As Eddie Cochran sang..........

There is somethng that has been itching to be noted here and it relates back to the last lecture we had with Dr David Brancaleone on colour. I am fairly sure that I did not comment on at the time on this subject.
He mentioned a person who developed very strong theories on colour and  I thought that he had been going to speak about Josef Albers whose book on colour theory is fascinating (Interaction of Colour -1963) and whose colour studies such the various 'Homage to the Square' pieces are wonderful, but particularly when seen 'for real':

However, this was not who he meant. The person in question was Johannes Itten and at the time I was sure I had heard his name before and upon digging a bit I remembered that I had read about him in a book with tthe glorious title of :

Now you may think that this is just another populist art book but there is actually a good deal more to it than that, not least in chapters on conceptual art and Arte Povera, and for someone who was unfamiliar with the intricacies of the isms of modern art it is a good introduction. Will Gompertz has been art critic with the BBC.

I read all sorts about art.

Anyway back to Johannes Itten. It was in this book that I discovered his connection with the Bauhuas but that his teaching methods brought him into conflict with the more rationalist approach of Gropius. He did, howver produce one thing that really got my attention and it was a way of pictorialising the colour circle with attendant secondaries in a way I had never seen before:

 

 

What always amazes me about these diagrams is the arbitrary decisions on the primaries - but lets face it art is subjective -n'est-ce pas?

Sorry about all that - a bit of a self-indulgence, but just one final thing about the book - what attracted me to the review I read was a picture of the map inside the front cover -

The modern movements and artists as the stations - Ok it's a bit gimmicky but if it would get people past money and Hirst, might it not be worthwhile?

Rant over -todays episode

 

 

The Spot Diary

 

 

 

 

 

Right angle bend in the path.

Well there you are - it has happened again.
The tutorial system in LSAD Year 1 definitely works because once more I was inflicting a certain amount of darkness on my self regarding where I was with my project -seemed to be running into the sand a little and thinking had got blurred.
Thereupon my tutor Mary Nagle appeared and we had a long look at the present state of my animations and it was felt that I needed to vary them somewhat and a few ideas were suggested which will be pursued.
However as she was looking at the set of images I am at the moment using to make a monoprint the idea was put forward that I might build this exactly as it is...........but big.

Monday morning!

...........progress will be documented.

I should have reported that on Tuesday I was with Elaine Riordan for a 3D on paper manipulation and the first steps were taken in building Smithwicks Brewery:

 

(In passing, Mary Nagle was very interested in the fact that an image like this could be acquired from a phone camera -in my case an iPhone 3  - the same instrument that has been used for most of my pictures).

Yes this is the self-same brewery in Kilkenny picture taken unfortunately after I had begun to work on my print using Ralston Crawfords painting of Maitland Bridge  no 2;

 

The procedure of building this with paper could prove challenging and already a bottle of detergent at home has lost its nicely domed cap to art. Elaine also kindly loaned me a little book on paper in architectural design -I had to find out what a 'spline curve'  was and no I cant explain it  - far too mathematical  -but beautiful works in the book. I don't know how much of a maker I am but I would love to be able to do these.

 

First I have to master plaiting straws!

 

OK its time

 

The Spot Diary

 

 

 

 

The path of paper leaves

Spent a large part of the day in the library working on source material for second CCS essaywhich involves an anaytical examination of two paintings  -Ingres : the Turkish Bath (1862 ):

 

 

and Picasso: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907):

I have, in my mind a fairly good idea of what I wish to say and I won't yet elaborate; suffice to say that when I was young I read a biography of Picassso by Pierre Daix (1965) and found it extremely sycophantic. It tainted my mind rather irrationally against Picasso, I suppose, but a  book read a bit  later, by John Berger -The Success and Failure of Picasso' (1965)- acted as a restorative. Pierre Daix is of course a very good friend of the artist and thus perhaps not best qualified to be objective. It took me a while to start to look properly at Picasso to try to dissociate the artist from such material. I wasnt very objective then.
.........Or maybe I know a bit more now.

Was rather washed out last night and because of the busyness of the day your favourite feature did not appear. Today, however

The Spot Diary:

 

 

 

 

 

Steel wheels, Metal path

On the train, on the way in and reading on the computer when I discovered that I had wronged an artist by incorrect spelling.

Tomma Abts  - not Abets - and looking at more of her work I would have to say it really speaks to me:

 

Meko  - 2006

 

Her method of work isvery interesting- no preliminary drawings, no thought, just paint. I would love to see the real thing because apparently the paint is very thick.

More later today, and I will have to see if I can sort out why that vid would not appear.

Four wheels on the path

 

Hopefully that video will load because it is a source of some amusement, rage, frustration und so weiter...

 

 

Good! Now anybody familiar with my projects will see that Channel 4 and the Turner
Prize committee are guilty of serious plagiarism.

They have obviously seen Hard Edge World and Shutter World and decided they liked them -
I wonder if I am due any royalties or should I sue for breach of intellectual property rights?

Maybe I should just be pleased!


Busy day today what with one thing and an other: making and cutting and listening and watching and of course a little painting:

The Spot Diary

At Rest .....

Well........after a fashion.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqFn4aQG2T4&feature=plcp

 

 

 

A large part of the weekend has been taken up with the above, but while it is quite labour-intensive it is also a lot of fun doing something so new - to me, that is.

You might note that I mentioned Norman McLaren - well thank you for the name but I probably spent too much time looking at his work. I have no intention of putting in his 'Dots' because it would become too apparent how primitive my own effort is but  one short  shows how he worked with film and I presume the same would have applied to Len Lye:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0vgZv_JWfM

 

Ps.Once again the videos while loading here did not show up in the published version so I have added the links.

 

 

Another small achievement was to discover a programme which has allowed me to scan my own books directly to the computer so I have managed to pick up on a few of those names from Friday morning which showed up in the Taschen Art Now series (Vols 1, 2, and 3): and I must say there were a couple of artists I loved because of their approach: Tomma Abets ( b. 1967) with her terrific combinations of acrylic and oil to produce those descendants of Kelly, Newman and Stella:

 

 

Keke -2006

 

 

Weet -2006

 

Another was Thomas Demand (b. 1964 ) whose photographed set-ups are quite eerie:

 

 

Above: Gate ; Below : Kitchen   - both from 2004

Apologies for quality of reproduction, but at worst they give an indication of the artists work; the scanner is rather basic as is my technique in using it - hopefuly, the latter at least will improve.

 

So to another week.

 

Peripatetic Path

I'll explain it to you another time.

The weeks fly by - Iwas reading back over my small note/sketchbook on the train yesterday and I saw where I had written  ' imagine: three weeks gone already' ; I couldnt resist an entry after Rodchenko's poster:

 

 

 

 

Ok,Ok, I know its a bit crummy, but it was just an off-the-cuff idea on the train.

Fair enough - lets have the real thing:

Alexander Rodchenko - Poster 1919

 

As I say, time is really movinmg and this morning we had crit with Sylvia Shortall and when one has to stand and speak for one's work it is testing; it forces you to crystallise ideas and to attempt to put some order on teeming chaotic thoughts. It is intimidating but good for the self-discipline and it is noticeable how everybody is getting better at speaking as they feel their way into their projects.

The tutor's ability to find references for almost any work and to produce an artist relevant to specific students was encyclopaedic and I will be working all next week to look up many who were not familiar to me.

Following the crit, apart from the animations which have some way to go, I have a idea for a 3D piece the carcase of which I have made since I came home today. It won't be very big but it will combine  the basic concept of edge with one or two other ideas. I won't expand on this until I see how it develops.

 

 

I am now working on a essay assessing Ingres 'Turkish Bath' and Picasso's 'Demoiselles d'Avignon' so probably no more this weekend,

 

but, of course..........

 

The Spot Diary

The path firms up once more

So, I hope we are going to New York??!!  C'mon lads, those who said they wanted to go - it'll be a great trip!

More printwork this morning - the beginnings of a monoprint -a bit ham-fisted I would have to say but we have to start somewhere and when I get a bit farther on with them I will put up some pictures.

Meanwhile here are some of what I was doing before with the woodblock print and some proofs of the second cut.

Second Cut

Original by Ralston Crawford
                                                                                                                            Second cut proof


A while back, I was at an exhibition in the Gkucksman in Cork and I saw this woodcut which I really liked:

 

and the artist............Josef Albers  - rather different than most of the rest of what was on view (Terrific!)

 

Self-portrait -MaxPechstein 1906

 

I really do love the uncompromising harshness - and, yes - edge of monchrome wood or lino cuts -

hopefully,eventually I can approach this.

Was only able to see part of Mark Harris' lecture -was  surprising and I felt a little roe-tinted in the view of the counter-culture. It wasnt always great for the kids of the people in the communes, I think.

I also feel he ought to have mentioned Aldous Huxleys book on psychotropic drugs - 'The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell' -  even though it was originally published in 1954 and was about mescalin.

 

Ok -  its time:

 

The Spot Diary

 

Quicksand

I wrote that title during the afternoon and then got called away - it looks a bit pretentious at this time of night but sometimes one is just at a bit of a loose end and a shallow low sweeps in from the Atlantic.

Well, thankfully the barometer has risen again and thanks in no small measure to a fascinating dip into colour as a vital component of making art. Dr Brancaleone warmed the coolest of blues and once again one of my longest favourites figured strongly with 'The Portrait of a Bridal Pair' -a picture of deeply felt affection. There has never been anyone better than Rembrandt at evoking human feeling -in portraits of himself or others. I have loved his work as long as I can remember consciously looking at paintings.

It's late and I'm tired; I hope to do more print work tomorrow so I will then update on where I am going with that.

Only one thing left today:

 

The Spot Diary

 

 

Carving the Path

Print today - but lots of carving of the medite block first. At present, I have, regrettably, no pictures because hands or even gloves, covered with ink do not make for the best instruments for handling a camera.
Will take some pictures of the block, the subject and some of the proofs tomorrow.

However, here is the latest animation:

Red on Black

Soundtrack : Desire by Anna Calvi


- I feel like one of those radio programmes :'There is an unavoidable interruption due to technical difficulties  - normal sevice will be resumed as soon as possible'.

OK - I couldnt get it from YouTube for some reason but got it another way:


ehhhhh - that'd  be a no.....again

Problems here-  further bulletins will eventuate.


http://youtu.be/Bp6XszY807I

OK this is the best I can do for now till I get some advice

 

Lot of red and black here this evening - a bit like something from 'The Masque of the Red Death'

Remember Vincent Price?

Anyway

 

The Spot Diary:

 

The path feels like glue

That title is accurate -today, anyway -but I will survive  -  mar a deireann an amhrán!

That business of coincidence recurred this morning. On the train in to Limerick I have been reading a book by John Berger called 'About Looking' (1980)

Great visage
  - a collection of his articles -  when I came across one simply titled  'Paul Strand'. This really is surprising because up to a few weeks ago I hadn't heard of Paul Strand and you may have noted my recent interest in the Precisionists of whom he was one and only a couple of days ago I posted one of his films.
I am beginning to wonder if Arthur Koestler knew something.

Mary Nagle gave us an introduction to typography today and one particular area of mention struck a chord - metal and other things on the ground. On my way to the station this pm I was not in such a rush so I picked up on a few interesting visuals:

The Spot Diary:

Sharp stones on the path - thin shoes

Ok,ok,ok.........I was a bit hasty (as usual) in my comments about semiotics, but I was recording honestly  my reactions to image reading at the tutorial the other day.
Just now, I was re-reading seminar on semiotics from October 1, which I believe was given by Patricia Green, and which I really should have remembered for the name the ham sandwich acquired.
Anyway, reading it again was good because it clarified the terminology and expanded considerably on the subject of codes.
All that is very good, however I still hold to my position on the subjectivity of the discipline which I note is referred to as I 'tradition'. Equally, I still wonder about who or what originates the codes.
I'll leave it alone -for now -but I would love to discuss this further at some length, in the future.

Here are some strange pictures:

 

And you thought that Escher was simply fantasy! I came across a similar image in the travel section of Saturday's Guardian and was immediately grabbed.

This is a step-well in Chand Baori,Abhaneri, Rajasthan, India. It was built (dug?) in the 10th century and is 20 metres or 11 stories deep.

The world is full of fascinating stimuli.

So saying, I would like to refer back to a pointer Sylvia Shortall gave me the other day when we were discussing animation. She mentioned the Eames's and their chair. It tickled my memory but I couldn't quite place it until I saw the chair then I recalled it:

 

 

 

It really is well-known but it is not their only famous piece of design:

 

This was the first stackable mass-produced chair which led to what we all know and love:

 

 

[wow! I have just heard a guy announcing sport on the radio who says his name is Adrian Eames - what a coincidence -I told you the world is a fascinating place; by the way, a writer who has now fallen out of favour - Arthur Koestler - maintained there was no such thing as coincidence: he said  in a book called'The Roots of Coincidence' that everything was connected by an underlying  'net of synchronicity' - there: stuff you didn't need to know!]

 

Charles and Ray Eames were a husband and wife design team who also produced a number of very interesting short instructional films one of which we saw in the orientation week -'Powers of Ten'.

 

An earlier one - 'A Communications Primer'- used animation techniques which came up later in ' Powers of Ten':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byyQtGb3dvA

 

This one is about twenty minutes so I just put the link in, but another one of theirs which relates to the house they designed and built (apparently in a few days - all prefabricated components ) and lived in happily for years is worth looking at for the coolness of the imagery:

 

 

OK that was a rather rambling pst but we will put it down to it being Sunday and a day of rest(?!)

 

Tomorrow - The Spot Diary

 

 

 

Weekend armchair path

This came in an email from Kerlin gallery this morning and is the work of a young Irish artist called Aleanna Egan born in Dublin in 1979 and now living between Dublin and  Berlin. Most of her exhibitions seem to have been in Europe hitherto. Once again edge and line are to the fore -will have to get up there to see that.

(ps -got that slightly wrong  - this was only a notice that they are representing her now  - no exhibition yet  --- pity,that .......... apologies for misleading)

As I am here now, I would like to comment on  a tutorial the other day from Fiona Wood(s?)
which I hasten to say was great, but during the course of a presentation on how to read an image the subject semiotics of came up. I first head of this a good few years ago when I read a book called 'The Name of the Rose' by Umberto Eco. I looked him up and he proved to be a professor of Semiotics (or Semiology?) in Italy. I investigated a bit and came across the whole terminology of signs and signifiers.I found it very interesting but always had a faint sense of unease.
That surfaced the other afternoon when suddenly I felt that so much of semiotics is or appears to be subjective. Who decides the codes? How can one have a science whose 'standards' appear to be based on a subjective view?
To an extent, these are rhetorical questions, and as it is obviously a well-established discipline(?) I am missing something critical so further study is required.
Rant over....but I remain to be convinced .

It's only Saturday moring so Im sure I'll be back here giving out or raving about something else before Monday. 

The path is strewn with quavers.

I can't believe that!.....You dont know what a quaver is?? - Art isn't just about eyes you know - ears are important too.

Anyway, I promised that The Spot Diary would be up every day, but I nearly didn't make it tonight because I have just come in from a musical event with Julie Feeney. I know that sounds a bit po-faced but a concert would be too much and she's not really a gigger  --- no, she's just fantastic! Her new album was released last night and I got my copy and she signed it for me - just an aging groupie!!
She has a new video and when I can find it, it will be posted.

Ok -enough of that -to the main business of the evening:

The Spot Diary: