Paul Gauguin is one of the great artist of the 19th century and the harbinger of the 20th century. I am lucky that there is to be a large retrospective of his work at the Tate Modern this autumn and I expect to be going some time. Due to the nature of this exhibition, it has generated several programmes and critical discussion about his work and of course, his life and times.
The BBC had a superb programme by Waldemar Januszczak- Gauguin -the Full Story. Originally, broadcast in 2003, it was a 2 hour tour-de-force covering from his early life in Peru through to Gauguin's grave in the South Pacific. By going through his life with the places he lived and showing paintings of his world. You gained a sense of the context for his paintings. The shift of colour from his more northern landscapes to the Breton and then beyond to the Pacific. Januszczak is a very good presenter and gives an enthusiasm to each work as well as informing and uncovering things that had been 'lost'.
Alastair Smart's article in the Telegraph puts the case for and against Gauguin. Both as an artist and as a person. The problem is that if you view history from your own period then you are judging by the criteria in some ways shaped by that point of history. The TV programme brought out this outsider's view of Gauguin being both outside of family, friends and culture. A French man brought up in Peru and then a global traveller. The case against him looks very strong from his own family and personal relationships viewpoint. Is this a case of his artistic passion superseding his other commitments, creating a narrative of the penniless creator who struggles until he is 'discovered'. Usually, after his death, so creating a myth of the lone prophet, the voice in the wilderness and whether he then became trapped in this myth partially of his own creation?
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
St David's Head
This photograph has been taken from Whitesands Bay, just below St David's head. It has been a place I have always come to, when visiting Pembrokeshire, whether researching Sutherland or a family holiday. I have always had it in my mind that that there is a picture here and have tried composite images to create the idea and picture, which looked OK and felt OK, but......
So I was some what amazed that this time, I quickly produced three sketches of the hill. First, a traditional - more interest in the composition of the picture, then a differing colouring, secondly, more an emotional response to the land. Thirdly, a sharper image in a large sketch book as I keep on being told not to draw across two pages, but A5 sketchbooks are easy to carry. On all of the images, I decided to leave out the sky colour as the white background left the image feeling more open.
Monday, September 13, 2010
War Artists in World War Two
There was a section on the Culture Show on BBC 2 about British War Artists during World War Two, a tradition that began in the First World War and continues today. Possibly, unique in the world?
There was a section on Graham Sutherland's work during the Blitz as well as some old film footage of Pembrokeshire and its relationship to some of this landscape work. I did make me re-consider this work as it viewing it looks scratchy as if he is knows there is something there, but not sure how to organise yet. I will be watching again and looking for others, besides Henry Moore, Paul Nash - who painted the iconic Battle of Britain image, John Piper.
There was a section on Graham Sutherland's work during the Blitz as well as some old film footage of Pembrokeshire and its relationship to some of this landscape work. I did make me re-consider this work as it viewing it looks scratchy as if he is knows there is something there, but not sure how to organise yet. I will be watching again and looking for others, besides Henry Moore, Paul Nash - who painted the iconic Battle of Britain image, John Piper.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Returning to Pembrokeshire
This summer, I went back to Pembrokeshire, staying in some places I had been too. I knew it was going to be exciting as I walked over a lot of the area in my research about Graham Sutherland and his work in the 80's. Picton Castle had created a gallery to show some of his later work there, but due to poor construction, the paintings deteriorated over time and the gallery was closed. These pieces of work were taken under the control of the National Museum of Wales and disappeared from view.
There was talk to of opening a new gallery on the A40 to make it more accessible to the general public and the possibility of opening another gallery at St Davids (the smallest city in the UK). Latterly, I discovered that this new gallery had been opened and had some of Sutherland's work on display beside other artists who had lived and worked in the area.
Having been away from this part of Wales for a decade or more, I had knew what to expect, but when you get there. It was like discovering the whole place over again. If I was on my own, I would have come back with a lot more work, but time dictated that I was busy in other areas. As has been mentioned before this part of Wales is very similar to Cornwall. This article appeared a month or two ago, and I would pick West Wales over Cornwall any day. The difference across the landscape is staggering moving from the rugged moor like landscape to the intimate coast rivers with hidden stretches of the river bank.
On a trip to Skomer Island, a small island off the coast of the Marloes area of the Pembrokeshire coast, which was a bird sanctuary as well with only the wardens living on it. I was surprised that there was wings of birds with the carcasses gone. Later found that there was a peregrine falcon that haunted the island as well preying on the rabbits as there were some skeletons lying around. The birds' wings reminded me of shorn wings by angels in stepping down to earth. Islands had a mystical quality in Celtic mythology being associated with the 'otherworld'. The placed did have a unique atmosphere to it.
Sutherland had become to incorporate both animals and people into this work and seeing this lost wings, made me wonder if these remains had started the process.
There was talk to of opening a new gallery on the A40 to make it more accessible to the general public and the possibility of opening another gallery at St Davids (the smallest city in the UK). Latterly, I discovered that this new gallery had been opened and had some of Sutherland's work on display beside other artists who had lived and worked in the area.
Having been away from this part of Wales for a decade or more, I had knew what to expect, but when you get there. It was like discovering the whole place over again. If I was on my own, I would have come back with a lot more work, but time dictated that I was busy in other areas. As has been mentioned before this part of Wales is very similar to Cornwall. This article appeared a month or two ago, and I would pick West Wales over Cornwall any day. The difference across the landscape is staggering moving from the rugged moor like landscape to the intimate coast rivers with hidden stretches of the river bank.
On a trip to Skomer Island, a small island off the coast of the Marloes area of the Pembrokeshire coast, which was a bird sanctuary as well with only the wardens living on it. I was surprised that there was wings of birds with the carcasses gone. Later found that there was a peregrine falcon that haunted the island as well preying on the rabbits as there were some skeletons lying around. The birds' wings reminded me of shorn wings by angels in stepping down to earth. Islands had a mystical quality in Celtic mythology being associated with the 'otherworld'. The placed did have a unique atmosphere to it.
Sutherland had become to incorporate both animals and people into this work and seeing this lost wings, made me wonder if these remains had started the process.
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