I have tried to find books on contemporary landscape painting and came across a few but not many. This is strange. There are lots of good books on the work of individual landscape artists but not, it seems to me, much on contemporary landscape painting as a branch of Fine Art. Why is this? I read Malcolm Andrews book Landscape and Western Art and it gives a brilliant account of early uses of landscape on into the Romantic period, the Sublime and the Modern period. Then after a nod to Anselm Kiefer’s Markische Sand the book moves on to the solid ground (pun intended) of Land Art. Now, there is a bit of a void here. There are lots of contemporary landscape artists producing work in different styles and offering different motivations and explanations of their practise. They are visible individually but not en masse. Strange times.
Last week I walked along the Dunwich Heath coastline heading towards Sizewell power station. As I got nearer and nearer the power station I noticed how more and more spiritually drained I felt with the large hulk of the building taking up more and more of my visual space. It looks so out of place within the natural environment of Minsmere heath and the shoreline. There are structures like oil rigs in the sea out there too – something to do with the power station I believe. It is a place of massive contradictions. It was a relief leaving and walking back in the other direction – spiritually enlivening to notice the colours and textures of Minsmere and the coastline on the walk back. So that made me think about how much the environment can control state of mind and wellbeing. While I was at the power station I made several sketches of the building. I made these from an up close point of view and also took some photos in similar vein – these to be used to make paintings back in the studio. Also to be used, the dark memory of the place now in my head.
Really enjoyed the Maggi Hambling talk at UCS today – glad I decided to go. The video of her installation War Requiem was very dark and emotional. I liked a lots of things that she said:
– “Great art takes you to an unknown territory” – (she referred to Rothko amongst others).
– “the importance of drawing”
– “make your work your best friend”
– the fact that she isn’t into isms
– also that she destroys a lot of her work
– the fact that it takes time to get better at art
– she stands up for painting today
I’ve made changes to the large Orford Ness painting that has to do with the sense of wasteland including leftover structures from the past. I removed the pyramid shape in the middle which was superflous (what was I thinking about?) and also tidied the lower band which I think of as a concrete type structure.
I was surprised/delighted to hear that this is one of 15 UCS students’ work chosen for an exhibition in London – in the crypt at Marylebone Church I believe. Another trip to London for me!
I made the collage in image 1 at home using torn up photocopies of the third image and oil pastels. This was made shortly after doing the Gorse Walk at Dunwich Heath having enjoyed the rich tapestries of colours and shapes some of which I captured in photographs. The memories of the walk were still recent and influenced the collage which for me says something about the colours and textures at Docwra’s ditch and surrounding areas on the Gorse Walk and this in turn is based on the time of year, February.
I intend to make paintings based on this collage. I feel that this is a good way of working for me – walking, looking, sketching and then mixed media works to build up to a painting. Also, I intend to paint outdoors too when the weather gets a bit better.
I like the non-figurative nature of the collage and I will most probably do this sort of work for my degree show, focusing on colour and texture in acrylics, oils and pastels. I will focus on the rich tapestries of the Gorse Walk and the particular nature of Orford Ness for subject matter.
