Monday 14 May 2007


Here is the face in close up detail of St.Theresa. We can admire the work of a genius. His masterly making of a true facial expression is amazing.
"HE HAS DELIBERATELY CAST ASIDE ALL RESTRAINT, AND CARRIED US TO A PITCH OF EMOTION WHICH ARTISTS HAD SO FAR SHUNNED ".


Bernini has succeeded in achieving a very realistic expression on his sculptures. In particular on the face of St.Theresa. The eyes are not exactly closed although rested on their lids slightly and seem to be closed as an act to show humility and awe. This is almost giving the impression that St.Theresa is covering her identity in order to allow the heavens to shine on to her in all its power and glory. Possibly the light is also very bright, too bright for her to look straight into it. Her mouth is as if gasping out in agony for all that is wrong and also ecstacy for the divinity of the heavens shining all around. It appears that she is in an exquisite moment while experiencing extreme pleasure and also extreme pain. A work of religious art which exceeds limits. "BERNINI'S ALTAR MAY LEGITIMATELY BE USED TO AROUSE THE FEELINGS OF FERVID EXULTATION AND MYSTIC TRANSPORT AT WHICH THE ARTISTS OF THE BAROQUE WERE AIMING, WE MUST ADMIT THAT BERNINI HAS ACHIEVED THIS AIM IN A MASTERLY FASHION "...






SOL LE WITT

An artist brought up by his mother at the age of six, when his father died. He was greatly inspired, needless to say, by Piero della Francesa's frescoes, also by portraits by Velasquez. In 1962, Sol Le Witt, freely brushed his way into completing studies in ink, named, "WORKING DRAWINGS". He began to focus mainly on form in primary structures taken from basic units. He then moved on towards the more sculptural in taking diamond formed structures.

Sol Le Witt has struggled to eventually be recognised as a conceptual artist- i.e. not belonging to the MINIMALISTS. He had very strong, clear views involved. This was more important than the actual crafting. "HE BELIEVED IN THE ARTIST AS THINKER RATHER THAN CRAFTSMAN ".

Sunday 13 May 2007


"BEAUTY IS NOT SOMETHING CALM AND REASSURING, ORDERLY AND RATIONAL-

GREAT BEAUTY STIRS US AT VERY DEEP LEVELS ".


I agree with this statement, it is an idea which forms the basis for my artwork. Harry Eyers conveys his statement in a clever and original way:

He points out that the conventional sense of beauty is not always true to the heart. In fact he states that there is something much more compelling, much more powerful and which is not readily recognised. He speaks of this unsettling idea and the connection between terror and beauty. To covey this he refers to the play, "ACTAEON".


THE YOUNG HUNTSMAN STUMBLES UPON THE GODDESS, ARTEMIS, WHILE SHE IS BATHING AND IS INSTANTLY SMITTEN! ARTEMIS, OR DIANA HAPPENS TO BE THE GODDESS OF CHASTITY AND HUNT. ACTAEON( the hunter) BEING MORTAL OUGHT HAS MADE A HUGE MISTAKE IN SEEING HER NAKED! THE GODDESS CHANGES HIM INTO A STAG! AND THEN SETS HIS OWN HOUNDS UPON HIM!!! TUT! TUT!

Friday 11 May 2007


" I DON'T THINK I AM TRYING TO FREAK PEOPLE OUT. I'M SAYING , LET'S THINK ABOUT THIS PLACE..."


Peter Aspen writes an article here, which captures my attention. He talks to the widely celebrated artist, Antony Gormley. In the article, Aspen enquires as to his most recent work, Hayward Gallery, London. In this show Gormley wishes to demonstrate, in a physical presence, using casts of his own body, how the everyday is overlooked or missed out. "MY CONTENTION IS, PERHAPS WE SHOULD BE MORE IN TUNE WITH OUR OWN INTERNAL SPACE," he says.
Here on the right is his most famous and celebrated works, "ANGEL OF THE NORTH".

Thursday 10 May 2007


The "monstosity" a cast of entirior of 193 Grove road, in Bow, Eastend London. ( side view)

"House" is a cast of the entirity of the inside of Eastend typical victorian housing. This was the odd one out, the only one remaining. It is huge, heavey and ugly in appearance which portrays the reality of her disappointment at all the previous houses that have been demolished before it.


Whiteread started by making smaller sized casts from domestic objects. These were objects such as hot-water bottles, vases and then matresses before going on to repeat the same process over and over and then on a larger scale. She progressed afterwards on to making casts of rooms and whole buildings.

















Richard Long walking a distance to create a line in the landscape,
Tony Cragg made a self-portrait with a mixture of coloured household, everyday and found objects, mostly broken and made of plastic.
Most of these objects are plates, tools, children's toys, plant pots and bottles.
He has also used household cleaning product containers and parts off furniture.