OohKDYAhWEBcAKHV6XCh4Q_AUICigB&biw=1243&bih=711#imgrc=_
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
Drawings from Leonardo to Rembrandt
The Encounter was the first exhibition that I attended to in London. The National Portrait Gallery gathered unique drawings by European artists such as Pisanello, Leonardo da Vinci, Annibale Carracci, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Albrecht Dürer, Francoise Clouet, Rembrandt Van Rijn, and Hans Holbein the Younger.
This major exhibition explored the development of portraiture and honored Drawing practice as a way to comprehend our surroundings and life itself. Therefore, these drawings from the Renaissance and Baroque were carefully selected due to their importance related to terms such as “disegno” (Italian term related to the practice of drawing and also as a tool each could help composition) and also because they illustrate the relevance of Drawing in artists lives. (Cooper & Bolland, 2017)
Portraiture was during this 200-year-old period was very common and, at the same time, probably these drawings were not considered as Portraits but experiments only since they were really casual. (Cooper & Bolland, 2017)
We can easily tell that the artists were trying to depict with black, white, red chalk, ink, and even oil, their models’ temperament, gestures, expressions, and their ‘souls’. Portraiture was a thing of every day. They were really common in artists lives and these studies were fundamental for later compositions or for the understanding of the figure and the psychological character of the models, thus everyone is unique, and they express different feelings.
I was delighted by even the simplest sketches since they captured, not only light, but movement, and life in a wonderful way that left us speechless. I realized that they were considered by the artists as only experiments and they were not even signed, so that fascinated me even more. Due to their sophisticated treatment, I understand them as real works. Furthermore, I could see the effort that they put in the skin (we can easily tell how old a person is for the line they used), fabrics, hair, and even paper.
A Sheet of Figure Studies, with Male Heads and Three Sketches of a Woman with a Child, c.1636 by Rembrandt Van Rijn was my favorite piece of the entire show by far. This work illustrates Rembrandt’s observational skills. The composition of the whole piece is extravagant since it was conceived as only a sheet of several studies.
Bibliography
Cooper, T. & Bolland, C. (2017) The Encounter: Drawings from Leonardo to Rembrandt. London: National Portrait Gallery Publications.
Van Rijn, R. (1636) A Sheet of Figure Studies, with Male Heads and Three Sketches of a Woman with a Child. Available at:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=A+Sheet+of+Figure+Studies,+with+Male+Heads+and+Three+Sketches+of+a+Woman+with+a+Child%7C&rlz=1C1AZAA_enPE743PE744&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjew_OohKDYAhWEBcAKHV6XCh4Q_AUICigB&biw=1243&bih=711#imgrc=_
(Accessed: 23 December 2017)
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