Textiles 1: A Creative Approach – final tutor report

A Creative Approach??? You might think that was over and done with in my final Module Reflections posted 22-Feb-2013, very nearly three months ago.

It won’t be entirely done until the formal assessment process in July. More to the point, it wasn’t done because I hadn’t dealt with my tutor’s final report, nor with the damage to my final piece in the post.

I’ve had Pat’s report for two months, and my parcel back almost as long but… I couldn’t figure out what to do.

I identified the major issues back in the project review post of 21-Feb-2013. Some critical phrases:
“the … wrapping is much too confused and visually distracting” (a quote from an even earlier post, writing about a sample – and repeated in the hope I’d addressed the problem).
“I’m not totally convinced by the black yarn binding, it’s a bit clunky visually, but it’s very important structurally.”
“The biggest test of my choices is yet to come – will the work survive multiple trips through the mail?”

Match this with Pat’s feedback:
“A bit confusing”; “dominant wrapping. Have another look at this”; “I can’t find an entry point for the eye”; “make sure the threads are anchored… one of the pieces had snapped”.

While being very clear that it was my choice what if anything to do, Pat had some specific suggestions – cutting down or rearranging the black; not so evenly spaced; perhaps leave head unwrapped.

To all this add that when the work arrived home the figure was a squashed little ball in the middle of the container. The discreet spots of hot glue anchoring the figure to the container had all failed, and clearly the figure had rattled around freely during all the handling of international postage. As a final injury, a second thread had snapped.

Doing nothing wasn’t an option – I had to take off the wrapping to re-fix the figure. Plus Pat’s points echoed what I already knew. I might second-guess myself, but it would be crazy to second-guess my highly experienced, capable and supportive tutor.

I didn’t want to give up the spikey black yarn. It fits the subject so well, plus I had a length couched spiraling up one leg of the figure and it was printed on the red ribbon between phrases.
I found it could be split into two parts, making the interesting spikes much less heavy. The downside was that the yarn was a structural as well as visual element, maintaining the interesting squashed shape of the container. If the original thread had snapped under the strain there was no possibility the weakened split version would last.

Using a 26 gauge black wire to hold the structure was the solution I found. It’s quite non-intrusive visually and I was able to use it irregularly and on diagonals, avoiding an obvious grid.

Now the black yarn was purely for effect I could strip it down and use only the interesting part.

On the second issue of an entry point for the eye I decided to take Pat’s advice and keep the binding away from the head and much denser across the lower part of the body. This would give a clear space to enter the work, with more contrast and interest across the piece.

Fixing the figure in place proved more difficult. The hot glue didn’t adhere to the container. I’ve replaced it with pins going through the container and into the figure. There are two in the torso, one from each side hopefully creating a stable centre, and more in the head and legs. I wanted to avoid anything too obvious, so I’ve got my fingers crossed that this will last the (literal!) distance.

All of this sounds like problems solved – but they weren’t. I had anchored the figure and it seemed pretty stable when I shook it – but it was too high in the container. The wire was holding the squashed shape unobtrusively. The binding was improved … but still wrong. I couldn’t find a way to wrap the yarn and ribbon so they wouldn’t slip around and they wouldn’t intrude on the head.

I could give up or severely limit the binding with words – but that loses my whole point in developing the piece. Both the meaning of the text and the sense of constriction would go. Yesterday morning, mulling over options and fast disappearing time, I finally noticed an assumption. I was binding the words – influenced by Judith Scott’s work (see www.judithandjoycescott.com/ and posts 21-Feb-2013 and 28-Dec-2012). I’d chosen to make my figure from felt rather than binding, but the concept was still strong. I’d made a single very long ribbon of text and was trying to wrap the container and finding it really difficult to manage.

Giving up actual binding but producing the effect with separate pieces of ribbon would make placement easier – but how to hide the discontinuity on a transparent container? Perhaps a base – but without losing the distortions. In this first mockup I slid some black cardboard between the container and the existing wraps. Not bad, but the black merges with the dark of the open mouth and the head is a bit lost.

Mock-up mark II uses red cardboard and I liked it very much. It creates a place to hide discontinuities, it obscures some of the wrapping and thereby simplifies the image, it grounds the work and stops it floating in space, the red is a contrast to both the dark mouth and the pale skin so provides a background and foil to the head, and in my eyes it provides a coherence to the work, linking the red ribbon and the red in the dress.

The final reworked piece. I’ve repeated the thumbnail of the original version on the right to make comparison easier.

The bad, heavy grid is gone. It’s better having the head clear. It was deliberate in the original to have words right across the mouth – they were meant to be gagging the figure. The extra meaning didn’t come through and the design is better without.
There’s space around the head and I agree with Pat’s concern about an entry point for the eye.

The whole effect is still quite busy and messy. I haven’t achieved the increasing density of “wrapping” across the work as I intended. It would be interesting to try lighting with a strong spot on the head area and the rest in relative darkness…

A pause while I tried to simulate that with a torch. Not an easy thing to manage a torch in one hand, a camera in the other, and find a camera setting that can cope with the lighting differences. In short it’s beyond my skills to capture and the colour of the torch light isn’t attractive, but this gives the idea. I think proper, careful directional lighting could really enhance the work.

The back view is reasonable. In original wrapping I tried to be very conscious of viewing from all directions and I think the complexity got too much for me. This time I focused on the front.

Using the cardboard base not only hides all the ends, but it gave a place to tape everything multiple times. I taped a second piece of cardboard on the first, sandwiching everything in and (I hope) making it more secure. The security of the pins holding the body remains a major concern. Everything is more stable – but will it be stable enough? It only has to survive one mailing intact.

Overall I’m very glad I made the changes and I think they go some way to meeting the concerns Pat raised.

UA1-WA:P1-p1 Visit to a classical building

Hyde Park Barracks. Front (west)

The final section of Project 1 is a visit to a classical building. The key skills required are: observe, describe, comment. I chose Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney as the subject building for this visit.

Selection of building

The requirements called for a classical building, not a church, with interior fully accessible if possible. Although I have written previously about Sydney architecture displaying classical orders (13-Apr-2013), the building interiors are generally not accessible to the public or heavily modified and extended even to the point of being merely a facade to a modern building.

Elizabeth Bay House (www.hht.net.au/museums/ebh) was one possibility. It was built 1835-39 in the Greek Revival style, conceived as “the finest house in the colony” (1), and is now open to the public as part of the Historic Houses Trust of NSW. However due to the financial situation of the owner, Alexander Macleay, the building was never completed as planned, the intended colonnade was not constructed and all original furnishings and decorations were sold off.

The Hyde Park Barracks, also cared for by the Historic Houses Trust, was built in 1819 to house convict men and boys. It has a significant place in Sydney’s history of architecture and town planning. At one point the Barracks were surrounded and almost overwhelmed by attached buildings, but these have now been removed leaving a largely original structure. The interior is fully accessible, and while this is sparse with no artworks to be seen this is appropriate to the original function of the building. I believe it displays elements of classical buildings.

Description of building – exterior

The Barracks are built of brick on a stone base. It could be (has been) described as a large barn, or as a temple. Brick pilasters divide the front and rear facades vertically into three equal parts, and the sides into ten parts. The pediment contains a clock. The deep soffits and stone base act as protection to the bricks in heavy rain. Although there is virtually no overt ornamentation or enrichment of the exterior the effect is imposing and attractive.

There is a strict geometry to the building, based on the square. My photograph, taken from street level, makes this difficult to see. The guidelines shown are based on a diagram in Herman (1954).

The square is used at all levels of detail, down to the panes of glass in the windows.

Southern side

The building is a simple rectangle. At first glance the division of the sides with brick pilasters repeats the front, but there is a slight adjustment to proportions and size. The photograph on the right also shows the small bell turret at the front (not in the original plan), a central dome providing ventilation, and four apparent chimneys. The two at the front are connected to fireplaces. I believe the two at the rear may be entirely to provide symmetry.

Rear and north east corner

The rear of the building repeats the front without any ornamentation in the pediment. In the photograph on the left it can be seen that at the ground level windows and doors fit into semi-circular recesses. At front and back the windows are rectangular – one and a half squares on the first two levels, a square at the top level. At the sides the ground level windows are two squares surmounted by a semi-circular light, the upper levels as on the back and front. Bright red bricks are used at window heads and arches. Courses of stone are the only other ornamentation.

Description of building – interior
Internal division is very simple – four rooms on each level separated by corridors which run the length and width of the building. There is no artwork, no decorative moldings.

Original stairs – north side

The original stairs and balustrade on the north side display the same practical, functional and plain treatment. However here the walls are smoothly plastered and detailing has been added with paintwork. These treatments were added later in the building’s history.

The purpose of the building was to house convicts and all twelve rooms were used for that. This photo shows the south east room on the top floor, complete with a reconstruction of the wooden frame and hammocks similar to those that would have been used. I think this room has 70 hammocks, and in actual use would have had twice that number with a second layer above these.
The roof trusses look wonderful. You may also be able to pick out the corbelled brickwork which carries the chimney stacks. At the end of the corridor in this photograph is the box for the clock pendulum.

The architect and the Governor
Hyde Park Barracks were designed by Francis Greenway, arguably one of the greatest names in Australian architecture. Greenway arrived in Sydney in 1814. An architect in Bristol, he had been convicted of forgery and transported for life. Lachlan Macquarie was Governor of the colony from 1810 and brought great energy and vision to the role. He instituted a major series of public building works that began a transformation of the ramshackle town, bringing order, imposing authority and providing buildings of function and substance. In Greenway Macquarie found an architect able to share, interpret and implement his vision. Over five years from 1816, when Macquarie appointed Greenway as Civil Architect and Assistant Engineer, Greenway designed and oversaw the construction of major buildings in Sydney and surrounding townships.

City design
Macquarie’s and Greenway’s vision went beyond individual buildings to city design. Above and to the left are matching photographs looking across Queen Square, defined by the Barracks to the east and St James church to the west. This was the first civic square in the colony and the direct relationship of the two buildings is immediately apparent, forming an axis at right angles to the grand boulevarde of Macquarie Street.
St James was completed in 1822 and the hand of the same architect is clearly visible in the bricks, window arches, pilasters, courses of stone and other details.

Fit for purpose
However there are also clear differences. Hyde Park Barracks was built to house convicts. Prior to its construction convicts were responsible to find and pay for their own board and lodging in the town. There is little to the architecture that could be regarded as ornamental.
St James was originally designed as law courts, and redesignated a church (a symbol of state authority) early during building. In it Classical design is more clearly evident, including a portico with Doric columns and entablature, although more elaborate details originally planned did not eventuate.

Macquarie granted Greenway a full pardon following the building of the Hyde Park Barracks. However the British Government did not agree that they were fit for purpose. Macquarie was denounced for the extravagance of his building program. A Commissioner was sent out, Macquarie dismissed, and his relationship with Greenway ended in acrimony.

Later history of the building
The Barracks were used to house male convicts until 1848. Later occupants include a female immigration depot (including Irish female orphans), Master in Lunacy, Supreme Court judges, Wheat Acquisition board and Industrial Commission of NSW. The original mustering area surrounding the Barracks was filled by a multitude of extensions and additional buildings. Eventually, after archeological excavations and extensive conservation it was opened as a museum in 1984.

Reference

(1) Carlin, S. (2000) Elizabeth Bay House: A history & guide Glebe: Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales.

Bibliography
Dunn, M. (2008) St James Anglican church Queens Square [Online]. Dictionary of Sydney website. Available from http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/st_james_anglican_church_queens_square [Accessed 10 May 2013]
Freeland, J.M. (1972) Architecture in Australia Ringwood: Penguin Books Australia.
Herman, M. (1954) The early Australian architects and their work Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
Historic Houses Trust (2003) Hyde Park Barracks Museum Guidebook [online] Available from: http://www.hht.net.au/discover/highlights/guidebooks/hyde_park_barracks_museum_guidebook2 [Accessed 9 May 2013]
Summerson, J. (2002) The Classical Language of Architecture. London: Thames and Hudson.

UA1-WA:P1-p1 Visit to a classical building
Understanding Art 1 – Western Art.
Part one: Classical and religious art.
Project one: Ancient Greece.
Topic: Visit to a classical building

The New Classical at Art Gallery of South Australia

Leaving the Turner exhibition (see post 4-May-2013) we walked out of the Art Gallery of South Australia through the Melrose Wing of European Art. This was on the recommendation of a lady we chatted with while sharing a table at lunch in the busy Art Gallery café. The work she thought was a must-see on our visit was Berlinde De Bruyckere’s We Are All Flesh (2011-12), epoxy, iron, horse skin, steel. I can understand why this work has got all the press (see links at the end), but the entire wing is just so exciting. I’ve since learnt that the wing was opened in January 2013, refurbished and completely re-hung. To quote Director Nick Mitzevich in the press release “Boundaries of geography and time have been collapsed to inspire a new way of looking at the rich diversity of the Gallery’s collections. Objects from different periods and cultures are juxtaposed to reveal how art links the past to the present” (1).

I didn’t know that at the time we were there, just that we started at the back of the gallery very tired after five hours spent with Turner, and as we passed from room to room we got more and more interested and energetic. It was still a fleeting visit, a little time with one or two items in each room.
This is the work that stopped me in my tracks. The Bowmore Artemis c. 180 AD, Italy, carved marble. The information sign provided “… the huntress Diana pursuing wild animals, her tunic billowing as she runs… It is modelled on an earlier sculpture from the Hellenistic period… The naturalistic detail of multiple textured folds of drapery, in which the female form is accentuated, reveals an ideal of perfection that has influenced art through the ages.”
This of course relates to one of the major concepts in my current Part of the OCA course – Ancient Greece and the canon (although here not necessarily restricted to Western art). This also clearly (although I wasn’t consciously thinking of it at the time) relates to my post on 28-April-2013, about the canon evolving and merging different histories and cultures. You can see glimpses of other works shown in combination, but the one that really caught my attention can be seen in the distance here, facing Artemis with confidence and pride.
Buck with cigar by Marc Quinn (2009), bronze. From the sign, this is a “life-cast sculpture of a female who underwent various sex change treatments”. Here is poise, confidence, a challenge to classical ideals of perfection, and in my eyes at least, beauty.
The reverse view (the wall at the back is mirrored). There was a lot more to be seen in this room – which had as its theme “The New Classical” – but my attention was totally caught by the conversation between these two figures. I think I looked at each a little differently because of that relationship.
That’s all the actual content I have for this post, but I couldn’t resist a closeup of that wonderful swirling textile. I wonder what colours it would have been originally. It looks wonderful in cream, but I decided to play a little…

(1) Mitzevich, N. (2013) quoted in Art Gallery of South Australia (2013) Art Gallery unveils sumptuous new Melrose Wing of European Art [online] 10 January 2013. Available from http://www.artgallery.sa.gov.au/agsa/home/Media/docs/Current_media_releases/Melrose_Wing_MR_FINAL.pdf [Accessed 4 May 2013]

More information
Adams, J. (2013) Art Gallery of South Australia hung like a horse. Arts Hub [online] 4 April 2013 Available from http://au.artshub.com/au/news-article/news/visual-arts/art-gallery-of-south-australia-hung-like-a-horse-194889 [Accessed 4 May 2013]
McDonald, J. (2013) Succès de Scandale in Adelaide.  http://johnmcdonald.net.au/2013/succes-de-scandale-in-adelaide/ [Accessed 4 May 2013]

Turner from the Tate: The Making of a Master

My mother gave me a most wonderful gift recently, taking me to visit this exhibition in Adelaide (approx 1,200 km flight each way).

I feel extremely nervous writing about the exhibition, being in the early sections of an Art History course from an English college. I haven’t read the later parts of the OCA course which would include Turner, but am very aware of a comment in the course notes mentioning Turner’s work as “indisputably part of the British canon, at the very least” (1). Generally when writing in this blog about exhibitions I happily spout personal opinions both positive and negative, regardless of ignorance about history or context of the work. My opinions modify (or not) over time as I learn and experience more, and taking up a position which I can test, change and maybe knock down seems a reasonable part of a learning process. It feels a more exposed position to ignorantly spout about a part of the canon, the heritage, of the very well-informed person assessing me.

On the other hand, I want to capture my initial impressions so when I do get to that section of the course I remember the impact and my initial reactions and questions, and thereby maybe get a little further and a little deeper in my learning and understanding. So apologies, but here goes – not a complete, informed or integrated story, just random jottings of initial impressions.

A surprising plus is that the gallery allowed photographs (no flash or video) – unfortunately quite unexpected, so I only had my phone camera which struggled with the low light, glass reflections etc. This photo shows The Fall of an Avalanche in the Grisons (1810), which was the subject of my first annotation (15-Mar-2013). For some bizarre reason I didn’t take a clear photo – perhaps because I was trying to concentrate on seeing. Plus I bought the catalogue which has better images than anything I could take – but that doesn’t help in illustrating the blog. Perhaps most of all it was because it was like visiting with an old friend – I’d just come through a doorway, saw the painting across the room, so familiar and yet so much more, and I almost ran across to greet it.

One big difference for me in seeing the original versus the reproductions was the variation in amount of paint. The upper left corner showing a distant clear sky and closer sheets of rain (?) is much thinner and smoother than the violently swirling lumps of paint in the foreground. Also some things I couldn’t quite see or make out in the reproductions (note the “(?)” above) I still couldn’t quite see or make out in the original. Colour in general was richer and more varied, helped by the play of light of the uneven paint surface. There’s a little line of quite bright orange coming from the bottom margin left of centre which leads up to the right, pointing towards the hut. I wasn’t even particularly aware of it in the print I had. More than anything the sheer physical presence, the scale and the way it could take up your entire field of vision, had a great impact.

The exhibition covers Turner’s entire career, with works dating from 1787 to 1844, and includes sketchbooks as well as finished works. The top photo here is of a sketchbook, Studies for Pictures: Isleworth c. 1805, showing Study for Dido and Aeneas, pencil, watercolour, pen and ink on paper. The photo below shows the oil on canvas painting Dido and Aeneas (?c. 1805-06).

It’s interesting to see all the shifts between the two works. Together with more subtle compositional changes, the centre of the image has been opened out, broadened, providing a sweeping vista of the city in the distance and also space for the glowing light of the sky. There is also a greater range in values, producing an almost theatrical spotlighting effect on the figures in the foreground.

By coincidence there was an extra connection for me – the book I’d taken to read while travelling was The Aeneid by Virgil, and the previous night I had reached book four: The tragedy of Dido, although I hadn’t reached the hunting expedition depicted here.

Another interesting pair started with Scarborough c.1809 watercolour on paper. Washes of colour block the composition and the beginnings of that glowing sky can be seen.

The second in the pair is Scarborough town and castle: morning: boys catching crabs c. 1810 watercolour on paper (a painting that actually belongs in the Art Gallery of South Australia collection). There’s lots of detail and interest – I have the impression it was particularly popular amongst viewers, especially the young.

I don’t know if the earlier painting was part of planning and working through ideas, or a start that got stuck, or some other possibility. It would be interesting to learn more about Turner’s working methods.

When starting Textiles 1: A Creative Approach I had a lot of trouble with the concept of “mark-making”. Almost two years later, I really enjoyed Turner’s marks – so energetic and expressive. This photo is awful, but the best of a bad bunch. It shows The Ground of East Cowes Castle, with Figures among the Trees; a study for ‘Boccaccio relating the Tale of the Birdcage’ 1827, chalk and pen and ink on blue paper.

Another example of exciting mark-making is seen in A Disaster at Sea, also known as The Wrecked Female Convict Ship, the Amphitrite: Women and Children Abandoned in a Gale ?c 1835, oil on canvas. On the right is a detail and below a photo of the full painting. You can see the waves crashing over the sinking vessel, the sprays of foam and swirling water, the tumult of the sea adding to the horror of the women convicts.

This painting was always going to receive special attention in the exhibition, given it is now believed to show a convict ship bound for Australia. Interestingly, in the light of my current OCA course, this possibility was first suggested in 1993 by Cecilia Powell (2). Clearly the products of art history are very relevant to the modern gallery visitor, evidenced by the large group around the painting as each guided tour passed through.

The painting was never exhibited, and according to the signage in the exhibition is “probably unfinished”. At first that seems strange, but really “finished” is quite an artificial construct. Apparently Turner was well known for making final touches to a painting as it hung in an exhibition. Without being able give an example, I’ve heard of painters reworking pieces after they’ve been exhibited, or even incorporating parts in later works. A recent newspaper article mentioned that van Gogh never regarded a work as final (3). However thinking about it in the exhibition made me feel uncertain.

This is Sun Setting over a Lake c. 1840-5 oil on canvas. It is very beautiful. I’ve put a detail below, trying to capture the flecks of colour, the textural globs of paint. The exhibition signage suggested sun, a lake, the Alps. That seems very reasonable, very probable. Perhaps it was unfinished. There was a suggestion somewhere (I’ve misplaced my notes – not good) that Turner had an array of unfinished canvases – I almost used the word “generic” – which he could quickly complete to meet a specific requirement or commission.

At the bottom is a photo of War. The Exile and the Rock Limpet 1842 oil on canvas. Could that have been a semi-prepared canvas that was put to use for the occasion? Would it make any difference to the final result if it was? It was hung together with and in contrast to Peace – Burial at Sea 1842. Given the unusual (based on other works in the exhibition) proportions, the complementary colours and related themes, it seems the two must have been painted from scratch to meet the particular purpose.

The idea of setting up a “production run” is unpleasant to me. There are connotations of being “just” decorative, or perhaps too comfortable, churning things out. Which is an outrageous thing to suggest in the context of this exhibition, which demonstrates just how far Turner went, how he pushed and developed his art – the light, space, atmosphere, use of colour… Is it enough to say that viewing Sun Setting over a Lake was an absorbing and pleasurable experience, finding shadows and images, my own meaning and reflection, in what may be an unfinished work? Which seems to lead to questions around the interaction of the artist’s intention and the viewer’s experience and engagement. No answers, except to note yet again that I have a lot to think about and learn.

(1) Open College of the Arts (2010) Understanding Art 1: Western Art. Barnsley: Open College of the Arts (Document control number ua 1 wa121110), page 17 .

(2) Warrell, I. (ed) (2013) Turner from the Tate: The making of a master. London: Tate Publishing, page 197.

(3) New York Times (2013) Van Gogh’s ‘blue’ bedroom more a violet hue. The Sydney Morning Herald [online] 30 April 2013. Available from http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/van-goghs-blue-bedroom-more-a-violet-hue-20130430-2iqm0.html [Accessed 2 May 2013]

UA1-WA:P1-p1 The Canon take 4

Previous posts on or around this topic:
17-Mar-2013 An initial attempt at understanding the concept and considering the implications
13-Apr-2013 Finding evidence of the canonical orders in Sydney, and considering the message being given by the planners and builders.
26-Apr-2013 This post was ostensibly about a trip to some exhibitions in Canberra and reflections on being Australian. With further thought I think that in part I was working through the relevance of The Western Canon to a modern Australian.

This thought crystallized when I read a quote from Tony Abbott (current Leader of the Opposition in federal parliament). “There is a new version of the great Australian silence – this time about the Western canon, the literature, the poetry, the music, the history and above all the faith without which our culture and our civilisation are unimaginable.” (1) (Partial disclosure, not wanting to get distracted by Australian politics, I will not be voting for Mr Abbott’s party in the coming election). So are we ignoring a significant part of our heritage in attempts to be multi-cultural and politically correct?

Further internet searching led me to the information that “the great Australian silence” was originally used in 1968 in reference to the virtual absence of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders in Australian “history” at the time.(2) (crikey.com is a source of “Australian independent journalism”, seen by some as myth-busting and giving the true low-down, by others less positively.)

I hadn’t realised that the Western canon was so topical, so did some more internet surfing. In an article on the English school syllabus I found “The retreat from the canon, while appearing to have social equality at heart, has disempowered a generation by divorcing them from the mythic reference points of our culture”. Also “As a people, to understand the story we are in, we must understand the story of where we have been, and the great narratives of the literary canon are vital to this understanding.” (3) Apparently the new curriculum has achieved a good balance, with a greater diversity in “canonical” texts.

A simple search on “Western canon Australia” turned up a lot more. Both the articles I’ve cited refer to school curricula, one history the other english. The political element is very clear, also perhaps a battle for the minds and hearts of the young (sorry about the twee expression). It also reinforced for me the ongoing importance of the Western canon in Australian life and the stories we tell about ourselves. I don’t believe that a single true history is possible or desirable – nothing is that simple. So it seems a canon needs to be constantly questioned and tested, to evolve, to merge different histories and cultures.

(1) Abbott, T. (2013?) Sir Paul Hasluck Foundation lecture. Cited in Baird, J. (2013) Don’t dismiss nation’s blemishes. The Sydney Morning Herald 27 April 2013 [online] Available from http://www.smh.com.au/comment/dont-dismiss-nations-blemishes-20130426-2ijsd.html#ixzz2Rl36SXnI
[Accessed 28 April 2013]

(2) Knott, M. (2013) Tony Abbott talks God and Western values behind closed doors [Online] 5 April 2013 Crikey.com Available from http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/04/05/tony-abbott-talks-god-and-western-values-behind-closed-doors/?wpmp_switcher=mobile [Accessed 28 April 2013]

(3) Hastie, D. (2013) Why great narratives must be passed on. The Sydney Morning Herald 4 November 2011 [online] Available from: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/why-great-narratives-must-be-passed-on-20111103-1mxte.html#ixzz2RlBBjvkJ [Accessed 28 April 2013]
UA1-WA:P1-p1 The Canon take 4
Understanding Art 1 – Western Art.
Part one: Classical and religious art.
Project one: Ancient Greece.
Topic: Canonical Orders.

Canberra, study and being Australian

A recent visit to Canberra, the capital of Australia, had me thinking about being Australian. It’s been front-of-mind a fair bit lately as I navigate Understanding Western Art – not just the course content, but the different perspective and the relevance to me personally, as an Australian with no Roman remains down the road and “Western” just one part of the cultural mix. It is important for me that study is personal, not a dry, objective, academic exercise, if I am to invest this much time and thought and energy.

There are lots of different versions of “Australian”. On dad’s side our earliest direct relative arrived in 1839 (Irish), at the request of his uncle who arrived less voluntarily in 1800. Mum arrived in 1952 (English). Apart from a few years traveling I’ve always lived in the suburbs of Sydney. So what I write is from a pretty narrow perspective, but one that’s as valid as anyone’s.

I travelled to Canberra with my mother and our main purpose was the annual 2 day walk (www.aussiewalk.com.au) – see 9-Apr-2013 for last year’s trip. We also spent a day at the National Library, which had three exhibitions which particularly interested us.

The first was Beyond the furthest fences: the Australian Inland Mission collection. Mum and I visited the Australian Inland Mission hospital in Lake Grace when we visited Western Australia in 2011 (blog post 17-Oct-2011). The library exhibition consisted of a display of photographs, most taken by John Flynn whose work led to the foundation of the Inland Mission hospitals and the Flying Doctor Service. I took the photo on the right at Lake Grace AIM hospital and the reference to communication is significant. Flynn encouraged and used the inventions of Alfred Traeger, in particular a pedal-powered radio that was used to create a network of communication across inland Australia. In the Library exhibition a photograph from 1930 that really caught my interest shows an elderly woman sitting just outside a house surrounded by three young girls. The incongruity in the photo is that the woman is wearing headphones and pedalling to provide power to the radio she is using. The photo can be seen in the Library digital collection at http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an24681856.

The nurses at the AIM hospitals did more than provide medical care. They taught Sunday school and sewing classes (the sewing machine photo is from Lake Grace), they provided reading material and organised social events. They helped to create communities, as did the network of communication provided by the two-way radios (which later were also used for the School of the Air). Flynn constantly promoted the work of AIM, and all these achievements had a huge impact on the national self-image – community, mateship, ingenuity, innovation, self reliance, resilience, toughness, practical, achieving against the odds, living in remote, inhospitable places (I’d add laconic and self-deprecating, but I’m not sure if that came from Flynn). There was another photo I loved (see http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an24522410). It shows a group of people sitting around the dining table, eating Christmas dinner and drinking tea. I didn’t notice the oddity until reading a caption with a diary entry by Sister Grace Francis: [during the dust storms] “we have a table cloth on top of the dishes, not underneath”.

The second exhibition at the Library was The Dream of a Century: The Griffins in Australia’s National Capital. The photo on the left is captioned “Andrew Fisher, Lord and Lady Denman and King O’Malley acknowledge the crowd from the foundation stone at the naming of Canberra ceremony, 12 March 1913″, available at http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn4503893 and also, excitingly, copyright free at The National Library of Australia Commons on Flickr. Canberra is an artificial city, created from some perfectly good sheep-grazing land. A competition was held to design the new city, won by Walter Burley Griffin working with Marion Mahony Griffin.

Some designs that didn’t win were shown in the exhibition as well as the Griffins’. In terms of being proudly Australian, the thing that impressed me was that the chosen design started with the land – the hills, valleys and water of the site. Two hills, Mount Ainslie and Mount Bimberi, provided one axis. The Molonglo River and its valley crossed at right angles. The existing geometry of the land was recognised, enhanced and celebrated. This approach contrasted to that of other designs, where the city was imposed on the land, something that could have been built anywhere given a bulldozer and a bit of time.

Treasures Gallery was the third exhibition at the Library. It included things like Captain Cook’s Journal of H.M.S. Endeavour, 1768-1771 (http://nla.gov.au/nla.ms-ms1). It felt extraordinary to be surrounded by so much of our history – in fact too much for me to take in and process. A positive of the whole day was finding out about all the resources and material that are available to view in Canberra, and also available on the internet. One that I will explore further is the manuscript of John Olsen when working on his painting Five Bells (a painting that I return to often in the NSW Art Gallery – I’ll take a photo to insert next time I go). The manuscript in the National Library is available digitally at http://nla.gov.au/nla.ms-ms8015-2. The painting in the NSW Art Gallery is featured at http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/galleries/australian/featured-works/olsen/.

While in Canberra we also visited The National Arboretum (www.nationalarboretum.act.gov.au) which opened earlier this year. An interesting place, but for this post I’m particularly interested in the sculpture sitting right along the crest of the hill. When taking the photo I was more interested in the patterning of the terracing and planting, and the detail doesn’t really help. There are some really interesting shots at http://www.futago.com.au/public_art/public_wbl_1.html (and on seeing them now I wish we’d had the time to go right up). The work is Wide Brown Land by Marcus Tatton, Chris Viney and Futago (2010). The words come from a poem by Dorothea Mackellar, My Country, first published in 1908. When I was at school pretty much everyone learned the second verse at least, which begins “I love a sunburnt country” and ends “The wide brown land for me!”. At the time of writing Mackellar was living in England and homesick for Australia – a momentous idea for a country of immigrants who are always talking about “home”. The full text of the poem is available at www.dorotheamackellar.com.au/archive/mycountry.htm. I don’t recall ever reading the first verse before today. It refers to “the love of field and coppice … running in your veins”, which she understands but cannot share. That’s part of what I feel about the Western Art course. I’ve visited Brading Roman Villa on the Isle of Wight and seen the mosaics, I’ve stayed in a chilly farmhouse just below Hadrian’s Wall – but I don’t feel that link to it.

The Arboretum centre, designed by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects responds to the landform just as the Griffin’s design for Canberra did. (I’ll not mention the harsh triangular function centre going up nearby, other than that it exists and I have carefully cropped it from my photographs).

I don’t have a nice, neat wrapup for these musings. I would love to find a way to express some of this in my work – without it being too obvious, sugary, nostalgic or non-urban. Mackellar wrote a poem “Colour”, and it might be interesting to create a palette from that. As for the OCA course, I’ll continue enjoying it, learning, and gleefully jumping on any Australian links I can find or manufacture.

Additional information

AIM Hospital Lake Grace: http://www.lakegrace.wa.gov.au/images/AIM%20Hospital%20Brochure.pdf

AIM collection at the National Library:
- list of photographs included in the exhibition, with links to the images: http://www.nla.gov.au/sites/default/files/exhibition_checklist_180712.pdf
- even more photos: http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Search/Home?lookfor=my_parent%3A%22%28AKIN%2911408153%22&iknowwhatimean=1

UA1-WA:P1-p1-Ex Annotation of a Greek vase painting

My chosen vase is in the Alexander The Great: 2000 years of treasures exhibition currently on at the Australian Museum in Sydney. I posted about my first visit to the exhibition on 8-Feb-2013.

The catalogue entry:
Red-figure volute-krater: warrior with a horse in a heroon
Southern Italy, Apulia, 330-320 BC
Master of the Seated Woman Group
Clay; h 72.2, 0 rim 37.8, 0 base 11.4 cm (1)

The photos in the post are my sketches. I can’t find an image on the web, but for something similar click here to go to a page on the British Museum website showing The Hamilton Vase.

Reason for choice
On the left of this photo is the sketch I did of the chosen vase back in February, when I was still working through the final assignment for Textiles 1: A Creative Approach. I found it refreshing to look at a woman, resplendent in jewels and leaning languidly on a pillar, after all the heroic, idealized male statues busy doing something important.

I chose this vase for the annotation because I already had a connection to it, could do my initial work based on the photograph in the exhibition catalogue, and would have the opportunity to see the vase itself again before the exhibition closed. The OCA course notes include a reminder that looking at an image – a reproduction – can give you a sense for the original, but is not the same as experiencing the item directly. Choosing this vase would allow me to experience the impact of the original when my work from the image was still fresh in my mind.

After working on this for some time I realised (a) the vase is from Italy and a Greek item was specified for the exercise, and (b) the date of the vase put it slightly later than covered in the course textbook section for this project, which stops with the death of Philip of Macedon, Alexander’s father, in 336 BC. I continued with the vase because the catalogue notes associate it with Greek colonies in Italy, the timing issue is marginal, and as detailed above I had solid reasons for the selection.

Observations
Shape
The vase is large – over 72 cm high. Handles on each side connect the rim to the shoulders. The tops of the handles form a coil or medallion shape above the main part of the vase. In my eyes the base seems almost disproportionally small making the vase appear top-heavy and possibly unstable.
Arrangement of painting
The vase has patterned bands – waves, tongues, geometric shapes – contained between plain lines at the areas of greatest shaping (the rim shaping to the neck, the shoulders, and towards the base of the vase). This leaves two relatively large and unshaped areas for more complex painting, around the neck and the belly of the vase. There is a centered scene painted on the belly of the vase. To either side, underneath the handles, areas of large curved and fanned shapes can be seen.
In addition to the background painted in black slip and the red figures there is yellow and white painting.
The painting
Each of the medallion or volute shapes of the handles has a head painted in white with yellow hair.
In the centre of the neck of the vase is a painted bust (head and shoulders). It is surrounded by a symmetrical design which includes birds, ribbon-like swirls, foliage, what could be ears of wheat, and bell-shaped flowers.
The main painted panel shows a structure with ionic columns – a heroon. Within it is a warrior wearing armour (a cuirass), and what could be a chalmys draped around his shoulders. He holds a spear in his left hand and what is possibly a whip in his right hand. Behind the warrior is his horse.
On the left hand side is a woman holding a fan and carrying a basket. She wears a chiton and a cloak (a himation?). Her hair is dressed up and tied with a band, she wears earrings, bracelets and a necklace. The draping of her clothing is fluid and graceful.
On the right hand side a woman leans her elbow on a waist-high column, one leg crossed in front on the other with just the toes on the ground. She holds a mirror, her hair is dressed up, she seems to have a beaded headdress and is wearing earrings, bracelets and a necklace.
There are three inverted hook shapes which I think might be ribbons, a lozenge shape on the left which suggests a shield and a triangular shape suspended from the ceiling of the heroon.
Second viewing
Last week I visited the exhibition again to see the vase.
I was surprised by its size – I had forgotten how big it is.
Working from the catalogue photograph I hadn’t realised the depth of the handles. What looks like just a flat medallion at the top is actually the front face of a deeper grip, shaped like a cotton reel. The head of the medallion is in relief – a molded three dimensional element not just flat painting. The loop shapes at the base of the handle are in the form of swan heads.
It was during this visit that I was able to see the detail of the fallen shield and what looks like tassels on the whip. Working from the photo I thought the white columns at the front had yellow sides, but in life the yellow areas seem to be the columns at the back of the structure.
Additional information
The catalogue states “The vase was intended for a warrior’s burial” and I wondered what indicated that. A krater was used for mixing water and wine (2) and the size would seem to be unwieldy (unless one ladled rather than poured the liquid). This could suggest a more ceremonial than functional purpose.
It was customary to visit the graves of the dead and wind ribbons or sashes around the stele (commemorative slabs) (3), and that would fit with the three shapes that I think are ribbons.
The wife of Pluto, ruler of the underworld, was Persephone. Her mother Ceres, the corn goddess, searched for Persephone after her abduction by Pluto. (4) The ears of wheat might reference this myth.
For a long time I thought the triangular hanging shape was a bell, and after much searching a found a mention of bells used in the temples of Persephone (5) which seemed an exciting fit. However I’ve since seen a photograph on the British Museum website with a very similar object identified as a pilos (a helmet) (6). This would work with the shield and other accoutrements of the warrior.
I thought the “fallen shield” might be imagery referring to a fallen warrior, but have not found any information to support this.

Other remarks
I have completely mismanaged my time on this annotation and put far too much work into it. I got more and more interested, and every time I sat at the computer to type it up would find myself exploring the internet for more relevant information. I will need to be more disciplined in future.

(1) Australian Museum (2012) Alexander the Great: 2000 years of treasures.. Sydney: Australian Museum. Page 96.
(2) Honour, H. and Fleming, J. (2009) A World History of Art (revised 7th edition). London: Laurence King. Page 143.
(3) Wilson, N. (ed.) (2006) Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece. New York: Routledge. Page 207.
(4) Hall, J. (2008) Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art (Second Edition). Boulder: Westview Press.
(5) Pylyaev, M.I. [n.d.] Historial Bells [online] The Link of Times Foundation. Available from: http://www.danilovbells.com/bellsonrussia/publications_about_bells/historical_bells/ [Accessed 17 April 2013]
(6) The Trustees of the British Museum [n.d.] Volute Krater (Registration number: 1836,0224.164) [online] The Trustees of the British Museum. Available from: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectid=399551&partid=1&searchText=volute+krater&fromADBC=ad&toADBC=ad&numpages=10&orig=%2fresearch%2fsearch_the_collection_database.aspx&currentPage=5 [Accessed 17 April 2013]

Additional Information
Heuer, K. [n.d.] Funerary Vases in Southern Italy and Sicily [online] The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Available from: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/fune/hd_fune.htm [Accessed 17 April 2013]

UA1-WA:P1-p1-Ex Annotation of a Greek vase painting
Understanding Art 1 – Western Art.
Part one: Classical and religious art.
Project one: Ancient Greece.
Exercise: Annotation of a Greek vase painting.