UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #79

“Crazed – Cutting and Piercing” (Drawing)

Carbon, Ink, charcoal, watercolour pencil, Silver leaf on paper board

75x75cm  (unframed)

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

 I had a friend whose daughter was self-harming.  This dysfunctional behaviour is much more wide spread than generally considered.  My drawing reflects on this dysfunctional behaviour.   Statistics show that it is mainly distressed young people (mostly women/girls) who self-harm.  My professional background is that of a qualified Art Psychotherapist so through my line of work I am familiar with this aberrant behaviour.  It is prevalent in Western countries and is considered to be a way of expressing emotional pain and externalizing it in a very damaging way.  The pain is said to release and relieve the tension that the person is experiencing. The person who self-harms will carry the scars of these actions for the rest of their life.  It is also very distressing for family members who are often bewildered and powerless to prevent this dysfunctional behaviour.  The young person may cover their wounds and scars with long sleeves and often will withdraw from socially healthy interactions.  The person who self-harms should seek professional help because there are many alternative healthy ways of gaining release from tensions and stress that are very effective.  A person who is self harming really needs to contact a mental health professional NOW.   Harming yourself is definitely NOT COOL!

 Artistic techniques used in this painting:

This painting is not framed.  It is never meant to framed.  The title is important too.

I selected a thick white paper (almost like a thin cardboard) and tore the edges to 75cm square.  I wanted a square to provide stability for such an unstable subject.  I started the work by masking out a border around the entire sheet so that the sheet had a contrast of a white border and then dark grey (which was pierced) and then a black band thus leaving a square interior for me to draw.  I knew in advance roughly what I wanted to draw.  This drawing is not spontaneous but it is experimental in that I used methods which I had not done before.

The dark grey border of the paper was pierced with a sharp instrument in order to achieve a patterned effect.  Some of the red acrylic paint which is on the reverse of the painting shows through the pierced holes in places. 

The centre of the drawing was planned in advance.  I have a beautiful piece of pottery, the glaze of which has a “crazed” look.  According to Wikipedia “Crazing is a  web pattern of cracks penetrating the glaze on pottery.”   I took photos of this pottery piece and enlarged the crazed patterns to a size that fitted the centre of my drawing.  I then printed it out so that I had six images of the crazed pattern.  I placed these six images on the centre of my drawing and cut (by tracing their lines with a razor) through the “crazed” lines into the surface of the paper board.  I then discarded the photocopies and outlined the cut pattern with black ink.  I used a watercolour pencil to achieve the red tinge on this patterning.

The silver leaf represents the sharps that are used by people when they cut themselves.  I stiffened silver leaf and tore it at random so that sharp shapes were formed.  These I adhered to the crazed image.

The back of the paper I painted with red acrylic and purposely stained the edges of the artwork so that the red edges are seen from the front of the drawing.  This represents the internal emotional pain which people who self-harm strive to release and the externalization of that pain.

Self-harming is a cry for help.  Seek a qualified art therapist or mental health professional if you are self-harming.  I do not practice any more but qualified art therapists can be sourced on the Australian and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association (ANZATA) http://www.anzata.org/  (Go to Professional Registry).  There are art therapy associations in other countries also.  They can be sourced on the internet. 

Self-harming is an illness not to be silently suffered.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #77

“Gifts” 

(Acrylic) 

Size: 90x120cm

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

The painting “Gifts” was born from grief.  It was started on the day that my partner Stuart died.  This was a sudden death and unexpected.  Below are photos that show the progress of the painting as it evolved over time.  The first (Figure 1) expressed my decision to temporarily leave Australia and travel to India.  I had been wanting to do this for about a year, and this tragic turn of events, cemented this idea.  The arabesques represent the exoticness of Indian culture.  The strong colour also speaks of that culture.  

 Figure 1

My art therapy training has taught me that to externalize my feelings will enable me to understand and process those feelings.  It is not that the feelings go away, but rather, that a maturity evolves as a result of life’s adversaries that enable one to move on in life.  The idea of erasing painful feelings like grief, which are part of life, is naive.  Humans (and perhaps all living creatures) experience pain (either physical or emotional) for a reason.  Pain conveys a message to the organism that it is either doing the wrong thing and to stop doing it, like when you put hand over a flame.  Or as in the case of grief, that something has been irrevocably lost that was of support to the wellbeing of that person.  The feeling of grief is different to that of depression.  It is natural for a person to feel grief for the loss of a loved one.  It is thought that the grieving process generally spansw about a year but it can vary between people and cultures.  Our western culture does not encourage the expression of grief like other cultures.  If one does not recognize ones grief and does not express it, then the person may resort to the use (or abuse) of substances to relieve that pain.  This can underlie addictions where the person is seeking relief from an emotional pain that they do not fully understand.

It is generally thought that the bereaved person goes through stages in the grieving process - sadness and numbness, then anger, then acceptance and moving on.  Theories differ on the number of stages but generally the process is similar over all.

My experience as a qualified art therapist working in Loss and Grief has confirmed this.

Figure 2 and 3 show my art making process and how through elimination I finally arrive at the finished piece.

 Figure 2

Figure 3

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

The finishing of this painting brought with it a certain resolution to my loss.  During the time that I painted it, I contemplated the “gifts” that I received over the time of my relationship with Stuart.  I am not referring to presents that he gave me but intangible gifts one receives through interaction with another.  The “gifts” were painted in rich colours and look a little like gems in a sea of aqua.  There is no attempt to make the forms recognisable.  This is very much the style of my painting throughout my art career.  They are undefined shapes that represent personal experiences, feelings and interactions that I had with Stuart.  The title “Gifts” explains this.  Those who have been following my posts will have read the rationale behind my abstract approach to painting.  In this case it is sincerity with a naked soul.  I will leave it at that today.   

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #50

Title:   “Crystal Vision” 

(Acrylic)

90x120cm

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PAINTING

Every encounter with a blank canvas is a journey into unmarked territory.  “Crystal Vision” is no exception.  This painting was one that I did when I was in the USA.  It was at time in my life when I was in transition and represents my looking towards my future.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

The pallet is limited to Blue and Orange which are complimentary colours or opposites.  Also White was added.  The application was with mainly a roller.  It was not possible to get the same art tools in the USA as I had in Australia – for instance the foam rollers used in Australia were not available to me.  I therefore had to experiment with other types of applicators.

I was studying Expressive Art Therapy at the university at that time and doing a great deal of inner reflection.  Also my life had changed radically and I was now on another life’s journey.

The painting resembles a landscape, and in hindsight, I think that the painting unconsciously portrayed my inner reflections on what my future life would hold.  Also I painted this work in the depths of a northern hemisphere winter which was not my natural climate experience.  I think that is reflected in the cool colours that dominate the painting.

The point of focus is the blue square in the upper centre.  The composition is dominated by the horizontal emphasis that cuts across the picture.  It cuts the painting in half.  Contrasts create interest in the viewer.  There is a contrast between the calmness of the upper part of the image and the lower.  This too tends to reflect my mood at the time, in that my material world was more chaotic than my inner self.

When I left the USA to return home, I brought only four paintings back because of cost.  I removed them from their supports and rolled them for travel.  They then had to be re-stretched upon my return.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #27

“Relationship” - Sculpture  (Clay)  Size:  60cm high

ABOUT THIS ARTWORK

I would love this sculpture to be reproduced bigger - say... the size of a car!  I think that it would be fantastic to be able to sit inside it.  With the new technology, who knows, it may one day become a reality.  It would look good made of white fiberglass and set in a sculpture park where children can play on it. 

 

I developed this clay sculpture from a small maquette I made.  Again I created this piece under the supervision of sculptor Janna Paneijer (see post #25).  It represents the male and female union on both a spiritual as well as a physical level.

Artistic techniques used in the sculpture:

The clay form is hollow inside and is supported by “walls” a little like a house structure.  This allows for it to be the size that it is – 60cm.  The sculpture took 5 bags of clay.

I would say that my artworks, both sculpture and painting reflects my unique brand signature.  The abstract form speaks of simplicity and a paring down of unnecessary elements so that the essence of the subject is revealed.

One’s artwork should reflect a personality and if you are honest with yourself, art can bring you in contact with personal insights.  As an art therapist by profession, I stress that it’s always better to ask the artist what the artwork means than to presume that you, the viewer, knows.  Everyone projects their own experiences onto the outside world.  

Do you see the brand signature in my work?

Next week I will take a famous painting called “Little Spanish Prison” by American Abstract Expressionist, Robert Motherwell.  I will discuss and compare his use of artistic techniques in that painting, and how I have used similar techniques in a painting of my own.  Techniques that make both paintings appear as if they have been dashed off, but are in fact rendered with considerable thought.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #20

                                          “Sandplay”  (Acrylic) -  90x120cm  

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

”Sandplay” is a painting about the beach, surf, sun and fun.  It was created during a time that I was land bound and far away from the sea.  I have for most of my life lived by the sea having grown up in Surfers Paradise, I now reside on the Sunshine Coast.   But for 3 years I spent time in Louisville, Kentucky when I was studying for my Masters Degree in Expressive Art Therapies.  Louisville is situated in the mid-west of North America. It was there that I painted “Sandplay”

One of a number of therapeutic techniques used in psychotherapy is a therapy called Sandplay Therapy.  It utilizes a tray of sand and an array of symbolic objects.  During therapy the client creates a scenario within the sand tray and then discusses it with the therapist.  It is very successfully used with children but adult populations also benefit from this therapeutic technique.  Sandplay Therapy was included as part of my training as an Expressive Art Therapist.

Both of the above personal experiences have influenced this painting.  While representing the beach with all its light heartedness, the elements associated with Sandplay Therapy are also seen within the painting as obscure (symbolic) objects in the sand.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

The painting has my characteristic flat planes of colour and deliberate lack of perspective.  However a sense of depth is achieved by the placement of the red/brown line upper centre just inside the bands of green.  The painting captures the feeling of being on a beach with the sea breaking and the top of the painting representing the horizon.  If you have spent time on the beach like I have, you will definitely relate to this sense of space and expansiveness which is characteristic of a beach scene.

The colours used are reminiscent of a beach (particularly in this region of Australia) where the sand is a golden yellow.  The brightness of the colours depict light and sunshine.  The objects scattered throughout the scene are up to you, the viewer, to imagine.  The clear sharp light of the Australian beach casts shadows that call for bright unapologetic colours.  Have you experienced this?   Can you relate to this? 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #15

Title “The Hierophant - Chiron - Master of the Spiritual Realms” 

 (Acrylic) 

 90x120cm 

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

My academic training is in Psychology and Expressive Therapies. Expressive (Art) Therapy uses art as a counseling tool. I have also been a painter for most of my life. These two disciplines are therefore woven into my paintings.

The MMPI or Personality Inventory is a tool used in Psychology to assess different personality indices within the spectrum of an individual’s personality. It is a Personality Test and a useful tool to sort people into different classifications based on qualities which makeup each person’s personality.

 

The ancient Classical Greeks have a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses that represented similar qualities. Freud and Jung’s psychological theories drew heavily from the Greek myths and philosophy. When I painted the Goddess Series, I was examining aspects of my own personality. According to Jung, men and women each have both male and female qualities within their personality. A man will generally have those characteristics that are celebrated as male such as “strength” etc., but also will have to a lesser extent, qualities that are attributed to females such as “caring”. A woman also will have those qualities that are specifically female such as “gentleness” but can also have qualities attributed to males, such as “courage”.

The Goddess Series focused mainly on female Goddesses and those qualities within my own personality. Included in this exhibition however were some of the Greek Gods.

This painting "The Hierophant" was shown at the end of the video by Natalija Brunovs that was recently released called “Tanmayo – Abstract Artist” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ2MzRmoKBA . Figure 1 (above) shows how the painting evolved.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

The finished painting has a strong diagonal emphasis in its composition. A diagonal often is unsettling to view and suggests discord. However the overall composition is balanced. The tonal value between the reds and the darks is relatively consistent contributing to the flat look - an example of a very high tonal value would be if the reds were changed to whites.

Acrylic paint lends itself well to abstract painting in that it provides coverage to a large canvas and the new acrylics offer a wide range of colours, the consistency and drying time being similar to that of oil paints. In this case I started with no specific idea in mind and just applied paint, but as the painting progressed I sort to bring order to the overall image using the artistic techniques discussed above.

Some artists have a number of paintings on the go at once, however I do not work like that. I usually work on a painting until I have reached a conclusion. I may however recycle an older painting over time.

Over the past three weeks I have reviewed some of the paintings shown in video. This post concludes with a few comments on what it was like for me to be videoed. I am an introvert by nature and am not eager to be “out there”. However being introverted does not mean that one does not have well thought out opinions, and it is with this in mind that I grasped the opportunity of this video. Due to Natalija’s sensitivity and skill, the video captures the essence of what I strive to achieve in my painting. I am not a natural performer and I think that Natalija has done a superb job in portraying what my painting is about.

The Goddess Series should be seen as a whole because it was painted as a celebration of my being and exhibited at an important turning point in my life. Has it helped you to better understand abstract art? Has your attitude to abstract art changed? If so, I would love to read some of your comments.