Saturday, March 30, 2013
Frederick H Evans: Spirituality of Stone
Frederick H Evans: Spirituality of Stone
“One could say that Frederick H.
Evans was born at the right moment for photography: his arrival coincided with
the founding of the Photographic Society” (Lyden 1). He started his life out
working as a bookkeeper and eventually came to own his own bookstore. In the
1880s Evans purchased his first camera which was a “quarter-plate camera from
George Smith of the Sciopticon Company” (1). With his camera he began taking
images of tiny organic specimens which was not what a typical beginner would do
but he was anything but typical. When it comes to the natural world he didn’t
just take images of tiny specimens but he also traveled outside and
photographed landscapes. He didn’t limit himself to one genre but tried to
absorb all sorts. He even did portraits of his friends whom would come into his
bookstore and most of these portraits would have a black background so the
focus would be just the person.
Eventually he retired from his
bookstore so he could concentrate on just photography. One of his good friends
and teacher was George Smith who believed in pure photography saying “I am of
the opinion that to dodge a negative in any way whatever is not art, but a
miserable confession of inability to treat photography as a true art” (Newhall
10). This view was instilled into Evans and his work. Evans wrote many articles
on his own work and photography in general. “He was a regular contributor to
popular British journals such as Amateur Photographer and Photographer,
and he held the distinction of being the first English photographer invited to
contribute to Camera Work, the American quarterly journal edited and
published by Alfred Stieglitz”(5-7). He traveled often even going to New York
Critics would have more appreciation
if they knew how much work Evans put into every shot. With his cathedral series
if something entered his field of view that “dated” the image, Evans capped the
lens, waited for the unwanted object to leave, then uncapped the lens and continued
the exposure, “purging evidence of the contemporary world, leaving only the
beautiful and the eternal”(Hirsch 155-156). Most photographs of this time of
cathedrals didn’t give the feeling of emotion or the spirit of the medieval
architecture. Evans in his classes would always say, “Try for a record of
emotion rather than a piece of the topography” (Newhall 11). Trying to present
a message like this could not be taken lightly which is why he worked so hard
for each photograph. “Evans would spend weeks living in the chosen cathedral
and everyday he would study the light, carefully writing down in his notebook
the hour when it best revealed each portion of the church”(12). It was said
that if he failed he would lay the negative on the floor and step on it with
his heel, starting over again. Evan's greatest contribution to the history of
photography was his interpretation of the majestic medieval cathedrals of England France
The first
work that will be discussed is Gloucester Gloucester Gloucester
Lincoln
Cathedral, from the castle, 1898 is a little different because it is an
exterior view of the whole Cathedral but very significant. Evan’s use of
lighting once again makes the Cathedral appear to have a magnificent glow
compared to the darkened brick house below in the foreground. The Cathedral
also appears to have more life due to its extremely ornate surface compared to
the flat brick of the houses. The cathedral appears almost dreamlike with the
smoke from the chimney tops diminishing the view, it is a lot less earthbound
then the clearer houses. This image can be compared to a certain bible passage
from Romans 1:19-20, “What can be known about God is plain, for God has shown
it….Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature….has been
perceived in the things that have been made”. Through this cathedral the viewer
is able to see God as God looks over us all so does this Cathedral look over
the town. When Evans goes into the interior of the Lincoln Cathedral with Lincoln
When God
comes to mind one can’t help but think of hope which is portrayed in Evan’s
next piece In Sure and Certain Hope, York Hammond
Evans is
even able to capture light in what people would think would be the darkest of
places like a crypt. In Provins 1910 the viewer is in the basement of a
Cathedral looking towards some stairs. Light coming from a unseen force travels
down the stairs creating a floor of light seemingly piercing even the darkest
corners. This is uplifting and has a sense of hope because in the dark there is
always light that will lead you to safety. The stairs being illuminated makes
the viewer curious and makes one desire to go up those stairs but like a
spiritual journey it can be difficult, the stairs seem impossibly steep. This is
a very medieval notion, to go from shadows to divine light. Wells Cathedral:
A Sea of Steps
Another
crypt picture that was very powerful is Wells Cathedral: Crypt under Chapter
House. This picture has an extreme dynamic between dark and light. The
entryway to the left is pitch black and would seem scary but the fact that the
door on the right is open for an escape puts the viewer at ease. The light also
seems to point the way bending with the window on the far right wall. The
different gray tones adds more to the story with the door in the middle of the
pitch back room and the light room seeming to be something in between like the
crossing point between light and dark once again emphasizing a journey. The lines
also on the top of the ornate ceiling seem to guide the eye towards the open
door.
Later in his
life Evans was asked to critique his own work and one of those images was York
Evans in his
work speaks about how he is always trying to portray mass and he really
succeeded in his work Ely Cathedral. Across Nave and Octagon 1903. He
was able to achieve this by removing the usual chairs and benches which in his
words “hinder one’s enjoyment by hiding the bases of the piers, spoiling the
floor effect, and dwarfing any attempt at suggestive height” (53). By removing
these distractions the viewer can see the huge bulk of the piers and the
radiance of the sunlight in between the spaces. The modern pulpit seen in the
back left unfortunately could not be removed but one still gets the sense of
the medieval space, the love of the work and religion it symbolized. He tried
to get this point across in another work of Ely Cathedral titled A Memory of
the Normans the light in the archway seems very pure when compared with the
darker stone surround it. It invites you into the space by creating a path of
light and Evans describes this space as a “wonderfully lit beyond, or desired
haven” (Hammond
Evans was
able to create a style all his own in that he was able to make people see what
was once not seen in architecture. He succeeds in providing an “experience of
the building that goes beyond the recording of the physical structure and even
the artistic properties of the actual point to become an emotional response in
and of itself” (Lyden 11). What is really phenomenal about Evans is how he
portrays the relationship between light and dark, generally when people are
exposed to this they think of good and evil. Evan’s shadows in his pictures
though never have an evil quality to them which in part is because of the
platinum used in the print which softens dark areas. With the shadows you can
always peer into them they are never pitch black because there is always light
present. With light Evans is able to transform any space causing the cold walls
of stone to shine and the first epistle of John says. “God is light”. Evans was
not exactly a “Christian soldier” he was excited by what he experienced in
these cathedrals and he wanted to share this experience. In a way he is similar
to Ansel Adams who wanted to share Yosemite
with everyone. Evan’s message is a reminder that beauty and mystery are real
and it’s great to pursue and be excited about these things.
Work Cited Page
Hammond, Anne. 1992. Frederick
H. Evans: Selected Texts and Bibliography. Oxford
Hirsch, Robert. 2009. Seizing
the Light: A Social History of Photography. New York
Lyden, Ann. 2010. The
Photographs of Frederick H. Evans. Los
Angeles
Newhall, Beaumont. 1973. Frederick
H. Evans: Photographer of the Majesty, Light, and Space of the Medieval Cathedrals of England France New York
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Decorative Metal Work: A.D 780- c. 1150
Decorative Metal Work: A.D 780- c. 1150
As might be expected among a race of
aggressive outdoor warriors, Viking art tends to be more functional and
symbolic. Since Vikings were often moving from place to place, most art
consists of portable artworks. Their metalworking was a high quality and both
influenced and inspired by Celtic metal work art. Early Viking art focused on
jewelry and weapons while later craftsmen are known for their silver-work.
Viking art is based on abstract animal forms and were most frequently applied
to objects in daily use, for example swords, bridles, and buckles. Why animals?
Vikings were essentially warrior-herdsman so their economy was based partly on
animals and plunder. They were documenting this lifestyle in art using metals
like silver, pewter, and gold. “Silver was a popular metal for jewelry such as
brooches, rings, strap ends, buckles, mounts for drinking horns and, of course,
for coinage”[1].
Inlay was used to decorate the metal
works after the final smithing. Small lines or dots would be punched into the
iron then very fine silver or copper wire is clipped and placed into the lines
or dots on the ironwork. This wire is then beaten into the iron, sometimes to
decorate an object more a gold foil wash is put on the surface and “this was
done by grinding up pure gold and mercury together, creating an amalgam. The
paste was then applied to the appropriate areas of the work, and then heated in
an oven, driving off the mercury as a toxic vapor. The gold was then bound to
the surface of the work”[2].
Silver arm and neck rings were quite
popular and this was made by silver wire being twisted or hammering a band of
ingot. They were very popular because it was essentially mobile money used as a
form of payment rather than using coins. Testing marks can be seen on some indicating
that they could have been used as a bullion payment by weight for goods
purchased. It would have been checked at the time of the transaction to ensure
that it was solid silver and not merely of plated base metal. “A Viking could
not be too careful! A passage in the Saga of Olaf Tryggvason tells how the king
sent the queen of Sweden a gold ring taken from the door of a pagan temple.
However, she became very angry when her smiths tested it and found it contained
brass.”[3]
Gold was seemingly only used for jewelry and to enhance the gold even more
granulation and filigree work was used. “This often took the form of a thin
gold sheet pressed via a bronze matrix and trimmed into shape. Thin drawn wires
were then wound into various designs and applied to the surface of the gold
sheet. A flux of pigs fat was already on the sheet to help temporally fix the
wires in situ. These wires could also be impressed regularly, creating an
unbroken beaded wire”[4].
Sometimes stones like garnets were
put into the gold. Seeing the finished project through archaeology is
interesting but the process also shows how much work is put into each piece.
Jewelry making specifically was a specialist craft and looking at some
excavations one can find ‘trial pieces’ which are usually carvings on animal
bone, pre-sketches. They could also have possibly been used as advertisement to
show their customers what they can do. “The ruins of the ‘school’ at Nendrum
have yielded a whole collection of these note-book pages which in this case
carried scribal as well as drawing exercises, as various shapes of letters are
found besides animals and ornaments”[5].
As mentioned in the introduction this
art was influenced by Celtic art which used metal work as a way to express
artistically. This metalwork concentrated on three broad fields of weaponry,
personal ornaments, and vessels. These fields were further broken downs in
different aspects of early Celtic art. Anthropomorphic imagery was used quite
often in that even humans had a stylized look and by exaggerating their
features the figures were dehumanized but they became more outwardly or
supernatural. Another field or art form is geometric decoration. “Geometric
ornament was produced in Europe over a span of thousands of years, probably
indeed from the founding of farming communities between the seventh and fifth
millennia onwards”[6].
Geometric is pretty self-explanatory in that simple patterns are repeated. The
main features of Celtic art were closely tied to paganism which is why the
Vikings were drawn to the style.
There are six main Viking art styles,
they are all zoomorphic, what separates them is how the figures are presented
whether they are contorted, intertwined, or presented with tendrils. Dating is
difficult because some styles overlap each other. The first style is the
Oseberg style from AD 780-850. The name of this style came from the Oseberg
ship burial in which objects with this style were found. “The Oseberg Burial is
a Viking ship burial, located on the banks of the Oslo Fjord in Norway. Oseberg
is one of several ship burials in the Slagen district, but it is the richest of
such burials”[7]. The
main features of this style are a beast or creature and the use of smaller
sinuous animals. Sometimes the beast is called a ‘gripping beast’ because its
paws grip the borders. Good examples of this style are some gilt-bronze
bridle-mounts (image 1) that were found in a man’s grave at Broa on Gotland.
Looking closely you can see the beast with his paws on both sides of the bridle
mount in the center and on all of them contorted smaller animals can be seen.
To clarify a bridle mount is a hook, rack or similar device that you hang
bridles on when the horse is not wearing them. “It was obviously a style that
appealed to the Vikings, for it remained an important motif in Viking art for
over a hundred and fifty years”[8].
The next style known as the Borre
Style from AD 840-970 comes from another set of bridle mounts from a ship
burial at Borre in Vest fold, Norway. The style of the ‘gripping beast’ is
still used but looking at silver-gilt pendant (image 2) from a hoard in Varby,
Sweden one can see the heads of the beasts are more pronounced and have
protruding ears. Looking also at items from the British Museum a silver disc
brooch (image 3) has elaborate decorations of the Borre Style. Looking closely
there is a lot going on; four animals bite each other surrounding a main beast
which has eight heads. On the edge you can see human figures grabbing their
beards and more animal heads. The edges are also nicked to imitate beaded wire.
“Circular brooches were usually worn singly by women on Gotland, to fasten an
outer garment such as a cloak. In this case the lug for a chain suggests the
brooch could have been linked to another item, possibly of jewelry”[9].
Common with the circular brooches is
a symbol of three which is said to represent the three cauldrons which make the
sacred mead in Valhalla. This circular brooch also in a way shows the
reemergence of the Nordic style dating from 450 AD, what really gives it away
is the tiny crouching animals and distinct geometric patterns which are
separated. The influence of the “magnificent brooches of the late 6th
century, with their wild exuberance of abstract patterns and baroque opulence
of relief, were special to Scandanavia”[10].
Another piece is a reins guide (image 4) to help when pulling a wagon or a sled
with a horse. Both sides have the Borre style with animal masks and interlacing
bodies. The last piece from the British museum is a trefoil brooch (image 5) or
three loops. Each arm has the Borre style and these brooches were used to
fasten a cloak or shawl on the breast. The circle or ring which will be seen
throughout all the styles is an ancient symbol of the eternal which is why many
arm bands were circular so when they are given as a gift they represent an
eternal sacred oath.
This circle shape is also seen in a
particular piece called a bracteate,
from the Latin word bractea, meaning
a thin sheet. This pendant instead of the usual decoration on both sides had it
only on one side. “The stamped pattern usually consisted of various motifs (a
human head, a man and an animal, or a single animal) surrounded by a peripheral
frieze”[11].
These were usually worn as amulets or possibly religious symbols like the
cross. As some would believe the cross was a form of protection so would
Vikings believe these pendants had a magical significance protecting the
wearer. What is interesting when studying the earliest group of bracteates is
their obvious intention to imitate the imperial portraits on Roman coins.
How were they exposed to something
like this? “From the 4th century on medals portraying the emperor
were probably given to the Chiefs as tokens of friendship and recognition”[12].
The Vikings could see that this medal portrayed the emperor as a symbol of
power and had a superstitious reverence. They used this symbology to translate
from the naturalistic Roman style to the more abstract Scandinavian style. It
is obvious that this style became very popular because of the numerous finds of
gigantic brooches. “The ‘thistle brooches’, which have a murderous looking pin
and three large bristling balls, sometimes gilt, and others whose spheres are
either smooth or decorated with key patterns or gold filigree”[13].
The pins vary also for example the kyte brooch has an extremely stout pin and
the pendant is held at some distance in front of it probably to hang over the
edge of something thick like fur.
The Jellinge Style from AD 880-1000
is named after a small cup (image 6) found in a royal burial mound in Jellinge,
Denmark. Looking at the cup you can see there is no gripping beast instead
there are animals shaped like an S and spirals. Borre and Jellinge style
sometimes fused together in some examples. The Mammen style from AD 950-1030
grew directly out of the Jellinge style so it can be difficult to tell the
difference. The name comes from a small decorated axe-head (image 7) from a
grave in Mammen, Denmark. Looking at the axe one can see it is inlaid with
silver wires, here the creature appears to be bird-like with a thick
ribbon-like body and spiral hips. This could also be a dragon which is said to
be a dweller of burial mounds and associated with power, fertility, protection,
and wisdom; all wanted and strong traits of a Viking. At the top is a human face with a spiral
beard.
Two caskets said to have come from
the idea of reliquaries have a mammen style of ornament. The Bamberg Casket
(image 8 and 9) has gilt-bronze bands engraved with a tendril pattern and the
Cammin Casket (image 10 and 11) is very similar in nature possibly made by the
same workshop. The Ringerike Style from AD 980-1030 “is infused with the
general liveliness that we must learn to recognize as the Ringerike Style”[14].
About this time erecting stone monuments became popular and this style is
similar to the decorated stones. The Soderala weathervane (image 12) is a good
example in which the animals are thinner and more curvaceous and the tendrils
are thinner and longer. It “has a large beast with an intertwined body
surrounded by swarms of dragons, serpents, and intricate knots in which it is
often difficult to distinguish the animal elements from the vegetable”[15]. This
style seems to personify the Vikings most with an almost gale like force going
over the composition. The beast is very taut and strained like an animal ready
to pounce and the surrounding swarms teem with life and give out a general
excitement. It is interesting to note that modern wind vanes point up-wind, the
direction from which the wind is coming while the Viking style points down-wind
in the direction the wind is going. The Viking style lets one know what
direction the wind will take them, it’s an interesting difference in outlook.
The last phase of Viking Art is the
Urnes style dating from c. 1040-1150. This name comes from the fabulous carved
wooden doors at the Stave Church (image 13) located at Urnes, Norway. “In
general Urnes takes two forms, a Great Beast Pattern and a Ringerike-pattern
derivative”[16].
This style is very refined with many curving lines; a good example is the
Pitney Brooch (image 14) at the British Museum. With its plant-like tendrils
and ribbon animals it is clear that it is the Urnes style. “There is evidence
for both the north and the south of the country of the popularity of the style
for the embellishment of costly objects, and we may reasonably expect to find
that Urnes ornament did appreciably affect English art of the period”[17].
“Brooches, many of which are gilded, were made by a complex casting process
involving the use of a wax model, clay molds and a piece of textile which
determined the thickness of the metal and often left an impression on the
underside of the brooch. Finished brooches could also be used as models, and
even copies then made of copies. As a result, the designs became standardized,
but also often degenerating, as the details were reworked or altered. The
discovery of fragments of the clay molds has helped to identify centers of manufacture.
Viking oval brooches have been found in areas settled by the Vikings right
across northern Europe, from Ireland and Iceland to the Volga in Russia.”[18]
These styles also are seen in the
numerous weapons and armor of the time. In the eastern coast of Sweden many
helmets (image 16) and decorated weapons were found. “The helmets apparently
drive from Roman models, as they consist of a shallow, semi-circular iron
casque, with a bronze crest along the crown which is continued as a nose guard”[19].
Some of these helmets also had ear flaps for protection. This decoration didn’t
necessarily have a protective purpose but the helmets almost appear sinister
and powerful because of the ornamentation.
Sometimes actual mounts would be put
onto the helmet usually depicting a warrior of some kind and these warriors
would be depicted as animals and real helmets found would actually resemble
mask with tusks in which the said warrior is trying to look like a boar. “This
is not unlikely, from the later ages we know of warriors who identified
themselves with wild beasts like wolves or bears and were considered exceptionally
wild and dangerous”[20]. Many highly decorative sword pommels (images
17-21) have been found also in a hoard called Straffordshire, 86 so far. Many
have a zoomorphic garnet decoration; another seems to have two boars on one
side and a bearded man on the other. The boar is known to be connected to the
god and goddess Freyr and Frejya and protection from harm. The gold sword
pommels seem to be the most frequent with a variety of interlace ornament
types. “All free men in Viking society were entitled to own and carry weapons:
spear heads are the most commonly found weapon of the Viking period. Although
often discovered in graves, there is much discussion about why so many weapons
from this period were lost or deliberately put into rivers, notably the Thames in
the London area.”[21]
So why did the Vikings do it? Why all
the decoration? Decoration can have many different meanings. In the economy it
has material value; socially it has significance for status and position within
a structure that the Vikings lived. Religiously also it can be important
especially when the Vikings converted to Christianity because decoration can be
used to express veneration of ones God or Gods. Magic was very real to the
Vikings so it is possible that these decorations gave the object an inherent
power. Decoration is a means of communication not just between each other but
also between the wielder and the spiritual world. Elements like gold and silver
have always been associated with the divine and Vikings probably saw this when
they raided monasteries taking the golden reliquaries and altars. Vikings were
a proud and powerful people and this is shown in their restless, action
oriented art which has a strong confident style like their warrior attitudes.
Bibliography
Anderson, Aron. The Art of
Scandinavia Volume Two. Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited: New York, 1970.
Anker, Peter. The
Art of Scandinavia Volume One. Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited: New York,
1970.
Campbell, J. Viking
artifacts: a select cat (London, The British Museum Press, 1980). http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/s/silv er_disc_brooch.aspx.
Finlay, Ian. Celtic Art. Noyes Press: Park Ridge, New
Jersey, 1973.
Henry, Francoise. Irish Art during the
Viking Invasions. Cornell University Press: New York, 1967. P. 132.
Kendrick, T.D. Late Saxon
and Viking Art. Methuen and Co. LTD: London, 1949.
Williamson, Roland. Non-Ferrous
Metal Working. Last updated 31 March, 2003. http://www.regia.org/othermetalwork.htm
[1]Williamson, Roland. Non-Ferrous Metal Working.
Last updated 31 March, 2003. http://www.regia.org/othermetalwork.htm
[2] Non-Ferrous Metal Working.
[3] J.
Graham-Campbell, Viking artifacts: a select cat (London, The British Museum
Press, 1980).
[4] Non-Ferrous Metal Working.
[5] Henry, Francoise. Irish Art during the Viking
Invasions. Cornell University Press: New York, 1967. P. 34. 132.
[6]
Finlay, Ian. Celtic Art. Noyes Press:
Park Ridge, New Jersey, 1973. P. 24.
[8] The Broa/Oseberg Style.
http://www.archeurope.com/index.php?page=broa-oseberg-style.
[9] J. Graham-Campbell, Viking artifacts: a select
cat (London, The British Museum Press, 1980).
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/s/silver_disc_brooch.aspx
[10] Anker,
Peter. The Art of Scandinavia Volume One.
Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited: New York, 1970. P. 51.
[11]
Anker, Peter. The Art of Scandinavia Volume One. Hamlyn Publishing Group
Limited: New York, 1970 P. 43.
[12] The
Art of Scandinavia Volume One. p.
43
[13] Henry,
Francoise. Irish Art during the Viking Invasions. Cornell University Press: New
York, 1967. P. 128.
[14] Kendrick, T.D. Late Saxon and Viking Art. Methuen
and Co. LTD: London, 1949. P. 100
[15] Anderson, Aron. The Art of Scandinavia Volume
Two. Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited: New York, 1970. P. 329.
[16] Kendrick, T.D. Late Saxon and Viking Art. Methuen
and Co. LTD: London, 1949. P. 114.
[17] Kendrick,
T.D. Late Saxon and Viking Art. Methuen and Co. LTD: London, 1949. P. 119.
[18] Campbell,
J. Viking artifacts: a select cat (London, The British Museum Press, 1980). http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/s/silver_disc_brooch.aspx.
[19] Anker, Peter. The Art of Scandinavia Volume
One. Group Limited: New York, 1970. P. 53.
[20] The Art of Scandinavia Volume One p. 54.
[21] Campbell,
J. Viking artifacts: a select cat (London, The British Museum Press, 1980).http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/s/silver_disc_brooch.aspx.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Turner: The Experience of His Moral Force
Turner: The Experience of His Moral Force
The reason I am interested in the
late Turner is his experiments with the “active vision”. His breath of
handling, freedom of form, and his view of what it means to paint light itself.
Turner really belongs to the British region of the earth just as much as a
comet belongs to any particular section of space. In the 1830’s and 40’s he
became very experimental but it was always in the service of narrative
reflection of moments in history. Turner was very passionate about being a
member of the Royal Academy because to him it was a brotherhood of art and
integrity. To Turner art was worthless unless it said something. He is someone
that will take the hum drum paintings of the time and turn it into something
with poetic bigness. In a lot of his work he was ahead of his time one could
compare him to Jackson Pollock where you feel the presence of the artist. He
anticipates modernity in his focus on light, space and time and he shares this
with the public by opening his own studio. His work still today influences many
impressionist and abstract expressionists with his experimentation and
innovation which shows his position in Art History; creating a vision so
powerful that it still affects us today.
At the beginning of Turner’s life a
war between Britain and France had been ongoing until 1815 when Napoleon was
defeated at Waterloo. With this defeat people were able to move more freely
thus artists like Turner would be exposed to different areas and art. Turner
being a part of the Royal Academy was exposed to the movement of romanticism
that showed “feelings through exciting subjects, many aspects of the natural
world were sources of inspiration, including storms and the sea.”[1]
This idea of romanticism is seen even in his later years when his compositions
completely change. This is not to say that it was necessarily a linear journey
because Turner did not wait till his later years to paint his more vague
compositions. The Tate Museum of Britain located in London has this similar
outlook and will be my role-model for my exhibit. It is one of four galleries
and this gallery is to help visitors understand and enjoy British art. The collection
comprises the national collection of British art from the year 1500 to the
present day, and international modern art. Their taxonomy is also chronology
and with this “individual rooms explore particular themes or show one artist in
depth.
In order to show the full riches of
the collection, displays are changed on an annual basis. Each room has an
introductory text and each work has a short introductory caption”[2].
Turner’s work is in eight rooms currently separated by watercolor, romanticism,
early and late Turner, and their room showcasing how Turner experimented with
watercolors. They received his work five years after his death by something
called the ‘Turner Bequest’ in which works found in his studio went to the
nation. This will probably be my main source for my approach because I am
really interested with his process of and why in his later years critics were
so hard on him. To begin in the subject of his process of execution the work
that comes to mind is Dolbadern Castle (Image 1). This shows Turner’s
early work and creativity, with the topography Turner took some liberties to
make the landscape more dramatic. In reality there are grassy mounds but Turner
invents this sheer cliff to make it powerful and almost melancholy. “Turner
gives us a lonely tower, wild landscape, and a solitary figure, but to a
purpose. Some verses Turner wrote alludes to the history of when a Welsh Prince
was imprisoned there”[3].
The context of the composition while important is not really what the focus is
in this discussion.
The theme is simple but the sky shows
something is beginning to brew. “Turner must have worked very fast, using the
colored chalks as naturally as if he had always used them.”[4]
He used these chalks to make preliminary sketches and although they may seem
primitive they also seem to have that modern feel. As Turner enters maturity he
has an obsession to really bring about a poetic cycle of death and rebirth. He
gets his chance on October 16th 1834. He is woken up and receives
news that the houses of parliament are burning. Two years before a new wig
government had come into being. This was a moment of destruction and rebirth.
There are two versions of The Burning of the House of Lords and Commons
(Image 2). This slide is taken from further downstream looking towards the
Westminster Bridge. The river is absurdly expanded and honestly looks to be
twice the size of the Amazon but Turner sometimes took liberties. I like that
this is a point of view of a spectator because while some people were horrified
others were cheering the fire on because it represents the notion of change with
the parliamentary reformation.
Westminster bridge looks nothing
remotely like it did then and it seems to simply kind of melt. You can see the
structure engulfed by flames and the chapel remarkably survived. “The
right-hand section in shimmering white appears to be drawn in a
parallel-perspective manner; in contrast, the perspective of the left hand
section, illuminated in glowing colors, is pushed beyond the realistic”[5]. He makes the scene have an almost urgency
with the people pushing and shoving trying to get into boats to see the
consuming flames. The bridge separates the chaos of the flames and the peaceful
blue starry sky on the other side. Turner edits details so the observer must
isolate objects; he resists the tendency towards realistic representation.
Turner didn’t want to be a literal journalist of the event; he wanted people to
respond their own way. It’s right to think of Turner as the first modernist but
probably not right to think of him as the first impressionist. Really he
represents the most profound and moving challenge, can modernism actually
sustain the profound moral force of history paintings? For example how would we
represent 9/11 in painting? Can art do that?
You begin to see that Turner’s objects begin
to lack solidity, his forms almost appear soft but this I believe works to his
advantage especially so in Snowstorm at Sea (Image 3). With this you
right away get a strong emotional response. The swirling vortex of the storm
and the difference of color between the waves and sky. It really tells a story
and is similar to the burning house of lord and commons like the flames his
waves become the scene of the action. The viewer is drawn into the sensations
of the storm and vortex of the sea. An admirer was said to have approached
Turner and said he liked the picture Turner responded, “I only painted it
because I wished to show what such a scene was like. No one has any business to
like it.”[6]
This space though was not created by mere observation. Turner had a pictorial
intelligence which can be seen in his numerous experiments of chalking like for
Dolbadern Castle. One could even compare this to Jackson Pollock’s work,
which makes you feel the presence of the artist, looking at the twists and
turns of paint.
Turner’s brushwork creates a need for
the viewer to make their own insinuations about what is happening. “Turner was
traveling on a boat called the Ariel during the storm and wanted to
record what it actually felt like to be right in the middle of a violent storm:
‘I did not paint to be understood, but I wished to show what such a scene was
like; I got the sailors to lash me to the mast to observe it; I was lashed for
four hours.’ He was 66 years old at the time”[7].
This story is amazing but no one knows if it is true since Turner was known to
be a good advertiser. Looking carefully, the viewer can see the mast bending in
the wind as the waves circle the tiny steam boat with thick blobs of white and
yellow paint. His ingenious brushwork contributed to the action. It is no
longer just a picture of nature but an experience of nature.
Turner continues this idea into his
next piece Shade and darkness- the evening of the Deluge (Image 4). The
deluge story was said to be “a vehicle for his intuition of the primeval forces
of earth, air and water as they are recreated by the originating power of
light.”[8]
Turner’s use of opposing cool and warm colors is genius to create certain
emotional associations. In this swirling chaos is a scientific vision made by
Turner responding to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe whom created a color theory.
“Here, he responds to Goethe’s plus and minus colors that address both the eyes
and the emotions. The plus colors of yellow and red-yellow excite lively
feelings, while blues impart gloomy and melancholy emotions, or the impression
of cold.”[9]
Turner didn’t necessarily believe in following the theory religiously he used
the interpretations when he saw fit. The darkness really works well contrasted
with the light sky. The birds flying appear to scatter in the chaos while the
blackness below combines with the red hues gives off an aura of fear. Looking
closely the viewer can see animals cowering and possibly to the left a human
figure laying in wreckage. Turner also created a companion piece to go alongside
the same idea called Light and color- the morning after the deluge-Moses
writing the book of Genesis. (Image 5). The viewer can see it is the
opposite of the darkness with many warm colors of orange and yellows. The
serpent staff in the middle is a clear symbol of Moses and like the companion
piece is painted in a circular motion.
Turner uses these same warm colors in
the final piece Europa and the Bull (Image 6). This last work while
unfinished says a lot about what Turner was trying to achieve. Even though the
objects are vague, it shows that the subject matter never left his concern.
Because of the title we know what it is but what does it do? The way he conveys
the subject puts the viewer onto a pedestal in that it is up to the viewer’s imagination
to know what part of the story is being portrayed. The story is that Zeus was so taken by a
beautiful maiden Europa so he disguised himself as a bull and when she got on
his back he carried her away and made her his bride. The way he conveys the
subject really leaves it up to the viewer to decide what part of the story is
being portrayed. Maidens wave goodbye to Europa. In the distance, Europa rides
on the back of Jupiter, who is disguised as a white bull crossing the dark sea.
That’s how I see it but it may not be what you see.
His pictures have a special quality
to them. The repeated appearances of certain motifs which are seen throughout
his work. Such, for example, is the vortex or whirlpool, which became more and
more the underlying rhythm of his designs, and of which there is a strong
suggestion in the Snowstorm. One is sucked in to the chaos and confusion
of the fire at the House of Lord and
Commons, your eyes stagger along with the pushing crowds in the foreground.
The mood is unquestionable while the details are left solely to the
imagination. Turner creates a vision so powerful that it still affects us
today. So why was his vision so powerful? Popular lore says that because of his
old age and frail health he was only able to make vague creations but I believe
by this time Turner looked more into himself and thus it could not be
adequately expressed in one particular form. “It is not that he saw the world
indistinctly, but that his ideas were incapable of definition.”[10]
This comes to the subject of
Impressionism. Whenever Turner’s name is brought up the title “father of
impressionism” also comes up but the exact definition of impressionism is not
really easy to grasp as with all of the other isms. You have to really look at
what the aims of the ism are. Impressionism seems to want to get rid of
pre-conceptions like recognition or associations. “Turner cannot be properly
described as an impressionist because his aim was consistently lyrical, i.e.
strongly subjective and emotional.”[11]
I realized and came to this conclusion when studying not just the finished
works of art but Turner’s process. The actual works are just factors or
stepping stones into the mind of the artist helping to connect with the
spectator. With this connection comes active communication bridging the gap
between isms or art generalizations to create a “phenomenon of artistic
activity”.[12]
Bibliography
Bockemühl, Michael. J.M.W. Turner, 1775-1851: the world of light and colour. Köln:
Benedikt Taschen, c1993.
Chilvers, Ian. Sea, sky, & storm. Danbury, Conn.:
Grolier Educational, 1996.
Clark, Kenneth. Looking
at Pictures.
http://www.artchive.com/artchive/T/turner/snwstorm.jpg.html
Finberg, A.J. Turner’s Sketches and Drawings. New York:
Shocken Books, 1968.
Kenner, Robert. J.M.W. Turner: New York: H.N. Abrams,
1995.
Townsend, Richard P. J.M.W. Turner, "that greatest of landscape painters”:
watercolors from London museums. Tulsa, Okla.: Philbrook Museum of Art in
association with the University of Washington Press, 1998.
Wilkinson, Gerald. Turner’s early sketchbooks: New York:
Watson-Guptill Publications, 1972.
Wilton, Andrew. Turner: in his time. New York: Harry
N. Abrams, 1987.
Tate Britain, London, England. “About Tate Britain”.
16 March 2011.
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/about.htm.
[1] Kenner, Robert. J.M.W. Turner: New York:
H.N. Abrams, 1995. P.16.
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/about.htm.
[3] Townsend,
Richard P. J.M.W. Turner, "that greatest of landscape
painters”: watercolors from London museums. Tulsa, Okla.: Philbrook Museum
of Art in association with the University of Washington Press, 1998. P. 42
[4] Wilkinson, Gerald. Turner’s early sketchbooks:
New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1972. P. 94
[5] Bockemühl,
Michael. J.M.W. Turner, 1775-1851: the world of light and colour.
Köln: Benedikt Taschen, c1993. P. 29.
[6] Clark, Kenneth. Looking at Pictures. http://www.artchive.com/artchive/T/turner/snwstorm.jpg.html
[8] Wilton,
Andrew. Turner: in his time. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1987. P. 211
[9] Color
Vision and Art. Turner and Delacroix. http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/romantic-color.html
[10] Finberg, A.J. Turner’s Sketches and Drawings. New
York: Shocken Books, 1968. P. 121
[11] Turner’s Sketches and Drawings. p. 122
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