A few notes on drawing
As the title of the project implicates drawing into this I feel I should make a few connections here. Like craft, drawing is an expansive subject, especially now as digital work has opened up a whole new set of possibilities. It also seems to ask some of the same questions that have occurred whilst thinking about craft in considering it’s relevance to today’s visual art.
How useful is it and how is it defined?
Marquetry is definitely a lot to do with marks, not just mark making but found marks, exploiting lines and tones that occur naturally in the grain. Part of the skill and invention in marquetry is being able to use these marks, to make similar choices about line, tone and texture that are fundamental to any traditional drawing practice.
The mimicry of a surface, form or volume is a key link in Marquetry as a method of drawing. There are certain veneers that resemble surfaces so accurately that they become a sort of standard key to many images. So things like water, hair, silk can be found in likeness to certain veneers and used within representational picture making. The consistency of marks to be found within certain types of veneer can influence the idea and perhaps this is why traditional subject matter can sometimes be repetitive?
The linking of a real surface or material to a veneer as a starting point to a piece of work is very important to understanding of the attraction of marquetry.
