It’s about a new kind of visual language for the computer.
It’s about returning the quality of translucency, which is lost by the printer.
Its about extracting to the two dimensional word, the layered construction of computer images.
It’s about subverting the flawlessness of the computer image.
It’s about sabotaging the control of the computer and allowing something unforeseen to happen.

Yellow River hanging in the studio

]]> http://www.penelopewakeham.com/blog/2011/12/yellow-river-3/feed/ 0 http://www.penelopewakeham.com/blog/2011/12/musing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=musing http://www.penelopewakeham.com/blog/2011/12/musing/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:52:37 +0000 admin http://www.penelopewakeham.com/blog/?p=303

(More)…]]> After listening to an article this morning on BBC Radio4′s Womans’ Hour, I wondered whether it might be a good idea to re-brand Job share as ‘Job Collaboration’.  Given that women like to work together, talk over problems, reach a consensus. If we show a united front and support each other, it could be something positive to sell to an employer. Job collaboration plays to women’s strengths – use it.  I know I’m talking about women here and men can job collaborate too.  Please excuse my bias.

The way computer images are created, giving the illusion of layers of coloured light, enables me to explore this fascination.

But I want to make an image on screen and then take it out and shape it with my hands.

The image produced with the computer forms the raw material for the work.

Open studio

My studio cleared for an open studio weekend

Too tidy!

Damien Hirst Requiem White Flowers and Butterflies 01

When I read that Damien Hirst had retired to his shed to paint flowers, my reaction was to exclaim “Bastard!”

The story might be turned by critics into the tortured artist returning to the roots of his craft but I just saw it as an artist who had nothing to prove to anyone and so he could do just what he darned well pleased.

Simon Hattenstone’s article in the Guardian Weekend magazine allowed Hirst to talk about his reasons in more depth but basically my response remained the same.  “Bastard!”
I can see parallels between Damien Hurst and David Hockney who has a show at the new Nottingham Contemporary gallery.

Come with me on this a minute.

I know they are vastly different in many ways – age and therefore experience for one thing – but Hockney was studying in the 60’s when art schools went through an enormous change.  Teaching art was no longer anything to do with learning how to draw or paint.  If you wanted to learn that sort of old fashioned thing you taught yourself and in secret.  -  Art school was all about ideas.  Hurst was taught by the products of the art schools of Hockney’s time at the Royal College of Art.

As a ‘mature student’ in the 80’s and 90’s I came across the same tutors who had the same questions around ‘art’ and ‘craft’.   Other students of all ages (though mostly from the older age group) where astonished to find that they were not taught the skills of paining and drawing.  It took a while to get it.  Some never did.

David Hockney, after working with photographs, photocopiers and lens based work suddenly returned to painting.   Do you remember those sausage dogs?  Simple little paintings that took him back to a direct contact with paint and the eye.  I thought it brave and again I envied Hockney the time and space but at the time I was embarked on something new and exciting.

A tutor once told me that you only know if an artist has answered a question, if you know what the question was in the first place.

I guess Hirst is asking himself questions about craft and skill and can he paint and how important is it?  He is in his shed painting – because he can!  Bastard!