Process Portfolio/Visual Arts Journal Revised in light of your marking…. Will I do better?!
ProcessPortfolio/VisualArtsJournal
Revisedinlightofyourmarking….WillIdobetter?!
Photographytrip– to’make’not‘take’photographs.SofarIhaveestablishedthat:• Artworksoftenhave‘layers’ofmeaning,andthroughanalysiswecan
‘unpack’thosemeanings– IhaveexaminedtheworkofRichardDiebenkorn andthecontextofhispaintings.
• Iwantmyworktobegroundedinfirsthand experienceoftheworld.• Photographyisacomplexfieldinanagewhereeverybodyhasthe
abilitytotakephotographsandmanipulatethemsoeasily(wearenolongerinanagewherephotographsonly‘memorialise’amomentintime).Iwillbeeditingthephotographsandtheyareastartnotanendinthemselves.
• PhotographerCartier- Bresson said“Inordertogivea“meaning”totheworld,onehastofeelinvolvedinwhatoneframesthroughtheviewfinder.Thisattituderequiresconcentration,disciplineofmind,sensitivity,andasenseofgeometry.Itisbyeconomyofmeansthatonearrivesatsimplicityofexpression.”http://www.henricartierbresson.org/en/ Iwillaimtobesensitivetochangesinlight,movement,angleofshot,framing,spaceandcomposition.
• AvisittotheSoukwillprovideopportunitiesformakingphotographsthathavethepotentialtobeusedinartworksthatusemetaphor,allegoryandsymbolismtocommunicateideas.Thereisadifferencebetweena‘happysnap’andanartisticallycomposedphotograph(makingaphotographopposedtotakingaphotograph)
InitialthoughtsaboutmyIntentiontousethisphotographThissignsaying‘artist’– apassagewithalightattheend– thebestphotographItookduringthetrip.Thearrangementofshape,lightandspace,andtherhythmofrepeatedformswaswhatcaughtmyeyefirstandledmetotakethephotograph– itwasonlyafterlookingmorecloselyIsawthesign.ThisisapromisingimagethatIwouldliketodevelopinto,possibly,apainting.Theinter-lockinggeometryoftheformsandhighcontrastmakeavisuallycompellingcomposition– paintingwouldallowmetodevelopthecompositionandmakedecisonsaboutwhattokeep,whattoleaveoutandhowtocommunicatemyidea– whichatpresentistotryandmakeanartworkaboutwhatcreativeinquiryislike.Thedarkpassageway,a’roadlesstravelled’asametaphorforindependentthought,withthebrightlightattheend,andthetowerassymbolofknowledgeorfurtherheightstoclimb.
Someoftheotherphotographsfromthetrip,allcontainspacestobeabletomoveinto,somethingtopullthevieweronwardsintothespace.
Other shots from the same location – I haven’t edited the images as the colour and contrast are super, but ‘I did choose to frame them as square photographs with the ipad I was using as opposed to the rectangular frame I use earlier.
HenriCartier-Bresson(1908–2004)isoneofthemostoriginal,accomplished,influential,andbelovedfiguresinthehistoryofphotography.Hisinventiveworkoftheearly1930shelpeddefinethecreativepotentialofmodernphotography,andhisuncannyabilitytocapturelifeontherunmadehisworksynonymouswith“thedecisivemoment”—thetitleofhisfirstmajorbook.https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/967
http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/08/22/10-things-henri-cartier-bresson-can-teach-you-about-street-photography/
WhyRichardDiebenkorn ?(b.1922,Portland,ORd.1993,Berkeley,CA)Hisworkevolvedandchangedindifferentphasesofhislife,influencedbywhathelearntthroughhisartistpracticeandhislocation.Itwasthisresponsetolocationandhiswillingnessanddesiretodevelopthatinterestme.Idon’twanttobearepetitiveartist,Iwantmyworktonotbereliantona‘style’thatIhavemastered,butforittobeameansbywhichImightknowmyselfandtheworldaroundmebetter.Diebenkorn wassuccessfulandcouldhavestuckwithmakingworkslikethosethathadsoldpreviously,buthewasatruelifelonglearnerandhisworkisunlikeanyotherthatIhaveseen.Somearthistoriescitehimasa‘BayAreaFigurativePainter’,otherasan‘AbstractExpressionist’,buthisworkwasnotfollowingapathaspartofagroupphilosophy,thewayhisworkchangesinuseofcolour,applicationofpaint,useofspace,geometryandswitchesbetweentheobjectiveandnon-objectivewasindependent.ThisfitswiththeintendedmeaningoftheworkIhopetomake– somaybemyworkwillnotonlybeabouttheimportanceofbeinganindependentcreativethinkerasanartist,butalsoiscriticalofartthatfollowstrends?
Diebenkorn’s workoccurredinseriesorphases,andsomeofthesearenamedaftertheplacehewaslivingatthetime– Urbana,Berkeley,OceanParketcHisearliestworksareveryfigurativeandareinfluencedbyartistslikeEdwardHopper,butwasintroducedtomoreabstractmodernistworksatUniversitywhilststillconscriptedinthearmy.Bythelate1940’shisworkfittedveryneatlyintothenascentAbstractExpressionistartbeingproducedintheUSartworld.RichardDiebenkorn,GeraldNordland,RizzoliInt Publicationsp.15-16
Berkeleyno.221954oiloncanvas59x57”RichardDiebenkorn,GeraldNordland,RizzoliInt Publicationsp71
InteriorwithBook195970x64”OiloncanvasRichardDiebenkorn,GeraldNordland,RizzoliInt Publicationsp105
RichardDiebenkornOceanPark#60 1973 oiloncanvas93x811/4in.
"Hepaintedandrepainted.Hewouldscrapeaway,paintsomemore.Hewouldfocusononeareaanddecidehewouldmoveontoanotheranddestroysomethinghehadworkedonforquiteawhilebecausehefeltlikehewastreatingittoopreciouslyandheidentifieditasjustwantingtogeteverythingright.Everythingright.Light,color,space,volume,thewholecomposition.Buthewasn'tafraidtoshowthemistakes.”SarahBancroft,CuratorOrangecountyMuseumofArthttp://www.npr.org/2012/03/02/147722483/in-ocean-park-gentle-portraits-of-california-light
LikeotherOceanParkpaintingsDiebnkorn usedlayersofcolour inno.60– evidenceofpaintingbeingaprocessaspertheBancroftquote(aboveright).Wecanseethepaintingunderneath– likeamapthathasbeenpaintedover– alsothecolours usedare‘maplike’.Thereareharmonioushuesofgreensandturquoiseswiththinlinesofcontrastingcadmiumyellow,ochresandredThereisagreatsenseofspaceandlight.Diebenkorn saidtheOceanParkpaintingsbecamemoreabstractbecause
“Theabstractpaintingspermitanalloverlightwhichwasn’tpossibleformeintherepresentationalworks,whichseemsomehowdingybycomparison.”RichardDiebenkorn,GeraldNordland,RizzoliInt PublicationsP.155
InOceanParkno.60thereisanunderlyinggridlikestructure– broadly4bandsorareas– thegeometryofthecompositionoriginallyreferredtoroads/buildings/realspacesbutmorethanthatthepaintinghasacompositional’rightness’ofitsown.Thesourceoflandscapeisthestartofajourneywherethe‘needs’ofthepaintingtakeover– itisabstractionwithitsrootsinobservation.Thereisbothaprecisiontothecompositionandafreedominthewaythepaintisappliedinscumbled layers.Ialsowantmyartworktodevelopinthisway– tohavethephotographasastartingpointbuttolearnfromDiebenkorn’s approachtoallowmypaintingtoevolveinandofitself.
DevelopingmypieceusingwhatIhavelearntfromDiebenkorn’sprocess.
ExperimentationwithcompositionIntheseinitialpencil sketchesaboveIwastryingoutdifferentspatialarrangementsoftheelementsofthecomposition.Increasingtheconvergenceofperspectivelinesandemphasising therhythmictriangularstructures– Iwouldliketheviewertobeledtothesign,thelightattheendofthepassageandthenthetower
Thedevelopmentalstudyusingacryliconpaperontheleftisnearlyatthepointwherethepaintingcouldstarttofollowitsowninternallogicandreallyleavetheoriginalimagebehind– butIdon’twanttocreateaDiebenkornpastiche- thealleywaywiththesignsaying‘artist’,clearreferencetothatparticularplace,isimportant.Butlettingthegeometrydistortandusingharmoniouscolouration withvisiblylayeredpaintissomethingIwantthepaintingtohave.
Thestudyaboveisgettingcloser- thetowerisdarker,lessattainable– thered‘works’– withbrighterlightattheendofthepassagethiscouldbeok– theroofofthestructureontheleftpointingatthesignandthelighthittingitalsocouldwork– thedoorwayneedstobeangledaswell.Ialsoquiteliketheturquoisetrianglesonthecentralwallastheycreate‘steps’tothetowerwithpatternandrhythm.
Eachvariationofnegativespace,colouration andplacementoftheelementsofthecompositionpresentsdifferentatmosphere–theoneaboveistheclosestsofartomyintention- Iusedittomakethelargerstudyontheright.
ReflectiononstartofpaintingIbeganputtingthefirstbasecolour inacryliconacanvas1mx1m(right)–likeintheDiebenkorn Interiorwithachair1959IhaveusedthehuesthatareoppositetothoseIwilluse– seekingtogetthesame‘alloverlight”thathespokeof.IhavenotgotthetriangularupwardrecessionofperspectiveIwantedandwillhavetore-paintthepositionofthetowerandtheedgeofthebuildingontheleft.
Havingnotedthe‘maplike’colours insomeoftheOceanParkseriesIwentbacktoasketchImadepreviously(above)– Iwasthinkingabouthowharditistoactuallycomprehendalandscape.Whenyoutryanddepictandunderstanditsstructure- itislikewementallymapit– maybeallartislikeamap– itshowsthewaywehavethoughtatsomething.Diebenkorn’sworkareabstractionsbuthavetheirsourceinpaintiings/imagesofaspecificplace
OceanPark60RichardDiebenkorn,GeraldNordland,RizzoliInt Publication
Refining/developmentofideaIhaveexperimentedwithusingmapsaspartofthecomposition- IfoundamapofOmaninChinese.HavingmovedherefromDalianinNEChinaIthoughtperhapsIcouldshownotonlywhereIambutwhereIhavebeen.Doesthisgooffattoomuchofatangentfromtheoriginalideaofajourneytoknowledgeandindependentcreativeinquiry?Iquiteliketheideaofmappingasananalogyforartmaking– mapsareabstractobjectsthatshareinformationusingconventionscollectivelyunderstoodbyacultureandoftenrequirea‘key’tode-code.
Second‘pass’ofpaint– stillneedtogettheedgesofthebuildingstocreatesteeperangles– signneedstobeangledmore.
Decisionsaboutnextstep:• Adopt‘beyondrepresentation’
approach?• Usemapidea?• Sticktooriginalideaofjourneyto
knowledgeandrefinecompositiontothisend?
Third‘pass’ofpaint– Ineedtomakesomedecisionsaboutwhichwaytogo- Imightneedtomaketheangleoftheroofsteeperaswell.
For decades, scientists believed the brain was incapable of growing new cells. We now know neurogenesis — the birth of new cells — occurs throughout life, but only in certain parts of the brain, including an area involved in learning and memory called the hippocampus. Specifically, cells are born in in a part of the hippocampus called the dentate gyrus. The image above shows the dentate gyrus of an adult mouse with individual cells stained in green and pink. Scientists found that when neurons lacked a certain protein, newborn cells became misshapen and wandered into the wrong part of the dentate gyrus. As a result, the mice had problems with learning and memory, suggesting this protein helps new cells develop normally.http://www.brainfacts.org/brain-basics/neuroanatomy/articles/2016/image-of-the-week-neurogenesis-052016/
Havingreflected ontheissueofhowtodevelopthispieceIhaverealisedmypriorexperienceofmyworkisinsomewayspreventingmefrombeingasopentoexperimentandnewwaysofworkingasImightbe.In‘Creativity:Theories andThemes,Research,DevelopmentandPractice’byMarkRunco Ifoundatheorycalled‘functionalfixedness’or‘experienceblindness’.Theideaisthatour‘expertise’inanareamayinhibitouroptimalgenerationofnovelideas.Ithenwonderedifitwaspossibletofindimagesofbrainsfunctioning– andwasamazedbysomeoftheimagesonthebrainfacts website.Theimageontherightisofthedenate gyrusofamouse– andtheideathataswelearnourbrainscangrownewcells.Studyingbrainfunctionlikethisisoftenrefered toas‘mapping’thebrain,oreven‘braincartography’.EarlierinmyprocessIconsideredamapasbeingasuitablemetaphorforartandformyinitialideaofthepassagewaybeingpartofajourneytodeeperartisticknowledge.ConsequentlyIhavedecidedtogobeyondmy‘usual’approachtothispainting.Iwilltryandmakethepaintingincludereferencetomorethantheplace(takinginspirationfromDiebenkorn Iwilltryandincludemorecomplexideasaboutabouthowcreativityworks.
4th ‘pass’– incorporatedimageofsynapsesandnewbraincells,refinededges,triangularshadows/rooftopformsandremovedtower.Brainimagery- mapofthinkingandactualchange.
5th ‘pass’