‘The uncanny’ Freud (1919)

When referencing my own clay sculpture depicting an unfamiliar form, the following information might go some way in explaining how I might achieve a decipherable understanding of my own creations. I am speaking of the unplanned of course. Equally interesting is the fact that different people see different things when it comes to shapes, that brings us back to the Rorschach ink blots. In an effort to explain the concept of uncanny, Freud wrote an essay, Das Unheimliche (1919). It explored the strangeness of waxworks and dolls. He used the words ‘heimliche (base word) and ‘unheimliche’ (adjective) as a vehicle to promote his thoughts on ‘the uncanny’. Heimliche is identical to its opposite, unheimliche. In Freuds paper we are told that the word heimliche exists within two separate understandings. These understandings do not oppose each other, yet, they differ greatly.

One interpretation reads as recognizable, acceptable, cosy and homely whilst the other means to conceal, keep from sight, clandestine and secret.  Unheimliche translates into eerie, weird and creepy and is usually used as a counter to the first signifier of heimliche but not that of the second. According to Freud the ‘Uncanny’ is what we unwittingly unveil in our own psyche; in turn, revealing our own suppressed desires. Boiled down, Freud submits the hypothesis that societal disapproval often exhibits/reveals a feeling or expression of righteous piety and to a greater extent, a sense of dread and revulsion. Freud posits that an item considered to be taboo gives rise to the prevailing belief that that of which is concealed from public view is inevitably a perilous menace or perhaps even a curse. This idea becomes more potent when the item in question is of a sexual nature. Aspects of uncanny are understood to threaten our own self critical conscience that dreads chastisement for straying from what society deems acceptable.

Bibliography:

Commapress (n.d.) The Uncanny-Sigmund Freud. Commapress [online] Available from: https://commapress.co.uk/resources/online-short-stories/the-uncanny-sigmund-freud/ [Accessed 2nd December 2019]

Image:

timbashape (n.d.) PA210767.JPG [online image]. Available at: https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/28257dd8-b3a0-4ffb-b8ce-3efaf5b482e7 [Accessed 2nd December 2019]

 

Paul McCarthy (1945)

Contemporary artist McCarthy’s work aims to shock and question the status quo. He combines performance and sculpture to push the boundaries. From throwing himself around a ketchup smeared classroom, vomiting and covering himself in his own excrement up to his recent focus on the West. He delves into Hollywood and the way in which it represents how America sees itself. His work is an assembly of psychology and physicality that appropriates the west. He utilises familiar imagery of wagons and stagecoaches. His work often incites and agitates. He favours the mediums of film, sculpture, painting, drawing and photography. He targets popular culture, commercialism and human inhibitions. His art centres on the unsettling use of human bodily fluids, sex and orifices.

McCarthy takes American culture and turns it on its head. He uses and re-appropriates icons like Snow White, Barbie and Santa Claus in a way that shocks. He appears to revel in the production of work that is awkward to view or induces disgust. Perhaps McCarthy’s motive behind such an anarchic approach is to bring about analytical debate on the most revered and intrinsic of conventions. I feel mildly confident in drawing a lesser comparison to my clay Churchill sculpture in part three of this course to that of McCarthy’s performance and sculpture work. It too, challenges the status quo. Churchill’s wartime accomplishments are well documented in a positive light. They are woven into the British psyche. Very little is known or talked about regarding Churchill’s role in stifling women’s voting rights, the Bengal famine or deploying troops against the miners. Although unwittingly, my brutal act of splitting the head might well be interpreted as a commentary on dissociation identity disorders.

Bibliography: 

Hufkens. X (n.d.) Paul McCarthy [online] Xavier Hufkens. Available from: https://www.xavierhufkens.com/artists/paul-mccarthy [Accessed 2nd December 2019]

Image:

admkrm (2007) Paul McCarthy, Shit Pile, 2007 [online image] Available at: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/1968b93b-21ae-415f-8117-40ad6d134647 [Accessed 2nd December 2019]

Reflection on tutor feedback for assignment 3

I have found my tutor’s positive comments encouraging. They are pushing my confidence towards new frontiers. I found his advice particularly useful with regards to further research following his appraisal of my clay work. I am confident that research will help me to develop new ideas into the future. I thought my tutor’s assertions about my ‘Churchill’ sculpture were intriguing. I was initially amused by his suggestion that this work might be interpreted as a performative act. Upon reflection and research, I begin to see and note the correlation.

It was reassuring to read my tutor’s comments regarding the standard of my clay work. I was always left with the feeling of ‘could do better’ upon completion of each piece. I felt much more at ease working with plaster, a medium of which I am more familiar with. I was flattered to have my work compared to that of Caro’s if only in style and not quality. Also pleasing was my tutor’s acknowledgement of my attention to technical detail, specifically, my comments regarding weatherproofing plaster. Reading between the lines, I think my tutor has correctly identified ‘Julie’ as the cream of the crop within assignment three. It felt good to get such a positive reaction. I am delighted with the comment regarding my bronze patina effect.

My tutor’s more honed observations on the possible connotations of the figure got me thinking. I am not about to pretend that anything like the subjects of stigmata or martyrdom had crossed my mind. I wish it had. It’s a perfect concept and befits the piece perfectly. I envy my tutors perception. Needless to say, I intend to run with the idea and rename ‘Julie’ ‘Stigmata’. My tutor’s comments appear to be a reflection of my efforts and the attention to detail on this particular piece. I am encouraged to explore this method of creating sculpture further. The most enjoyable aspect of this creative process was to convey the illusion of aged bronze with the inventive use of acrylic paints.

I am still feeling my way around writing about my ideas. I recognise that this is a good way of developing and inspiring my work. I am confident my writing and research skills will improve as the course progresses and I gain a deeper understanding of the subject of sculpture. Following my tutor’s comments with regard to my sketches, I look forward to producing more radical experimental drawings than those already produced. I intend to use quality photographic software in combination with unconventional paper and drawing tools that will yield Rorschach type images. I will continue to think about developing news ways of expressing my ideas via the mediums of painting and drawing.

Project 7: Bas-relief

The ‘Elgin Marbles’

Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455)

Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)

Rachel Whiteread (b 1963)

Eduardo Paolozzi (1924-2005)

Images:

Cwangdom (2006) Whiteread_02: Rachel Whiteread’s House [online image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/81345650@N00/280968584 [Accessed 25th September 2019]

Harrsch. M. (2004) Trajan’s Column Depicting Scenes From The Dacian Wars Roman 2nd century CE [online image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/44124324682@N01/7829202 [Accessed 25th September 2019]

Matt (2010) Baptistry door – 2/4 [online image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/9791532@N03/4444046955 [Accessed 25th September 2019]

<p & p>photo (2011) Kreuzberg ll [online image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/22087304@N07/6554918321/ [Accessed 29th September 2019]

Zucker. S. (2014) Auguste Rodin, The Gates of Hell​, 1880-1917, plaster [online image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/82032880@N00/23825842234 [Accessed  25th September 2019]

Zucker. S. (2010) Parthenon, North Frieze, Slabs 43 and 44 (Horsemen) [online image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/82032880@N00/5197242060 [Accessed 25th September 2019]

Project 8: Casting, internal space/ external form.

Research point.

Dame Rachel Whiteread (1963)

Whiteread is a British artist. Casted sculptures dominate her wide range of work. She succeeded in becoming the first woman to be awarded the Turner Prize in 1993. As one of the ‘Young British Artists’ her work had been exhibited at the 1997 ‘Sensation Exhibition’. Amidst her most notable sculptures are the ‘Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial’, ‘House’ and ‘Untitled Monument’. ‘House’ 1993, was created by filling an East London derelict house with concrete. The structure acted as the female mould. Works like ’House’ explore negative space that surrounds objects or are contained by objects. The sculpture was destroyed shortly after its creation.

Sir Anthony Douglas Cragg CBE RA (1949)

Liverpool born Cragg began his artistic career in the 1970s, concentrating on conceptual and minimalist art. Latterly, Cragg delved into surface and form using a wide range of materials. These included stone, wood, metal, rubber, plastic and Kevlar. The influence of Arte Povera and Landart can be seen in much of his works. These works were based on found objects, ready-mades and so-called ‘poor materials.’ Whilst constantly searching for a ‘missing form’, Cragg’s creations began to grow in their complexity. With each new work, he seeks to construct something to amaze himself as much as the observer. Cragg attempts to bypass the observer’s sentimental responses and appeal above all, to their cerebral strengths. He encourages the viewer to be more diagnostic in their approach when attempting to make sense of his work. Each of his new sculptures seems to be a derivative of previous works whilst intensifying in their intricacy. Cragg utilises drawing as a tool to fashion and create his sculptures. This medium enables him to work out problems relating to form in preparation for 3D applications.

Eva Hesse (1936-1970)

German born American Hesse was an early pioneer of 1960’s post minimalism. As a sculptor, she worked with a wide range of materials including fibre glass, rope, cheesecloth, latex and plastics. Her abstract sculptures thoroughly undermined the aesthetics conventions of her time. She renounced the norms associated with monumental sculptures in preference to eccentricity.  It has been suggested that Hesse’s choice of impermanent materials reflected her belief that their ephemeral nature demonstrated the passage of time. She was one of the first artists to examine the flowing curves of the biological sphere of nature. She was a proponent of elementary artistic expression and much of her work has been described as eccentric. With her piece ‘Hang Up’ (1966), she manages to combine two- and three-dimensional works. She added a length of metal to a hanging canvas, resulting in the canvas becoming a sculpture. This came to signify Hesse’s progression from two to three-dimensional practise. Hesse abandoned attitudes towards spatial relationships and form that prevailed at the time, declaring ‘Chaos can be structured as non chaos’.

Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003)

Chadwick was part of a new breed of British sculptors to feature work at the 1952 Venice Biennale. Their work was a departure from traditional sculptural practise. They replaced materials like wood, stone and marble with plaster, iron and modern composites. Their work represented a departure from mass and an intensification of line. Chadwick’s career as a sculptor lasted nearly fifty years. His pathway to sculpture was unorthodox. He started out as a draughtsman for London Architect, Rodney Thomas. His work involved exhibition design with an emphasis on construction. He began making mobiles constructed using balsa wood, wire, brass shapes and cut copper. These fish-like works were often integrated into exhibitions as ornamental features. He looked towards iron as a medium, preferring its definite lines. He thought of clay as being nebulous and too soft. He could not envisage what shape clay should be. As a draughtsman he would have been more at ease producing three dimensional drawings for his chosen medium. Chadwick’s distinctive way of working largely contributed to the style of his sculptures. He formed three dimensional shapes by welding steel rods and fashioned them into framework. He rarely sketched his ideas prior to sculpting, preferring to illustrate upon completion of work. He would fill his armatures with plaster loaded with iron filings. The sculptures would be fashioned into a smooth or textured surface. He would continue this practise until the late 1950’s. At this point he resolved to cast his work in bronze. His once exclusive work could now be expanded into the production of editions.

Sarah Lucas (b.1962)

British contemporary artist Lucas is renowned for sculpture, performance and corporeal photography. She uses everyday materials to produce coarse and provocative commentary on death, sexuality and gender. Her work is defined by its tongue in cheek humour. She uses found items, cigarettes, toilets, newspapers, tights, food and furniture. The human form is at the centre of much of her work. During the 1990’s Lucas utilised photography to create a sequence of self portraits. The images portrayed an ingratiating blend of susceptibility and posture. Her foray into photography established an uncomplimentary mood for future work. ‘Great Dates’ (1992) is a montage made up of fragments taken from salacious leaflets discovered in London telephone kiosks. For her piece ‘Christ, you know it ain’t easy’ (2003), Lucas borrows lyrics from the Beatles song ‘The ballad of John and Yoko’ (1969). This sculpture was constructed using fibre glass and then clad in Marlborough cigarettes.

Bibliography:

Artnet (n.d.) Eva Hesse [online] Artnet. Available from: http://www.artnet.com/artists/eva-hesse/ [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Blain/Southern (n.d.) Lynn Chadwick [online] Blain/Southern. Available from: https://www.blainsouthern.com/artists/lynn-chadwick [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Cass (n.d.) Tony Cragg [online] Cass. Available from: http://www.sculpture.org.uk/artist/tony-cragg [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Tate (n.d.) Rachel Whiteread [online] Tate. Available from: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/rachel-whiteread-2319 [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Warde-Aldam.D. (2018) The shock factor of Sarah Lucas [online] Apollo. Available from:  https://www.apollo-magazine.com/sarah-lucas-shock-value/ [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Images:

Cwangdom (n.d.) ‘Whiteread_02’ [online image] Available at: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/e752bb62-b7e9-4cdb-805a-78f55bdeda27 [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Elfleda (n.d.) ‘Stairs’ Lynn Chadwick [online image] Available at: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/142538a8-2fe7-45ae-aafb-586a5d287685 [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Goldman. E (n.d.)‘Christ, You Know It Aint Easy’ Sarah Lucas [online image] Available at: https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/art-talk/the-provocative-and-explicit-art-of-sarah-lucas [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Schlemmer. M (2009) ‘Hang up 1’ Art Institute, Eva Hesse [online image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mbschlemmer/4096026407 [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Schobert. D (2010) ‘Points of View‘ Tony Cragg [online image] Available at: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/f53863e0-c91b-4cbc-96d3-99dc2837781f  [Accessed 7th November 2019]

 

 

Research point: Project 6: Modelling in plaster

Elisabeth Frink: ‘Harbinger Bird 111’ 1961

In a BBC interview, Elisabeth Frink describes her sculptural technique. ‘Building up in plaster’ it is a method that was initially employed by sculptors Albert Giacometti and Germaine Richier in the 1940’s. Frink began using this method whilst studying at Chelsea School of Art. She was an early pioneer of this approach between 1949-53. She stated in the 1981 interview that ‘rather than working in clay, one builds up in plaster of Paris direct on an armature’ before casting in bronze. She talks of plaster as having immediacy and how it can be built up to a hard finish within minutes. It is an element which can be efficiently carved and modelled. Frink produced traumatic surfaces that are a feature of much of her work including ‘Harbinger Bird 111’ 1961. She used a grater, a mallet and a chisel to achieve her effects prior to casting in bronze.

Germaine Richier: ‘The Bat’ 1946

When making ‘The Bat’ Richier engaged in a new approach. She draped rope fibre in plaster and then cloaked a metallic armature that constituted the substructure of the bat’s wings. The idea for this work appears to have formed following research into bats. Following Richier’s death, many related objects and books were discovered in a cupboard. These may have been the inspiration for much of her work. One can see the resemblance to the human facial features in ‘The Bat’. This was not the first piece to feature this human element. In 1944 she produced her first piece that combined the physical characteristics of insect and human form. ‘Grasshopper, Small Version’ portrays a woman with a small head in a crouching position that conjures up a visually surreal grasshopper on the verge of a jump.

Henry Moore: ‘Knife Edge Two Piece’ 1962-65

Moore would take an object, perhaps an animal bone and press it into the surface of clay. Plaster would then be poured into the resulting impression to produce a replica of the object. It is probable that Moore produced the maquette for ‘Working Model for Knife Edge Two Piece’ using this method. Once the plaster had hardened, Moore could either enlarge or decrease the form. He could hone and smooth the surface as desired. Moore would go on to utilise the plaster maquette. Measurements would be taken at particular points of the maquette. Moore’s team would then produce a precision armature for a larger version. This possible process of making the armature may have involved wood and chicken wire. Pieces of scrim would have been dipped in plaster and then draped between each of struts on the framework.

Auguste Rodin: Working practice

Rodin sought to distance himself from the rigidity of French artistic institutions and set up his own independent workshop. Rodin saw sculpting as collective effort. He engaged highly skilled plaster casters, founders and carvers along with studio aides. He would start out with drawings. These drawings were the grounding for his plaster mouldings and clay models. Rodin would generally have several casts made from the original works. This process enabled him to try out various ideas or dissect the mouldings for the purposes of experimentation whilst preserving the original. He used his extensive collection of casts to construct new amalgamations and develop contrasting effects. Rodin cherished his plaster works, often gifting them to friends complete with personal inscriptions.

Bibliography:

BBC (1981) Norman St John Stevas: In Conversation With Elisabeth Frink [online video] Youtube. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXNSsq0cklk [Accessed 7th September 2019]

Correia. A. ‘Working Model for Knife Edge Two Piece’ 1962, cast 1963 by Henry Moore OM, CH. Tate Research Publication, 2015.Available from: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/henry-moore/henry-moore-om-ch-working-model-for-knife-edge-two-piece-r1171995 [Accessed 19th September 2019]

Manchester. E. (2009) Germaine Richier ‘The Bat’ 1946 [online] Tate. Available from: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/richier-the-bat-l02176 [Accessed September 7th 2019]

V&A (2016) Auguste Rodin Working Methods [online] Victorian and Albert Museum. Available from: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/rodin-working-methods/ [Accessed 7th September 2019]

Images:

Brown. D. (1961) ‘Harbinger 111’ Hauser and Wirth [online image] Available at: https://www.hauserwirth.com/resources/2678-elisabeth-frink-transformation [Accessed 7th September 2019]

Green Lane (n.d.) ‘Knife Edge Two Piece’ [online image] Available at: https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/141654dc-4717-4910-bda2-4a4195cd9d81 [Accessed 7th September 2019]

Zucker. S. (2014) ‘The Gates of Hell’ (Detail) 1880-1917 [online image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/82032880@N00/23825842234 [Accessed 7th September 2019]

‘The Bat’ (1946) Hesitation Waltz Art Blog [online image] Available at: http://www.hesitationwaltz.com/2010/10/countdown-to-halloween-bats.html [Accessed 7th September 2019]

Thoughts on Matt Calderwood and Mike Nelson

Mike Nelson ‘The Asset Stripper’ 2019

Following my own creative endeavour, ‘Oxidation’, I turn my attention to the work of Mike Nelson. I have been asked to comment on ‘The Asset Stripper’ (2019). The installation occupies the same arena as ‘Oxidation’. It is an expression of post industrialisation. The overall themes encompass physical work, redundancy and dilapidation. It appears to tell the story of an inexorable decline of British manufacturing. Is the work a tenuous reflection on Brexit? Nelson said he wanted to avoid dogma, preferring the work to generate debate on what gave rise to Brexit. I appreciate the sentiments behind this work and I would not question its artistic merits, however, I feel I would struggle to persuade a layman. Some of the ideas behind Nelson’s work echo that of mine but on a much grander scale. It represents the dying embers of our manufacturing industry. Nelson sees its demise as something to be lamented whereas I consider it worthy of celebration. I see the metal husks as a representation of the enslavement of the working classes. For me, the machines are the embodiment of a society accustomed to an economy based on want as opposed to need. Nelson aptly talks of 20^th-century sculptures; they ‘started to look like machines and the machines started to look like sculptures.’ As a sculptural piece, the work now extends the life of the once seemingly redundant machinery.

Matt Calderwood

It was amusing to read the anecdote about Calderwood’s ‘Some Things Just Work’ (2004). The broom and shovel sculpture is characteristic of much of Calderwood’s work. The balancing act came about after fooling around at his place of work. I like his idea about these objects never having to work again due to their celebrity status. His work tests the perceptions of volatility, tension and symmetry. Counterbalances are the key ingredients that make some of his sculptures work. If you were searching for a representational sculptural genre for Calderwood’s work, you might look under the heading ‘janitorial’. The work seems to employ an abundance of buckets, brooms, toilet paper and step ladders. He stretches the potential of these objects to their limits. The results are interesting and provocative.

Bibliography:

Dawson. I. (2012) Making Contemporary Sculpture: Pages 1 71-177. Marlborough. The Crowood Press Ltd.

Judah. H. (2019) Fire Sale Britain: Mike Nelson [online] The Guardian. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/mar/18/mike-nelson-interview-tate-britain-asset-strippers-cement-mixer [Accessed 7th September 2019]

Images:

Pountain. D. (n.d.) ‘The Asset Strippers’ [online image] Available at: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/d7d53f84-b822-4daf-a579-a832c2ab5a03 [Accessed 7th September 2019]

Wilkinson. A. (2004) ‘Some Things Just Work’ . pietmondriaan.com [online image] Available at: http://pietmondriaan.com/2010/02/03/matt-calderwood/ [Accessed 7th September 2019]

Reflection on tutor feedback for assignment 2

Following an interesting and useful video tutorial, I feel more confident as I move forward. I had been apprehensive about my choice of materials and marrying those materials with ideas. I had become frustrated during part two. Was there such a thing as ‘sculptors block’?  The search for inspiration seemed to take up much valuable time but not wanting to cut corners, I persevered. Eventually, I had my light bulb moment with ‘Incandescent’. My tutor commented on the number of light bulbs I’d used in its construction. He suggested I stick to odd numbers when constructing repetitive or stacked module sculptures. I agree with his assertion that this is more aesthetically pleasing. Oddly, odd seems to work in the artistically visual sense. I will amend accordingly.

I have been encouraged by my tutor to consider the sensuality of my found items, e.g. pebbles from my cairn sculpture. He suggests using aspects of their form and colour that may in turn, assist in the development of my sketches. I am flattered by my tutors’ positive comments regarding my use and application of various faux finishes. I have taken on board, his advice not to rely too much on these finishes but rather examine the characteristics of the actual materials as in say, the light bulb sculpture ‘Incandescent’. As per my tutor’s suggestion, I need to express my opinions on the results of my efforts. I need to examine how I might improve my methods in order to achieve better outcomes. I will strive to transfer my ideas into the written word accordingly and with greater frequency.

In reference to my charcoal drawings, I found my tutors comments positive and reassuring. I agree with his observations regarding presence and quality of line. I feel comfortable using charcoal. It’s a little messy but gives pleasing results. A certain level of care needs to be exercised to avoid smudging. I have been informed by a neighbour about several spray-on products that work as permanent fixatives. I think it will be a worthwhile investment.

Donatello aka Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (c. 1386 – 13 December 1466).

Donatello was born in Florence, Italy. He was a sculptor of the renaissance. Renowned for abandoning the empty iconography of the gothic period and reviving the classical style of sculpture. Breaking new ground, he introduced and demonstrated new philosophies in step with the prevailing trend towards Humanism. It was a movement that was departing from the Omni focus on secular religion. It favoured the exploration of man’s place on earth. His highly emotive work expressed a high level of authenticity and placed him as one of 15^th C Italy’s most significant sculptors and patriarch to the renaissance.

Donatello’s work-related heavily to the rebirth of interest in mathematics, sciences and architecture that took place in Florence at that time. Using the figure as his main focal point he became the first to resurrect the nude sculpture, replacing all idolised symbolism that went before. He displayed a mastery of numerous mediums among which were: bronze, stone, stucco, wax, wood and clay. In doing so, he laid down the foundations for the sculptors of the future. Sculptors would now be inspired to seek out new potentials in materiality.

Notable work.

St. John the Evangelist (1408-15) Marble epitomizes the move away from the Gothic style. It demonstrates a more humanised approach in opposition to the legend of the subject. More attention is paid to the saint’s legs to represent the body with naturalism and accuracy. Donatello was by now, demonstrating a unique insight on perspective. He compensated for the fact that audiences would view the work from beneath, thus making the torso inordinately longer than lower limbs.

Auguste Rodin (French 1840-1917)

Rodin is widely known as the father of modern sculpture. He depicted the human form using marble and bronze. His work comprises iconic sculptures such as ‘The Kiss’ (c.1882) and ‘The Thinker’ (1902). After studying decorative arts at an early age, he attempted to enter the prestigious Ecole des Beaux. After being rejected three times, he took up work as a labourer in plaster factories. Later, he travelled to Florence and studied the work of Michelangelo. His drawings have been widely exhibited in recent years, thus elevating his reputation as an accomplished draughtsman. Some have questioned the exploitative nature of these drawings and have caused the eminent artist to be viewed in a less favourable light.

Rodin swept away the prevailing 19^th-century attachment to the classical. He now placed more importance on simplicity and poise of human existence. Up to the time of Rodin, this kind of work was little appreciated. It was the antithesis of the academic sculptures so prevalent during this period. His lifelike figures portrayed a fresh attitude toward thought, love and dignified physicality. He had managed to find a way of making the materiality of his work indicate the ephemeral nature of modern man and woman. He discarded the academic style in favour of rough, more crude finishes. This approach to the surface better portrays corporeality, restlessness and action. This style might suggest psychological turmoil; however, it can also recall the perpetual dynamics of modern life.

Willem de Kooning (1904-1997)

De Kooning was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands. At the age of twelve, he served an apprenticeship with a leading design company. With their encouragement, he enrolled at the Rotterdam Academy of Fine Arts and Techniques. The same institution was renamed in his honour in 1998. He stowed away on a ship bound for the US in 1926 and settled in New York. After a brief period as a house painter, he became a commercial artist and immersed himself in the New York art world.

He led the art world of the 1950s. It came to embrace the new movement of American Abstract Expressionism, aka ‘action painting’. In the wake of WW11, he belonged to a group of artists known as the New York School. This group included his wife Elaine de Kooning, Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollock, friend Franz Kline and mentor Arshile Gorky. 1953 saw an exhibition of a series of combative female figurative paintings. The series was known as the ‘women paintings’ and shocked the art world. De Kooning’s move back to figuration split opinion. The women represented icons or types as opposed to portrayals of specific individuals.

Some saw his return to figuration as a sellout and a move away from the principles of Abstract Expressionism which affirmed abstraction. One major benefactor, Clement Greenberg withdrew his support for De Kooning whilst others remained convinced of his relevance. New York’s Museum of Modern Art saw De Kooning’s change of style as a progression in his art. They purchased ‘Woman 1′ (1950-1952) in 1953.

Sir Anish Kapoor CBE RA (1954)

Kapoor was born in Bombay, India. He migrated to London in the 1970s. He attended Hornsey College of Art and took up postgraduate studies at Chelsea School of Art. His reputation expanded during the 1980s. In 1990 he represented the UK at the Venice Biennale with his work ‘Void Field’ (1989) and was rewarded with the Premio Duemila Prize. He went on to achieve the Turner Prize the following year. His use of simple materials coupled with organic and geometric forms, result in the creation of graceful, biomorphic sculptures.

Kapoor started to investigate the subject of ‘The Void’ within considerable stone sculptures. Some had detailed interiors and exteriors with others distinctly defining unoccupied voids. Kapoor’s most high-profile sculptures include ‘Cloud Gate’ and ‘Dirty Corner’. He owns the rights to the blackest paint in production much to the disdain of fellow artist Stuart Semple. Semple has been banned from retailing the paint from his Mayfair art shop. He intends to create an even blacker black and has banished Kapoor from his shop.

Jon Isherwood (1960)

Yorkshire born Isherwood studied both at Leeds and Canterbury colleges of art. He gained a Ba with honours at the latter. He graduated from Syracuse University in New York. He studied sculptural techniques under the guidance of Anthony Caro between 1984-86. He continued his involvement with Caro from 1988-93, partaking as an artist at Caro’s Triangle Artist’s Workshop in New York. Unhappy with the process of casting in concrete and metal, Isherwood began working with stone at the start of the 1990s. He set about examining its interior characteristics along with the spectrum of capacity for exterior forms. He explored the use of various finishes. These included the use of polished, chiselled, smoothed and coloured effects. Much of Isherwood’s work recalls ancient, monumental and totemic structures. Their abiding austere nature endures through the ephemeral age that we currently inhabit. Latterly, Isherwood has combined handcrafted work with computer-aided technology.

Adrian Villar Rojas (1980)

Sculptor Villar Rojas was born in Argentina in 1980. He represented his country at the 2011 Venice Biennale. He works primarily in clay. This choice of medium was initially based on its availability and low cost. Nowadays it’s his preferred way to express his idea of form. He creates sculptures with raw, physical nature. The resulting dried out cracks are reminiscent of relics but the work still retains a modern form. Much of Villar Rojas work mirrors that of land artists Walter de Maria and Robert Smithson. His works are generally demolished post-exhibition. They become a kind of impermanent art form. This idea of impermanence seems to appeal to the sculptor. He uses found material to produce haphazard podiums. Fossils, appliances, fruit and further items are inserted into podiums. Each of the pieces decomposes at varying rates over a time span.

Bibliography

Artnet (n.d.) Anish Kapoor [online] Artnet. Available from: http://www.artnet.com/artists/anish-kapoor/biography [Accessed 7th September 2019]

Artnet (n.d.) Auguste Rodin [online] Artnet. Available from: http://www.artnet.com/artists/auguste-rodin/biography [Accessed 7th September 2019]

Biography.com Editors (2014) Donatello Biography [online] The Biography.com website. Available from: https://www.biography.com/artist/donatello [Accessed 7th September 2019]

Cass Sculpture Foundation (n.d.) Jon Isherwood [online] Cass Sculpture Foundation. Available from: http://www.sculpture.org.uk/artist/jon-isherwood [Accessed 7th September 2019]

Rebecca Lowery (2018) Adrian Villar Rojas [online] MoMa. Available from: https://www.moma.org/artists/42576 [Accessed 7th September 2019]

The Willem de Kooning Foundation (2014) The Artist/ Biography [online] The Willem de Kooning Foundation. Available from: https://www.dekooning.org/the-artist/biography [Accessed 7th September 2019]

 

Rush hour

Today saw me attempt to find and photograph as many sculptures that I could find within an hour. It’s £1.80 an hour to park a vehicle. I’d just been let off for a parking fine a few days earlier. Long and boring story so I shan’t bother to elaborate. I’m in my local town of Hastings, 1066 country. There is not a great deal on show and they’re quite spaced out so I need to get my skates on.