CPS - Statement written by a peer.

Written by Samantha Powell. 

Alice’s paintings are a series of city scapes painted in acrylic, she creates these images on wood, paper and canvas. Her paintings range from a small to large scale. The paintings also range in styles of borders and orientation, she has produced her pieces with a pallet knife which creates a more 3D texture and a very intriguing series of mark making which suggest she is trying to create a certain feeling or emotion within the images.

Before talking to Alice about her work I viewed her studio space and during that viewing I was very interested in the mark making in particular, because of its sketchy appearance and also the brilliant contrast of colours, they seem almost dream like because off the blurred and sketchy marks the pallet knife makes, and it gives the questioning to is it a memory? Or a dream its self?

After talking to Alice I understood that the reasons for the specific look and texture were to transfer how she felt about these environments, she took a mixture of images from different places in London and Leicester and created them to show the underground urban personalities of both these places. She also in doing this subconsciously created a vision of what could be memories and feelings from people who have encountered these places, giving her work a massive body of different viewers who would easily fall for and enjoy her work.

Some quotes from Alice herself about her work include when simply asked why paintings of this kind she replied “I enjoy painting the environment and expressing its urban side” also “my influence if I was to have one would me Sabine Moritz because of her environmental works.” Alice states that if she was to develop this work she would go to a much larger scale and use other tools to create her mark making other than a pallet knife to get out of her comfort zone.

Reading through this statement written by Sam, I find it very positive and it is clear that she listened to me when we did our interviews taking note of the points I made successfully.  

Drawing - Presentation - James Allen.

For drawing our task was to give a short 5 minute presentation on a drawing artist you found in London. I chose the artist James Allen. I came across his work at the Jerwood Gallery and he was in the shortlist for this years drawing prize. 

James Allen

The verb 'to draw' originates from the old English work 'dragan' meaning to drag/ leave a mark or trace and this is a critical part of Allen's work.

(Liverpool Station, 2007, charcoal, 126cm x 143cm)

Allen draws both interior and exterior drawings of urban environments often depicting areas that are key tourist destinations. As well as drawing the key shapes Allen also draws illusory traces of figures/ objects in relation to the subject to show traces of movement. He has a good eye for structure and the idea of motion, this could be considered to be an architectural style. The marks within his work are purposely controlled across the page - there is evidence of new, erased and replaced marks which in turn help create a controlled chaos around the still structures. 

Interior Drawings

(V&A Museum Help Desk, 2008, compressed charcoal 42cm x 59cm)

(V&A Museum Help Desk, 2013, marker pen charcoal and white acrylic    42cm x 59cm)

Above are two drawings of the same location, one old and one more recent. I find it interesting to see how his style has slightly changed and became more detailed in a way. In his more recent drawing he has combined many medias together. I think his more recent work is more controlled but personally I prefer his previous work, it feels more free and gestural with less control. 

Exterior Drawings

(St Paul’s Cathedral, Study 7, 2007, charcoal 84cm x 59cm)

(St Paul’s Cathedral, figure study 2, 2007, charcoal, 42cm x 59cm)

Shown here are two very different drawings from the same year and location. Both drawings create movement in different ways - the sky in the first drawing feels very threatening depicting the weather at that particular moment. In contrast the other sketch is calmer showing the movement of people in a delicate yet sketchy manor.

His Drawing Process

Allen focuses mainly on the activity of the human figure over long periods of time in contrast to the architecture. He begins his work by making informal sketches that can be small or more exploratory using marker pens and paint. These initial sketches help him to construct larger drawings that will capture his complete experience. He also always uses a variety of approaches to keep his work fresh. When he starts his larger drawings he continues to gather information to enable him to see whats missing. Allen believes that a final piece is not separate, it combines with informal sketches working as a parallel. Also he does not want his drawings to reflect one direct statement, he wants the viewer to be able to use their imagination to piece together the picture allowing for a universal viewing experience for the artist and public.   

Recent Work

(City Hall 2, 2013, marker pen and charcoal 60cm x 59 cm)

This is one of Allen's most recent piece of work. I think it is interesting to contrast this against his earlier work to see how it has changed. His work now seems a lot harder feeling more dramatic in atmosphere. Yet I still believe his work continues to express his key element of movement and structure. 

I find his ability to show movement and life in a drawing that consists of a statuary building very interesting and inspiring. I like his technique of applying his ideas quickly with bold gestural marks, that end up creating what looks like a very controlled piece. 

CPS Group Presentations - Annie Kevans.

One of the tasks set for CPS as practice before our individual seminars was to get into groups of three and give a presentation on an artist found on the London trip. For my group we chose to research Annie Kevans whose work we saw in The Saatchi Gallery. Below is our presentation. 

Annie Kevans

Annie Kevans was born in 1972 and currently lives and works in  London. She graduated from Central St. Martins School of Art & Design in 2004 and has already had solo exhibitions in New York and Vienna as well as London. She has also been involved in many group exhibitions in the UK, Europe and also the US. 

Brief Biography 

•2004 ‘Boys’ - Saatchi bought 30 paintings from her BA Degree show

•2005 ‘One Child’ - Looks at China’s ‘one child’ policy

•2006 ‘Girls’ - Dealing with the media-led sexualisation of childholld

•2007 ‘Swans’ - The American dream

•2007 ‘Vamps and Innocents’ - 1920’s female move stars who were forced to play either the virgin or the whore

Annie Kevans’ first shows/ exhibitions were during the early 2000’s. This was when the War of Terror and War in Afghanistan broke out. This was also a time during which there were many terrorist attacks; twin towers 7/11/, 2004 bombings in Madrid and the 7/7 bombings in London.  During the early 2000’s she produced a series of paintings called ‘Boys’ depicting dictators and war criminals as children. This could relate to the current state of the wars in the East and the terrorist attacks happening at the time because those people involved would also have been innocent children at one point.

Her more recent works were produced from 2009 to present during which the global recession began. Instead of reflecting the more recent politics and cultures of today her work instead looks at past public figures often relating to American History. Her art looks at issues surrounding important conflicts in the US and also on going horrors of slavery. It was during this time that the US elected their first black president, Barack Obama. Kevans’ paints figures that she believes to be overlooked, exploited or objectified within the situation of history or contemporary culture. For example in her series of paintings made from 2006 to 2008 called ‘Girls’ and ‘Mouseketeers’ she has painted Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears and the Olsen twins. Here she was looking at the continuing media-led sexual corruption of young celebrities. 

(Britney Spears with Ears, oil on paper, 2007, 75 x 50 cm)

(Lindsey Lohan, oil on paper, 2006)

(Olsen Twins, oil on paper, 2006)

Kenans' work reflects her personal interest in power, manipulation and the role of the individual. For our presentation we looked mostly at her series of paintings called 'Boys' created in 2004 as her final project.

(Adolf Hitler, oil on paper 50 x 40 cm, 2004)

(Hugo Banzer, oil on paper, 50 x 40 cm, 2004)

(Mao Zedong, oil on paper, 50 x 40 cm, 2004)

This was then bought in its entirety by The Saatchi Gallery, London. This series of oil paintings depicts the ideal of innocence; a bunch of doe eyed, rosy cheeked faces of young boys. It makes your heart melt until you see the names of the children being portrayed. They are the most evil dictators and terrorists in history. Some of the paintings are painted from real photos and others are invented faces. The way Kevans has painted them is deliberate to its subject matter; the colours are washed out and delicate, as though they have been applied with love. The eyes are the main focal point of the paintings making you as the viewer feel sympathetic towards them which goes on to contradict what you think when you read the titles of the paintings. Instead this make you think of 'evil' raising many questions; when why and how did this start? What turned these once innocent children into what they became? Or were they in fact destined to end up the way they did? 

In the exhibition of these paintings in the Saatchi, they have been mounted at eye level and are lined up as though they are boys at school. It felt quite strange standing in a room surrounded by boys who have grown up to collectively kill millions of people yet our initial thoughts at first glance are ones of sympathy. Sweet young children. Its a horrible and harsh contrast to what they actually grew up to become. 

Press & Reviews on her paintings 'Boys'.

-          Port Magazine 24/04/13, interview

http://www.anniekevans.com/anniekevans/Press/Entries/2013/7/24_Port_Magazine.html

Quotes from the writer: ‘Peering at the painted face of an infant Adolf Hitler,  there’s a spark of innocence in the soft oily hues of his eyes. No hint is present of the unspeakable evil that this man’

‘ It’s an uncomfortable discourse, one that challenges our political and social understanding of the world around us’

Quote from Kevan’s during the interview: ‘I first began working with the idea of painting ‘evil’ children, but I wasn’t happy with the results and considered using photography. However, I soon realised it involved finding children to pose for the photos and, strangely, the work wouldn’t have had the same ring of truth about it as the paintings do i.e. I would have had to create photos that looked like genuine ones, and this would have seemed deliberately deceitful.’

-          The Independent 27/11/09

‘They are portraits only in a loose sense. "I paint people," she corrects, her works being a composite of existing images, research and imagination. Having spent months looking for snapshots of infant autocrats at play, she eventually gave up. "I thought, 'Does it matter anyway if I make them up?' It caused quite a lot of debate." And interest, too: Charles Saatchi snapped up the degree show in its entirety’

The Studio.

In CPS we were asked to get into groups of 4 or 5 and do some research into what a studio is and how it is used/ how we think it should be used and why they are important. 

This Oxford Dictionary definition for 'studio' is - a room where an artist, photographer, sculptor etc works - a place where films are produced, where musical or sound recordings are made, room where TV programs are broadcast/ recorded, a place where performers especially dancers practice etc, film or TV production company, studio flat.

Origin - it derives from the early 19th century Italian word studio and the Latin word studium/ studere meaning to study.

Why do artists need studio spaces - I think it important for an artist, sculptor, film maker etc to have some form of studio as a way of escapism from their normal surroundings and also as creative environment to produce their work in. Some people may need a lot of space for machinery, camera equipment or space in general to perform in like a dancer, they would not be able to practice well in a small confined space.

How a studio should be used during studies - I believe a studio space should be used to put up project work, to produce work/ put work together. When working in a shared studio space I think it is also very important that you consider those working around you and you should not make a mess to the extent that it would impact on other students. 

What is the role of peers? - Personally I see peers as very important when working in a shared studio space. You can feed off each others ideas, thoughts and inspirations. You can also access each others work constructively and positively saying what is working well and what isn't. The only negative sides to sharing a studio are that some people may not respect those around them and they may also 'steel' ideas. They may also accidentally damage others work if they are a messy artist which can be very frustrating even it wasn't intended. However overall I think sharing a studio with peers is important especially for evaluating each others work and giving each other encouragement. 

Organisations both local and national that offer studio space - 2 Queens Leicester; they offer a full space 2.5 x 5 for £65 per month, half a space 2.5 x 2.5 for £35 per month. Design Factory Leicester; newest studio spaces for professional artists and designers are offering spaces at £9 per sq ft. 

Wasp Studios Glasgow; 200 sq ft space at an average cost of £100-£150 per month

Wedo Space London; offer a huge space, 935 sq ft at £2,130

Acme Studios London; offer 300 sq ft space at  £256 per month. 

What are the benefits of working in a studio organisation with other -

Pros; feed off ideas, new friends/ connections, opportunity to do joint exhibitions, lively atmosphere.

Cons; some people may not be considerate to others, 'stealing' of ideas, may be too crowded/ noisy for some people. 

                                 (My studio space) 

What is Art?

As a part of the Ba Fine Art course we have a module called CPS (Contextual and Professional Studies). We began this subject by bringing up the question 'What is Art?'. Our first task was to in pairs research this question and present our findings the following week. This question caused a discussion within the group about whether art does have a set meaning. 

To start with we looked at the dictionary definition of 'Art' :- "an expression or application of human creative skill and imagination typically in visual form producing works primarily for their beauty or power."  

We then went on to express our own opinions and I believe that art is the expression of ones self. It can express their thoughts, beliefs, memories, how they see things that happen around them and a whole variety of other things. Also art can be/ mean anything to anyone. Some people will love particular pieces of work that others may dislike. Also the original message/ meaning behind an artists work could be read as something completely different to the spectator. 

Art is open to all opinions. There is no right or wrong!