The V & A , ( Victoria and Albert Museum ) , London, UK , Has collated a beautiful exhibition from its sizeable collection of prints and photographs, which illustrates how artists have interpreted the subject of portraiture in the last 20 years…. Here are four examples of the many varying types, styles and media on show at this exhibition…. Luc and Ludovine get married 2007 Julian Opie
Forty Fridas; Shannon as Frida Ellen Heck
Man with eyes closed ( Walter White ) 2014 Brian D Cohen
Woman Reading a Possesion Order ; Persons Unknown 1997 Tom Hunter
The striking resemblance of this photographic image above, by Tom Hunter ( a brilliant documentational photographer ) , to the work of Vermeer hit me immediately, and i had to include this image as part of the blog .. i found it beautiful, and compelling in its subject matter.. you can bet that although Vermeer did not paint this…. i am sure that such social situations of insecurity were happening in his era, just as they are today and now……………
This is such a great look into how one subject ‘The Portrait’ can be portrayed… in so many differing, styles, media and interpretations…. Amongst the many other artists, Grayson Perry, GavinTurk and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye Feature. This promises to be a fascinating look into the world of portraiture, be it in the form of a print, etching, painting or photograph etc and would be an inspiration to those interested in creating portrait based work.
This exhibition is now open, and is on until the 26th of April, 2016. V&A, London, SW7, UK.
Christina Broom, became Britain’s first female press photographer at the age of 40, a new exhibition commemorates her work. Christina with her trusty camera..
Christina began photographing street scenes in 1903 to sell as postcards near Buckingham Palace, London, UK to provide for her family after her husband became unable to work. They sold well, and the following year she was appointed official photographer at the Chelsea Barracks. the role enabled her to build a close relationship with the royals, particularly King George the 5th and gained her access to society events too. Captain Eric Greer ( first from left ) of the 1st Irish Guards & his machine-gun team. Photographed by Christina in 1914, prior to leaving for the war..
She also continued to document ‘ordinary’ people aswel and documented the Suffragette movement and the First World War, with her work featured in publications including The Illustrated London News, Tatler and Country Life. By the time of her death in 1939, she had taken more than 40,000 images. Suffragette stand at The Women’s Exhibition of 1909
Soldiers and Suffragettes : the photography of Christina Broom, is at The Museum of London, Docklands, London E14, UK, until November the 1st, 2015. For online information, visit museumoflondon.org.uk
One of the interesting things about art that mixes with science is when you come to the realisation that art kind of mixes with everything…… Again the source of inspiration may be varied but it can inspire such wonderful imagination, and wherever it it is bourne can lead to amazing outcomes. So the source may not be understood in the finished work but it has inspired……
This blog began as a personal statement.. and it is meant as such, but it bought to mind instantly an artwork which i love and which is relevant to the statement.. I am passionate about nature, science and art; and the work of art i will now discuss , encompasses all of these themes…. ‘Earth – Moon – Earth’ 2007 , created by Katie Paterson, is an artwork that inspires me to hold fast with my choices of subject matter ( as sometimes you can possibly doubt where your practice is going ) and continue strong along my chosen path.
Earth – Moon – Earth ( E M E ) is a form of radio transmission whereby messages are sent in morse code from earth, reflected from the surface of the moon , and then received back on earth. The moon reflects only part of the information back – some is absorbed inits shadows, ‘lost’ in its craters. For this work Beethoven’s Mooonlight Sonata was translated into morse code and sent to the moon via E.M.E Returning to the earth fragmented by the moons surface, it has been re-translated into a new score, the gaps and absences becoming intervals and rests.The new ‘moon- altered’ score plays on a self playing grand piano. How fantastic is that eh…! The morse code version sent to the moon
The morse code version received back from the moon
The score sent to the moon
The score received back from the moon
The piano
Of the ‘new’ art of the modern and now digital era, Bill Viola has been considered a leading figure in this field… I find his work immersive and emotionally thought provoking, it reminds the viewer of mortality.Enjoy your life while you have it, is the message i take from it.
Bill Viola ( born 1951 ) is a contemporary video artist who has been at the forefront of video art, choosing it as a powerful medium to discuss and focus on ‘the human condition’ or what it is ‘to be human’……. The works he creates focus on the fundamental issues of human experiences, such as Birth, Life and Death…. To visually discuss these themes, he utilises the media of electronic sound, and image technology/video.. showing ( or reflecting ) aspects of consciousness … Nantes Triptych 1992 Video/Sound installation 4.3 x 9.7 x 16.8 metres.
Richard Long , whose work i am exploring in conjunction with my dissertation has popped up on the radar…. relevant to time and space…. in Bristol , his home town where he still works and resides. Interior image of ‘Time and Space’ exhibition, Arnolfini Gallery.
A new exhibition celebrating pieces he made since 1967 complements a new work installed on Clifton Down. Exhibition at, Arnolfini, Bristol, open until November the 15th 2015..
more to follow on Richard Long, soon…..
