Sunday, 13 September 2009

PORTRAITS (yr13 personal investigation)



A portrait is a representation of a particular person. Portraits have always been more than just a visual record – they have been used to show the power, importance, virtue, beauty, wealth, taste, learning or other qualities of the sitter.

PORTRAITS (500 – 1700)

The art of the portrait flourished in Roman sculptures, where sitters demanded realistic portraits, even unflattering ones. During the 4th century, the portrait began to retreat in favour of an idealised symbol of what that person looked like. Compare the portraits of Roman EmperorsConstantine I and Theodosius I.

Such idealisation was also to be found in the depiction of Jesus Christ – the figure most widely depicted in Western


art. Early
Christian imagery, such as this mosaic, from 520AD which communicate and celebrate biblical tales, such as the miracle of loaves and fishes, with splendour. Some 800 years later, the Italian painter Giotto, painted frescoes in Italy depicting the same tales, but with

emotion and staged tension. In 1485 Sandro Botticelli painted the infamous ‘The Birth of Venus’, a classical myth rather than a religious focus.

Perhaps the most famous portrait is the 'Mona Lisa', by Leonardo DaVinci. This portrait is notorious for its enigmatic depiction of the woman sitter, and of course also for DaVinci’s deft and subtle use of paint.

During the Protestant Reformation in Northern Europe, many objected to pictures or statues of saints. Painters could no longer make money from painting Christian imagery, and so had to adapt to other forms of portraiture. Hans Holbein (1497 – 1543) was one such artist – he was hired as a Court Painter, depicting the royal household. His portraits are valued as carefully composed, subtle and enigmatic studies of real people.

Many other court painters of note emerged following Holbein, among them Diego Velazquez (1599 – 1660), famed for impressionistic naturalism. He seemed to capture real moments in time, long before the invention of the camera.

Rembrandt (1606 – 1669) was a Dutch portrait painter, he is notable for his series of self-portraits in which he portrayed himself without vanity. His paintings form a timeline of his life – from when he was a successful and famous young painter to when he was a lonely and bankrupt old man.

Johannes Vermeer (1632 – 1675) , painted interior scenes of domestic Dutch life. He is renowned for his use of light in his work. Many show a single figure engaged in a simple task, such as pouring milk. They are considered to be very unassuming and mellow portraits, showing the quiet beauty of everyday life.

PORTRIATS (1900 – present day)

Following the invention of the camera, and its subsequent visual revolution, portraiture changed dramatically in the 19th Century. In France the Impressionist painters experimented with light, mood, visible brush strokes, and ordinary subject matter. Post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853 – 1890) extended the visual style of the Impressionists, infusing his self-portraits with colour, directional lines and much angst. Other notable portrait artists of this time include Klimt, Picasso, & Modigliani. (note: research these artists independently). Moving forward now to portrait artists from the last century, whose influence is still resonates today –

Frida Khalo (1907 – 1954), a female Mexican painter who depicted narrative, emotion, memory, and culture in her often harrowing self-portraits.

Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987) pop artist, avant-garde film-maker, author… He famously created a series of screen-prints of contemporary icons, including Marilyn Monroe, at once highlighting their beauty and the superficiality of fame.Francis Bacon (1909 – 1992) was an Irish-British figurative painter known for his bold and often violent figures, often isolated in geometrical cages.

Peter Blake (1932 - ) is an English Pop artist who plays with ideas about art and its reproduction. He depicts everyday images such as flags, packaging and signage, and other accoutrements of fan culture together with often deliberately naïve figures

Antony Gormely (1950 - ) casts human forms into metals such as lead. The cage-like forms seem both stagnant and alive.

Chris Ofili (1968 - ) is an African-British painter who depicts a multi-cultural experience through his art.

Julian Opie (1958 - ) uses computerized images of both famous and everyday people, and transfers them into simplisitic and cartoon-like images. Every object or person gets the same treatment, thereby democratizing the outcome.

Christian Boltanski (1944 - ) works with the ephemera of the human experience, and much of his work take on the mantle of memorials.

Bill Viola (1951 - ) in an American video artist. His films are quiet studies of emotion, reflection and the human experience.

Sophie Calle (1953 - ) is a French artist who follows strict methodologies in her work. She frequently depicts human vulnerability and intimacy.

Tracey Emin (1963 - ) is an English artists of Turkish-Cypriot origin. Her work can be defined as self-portrariture, even though she rarely uses the human form in her work. Her intimate, self-referential, and feminine works are provocative and notorious.

Marcus Harvey (1963 - ) is British artist who produces portraits out of small multiple units. He is notable for his portrait of Myra Hindley, produced with the handprints of small children.

Marc Quinn (1964 - ) created a self-portrait made out of his own blood. This piece, like much of his other work deals with concepts of mortality and mutability of the body.

______

This is obviously not a comprehensive list of portrait artists, however you should use it as a starting point for your personal investigation. Happy researching!

R Davies

Sunday, 26 April 2009

Yr 8 SHARED VIEW homework


Australian Aboriginal art has a wealth of ancient meanings, symbolism and views. The SHARED VIEW project requires that you recognise and explore the amazing qualities of this culture, and locate similarities between it and your own cultural heritage. 

1. Write a paragraph about 'The Dreaming' or 'Dreamtime', a process used by Aboriginal people to communicate about history, origins, spirituality and relationships. You will find some good information here, and here

2. VIsit DUST ECHOES - this website contains a series of twelve beautifully animated dreamtime stories, telling tales of love, loyalty, duty to country and Aboriginal custom and law. Summarise one of the dreamtime stories in your sketchbook. You can either write, sketch, or create a comic book. 


R Davies

Yr 9 SELF IMAGE homework


WHO ARE YOU?! 

Well, this self image project is all about YOU expressing who you are, using your imagination, memory and imagination. 

It always helps to look at the work of other artists when exploring a new theme. These homework tasks are designed to get you thinking a bit more in-depth about some of the artists you have studied in your lessons. 

1. Visit the excellent website of the late NYC graffiti artist Keith Haring. Drop, drag and colour your own Haring-style image. Print out what you create and place in your art folder

2. David Shillinglaw is a contemporary British artists who has recently had an exhibition in Bristol. 

Shillinglaw states that "my work deals with an ongoing quest to control and define the human condition. The work depicts all the devices we use to conceal and reveal our true identities as we struggle both to fit in and stand out. I make work that illustrates the shifts between the multitude of fictions we labour under and the reality of who we are." 

He has placed many of his intricate and thought-provoking works on his website. Print out two of your favourites and write one paragraph explaining what it is about the images that you like. 

R Davies 

Sunday, 1 March 2009

EXAM SEASON

Exam season is upon us again, for all Year 11, 12 & 13 students it's time to get busy! You all have between 4 - 6 weeks of school to prepare for the actual exam, so it's important to work in a very concentrated and specific fashion. 

TOP TIPS for EXAM SUCCESS

1. Communicate with your teacher/s! We are here to guide you towards success. 

2. Plan your time. You will need to, at very least, fill a sketchbook full of preparation work BEFORE the exam. 

3. Follow this basic working structure
- select a question / starting point
- record and observe
- analyse the theme 
- research artist references 
- experiment with materials and processes 
- develop and review your ideas 
- personalise your work 
- complete and present your final piece 
- evaluate

4. Your work has to fit into the ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES. No matter how interesting and creative your work is, and no matter how many compliments you get for it, you won't get the marks if it doesn't fit within the 4 objectives. Each of these objectives is worth 25%, and so you need to spend approximately 25% of your time on each one. 

5. Attend the after-school lessons. Wednesdays 3 - 4pm for GCSE; Thursdays 3 - 4.30pm for AS/A2 Level. Also, use your "free" time to do some extra work. GCSE students should be using some of their lunch times to complete extra work; AS/A2 students should be setting aside a minimum of two "free" periods a week to work in the art rooms. 

6. Use the following websites to help you get inspired: 

- the William de Ferrers School in Essex has kept an excellent online gallery of all exam classes work over the last six years. As the work is categorised by grades, and includes the candidates prep' work at the bottom of the page, it is an excellent facility for you to understand the scope and ambition needed in order to reach a particular grade in a specific examination. I can't recommend this site enough - GCSE Fine Art ; AS Fine Art ; A2 Fine Art.

- GCSE bitesize has really good information regarding the assessment objectives, together with visual examples of student's work and suggested artist references. 

- The Tate Gallery has an extensive 'search' function, and will give you much relevant contextual information on just about every established artist you can think of. 

- The Young Tate section of the website has an exam help feature, which will guide you towards relevant IDEAS and ARTIST REFERENCES. 

- The American equivalents of the Tate, MOMA in New York, and the NGA in Washington are also excellent resources when researching artists and developing ideas. 



Art exam season can be overwhelming, but remember that it can be a really rewarding time too. This is when YOU SHOW US your ideas, your artistic skills and your creative flair. This is your time to shine, and to raise your grade as high as possible. 

Best of luck to you all.

R Davies

Wednesday, 18 February 2009

Year 7 Landscape


Make your own Henri Rousseau style landscape by using Jungle a brilliant interactive website. When you are finished print out and put in your art folder.

Friday, 6 February 2009

Extension work (year 7)




Artists use their imaginations to create scenes and places that are not real and that might never exist

Visit the Tate Kids webpage, and play the
 
'My Imaginary City' game You will be able to create your own imaginary city. What would it be like? When you are finished print out your city and describe what it is like to live there.

C Ball

Sunday, 25 January 2009

'still life' extension work (year 9)


TASK 1: Create your own traditional-style still life painting by using the NGA interactive painting webpage. Add, move, and re-size objects, change tables and fabrics, use digital paintbrushes, and much more! print out your concluding image and put in your art folder. 

TASK 2: Visit the excellent Tate Kids webpage, and play the 'Memento Mori' game. It will teach you about the symbols and meanings behind 'still life' artworks. When you've played the game, write a short description about the ideas explored in still life art. 

R Davies