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 #25

“Female”   (Clay)  Size:  60cm high

ABOUT THIS ARTWORK

Art as in painting is what I have been doing for as long as I can remember.  However it is not unusual for an artist to try their hand at other art forms.  I would not call myself a sculptor, but have from time to time had a foray into that field.  The above piece was done under the instruction of a master sculptor Janna Paneijer.  I created a maquette in clay about the size of my hand.  It was from that small piece that I fashioned this piece.  I would not have been able to achieve these proportions in clay without the guidance I received from Janna.  It stands 60cm high and took 4 bags of clay.

The British artist, critic, writer and broadcaster Mathew Collings has explored the concept of beauty in art.  He presents 10 characteristics which he says define beauty in art.  They are briefly listed here:

Nature – A visual essence that humans of all races are hardwired to respond;

Simplicity  - Symmetrical elegance of visual communication;

Unity  -  The parts all fit together and become one thing;

Transformation -.Imbues an idea into a powerful symbolic form;

The Surroundings of an artwork create atmosphere which contributes to the beauty of the art piece;

Animation is a power or liveliness that is contained within the artwork;

Surprise  to see the known so it can be re-seen;

Pattern Organizing visual experience so it gives pleasure to the eye;

Selection  - not random but finding relationship that creates tension and freshness;

Spontaneity – Improvisation makes up the personality of the artwork.

In Collings’s video on “What is Beauty” these 10 principles are applied individually to 10 different works of art.  The 10 principles are not needed to be collectively in each individual artwork.

It is interesting to consider them when looking at abstract art because they do apply cross culturally and abstract art is a non-verbal language that is understood conceptually.

Artistic techniques used in the sculpture:

My paintings all favor a characteristic flatness and abstraction.  I can paint a realistic portrait but generally my paintings are distinct for their abstractness and flat planes of rich colour.  I feel that this “signature” is carried over to my sculpture also.  The above piece is titled “Female” and encapsulates the essence of the feminine.  The form is abstract but undeniably symbolizes the female.  Its simplicity and abstraction adds to its strength and elegance.  It is symmetrical in shape and I think… beautiful.

What do you think?

http://www.buderimartstudio.com