Context
1.Uman’s solo exhibition Darling sweetie, sweetie daring at Hauser&Wirth
2.Art Basel Hongkong 2024
3.Reading group: Mark Dion and Unnatural Histories
4.Reading Group: Eva Heese with Gavin Edmonds
3.Reading Group: Roger Robinson: Experiments in Art Writing
with Anna Bunting-Branch
Uman’s solo exhibition Darling sweetie，Exhibition view
Uman’s solo exhibition Darling sweetie, sweetie daring at Hauser&Wirth
This year I saw Uman's solo exhibition at Hauser & Wirth. What struck me most about the exhibition was the vibrant, intense colours, vividness and impact of her images. She also presented some large-scale paintings in this exhibition that were interactive with the audience.
I think her control of colour in her paintings is something I need to learn. In her paintings she combines oil paints, acrylics, oil sticks and collage materials. Under the strong impact of her paintings, I also notice the different arrangement of areas in her images, which I think is something I can learn in my own images. The colours and geometric shapes in her images seem to be random, but in fact I think they are created after much thought and comparison. I can learn from her images how to use contrasting colours, different shades of colours, different sizes of colours, different thicknesses of paints, and different mediums of paints (e.g. oil paints, acrylics, markers, and oil sticks), to build up a sense of space and deal with the relationship between density and spacing in a picture. (Here I would like to add how to deal with the relationship between the front and back of the picture in the theory book.) When observing her works, I found that many of her works look like they have not been primed on the canvas first. I think this way may be able to show the granularity of the canvas, and the texture of the paint penetrating into the canvas.
In her exhibition, I also looked at her personal sketchbook, and I could notice that her oil paintings might have evolved from a large number of small sketches on oil stick, which I think is a very good way of creation, and I can solve the problems of colour matching, spatial density, and spatial composition in my paintings by using the way of small sketches on oil stick.
At the same time her images remind me of what Kandinsky mentioned in his "On the Spirit of Art" that since colours and forms are almost countless, their combinations and influences are equally endless. I try to analyse UMAN's picture through the influence of form on colour as mentioned by Kandinsky. Kandinsky: "This essential connection between colour and form brings us to the question of the influences of form on colour. Form alone, even A triangle (without the accessory consideration of its being acute- or obtuse- angled or equilateral) has a power of inner suggestion. A triangle (without the accessory consideration of its being acute- or obtuse- angled or equilateral) has a spiritual value of its own. The case is similar with a circle, a square, or any conceivable geometrical figure. As above, with the red, we have here a subjective substance in an objective shell. As above, with the red, we have here a subjective substance in an objective shell.
The mutual influence of form and colour now becomes clear. A yellow triangle, a blue circle, a green square, or a green triangle, a yellow circle, a blue square - all these are different and have the same meaning. A yellow triangle, a blue circle, a green square, or a green triangle, a yellow circle, a blue square - all these are different and have different spiritual values."(Batchelor, 2008)
Different forms and colours and patterns have different effects, and in her work Uman combines different geometric patterns to depict worlds rich in detail and colour, while at the same time being full of dynamics and textures, geometries and evocations of the sublime.
I tried to imagine which of my graphic shortcomings would be very prominent if my works were exhibited in the same space, or even on one wall. I think it must be the lack of thought and arrangement of my images, the lack of appropriate contrasts and relationships between colours, the lack of care in the choice of colours (e.g. the relationship between adjacent colours, the relationship between superimposed colours, the spatial relationship between the same colours, the lack of spatial texture, the sense of completion, the lack of emotion conveyed by the unity of colours in the image). (The colour blocks do not have enough spatial texture, sense of completion and emotion transmission in a unified colour block).
After seeing Uman's exhibition, I feel that I have been inspired, for example, I think I should pay attention to the tightness and looseness of the images in my next creations, just like the rhythm of speed and slowness in a song, combining improvisation and thinking before I put down the brushstrokes. I think I have been relying too much on my intuition and feelings, which is not always a good thing for my creation, I should go through some small sketches, and test and arrange them on a small canvas or paper in advance before I paint on a large size canvas.
Batchelor, D. (2008) Colour. Londen: Whitechapel Gallery.
Art Basel Hongkong 2024
Thoughts on watching Art Basel Hongkong 2024
In March, I went to Art Basel in Hong Kong, where many famous galleries and artists participated. I was able to see many classic artists such as Kandinsky, Miro, Giorgio de Chirico and Schiele. I was also impressed by the works of other artists who are well known in contemporary art today, such as Katz, Natisa Jones, Philip Guston, Keisuke Araki, Aks Misyuta and many others. I think I had a very different experience from visiting an exhibition in a gallery or a museum, because in my opinion, because of the art fairs, it's not the same as visiting a museum. Because in my opinion, since art fairs are more oriented towards the sales angle, this experience also triggered my thinking. I tried to experience the fair from both the viewer's (collector's) perspective and the artist's perspective. If I were a collector I would be more interested in the decorative works of artists with potential to increase in value, while if I were an artist learning from my peers, I would be more inclined to learn about the stories behind the artworks, the themes of the artworks and the way the artist expresses the themes and ideas in a way that connects with the viewer in an easy way. The idea of how to connect and dialogue with the viewer only.
In looking at the works of the Basel exhibition, I think there is a big difference between the young artists and the middle-aged artists. In the works of the young artists, I feel the boldness in experimenting and combining mediums, as well as their use of different and innovative materials to create a sense of atmosphere related to the theme of their creations. I felt as if I was experiencing a different world and a different voice from the artists' point of view while being in close contact with their works.
At the same time, I also noticed that some of the artists who were often active in major fairs and exhibitions in the past few years are slowly losing their popularity, and even not appearing anymore. This makes me wonder and panic. I feel that an artist who is exposed and marketed too early may hasten the end of his artistic career. So I reflected on my own studies and creations, thinking about what I should do next if I am to remain an artist.
After seeing the Basel Fair, I went back to the British National Gallery to see the historical classics, and I think there is a very big contrast between the two. At the same time, in the impression they gave me, I deeply reflected on what I needed to improve in my mentality in unit2 creation. I now think that if I want to take painting as my career in the next few decades, I should slow down and concentrate on my subject matter. I should spend more time on pondering the picture, trying different forms and materials, learning the methods of the masters in their classic works, such as space, composition, brushstrokes, the thickness of the colours, the colour combinations, and learning how the masters created the sense of atmosphere in the picture. Instead, like the creation of Unit 1, I am in a hurry to paint a complete picture and focus on the effect of the picture.
At the same time, after this visit to the Basel Fair, I remembered that a friend had asked me what kind of artist I wanted to be, and I never knew how to answer. His response was that he wanted to be an artist like Richter and make painting a lifelong endeavour. For me, I hope I can paint for the rest of my life, but which artist's life as a role model, maybe I need to find the answer slowly.
3.Reading group: Mark Dion and Unnatural Histories
Reading group: Mark Fairnington and Unnatural Histories
At the beginning of the article, it is mentioned that the microscope had an impact on Victorian culture, not only in science, but also in the art of the same period.
Inspired by this article, I think I can learn from Fairnington's method in the creative conceptualisation process, by photographing and observing the objects I want to depict, breaking them down in different sections, observing them from different perspectives, and finally integrating them in an orderly manner in a single image through predetermination and arrangement, combined with imagination, in order to match the expression of my picture.
At the same time, I can also use montage in my painting to create a narrative and a sense of atmosphere in the picture, so as to better convey and express my emotions through the picture. Firstly, we can take a lot of photographic records as materials, and then we can also choose more contemporary ways, such as combining painting materials to make collage or fragmentation of materials, and then finally unify the picture.
Ruskin does not mean that art should exactly imitate nature. He means the very opposite: that the artist should begin by humbly and faithfully studying nature, and then should produce art which is distinctly different from nature in that the artist’s imagination is evident in the treatment of the subject […] The inferior artist tries to imitate nature exactly; the great artist interprets it. (Elstob, 2023)
From realism, which depicts nature, to modernism, which transcends nature, nowadays, in contemporary art, how should we depict reality from a contemporary perspective based on the foundation of our predecessors.
I think what Raskin is saying is that the artist should start from a humble and faithful study of nature, and then the artist, through his or her own creative logic of painting, orchestrates the picture to create art that is very different from nature. (Similar to the way montage is often used in cinema). For me, I think the difficult part is how to keep looking for new breakthroughs in my existing painting language, constantly injecting new media, forms, and any other factors that affect the picture. But after reading Raskin's quote, I think it is still important to keep observing the subject matter, to fully understand it from different perspectives and aspects, in order to find new directions, new angles to create works, and to adjust to a new creative direction.
Elstob, I. (2023) Reimag(in)ing the Victorians in Contemporary Art Britain and beyond. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.
Eva Heese with Gavin Edmonds
Reading Group: Eva Heese with Gavin Edmonds
The tragedy of her life did not affect her passion in her creative endeavours; on the contrary, she tied her life closely to her creations.MOLESWORTH: Part of what made Hesse so extraordinary was that the art she made in the face of the absurdity of her tragic life was never sentimental or hysterical.
In this interview, the word "absurdity" is mentioned many times, but I think her work does not contain absurdity, but more vulnerability and strength, chaos and order.She used different materials in her artwork such as velvet, rope, steel wire, and latex. I think the reason why she tried many different materials may have a lot to do with the article's mention that she changed different environments and regions to live and create at different stages in her life, and that her state of health generated her thoughts at that time.
At the same time, I also feel that it is undoubtedly a very risky and bold attempt for an artist to shift from painting to sculpture and installation.
I think by reading interviews or books about artists, it actually helps me to understand the artist's life and thinking, and to combine it with the artist's work, from which I can better feel the power of his work, as well as to understand the artist's choice of the way to create the artwork, and the reason for the material.
Reading Group: Roger Robinson: Experiments in Art Writing
Reading Group: Roger Robinson: Experiments in Art Writing with Anna Bunting-Branch
Robinson mentioned at the beginning of the podcast that he was prompted to think about naming my work by the lack of and problems in naming a portrait of a woman. How do we name our work in a way that succinctly and effectively communicates the ideas and core points of our work. The name of the work acts as a window to guide the viewer's interest and thoughts about our work in a more direct way.
Robinson mentioned that he tries to look at a painting as a historical document and look at the feelings and personal interactions with it, and then he looks to see if he can draw out a different story.
Inspired by his quote, I reflected that when I am watching an exhibition or seeing my favourite works on an art website, I should research and think more deeply about what attracts me to these works and understand the ideas behind them, and also compare my works with these works and think about how these artists interact with the viewers through their own images while thinking about the lack of my painting skills, and also how these artists interact with the viewers through their own images. I have to think about my lack of technique, but also about how these artists interact with the viewer through their images, and what are my new ideas and perspectives in the context of these artists and the discussions that have taken place.
Trethewey's reference to the intersection of personal and public history reminded me of Kate Millett's point in sexual politics that 'the personal is political'. This prompted me to think about how I as an artist position the ideas and issues I raise, and how I can explore the issues I raise through my work in a contemporary context. At the same time, I also think about how I can use my imagination to expand my images and connect the issues I want to investigate with my work, and in conveying my reflections, I step outside the ordinary narrative of a single event.
Hartman in his own writing asks how does one revisit the science of subjection, with out replicating the grammar of violence.
Robinson's response is that what the artist is trying to do is to create a field of empathy that resonates through the momentary perception of things.
I was interested in the "momentary perception" he mentioned in his answer, and I think that momentary perception is often a subconscious mapping of the innermost truth, and it is a difficult task for the artist to reproduce such moments through the image, and it is another task to make the viewer empathetic and sympathetic through their own work.
During this reading group discussion, Anna organised us to explore how we can give imagination and potential space to describe our work in our own articulation. This reminded me of poetry. If we list out the ideas and details of my work in a straightforward manner, it is easy for the audience to lose their patience and curiosity. In their poetry, poets often use short and subtle words and phrases to convey a sense of atmosphere and emotion. I think if I can add poetic descriptions in my artwork and naming of my work, it may increase the audience's curiosity and imagination.