Unfired piece
Introduction : The veins of water that pour from the earth flow in trickles that merge, like the branches in the trunk, like the fingers in the palm of a hand, like the bronze in the matrix of a tree. —Giuseppe Penone “I never try to influence life and art direction I let opportunities find me. This is the way I live.” Ah Xian I selected these two artworks by Giuseppe Penone and Ah Xian because they are both connected to my own clay sculpture project in form and subject → my sculpture contains a body and a tree. These artworks relate to each other as they are both based on the theme and concept of fusion between the human and nature specifically trees. Giuseppe Penone “Equivalence” has influenced my work as there is the concept that the body is directly connected to the tree as in the above quote where he emphasises this by a metaphor. Ah Xian’s China bust impacted my sculpture as he uses the technique of wrapping the bust in trees.
Context and cultural significance : Ah Xian is a Chinese Australian artist born in Beijing, China in 1960. His cross cultural influence between his Chinese heritage and western influence, impacts his art. He uses several of the traditional chinese techniques of sculpture → porcelain and cloisonne. Cloisonne is an ancient chinese technique in which the outline of the motifs are made out of a thin metal strip which is soldered directly on the metal base. These motifs are then filled with enamel and finally cooked and polished. He learned about the technique of porcelain in China before he fled in 1992 to Australia because of the Tiananmen Square massacre. His ceramic works are body casts also called busts that are hand molded on a living human being. For his work he uses ancient traditional Chinese techniques such as porcelain, lacquer, cloisonne, jade and bronze. The work of this sculptor shows us his clear perceptive upon the human form. Thanks to his modern techniques of construction, he gives the viewer the possibility to see his sculptural expression. The strange beauty of his busts transpires through his use of modern mediums and constructions mixed with his traditional asian motifs such as dragons, lily pads, trees, mountains… which help him produce this unusual blend conveying a cultural and political message. Analysis of function and purpose : Penone translates his emotions into a sculpture where he reveals a system including organic materials of the tree and a body. His first idea is that the sculpture comes from a primal instinct that he shares with humans as a need to transform their deep link with nature into a material such as clay. The name he gave to this sculpture shows → nature and humans are equal. Penone is very poetic and expresses himself with his sculpture which provokes different emotions. The main subject : nature and time. strong engagement with both nature and time as a mean to transform them into art. The subject matter is imagined by the artist as it is not completely figurative as we can notice that the shapes are not totally accurate.
Ah Xian China, China-Bust 70, 2002, porcelain carved relief and bitumen stained with landscape design, 35 x 44 x 25cm
Context and cultural significance : Giuseppe Penone was born in 1947 in Italy. His work → influenced by the movement of Arte Povera → born in Turin in the 1960’s and can be qualified as nomadic and elusive. His sculptures and other work are influenced by the recurrent theme of nature and mostly use natural materials such as clay, stone, metal and wood. His work aims to show the link between the human world and nature which becomes united, especially the tree which he finds is the living organism that resembles most the human body. His style is easily recognised as his artist’s signature is very strong.
The message : We are like trees, always molded by our environment All our movements are similar to those of trees where time is printed in the circles of the wood which symbolises time Reveal the uniting of nature with the sensations of the human body. The reality is distorted made this decorative work to prevent men from destructing trees and nature Analysis of formal qualities : In this piece the tree is very tall compared to the body which is crumpled down on the floor. The movement of the tree is flowing and is only represented in part in a semi abstract representation between art and nature as if these elements of the tree gave birth to the human being lying down on the floor. The tree is huge compared to the body and this contributes to the effect that the artist wants to show. The texture → bumpy with a repetition of blocks and arcs to represent the trunk of the tree. The shape of the human being → distorted and unfinished as certain parts of his body are missing to show how imperfect he is. He used a different technique to represent the body which is purposely poorly made with stripes and lines of metal that seem to fall apart. The colour scheme of this sculpture → very dark and monochromic. Material significance : Penone first made plaster moulds of tree parts and then cast them in bronze to make the tree part by part. The difference in techniques and textures used for the tree and the human create a real contrast and emphasis the meaning behind it. The tree is magestious and tall. The details of the surface are well made even though it is incomplete in a semi abstract style. The technique used for the human being is a kind of turned up metal cast in lines of metal that are oxidised. This could show the inferiority of the human being compared to nature.
Ah Xian Analysis of function and purpose : Main theme : the connection between human and nature
Art Radar, artradarjournal.com/2016/01/25/reshaping-tradition-7-contemporary-ceramic-artists-from-east-asia/. “Ah Xian.” Artist Profile, 5 Sept. 2018, www.artistprofile.com.au/ah-xian/.
This sculpture is a porcelain bust with different vegetal traditional chinese motifs juxtaposed on the porcelain. Ah xian makes the surface of his busts look like tattoos on the human figures skin. This symbolises the indelibility of a person’s cultural background. Meaning that in his case for example his chinese culture is very present in his mind and his ADN. The artist focuses on creating beautiful representational sculptures with chinese tradition and history rather than focusing on political meanings. Ah Xian is fascinated by the forms of the human body hence he uses it as a means to perform his art. This piece is very peaceful and relaxing as the man's eyes are closed and even though it is very well decorated it evoques a calm attitude as in buddhism.
Analysis of formal qualities : There is a good balance between nature and human and even a kind of fusion where these trees and leaves seem to grow naturally on the human’s skin and face as if they were part of him. We can see the movement of the vegetation flowing all over the body and face in an organic manner. The tone of the skin is natural and has been simply enhanced by a very sober colouring on the other hand the trees are monochrome but a bit darker so that they stand out and are clearly emphasised. The skin is of a smooth texture even though the wrinkles of expression appear but the textures contrats with the skin as they are outstanding and very textured, rough and vary following the different lines of the tree. The scale of the sculpture is exactly the same size as a human being since it has been cast so that we can relate to it easily and makes it very realistic. There is a sense of movement in this piece as the leaves create a flow. This piece is a great example of blending the tradition and the contemporary art. The message behind the bust is that we ruined nature because “the green becomes grey” as we can see on this bust all the different trees represented are grey and nothing is green. Material significance : The artwork was made out of porcelain. Porcelain conserves its colour and caracteristiques for a very long time as it is hard, tough, vitrified. It is also translucent and highly resistant to thermal shock.
Comparisons and connections : Giuseppe Penone’s Equivalence was influenced by Italian movement Arte Povera very prominent in the region of Turin. On the other hand Ah Xian is originally from China and lives in Australia therefore his sculpture is culturally influenced from both countries following the Chinese traditions. Penone’s sculpture is relatively tall and elongated where as the bust is short and stout like a human bust. The movement of the trees of the two pieces are flowing but in Penone’s tree there are no leaves. Both of theses sculptures have limited colours which in Ah Xian’s case is a hidden message to say that humans are ruining nature and Giuseppe’s message is also linked to human destroying nature. The main subject of both pieces is nature and they were made as decorative pieces and to force people to reflect upon the importance of protecting nature. Both are made out of noble materials, Equivalence is made out of bronze and the bust out of porcelain. They are both long lasting materials. They both use textures in order to make their trees look more real and alive. I chose these two pieces because I find their message interesting purposeful. I personally prefer the bust as it is closer to my clay sculpture and has inspired me particularly for the trees wrapping onto the bust. Connecting to own art making practice : These two art pieces have inspired me mostly with the textures of both trees. Ah Xian’s bust influenced the way I decorated my sculpture with nature. As well as the movement of the trees flowing through the sculpture. The main subject of my sculpture is nature and human beings as in these pieces.
“Art Down Under: A Chinese Tale.” The Artifice, the-artifice.com/art-down-under-a-chinese-tale/. Gagosian. “Giuseppe Penone: Equivalenze.” 11 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy, Artsy, 2 Feb. 2017, www.artsy.net/show/gagosian-gallery-giuseppe-penone-equivalenze. “Giuseppe Penone: Equivalenze, Rome, January 27–June 15, 2017.” Gagosian, 12 Apr. 2018, gagosian.com/exhibitions/2017/giuseppe-penone-equivalenze/.
Op Art : shortcut for “optical art”, a style of art that uses optical illusions. Give the impression of movement, images…
Colour palette
https://www.artsy.net/artist/yayoi-kusama
Kinetic art : any art that includes movement
Artist Research Julio le Parc
Trame Altérée Julio Le parc 60 x 60 x 61 cm 1965 Wood, hammered metal, silkscreen, motor
Op Art : shortcut for “optical art”, a style of art that uses optical illusions. Give the impression of movement, images… Kinetic art : any art that includes movement
I selected this artwork “Trame Altérée” by Julio Le parc that I saw at the Centre Georges Pompidou because it was a similar concept to the artpiece I am currently working on. I was inspired by it because I also created a sort of box and I had to include movement by using a motor. This piece is also interesting as it evokes many different facets which are intriguing hence many questions come to our minds when viewing it. Trame Altérée has influenced me by the originality of its visual aspect and as said previously, I was inspired by the concept of the movement enhanced by the motor therefore I used a similar device for my artwork. Cultural significance : Julio Le Parc is an Argentinian artist known for his famous kinetic work. He often implements optical illusions using mirrored surfaced. He is a precurseur of the Op Art and kinetic work movement. His aim is to affect a large range of viewers by creating original pieces. An important aspect this artist is that he wants to break the rules of static art pieces, he once said : “I was attacking the static nature of artworks”. He was part of a group of artist (GRAV) along with other artists such as Vasarely working on events called Labyrint. These events aimed to use artificial lights as well as mechanical movement in order to create optical effects which influenced his work. Le parc, was very interested in creating new relations between the art object and the public as the visitor becomes active as an observer participating with a dynamic experience. Analysis of function and purpose Inside an open cube which is entirely covered in black and white lines are installed two semi circular metal plates displayed in bevels. They rotate together commanded by a motor. While rotating the plates reflect deform the black and white lines. The main subject of this art piece is movement more specifically how the use of light and movement can create optical illusions. The artist made this sculpture in order to attack static art and provoke reactions from the public and prove that art can be in movement. In the title : “Trame Altérée” means distorted in french hence it is a distortion of the reality created by the artist to create an optical effect. The art piece tells a story by associating movement and light showing that reality can be viewed in different ways as the artist expressed through the optical effects. It is figuratively noisy as several elements are going on at same time simply because of the motor. These factors result in questioning ourselves on the hidden message behind it and what the artist was thinking when he created and how original this piece was at the time that he made as was not common in the art world in 60s. Actually it was very avant gard as it seems as it was made recently.
movement
Light and shade
Analysis of formal qualities The format is a cube more specifically a square box. The colours exclusively black and white, the texture is hammered metal giving a bumpy effect creating the distortion of the black and white lines reflected by the metal. There are different shapes included in this piece such as two semicircles that are the focal point and a cube. The size and the proportions of the box were carefully chosen by the artist to create an effect on the viewer, probably as it is approximately the size of a human head that could look perfectly into the box. The artist arranged all the shapes of the piece in a specific way so that the movement could occur and therefore create the optical effect. He displayed the two semi circles in the middle of the cube so that our eye is attracted to them in relation to the recurring black and white lines giving the effect of infinity. There is a strong contrast between the original straight lines that become repeated patterns reflected through the metal creating tension. When the piece rotates, different shades and lights appear which shows a strong contrast.
Same colour palette
Material significance The sculpture is made out of wood, hammered metal, silkscreen and a motor. I believe this piece took time to be assembled as the artist had to reflect upon where exactly he would display each shape in order to create the final effect thanks to the motor. The effects were well planned and thought about by the artist before hand as the intention of his works in general were to create this kind of effect. Connecting to own art-making practice My art piece has numerous connections to Trame altérée as I wanted to create an optical effect through the broken mirrors, distorting the reality which is similar to the distortion of the black and white lines. I used black and white photographs which is the same colour code as Julio le Parc’s art piece. I also used a motor to create the movement of objects so that they reflect in the mirrors creating once again an optical effect. My aim was to create an optical effect which is our major similarity. In addition, the use a box with measurements that are at see sight in order for the viewers to explore the bow easily.
Optical illusions
“Julio Le Parc.” Artnet, www.artnet.com/artists/julio-le-parc/4?type=sculpture. “Kinetic Art Movement Overview.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/movement-kinetic-art.htm.
Cube shape
“Trame Altérée | Centre Pompidou.” L'œuvre Trame Altérée - Centre
Pierre Soulages I was influenced by Pierre Soulages work and in particular …. This masterpiece of Soulages marks a turn in his career where his work is now mainly linked to colour and matter. It impacted my work as I wanted to use the less means as possible and work with strong colours such as blue. The themes that inspired me in creating my piece was his use of light and shadows creating depth. The concept of an abstract piece impacted my own work as i do not want the viewer to know what my original object is I just want him to use his imagination and be touched by the mystery in it as Soulages composition.
In this piece, Soulages represents strokes of colour including voids and planes with shades of light and dark.The black paint is present only in small quantities and seems to represent the void and the shade. He uses lighter shades to create light to enhance the architectural and monumental structure that emerges creating a mysterious effect of this composition. In this piece we can recognize volume, movement that seems to come from a far away time. The subject matter is not evident at first sight which opens a large field for our imagination and sprout different meaning. The piece is completely abstract as he is part of this movement. When looking at the painting, the colour and movement he created are the most important, he juxtaposed dark and light blues to create contrast and make each colour stand out
Context
The work being on a large scale : 162 x 130 cm reinforces the fact that it is abstract and it is eye catching to the public’s eye.
Pierre Soulages comes from a very poor family from a French region in the Aveyron, he had limited means influenced him to create art using minilatist materials. As he said “the more limited the means, the stronger the expressions”. At the beginning it was not by choice, but it because his late motive. In the 1960s, Soulages became very famous amongst the other artists of his generation, may it be in France, Europe and even in the United States. He was known as being the leader of American abstract expressionism. His greatest influences were when he was sixteen years old he saw a reproduction of a buffalo in a prehistoric cave. This lead to a passion for prehistoric and objects of antiquity. He is also very famous for working with black which is a reminiscence of the dark prehistoric caves. He was also strongly influenced by his wife who was interested in medieval art. He studied to be an artist at the beaux arts in Paris but he disliked the classical teaching therefore he left to become part of the abstract movement and non figurative artist.
He was part of the abstract expressionist movement that was mainly developed by American painters such as de Kooning, Pollock… even though Soulages was in Europe at the time. Within this movement he was amongst the painters who created large scale canvases with a single colour. They were influenced by religion and mythology and these large scale monochromatic pieces were supposed to lead to the meditation of the viewer.
When looking at the piece, the eye is attracted in the first place to the center of the piece as it is where the artist played the most with the lights.
Pierre Soulages, Peinture 162 x 130cm, 14 Avril 1962
The big strokes of dark and light blues create the effect of some kind of movement. The shapes are also very architectural as Soulages wanted to create abstract architectural pieces. The work uses a strong tonal contrast.
The artwork was made using canvas and paint. It took a lot of concentration and time in order for the artist to create the movement and the contrasts he wanted. The techniques used to create these effects was dramatic brush strokes giving an effect of movement in space. And different layers of paint are opposed to make the lights and darks stand out and to create relief.
Parallel lines Contrast with the lights and darks
I would say the piece is noisy as they are lots of things going on with the brush strokes and colours which makes it intriguing for the viewer. I was attracted to this painting because of the contrast between shade and light. I also enjoyed the blue palette enhanced with black as well as the volumes present in the piece. I am intrigued by the message behind it which invites us to reflect upon the subject and to find hidden meanings.
The similarities between these two pieces are the parallel lines which are a recurrent subject for Soulages. In both of these pieces there is a kind of architectural structure to them. The colour palettes are different as one of the pieces is very monochromatic using only black and lighter black while the other one is more in a degrade of blues. Another similarity is the use of lighter colours to create contrast as in shade and light. The painting on the left is more simplistic which gives it a primitive look but on the other hand the painting on the right much more busy as there are more things going on in it. One is neater and the other one is more erratic. Different colour palettes
Soulages and I have a common cultural context since we are both french. I have worked from a photograph that I took but I am currently turning it into a painting. I was inspired by Pierre Soulages with his parallel lines and his use of contrasts and lights.
I also have used a similar colour palette using a degrade of blues. I played with the shades and lights to create movement and relief. In the Soulages painting, the viewer is intrigued as he would like to understand what it represents. In my piece, I have used a usual object which is intriguing as it can be difficult to identify. “Pierre Soulages.” Interview Magazine, 7 May 2014, www.interviewmagazine.com/art/pierre-soulages. Sotheby. “The Incredible Creative Energy of Soulages.” Sothebys.com, Sotheby's, 25 July 2018, www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-incredible-creative-energy-of-soulages.
Sources “45 Best Screws, Nails, Etc. Images: Sculpture, Sculpture Art, Recycled Art.” Pinterest, 9 Nov. 2018, www.pinterest.fr/dobannon4/screws-nails-etc/. “Cameraworks: Lawrence Weschler, David Hockney: 9780394537337: Amazon.com: Books ...: David Hockney, David Hockney Photography, Hockney.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.fr/pin/474074298259382954/. “Ceramics by Roger Lewis at Studiopottery.co.uk - Double Twist Tube Sculpture.: Sculpture Abstraite, Sculpture Moderne, Sculpture Bois.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.fr/pin/47991552262589536/. “David Hockney: Bigger Trees near Warter or/Ou Peinture Sur Le Motif Pour Le Nouvel Age Post-Photographique (2007).” Artsy, www.artsy.net/artwork/david-hockney-bigger-trees-near-warter-or-slash-ou-peinture-sur-le-motif-pour-le-nouvel-age-post-photographique. “Gli Alberi Incantati Di Mondrian.” Libreria Ohana Venezia, www.ohanavenezia.it/eventi/gli-alberi-incantati-di-mondrian. “Les Arbres (The Trees): Albright-Knox.” Home, www.albrightknox.org/artworks/k197126-les-arbres-trees. “Pierre Soulages.” Artnet, www.artnet.com/artists/pierre-soulages/. “Rafa Perez CERAMIC: Ceramic Art, Ceramic Artwork, Organic Ceramics.” Pinterest, 27 Jan. 2020, www.pinterest.fr/pin/593701163354872119/. Salud, Gabriella. “LOOK: Here's Where You Can Find These Instagram-Famous Infinity Mirror Rooms!” TripZilla, 5 Mar. 2020, www.tripzilla.com/yayoi-kusama-infinity-mirror-rooms/97830. “Studio Olafur Eliasson.” Studio Olafur Eliasson, www.olafureliasson.net/. Truong, Alain. “Ah Xian.” Alain.R.Truong, 25 Apr. 2010, www.alaintruong.com/archives/2010/04/25/17683297.html. “Type.” James Turrell, jamesturrell.com/work/type/.