Module 3; Artists' colours; Task 4 - Own interpretations

This task included using a previous work done in earlier modules and make new interpretations of them and try to use learnings from looking into the great artists.




Matisse
I started to develop a combination of two previous own pieces of work, both from from Module 1. The first was an interpretation of the Assignment 5, here I had torn and rearranged a dishcloth and combined it with a “necklace” of flowers resulting from the same assignment, in addition I added and rearranged a painting from the same module but Assignment 6, of a three-layered silk of different colours and with a further different coloured warp that I had sewn in patterns and frayed. It became a “Matisse” painting, the first of which I thought became too pale, and then added a more saturated brown as background. I felt that Matisse frequently made black contours around his objects which I did as well. Unfortunately I do not think anybody would associate my painting to the Matisse style, but it was worth a try. The two paintings, the second with a darker background have unfortunately turned out differently in the photo colours, but the second is as “warm” as the first but the background is darker.

2. Miro

The second picture is also a development of forms and items from previous modules. The first results from Module 1, Assignment 6 and is a form captured from a painting of an “elastic” fabric, which I have developed further into the black and white module as well. The “faces” come from a painting/collage from module 2. I tried to make a combination which could be associated with Miro. He frequently used very bright colours with some little manipulations here and there – and I think that one might associate my painting with Miro’style. He used sometimes thick black contours in combination with the very primary colours.

3. Bridget Riley

My third pinting is supposed to be “a Bridget Riley”. I thought my oil pastel painting of the window sign, with the blue and green curved forms could be one to develop for a Riley “copy”.

Further artists: 

Alexander Calder(1893-1976)

Alexander Calder was born in an artist family in the US. His father was a sculptor and his mother a painter. The family moved frequently but wherever they moved, Alexander had his own workshop from the age of eight, but when growing up he did not initially plan to become an artust. However during a journey on a boat as fireman, he woke up to see both a brilliant sunrise and a beautiful moon, an experience he is claimed never to have forgotten and shortly thereafter he started his artist’s career. He entered art school and was at one occasion in 1925 sent to cover circus performances for a magazine and circus became a life-long interest. Soon he moved to Paris and created “Cirque Calder” – a “puppet” circus which “performed” by Calder manipulating it.The figures were made from metal wire, bits of leather and wood. Each piece was smalal enough to be packed, and soon he was asked to run the perfomances both in Paris and New York.

Gradually Calder developed this style, he also mixed with the artis groups in Paris – as well as New York and he went on to create mobiles – at first motored mobiles – but later mobiles where the figures moved by the air stream. The very figures and constructions were made from sheet metal and wire, and one can easily see influences (who influenced whom?) in the work of Miro – and Calder and Miro knew each other.

Calder is known also for big mobiles, one of them is International Mobile, for the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Third International Exhibition of Sculpture. It was created in 1949. He also created mobiles for a play and for a dance performance.

Calder was always working and exhibiting both in Europe and in the US and was one of the most prolific artist ever during his life.

Yves Klein (1928-1962)

Yves Klein was French whose parents were painters. He was born in Nice but moved later to Paris. As many of his contemporaries he did not start out to pursue an artistic career, but rather a business training as well as language studies. He soon started to paint and in 1947 he created his first “Symphonie Monotone”. He continued to produce almost exclusively monochrome paintings, and at first he used several different colours, whereas towards the end of his short life he painted in lue, deep and dark blue. He has been classified as “neo-Dada” as well as a “Post-Modernist” and he founded the “New Realism Movement together with the art critic Pierre Restany. Yves Klein died at the age of 34 from a heart attack, but is considered to be an important artist in the post-war art scene.

Anish Kapoor ()

Anish Kapoor is Indian by origin and was born in India in 1954 but moved to UK in 1972 where he was educated at the Chelsea School of Art. He is a sculptor and attracted attention for a very innovative range of works. He travels frequently to India and is inspired by both Asian and Western European culture. He works at a big scale and uses simple forms, usually monochromatic and often in bright colours.

His earlier works are coloured by pigments, and the floor surrounding the piece is also covered.Inspiration comes from Indian spice markets and temples. Later works are made from solid stone. During the last decade he has produced several very large sculptures, one of them being “Tarantara”1999, which is 35 meter high and is installed in the Baltic Flour Mills in Gateshead, before renovation began there . Another is “Marsyas” installed in the Turbione Hall of Tate Modern in London.