Visual and Cultural Hierarchies: Drawing and Print

Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945)

Woman with Dead Child, soft ground etching, 1903.       Self-portrait, woodcut, 1924

Käthe Kollwitz is the very definition of Drawing and Print in my eyes, her skills in both fields were and still are considered outstanding. Her woodcut prints are atmospheric and almost have a deep unspoken meaning. Her drawings and etchings of bodies show great accuracy as well as knowledge of human anatomy.

 

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)

Fine Wind, Clear Morning (Red Fuji), 1832.                              The Great Wave off Kanagawa, 1832

Hokusai’s Japanese prints are iconic in the industry, and The Great Wave is by far his most popular piece. The process is fascinating, he uses a separate woodblocks for each colour, which is very time consuming but the results are incredibly beautiful.

 

Pacita Abad (1946-2004)

Filipina: A Racial Identity Crisis, 1992              The Sun is Shining, 2001

Abad’s vibrant and colourful abstract works are all varied in texture, media and base, which are known to have been canvas, paper, metal, bark cloth, glass and ceramics. I find her to be a very expressive mixed media artist, as she was born on a small island in the Philippines and moved to the United States and earned herself a degree in Asian History. She is incredibly well travelled and has worked in over 50 countries and lived on 6 different continents, I find her to be a very inspirational woman and artist.

 

Americo Makk (1927-2015)

Amazonas, 1959                                             Alpes, oil on canvas, 1927

Makk was another travelling artist who has worked in multiple countries like Hungary, Brazil and the United States. The “Amazonas” painting was created during his trip to the Amazon rainforest to study the indigenous tribes of the Amazon. Travelling and creating art from new areas on the world is such a compelling concept to me, learning all about different cultures and countries and capturing them in paintings.

 

Michelangelo (1475-1564)

 Pietà, Marble, 1499                                                        The Fall of Man, 1510 (Sistine Chapel Ceiling)

Michelangelo was praised as the greatest artist in the 16th century, and has influenced many areas of art development. He was a remarkable sculptor and painter, although never considered himself much of a painter. I find his work captivating because it conceives an atmosphere of elegance and history. Being one of my favourite artists to research and study I was compelled to add Michelangelo to this list of artists who have made history, as this man has influenced the field for centuries.

 

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)

Almond Blossom, 1890                                                                                            Café Terrance at Night, 1888

Vincent Van Gogh was iconic and influential in the field of impressionism. He is one of my favourite painters when it comes to the usage of colour, I find his work so rich and deep, as Van Gogh once wrote to his sister, that to him, “the night is richer in colour than day”, and that is why I find his night time scenes so compelling. In the second image, which just so happens to be my favourite Van Gogh painting, he did not use black at all, even though it is a night scene, instead he reached for deep blue hues which looks beautiful again the warm yellows and oranges, Van Gogh’s colour contrasts are stunning in everything he does.

 

Maggi Hambling (1945-  )

Bold Breaking Waves                                                                                   Good Time George

Maggie Hambling uses broad brush strokes and colour to create a faint feeling of shapes and objects from afar. I love her choice of cool tones mixed with a hint of warmth, like a yellow or orange stroke here and there. I think this technique gives her pieces a real feeling of movement and fluidity, which works particularly well on the waves.

 

Emil Orlík (1870-1932)

Jules Pascin drawing, drypoint, 1911                                                       Bohemian Village, colour woodcut, 1898

Orlík’s prints are beautifully delicate and muted, which makes them look friendly and warm in my opinion. The Jules Pascin in particular looks so fragile but lovely, the skill that went into the precisely thin lines, and the tonal differences in the hair, that were achieved through pressure changes are remarkable.

 

Egon Schiele (1890-1918)

Reclining Woman, gouache and black crayon on paper, 1917           Reclining Female Nude with Legs Spread, 1914

Egon Schiele is very well known for his drawings of nude bodies, he drew both men and women in the same way, unlike a lot of artists that focus on women when drawing nudes, which is quite forward thinking for his time, (although I did pick two women as the examples but that’s simply because I love these in particular). The lack of backgrounds is lovely and simple, and almost gives the figures a feeling of floating, which a lot of art teachers and lecturers try to tell us is a bad thing, but I think it can be unique and revolutionary.

Bob Ross (1942-1995)

Bob Ross is possibly everyone’s favourite human being. His Joy of Painting series is happiness materialised into an hour of painting. Personally Bob Ross taught me how to paint pine trees, and snow, he inspired millions of people to paint and get creative. This also means that there are plenty of copies of Bob Ross’ paintings, which made it very difficult for me to find original examples, without watching and screenshooting an episode. Everything about him is calming and relaxing, the painting outcomes themselves and his demeanour.