DOCSLIB.ORG

& Contemporary Figurative Painters

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
& Contemporary Figurative Painters ColleCting Resource guide Figurative Art & Contemporary Figurative Painters Michelle Torrez, Clouds, oil, 20 x 20. Models, Muses & Magic The great figurative painter Nathan Oliveira once said… “Though I have considerable interest in Europe and traveling, I am most content in simply working and allowing the world that I’m creating to unfold before my eyes.” Lane Timothy, Boys and their Toys, oil, 48 x 60. indeed, figurative artists enter the secluded universe of their studios and get lost in cap- turing the many moods of their models and muses. Welcome to our special figurative issue, in which we introduce you to an ex- citing cadre of artists working in this time- honored genre. these masterful painters pick up charcoal sticks, pencils, and brushes to create a line, then another and another. For the uninitiated, it’s a bit of magic to be- hold: lines coalesce to bring a figure to life, offering us a window into the range of emo- tions and truths that comprise the human condition—our joys, strengths, disappoint- ments, and dreams, all reflected in a face or a gesture. Flip through the following pages and contemplate the mystery, meanings, and beauty evoked by a sampling of today’s top figurative painters. Joseph Todorovitch, Succulents, oil, 40 x 30. www.SouthweStArt.com 2 Vintage Americana Lane Timothy creates classic scenes with a contemporary twist By Rosema Ry Ca Rstens Like a mOderN-day time traveler, artist Lane Timothy wanders through the decades to portray images of times past. His vibrant paintings of American life and culture evoke memories of simpler eras. And his distinctive retro style sets him apart from the pack. Timothy lives and paints on the top floor of an urban loft in the heart of Salt Lake City’s art district. Originally a fac- tory, the loft looks out onto busy streets, and the artist often spends long hours people-watching from his balcony or gazing beyond the city skyline to the Wasatch Mountains. With large open spaces and 20-foot-high windows, it’s an ideal work environment with plenty of room and light. Some of Timothy’s earlier pieces hang on the walls and numerous works in progress sit on easels awaiting final touches. He’s often so immersed in research or interested in what’s going on outside his windows that it’s not unusual for early evening to roll around before he begins to paint. He loves those quiet, hushed hours in his perch high above the city, when the energy outside dies down, and it’s just him, the paint, and the scene before him on the canvas. Lively jazz or bluegrass plays in the background, and he quickly falls under the spell—that “old black Alley Cat, oil, 60 x 48. www.SouthweStArt.com 3 magic” of a bygone era. He often works until 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning, us- ing professional lighting to make certain his colors remain consistent no matter the time of day. This is especially impor- tant since he tends to work from one side of a painting to the other, completing whole segments as he goes rather than working one color at a time throughout the composition. Beginning a new piece, he first applies an underpainting in the scene’s domi- nant colors, then blocks in basic shapes, sketches in his composition, and lays in the lights and darks in a monotone. At that point, he sets the painting aside to dry under a heat lamp and turns to an- other in progress. Timothy does not work wet paint into wet paint, but prefers the crisp, bright color he feels is only pos- Boys and Their Toys, oil, 48 x 60. sible by working coat by coat. “Color is important because it has so much to do with how my figurative work stands out from others,” says the artist. “Drying each layer completely before brushing on the next ensures that all colors hold their power—skin tones are brighter, blues more vivid. Everyone can use more color in their lives!” To create his signature, highly finished canvases, Timothy combines loose, trans- parent brush strokes to create a subtle glow in facial features with flurries of heavier strokes to indicate movement and dimensionality. In the tranquil scene portrayed in THE GARDEN TERRACE, the woman’s face is alight with softness and femininity, while the artist’s more dynamic strokes in her skirt, his skilled capture of highlights and silken shine, create strong awareness of her body. He develops the polished surface of each painting by applying numerous washes and glazes, building slowly, layer by layer. The artist has explored various me- diums, but emphasizes, “I love oils. They are so forgiving. I can create beautiful hues and a more dimensional effect. It’s the only medium for me now.” As a work nears completion, he does a final check to make sure his color palette is distributed evenly to result in a comprehensive whole. But, he ad- mits, it’s hard to let go: “I never know when to stop—I could go on and on. I finally had to make a rule for myself. Once I sign it, I never touch a paint- ing again.” The Garden Terrace (detail), oil, 36 x 24. www.SouthweStArt.com 4 Solitude, oil, 48 x 36. www.SouthweStArt.com 5 BOrN aNd raised in Missoula, MT, position in Salt Lake City with a high- It took a while before hitting his stride with six siblings, Timothy knew from an profile advertising firm. But he found it and finding his own unmistakable voice, early age that art was his destiny. Both of wasn’t for him. He longed to return to but find it he did. “I’m focused on con- his parents encouraged his interest as he painting and, in 1997, despite the benefits temporary figurative work with a vintage dabbled in watercolors, acrylics, pastels, of working for a prestigious company, he twist,” he confirms. and pencils as a child. By the age of 7 he returned to Montana to be a full-time Airplanes, trains, motorcycles, scoot- had sold his first painting to his second- artist. He just was 22. ers, trucks, and cars from the 1940s grade teacher for $10. A few years later at Today, having returned to Salt Lake and ’50s figure prominently in Timo- a store’s closeout sale, Timothy bought City, Timothy is more focused and ener- thy’s slice-of-life vignettes. Family his- a bucketful of oil paints for $25 and dis- gized than ever and spends long hours tory and memories provide him with covered the medium he would work in at the easel. He never hires models, but a deep well of inspiration for his work. from then on. In 1993 he was awarded a prefers instead to have friends and his Growing up, he often heard tales about Charles Russell National Art Scholarship, former wife pose for him, which he feels his grandfather’s World War II piloting which he used to attend the University of brings more realism and greater diver- adventures. And he flew sidekick with Montana, where he excelled in art and sity to his subjects. His reputation over his father, who piloted single-engine graphic design. Always restless and a bit the past decade has spread like a prairie Cessnas over Montana’s jagged moun- of a renegade, Timothy soon dropped out wildfire; his work is regularly exhibited tains peaks and open plains. His father of college to start a graphic design com- in galleries and is held in celebrity and also built hot rods as a hobby, which pany, preferring to develop his own ar- private collections throughout North sparked Timothy’s loves of classic Ameri- tistic style from scratch rather than from America, Europe, and Asia. can automobiles. His painting BELLE AIR- formal classes. Two years later he again Early in his career, Timothy experi- ESS tells it all in the exaggerated, dramat- sought change and accepted a key design mented with various styles and subject ic swoop of fin on a turquoise and white matter, painting 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, his high school people and scenes dream car. One of his favorite pastimes is that reflected his to hunt for props for his paintings. life in the West. Timothy’s fascination with modes of Belle Airess, oil, 48 x 48. Departure, oil, 60 x 48. www.SouthweStArt.com 6 American Dreamer II, oil, 48 x 60. travel from earlier eras fits naturally with clear, including the boots and cowboy His work conveys the feel of days gone by his love of figurative work. The attitude of hat, the guitar case, the long empty road, with a fabulous air of nostalgia.” the people in his paintings suggests that and the look of anticipation and hope on Timothy is a painter immersed in his- trips back then were more romantic, more the girl’s face. The painting’s narrative is tory. It constantly whispers in his ear, adventurous, and filled with more possi- rendered with exquisite skill and control, conjuring generations and events before bility than the frenzy encountered today and yet there is room for individual inter- his own. But he avoids talking about what in airports and on the highways. He fre- pretation. inspires specific paintings. “I want to quently portrays people on the verge of Influenced by the work of John Sargent draw viewers into a painting, to suggest arriving or departing, prompting viewers Singer as well as Norman Rockwell’s a story but leave something to their own to wonder about the narrative arc of the all-American paintings, Timothy creates inventiveness,” says the artist.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • THE ARTIST's EYES a Resource for Students and Educators ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
    THE ARTIST'S EYES A Resource for Students and Educators ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is with great pleasure that the Bowers Museum presents this Resource Guide for Students and Educators with our goal to provide worldwide virtual access to the themes and artifacts that are found in the museum’s eight permanent exhibitions. There are a number of people deserving of special thanks who contributed to this extraordinary project. First, and most importantly, I would like to thank Victoria Gerard, Bowers’ Vice President of Programs and Collections, for her amazing leadership; and, the entire education and collections team, particularly Laura Belani, Mark Bustamante, Sasha Deming, Carmen Hernandez and Diane Navarro, for their important collaboration. Thank you to Pamela M. Pease, Ph.D., the Content Editor and Designer, for her vision in creating this guide. I am also grateful to the Bowers Museum Board of Governors and Staff for their continued hard work and support of our mission to enrich lives through the world’s finest arts and cultures. Please enjoy this interesting and enriching compendium with our compliments. Peter C. Keller, Ph.D. President Bowers Museum Cover Art Confirmation Class (San Juan Capistrano Mission), c. 1897 Fannie Eliza Duvall (1861-1934) Oil on canvas; 20 x 30 in. Bowers Museum 8214 Gift of Miss Vesta A. Olmstead and Miss Frances Campbell CALIFORNIA MODULE ONE: INTRO / FOCUS QUESTIONS 5 MODULE FOUR: GENRE PAINTING 29 Impressionism: Rebels and Realists 5 Cityscapes 30 Focus Questions 7 Featured Artist: Fannie Eliza Duvall 33 Timeline:
    [Show full text]
  • The Origins and Meanings of Non-Objective Art by Adam Mccauley
    The Origins and Meanings of Non-Objective Art The Origins and Meanings of Non-Objective Art Adam McCauley, Studio Art- Painting Pope Wright, MS, Department of Fine Arts ABSTRACT Through my research I wanted to find out the ideas and meanings that the originators of non- objective art had. In my research I also wanted to find out what were the artists’ meanings be it symbolic or geometric, ideas behind composition, and the reasons for such a dramatic break from the academic tradition in painting and the arts. Throughout the research I also looked into the resulting conflicts that this style of art had with critics, academia, and ultimately governments. Ultimately I wanted to understand if this style of art could be continued in the Post-Modern era and if it could continue its vitality in the arts today as it did in the past. Introduction Modern art has been characterized by upheavals, break-ups, rejection, acceptance, and innovations. During the 20th century the development and innovations of art could be compared to that of science. Science made huge leaps and bounds; so did art. The innovations in travel and flight, the finding of new cures for disease, and splitting the atom all affected the artists and their work. Innovative artists and their ideas spurred revolutionary art and followers. In Paris, Pablo Picasso had fragmented form with the Cubists. In Italy, there was Giacomo Balla and his Futurist movement. In Germany, Wassily Kandinsky was working with the group the Blue Rider (Der Blaue Reiter), and in Russia Kazimer Malevich was working in a style that he called Suprematism.
    [Show full text]
  • The Art Story: Comparison: Abstract Vs. Figurative Art
    The Art Story: Comparison: Abstract vs. Figurative Art HOME | ABOUT US | CONTACT US | SUPPORT US Stay informed on the latest news, exhibitions and events in modern art. TEXT SIZE PRINT PAGE Abstract vs. Figurative Art Questions over the meaning, origin, and necessity of abstract art have formed some of the central riddles of modern art. The answers to them can seem even more remote now that contemporary painting encompasses veins of both abstraction and figuration. This wasn't always the case: during the years when Abstract Expressionism flourished, figuration was shunned by the most advanced artists, and for reasons which date back to the late 1930s. Below we examine all the terms in this debate: abstraction; figuration (abstraction's opposite for much of the twentieth century); and the concept of 'representation,' which critics have come to use more often since the 1970s, which acknowledges that abstract and figurative art are not as different as they might seem. ABSTRACT ART DEFINITION FIGURATIVE ART Almost all art is abstract art, if we take abstraction to be a process of drawing inspiration Imitation, or realistic representation, has been one of the goals of visual art since the earliest from the shape, color and texture of objects. Artists have "abstracted" from the world times - the ancients called it mimesis. During some periods artists have striven to create the around them since prehistoric times. But it was not until the early twentieth century that effect of an illusion, with images that seem to extend the real, 3D space of the viewer. At abstraction began to be explored as an end in itself.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Possibilities of Contemporary Figurative Sculpture
    Dialectics of the hero: representing subjectivities -On the Possibilities of Contemporary Figurative Sculpture- A dissertation submitted by João Miguel Correia Gonçalves In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of Art Goldsmiths, University of London, September 2015 I hereby declare that this thesis is my own work and effort 1 Acknowledgments I would like to offer a huge thanks to my supervisors, Professor Andrea Phillips and Dr. John Chilver for all the generous support and time offered throughout the developing of this project. I also thank FCT, the Portuguese public funding agency for the support provided for this academic research and generously funded the project. Furthermore, I need to acknowledge the contribution of Rui Marcelino and Remigijus Raisys who have helped me to translate sculptural ideas into an interactive computing system for the practical component of the thesis. Finally, I owe a word of gratitude to my mother, Maria Magnífica Correia Vieira Gonçalves, for her infinite love, kindness and support during my time at Goldsmiths, University of London. 2 Abstract This thesis sets out to critically reposition contemporary figurative sculpture through a re- articulation of the hero. It starts by identifying the removal of the human figure in minimal art and with notions of objectivity, repetition and indifference. Here I argue against Donald Judd, Robert Morris and Rosalind E. Krauss, by claiming that there is a necessity to reflect upon the sculptural object and the subject beyond that which is produced by the principles outlined by these artists and critics. Working through readings of Judith Butler, Alain Badiou, Hannah Arendt, Bernard Stiegler, Jacques Lacan and others, the argument establishes the contingency and polemics of the term hero, the way it pertains to the introduction of the new and how it coalesces action and narrative with constant negotiation.
    [Show full text]
  • Not for the Uncommitted: the Alliance of Figurative Artists, 1969–1975 By
    Not for the Uncommitted: The Alliance of Figurative Artists, 1969–1975 By Emily D. Markert Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Curatorial Practice California College of the Arts April 22, 2021 Not for the Uncommitted: The Alliance of Figurative Artists, 1969–1975 Emily Markert California College of the Arts 2021 From 1969 through the early 1980s, hundreds of working artists gathered on Manhattan’s Lower East Side every Friday at meetings of the Alliance of Figurative Artists. The art historical canon overlooks figurative art from this period by focusing on a linear progression of modernism towards medium specificity. However, figurative painters persisted on the periphery of the New York art world. The size and scope of the Alliance and the interests of the artists involved expose the popular narrative of these generative decades in American art history to be a partial one promulgated by a few powerful art critics and curators. This exploration of the early years of the Alliance is divided into three parts: examining the group’s structure and the varied yet cohesive interests of eleven key artists; situating the Alliance within the contemporary New York arts landscape; and highlighting the contributions women artists made to the Alliance. Keywords: Post-war American art, figurative painting, realism, artist-run galleries, exhibitions history, feminist art history, second-wave feminism Acknowledgments and Dedication I would foremost like to thank the members of my thesis committee for their support and guidance. I am grateful to Jez Flores-García, my thesis advisor, for encouraging rigorous and thoughtful research and for always making time to discuss my ideas and questions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Influence of Norm-Violating Abstract Artists in Modern Day Society William Caycedo University of Amsterdam Bachelor Thesis S
    The Influence of Norm-Violating Abstract Artists in Modern Day Society William Caycedo University of Amsterdam Bachelor Thesis Social Psychology W.M. Caycedo 10196668 20-05-2015 Supervisor: Eftychia Stamkou Abstract The current research investigated how influential norm violating artists have been in modern culture. Abstract and figurative artists that were active between 1900 and 1950 were studied to investigate if violating the norm was a determinant for abstract artists to gain influence. It was hypothesized that artists that have produced abstract art in the period of 1900-1950 have been more influential in modern culture than artists that have produced figurative art in the same time period. Based on the theory of idiosyncrasy credits by Hollander (1958), it was also hypothesized that artists that have produced both abstract and figurative art have been more influential than artists that have produced only abstract or figurative art. Artists were found on the Internet and their influence was measured by documenting street names, landmarks, movies and books that were made/named after or in respect to the artists, the amount of Google hits when searching for a certain artist and the amount of works represented in museums around the world. Results show that abstract artists have been somewhat more influential than figurative artists and that artists that have produced both figurative art and abstract art have been somewhat more influential than artists that have produced only figurative or abstract art. However, no definitive statements could be made. The Influence of Norm-Violating Abstract Artists In Modern Day Society Social norms are crucial to a full understanding of human behavior and are described by Cialdini et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Figurative Sculpture in Paper Clay
    FIGURATIVE SCULPTURE IN PAPER CLAY A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ART AND DESIGN EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF FINE ARTS by Valarie G. Lyle August 2001 Ralph Slatton, Chair Dr. James C. Mills Don Davis Keywords: Paper clay, Figurative sculpture, Figurative Ceramics, Georges Jeanclos, Stephen De Staebler, Mary Frank ABSTRACT The artist discusses her Master of Fine Arts exhibition at East Tennessee State University, Carroll Reece Museum, Johnson City, Tennessee, March 9 - 17, 2001. The exhibition marked her return to organic, gestural work. Works are figurative, ceramic, sculpture, made of paper clay, ranging from 8-inch, wall mounted, bas-relief to life sized, full round figures. Most are slab constructed, unglazed or lightly glazed with soda wash. Topics discussed: the artist’s development, including the influences of Stephen De Staebler, in his treatment of the indi- vidual in mass culture, and of Mary Frank, in psychological content and in the use of negative space; similarities with sensuality in Georgia O’Keeffe’s flower paintings; paper clay technique and the work of Rosette Gault; ceramic workshops in Appalachia; mythology and feminism as inspiration; the effect of nature and environment on art; and Georges Jeanclos. Includes images and discussion of seventeen works and a brief video of the exhibit. page 2 © COPYRIGHT 2001, VAL LYLE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Design consultant: Michael Garrett. Photographs of current works by Tim Barnwell, Chris Stewart, and Val Lyle. All other photos and digital video by Val Lyle, unless otherwise noted.
    [Show full text]
  • “Just What Was It That Made U.S. Art So Different, So Appealing?”
    “JUST WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE U.S. ART SO DIFFERENT, SO APPEALING?”: CASE STUDIES OF THE CRITICAL RECEPTION OF AMERICAN AVANT-GARDE PAINTING IN LONDON, 1950-1964 by FRANK G. SPICER III Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Adviser: Dr. Ellen G. Landau Department of Art History and Art CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY May, 2009 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES We hereby approve the thesis/dissertation of Frank G. Spicer III ______________________________________________________ Doctor of Philosophy candidate for the ________________________________degree *. Dr. Ellen G. Landau (signed)_______________________________________________ (chair of the committee) ________________________________________________Dr. Anne Helmreich Dr. Henry Adams ________________________________________________ Dr. Kurt Koenigsberger ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ December 18, 2008 (date) _______________________ *We also certify that written approval has been obtained for any proprietary material contained therein. Table of Contents List of Figures 2 Acknowledgements 7 Abstract 12 Introduction 14 Chapter I. Historiography of Secondary Literature 23 II. The London Milieu 49 III. The Early Period: 1946/1950-55 73 IV. The Middle Period: 1956-59: Part 1, The Tate 94 V. The Middle Period: 1956-59: Part 2 127 VI. The Later Period: 1960-1962 171 VII. The Later Period: 1963-64: Part 1 213 VIII. The Later Period: 1963-64: Part 2 250 Concluding Remarks 286 Figures 299 Bibliography 384 1 List of Figures Fig. 1 Richard Hamilton Just What Is It That Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing? (1956) Fig. 2 Modern Art in the United States Catalogue Cover Fig. 3 The New American Painting Catalogue Cover Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Art Market: Speculation on Figurative Art, Digital Fatigue, and the Growing Power of Paris
    Press Review Judith Benhamou, 'Art market: speculation on figurative art, digital fatigue, and the growing power of Paris. No crash on the horizon for now ...’, Judith Benhamou reports, January 2021 Art market: speculation on figurative art, digital fatigue, and the growing power of Paris. No crash on the horizon for now… David Hockney Safe haven and resilience All the art market specialists agree on at least one thing concerning the forecasts for 2021: there won’t be a crash. This is primarily because, as the dealer and Picasso collector David Nahmad explains: “art remains a safe haven at a time when there is still a lot of cash in circulation and few secure investments” ( See an interview of David Nahmad here). But also, according to François Curiel, chairman of Christie’s Europe, “there is no risk of collapse in 2021 because we have seen a resilience in all areas of the art market. There is a global demand for art. Chinese buyers Nicolas de Largilliere We are seeing significant activity in China including in areas which haven’t been ventured into until now.” He cites the example of “La belle strasbourgeoise”, a canvas by Nicolas de Largilliere, one of the most famous French portraitists from the late 17th and early 18th centuries, which sold to a Chinese buyer for 1.5 million euros on 16 September 2020. Ditto for a spectacular cabinet made by André Charles Boulle in around 1670, bought for 716,000 euros also by a Chinese buyer on 24 November 2020 at Christie’s in Paris. André-Charles Boulle (sold by Christie’s) Philippe Perrin Yet in the field of antique furnishings the dealer Philippe Perrin, based in Paris and London, admits that he has been particularly impacted by the disappearance of the fairs (See an other interview of Philippe Perrin here).
    [Show full text]
  • Edouard Manet
    Edouard Manet Edouard Manet (mah-NAY) 1832-1883 French Painter Edouard Manet was a transitional figure in 19th Vocabulary century French painting. He bridged the classical tradition of Realism and the new style of Impressionism—A style of art that originated in Impressionism in the mid-1800s. He was greatly 19th century France, which concentrated on influenced by Spanish painting, especially changes in light and color. Artists painted Velazquez and Goya. In later years, influences outdoors (en plein air) and used dabs of pure from Japanese art and photography also affected color (no black) to capture their “impression” of his compositions. Manet influenced, and was scenes. influenced by, the Impressionists. Many considered him the leader of this avant-garde Realism—A style of art that shows objects or group of artists, although he never painted a truly scenes accurately and objectively, without Impressionist work and personally rejected the idealization. Realism was also an art movement in label. 19th century France that rebelled against traditional subjects in favor of scenes of modern Manet was a pioneer in depicting modern life by life. generating interest in this new subject matter. He borrowed a lighter palette and freer brushwork Still life—A painting or drawing of inanimate from the Impressionists, especially Berthe Morisot objects. and Claude Monet. However, unlike the Impressionists, he did not abandon the use of black in his painting and he continued to paint in his studio. He refused to show his work in the Art Elements Impressionist exhibitions, instead preferring the traditional Salon. Manet used strong contrasts and Color—Color has three properties: hue, which is bold colors.
    [Show full text]
  • MALEVIČ Curated by Eugenia Petrova and Giacinto Di Pietrantonio
    BERGAMO 2 OCTOBER 2015 – 17 JANUARY 2016 GAMeC - Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea MALEVIČ Curated by Eugenia Petrova and Giacinto Di Pietrantonio The exhibition will offer an exhaustive portrait of a key 20th-century figure who experienced one of the most intense historical and artistic periods of the era. It will present approximately 70 works by Kazimir Malevich, alongside a large body of works by leading Russian artists who were part of the art movements of the early 20th century, as well as documents and videos. For the first time in Italy, GAMeC is hosting the revival of the show Victory over the Sun , the first complete work of music, art, poetry and theatre. From 2 October 2015 to 17 January 2016, GAMeC – Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Bergamo is hosting an important retrospective devoted to Kazimir Malevich (Kiev, 1878 – Leningrad [St Petersburg], 1935), a key 20th-century figure who experienced one of the most intense historical and artistic periods of the era. Curated by Eugenia Petrova , Vice-director of the State Russian Museum in St Petersburg, and Giacinto Di Pietrantonio , Director of GAMeC, the exhibition is co-produced by GAMeC and GAmm – Giunti Arte mostre musei, in collaboration with the State Russian Museum in St Petersburg. Unique in its completeness and because of the careful historical and critical investigation it has entailed, it will present approximately 70 works by Kazimir Malevich, alongside a large body of works by leading Russian artists who were part of the art movements of the early 20th century, as well as documents and videos.
    [Show full text]
  • Figurative Art and Feminism
    Re-presenting melancholy: Figurative art and feminism Christina Reading A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Brighton for the degree of Doctorate in Fine Art April 2015 The University of Brighton in collaboration with the University for the Creative Arts Re-presenting melancholy: Figurative art and feminism Re-presentations of women’s melancholic subjectivity by women figurative artists from different historical moments, canonical images of melancholy and theoretical accounts of melancholy are brought together to address the question: ‘What aspects of women’s experience of melancholy have women figurative artists chosen to represent historically and contemporaneously, and further what is the importance of these artworks for understanding the nature of women’s melancholic subjectivity today?’ The question is examined through an original juxtaposition of women’s figurative art history, theories of melancholy and the author’s own studio practice. Adopting and refining Griselda Pollock’s method of the Virtual Feminist Museum, the thesis elaborates a new critical and creative space to gather, re-read and make artwork to address the theme of women’s experiences of melancholy (Pollock, 2007). The author curates a ‘virtual feminist museum’ of women’s figurative art dealing with melancholy, past and present. Using Pollock’s model as a trigger, the research project sets up a space for interrogating what new meanings are revealed in relation to notions of melancholy by examining the overlaps, collisions and juxtapositions between the works the author has selected and the works the author has made. The artworks are theorised and interpreted by their relationship to the following discourses: the history of figurative art practice, melancholy and feminism; Freud’s foundational text ‘Mourning and melancholia’ (1917); and the examination of the author’s own representational multimedia studio practice.
    [Show full text]