On 12th of November we set out to Glasgow to visit the various museums and galleries they have to offer there. I headed in extra early so I may get to Kelvingrove museum and gallery right as it opened, this gave me plenty of time to see everything before it got busy. I am a fan of Kelvingrove as I’ve been visiting it since I was a child and have grown up seeing some of the paintings many times; some I’ve grown bored of and others still make me stand and stare at them for ages.
LS Lowry Sescape 1950
One of these pieces that always gets me is LS Lowry ‘Seascape’ 1950, it is a simplistic painting that for a lot of my youth didn’t really like until my dad explained to my why her likes it. It reminds him of his time traveling around the world with the Navy and seeing the weird states of the ocean; from thrashing waves to eerily still seas. Understanding why someone else likes a painting can help others understand it and appreciate it. I like looking at the painting now as the use of colours really gets me to look and stare as you can see purples, red, blues, brown all through it. It reminds me that paintings are built up on layers of colour, so are designs as well. We build up on something till it is perfection.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti Regina Cordium 1866
For a long time I believed this painting to be of some religious icon, but instead she was a popular model of Rossetti’s work. How her face is in the centre and the gold around her head framing her soft and delicate face, it really does make her as a religious icon of some sort. I am impressed how old this painting as looking at I feel like the style should be early 20th century and not midway the 18th century. It doesn’t carry the heaviness that many paintings of that time had. It has more of a imaginative set up for a portraiture with the flowers appearing in the foreground and background looking as if its been imposed in.
I spent two years after finishing high school studying in a portfolio school that focused a lot in modern art. The course showed me how to understand it and its obscure and sometimes hard to read meanings. The growth of art is very important as it flows with the growth of society. Seeing these paintings paired together really highlight what was popular then and now. Though it could be debated that the artwork on the left is not actually in favour in this time due to it only connecting with a small minority. The right-side piece is impressive and I much rather have a print of that but the left side painting shows how the artists was able to look at something and create it in a different challenging manner. They might have not spent as much time as the right hand artist but they have spent more time mentally creating an image that is different and shows different skill sets.
Again this is a debate that runs for miles long on is modern art even proper art compared to masters long dead. It is not a debate I wish to start but it is something I constantly think when designing as this is a debate that everyone is in. When thinking of clients I sometimes think on what side they might be on so that I can work to a style they would take their fancy; modernism or classical style.
George Henry Japanese Lady with fan 1894
I’ve appreciated the Glasgow Boys work as they were quite revolutionary but this piece here is my favourite. I love Eastern Asia arts as its evolution of styles is far different to the West. This painting here is so sharp with its design, it looks almost geometric with how its made. The hair and face are detailed, with the paint being smooth and thick. While the rest of the body is looser dry strokes, allowing you to see how they move. This helps put focus right onto the face and hair drawing you in. It is interesting to see Westerns take owe and inspiration from the East Asian styles.
EA Hornel The brownie of Blednoch, 1889
I love this painting so much, there is no subtle way to put it. I adore folk lore and myths in all forms and seeing this add to the fascination of the build up of stories. I am drawn to it by the whites in it eyes that just grab you from any distance, no matter how small they are. There is so much going on in this painting, telling the poem it is based on. You have phantom spirits floating ghostly in the sky on brooms and the wind. The strange way the moon has been painted to have a halo around it, as if the moon is a saint. Then the brownie itself grabs you with its skeletal over exaggerated body huntched over, with bony hands leaning towards you. Its position on the canvas makes it look like its about to jump off and grab you. Paintings and designs that get you to feel part of it or part of it is about to run off the page always get me.
As artists we must be take in work of the past as it evolves past artwork into modern times. It can help solve current problems we may be facing in a piece of work. I know it has helped me a lot.I love going to museums and seeing artefacts from across the world and time as it lets me see the development of art in that period of time. Take influence of what is around you but always what was before it.
I could go on for ages about all the work I saw at Kelvingrove but what I have mentioned are the ones I take most interest in and am inspired by. Every time I go there I always seem to see more work I didn’t notice before, this always makes trips there refreshing and exciting.
From there I went to the Lighthouse, a more modern gallery in the heart of Glasgow. I have only been there once before and there weren’t any exhibits on. Luckily there was a showing of the ‘Graphic Design Festival Scotland’, right up my street. It was amazing to see posters of varying themes and styles. I couldn’t keep from smiling and gasping at the ideas and thoughts they were putting across them.
It really did highlight the fact that posters have developed a lot from what they were like even a decade ago. With fonts all over the place, mismash of type used, purposely blurry images and much more. If you tried to use them a good few years ago you would have been a mad man.
Though these posters could be called out to be more artistic and not be used for the general public. As some themes would not be seen as a good idea to show all eyes. But their themes are so deep and meaningful that it would be a crime to hide them from society.
I’m glad they are exhibited right now at the Lighthouse and hope they get a wider audience from their artist publishing them as so much thought and consideration has been placed within each one.
With an exhausting breath I climbed up the spiral of stairs to the top fo the Lighthouse to view across Glasgow. I believe it would have been a lot nicer if it wasn’t the start of winter, grey clouds and a nipping wind slapping my face. What I did love there was the graffiti.
I am on the fence when it comes to this sort of stuff as yes it can be disruptive of public properties, costs the council a lot to cover up and can be very offensive. But sometimes you just find absolute treasures hidden within it all.
All these little marks and notes left, a clip of someones life hidden up here from the world and only noticed by a few. Poetic and beautiful. I wondered if the ones about relationships are still together. Or what people wanted to get across with their words. I get so invested when looking at graffiti as some pieces are only a few strokes of a pen and yet hold so much meaning and depth. Maybe I’m overthinking them, but I see some graffiti as someone’s way of leaving a mark, for a quote they’ve had in their head for years, that no one’s ever listened to them, can finally be etched onto a brick and seen by many.
I also went to the GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art), again I frequent this place a lot. Well I did when I lived back in the West coast. The main hall normally has some interesting work but I found the films that an artist made rather uninteresting. I understood one about the use of cut card process to made lace a lot quicker and how the same use of the card with slotted holes in it can also place music on old pipes. But it didn’t draw my attention much.
Eduardo Paolozzi
Upstiars in the main gallery, I have been here a few times and seen this work. I’ve taken an interest to these rather illustrative pieces by Paolozzi as I find them rather fascinating to look at. I’ve seen these pieces about 6+ times and always seem to spot one more hidden thing within the black lines, another nod to a pop culture reference or something else. So much is going on yet to me it doesn’t feel over crowed at all. Rather actually well placed and relaxing to look at as your eye just flows all over it. Looking over and under lines to see more and more tiny little illustrations.
I quickly snapped this as i loved the use of type on the wall, its always interesting to see type not on the basic poster or screen but used within interior design.
Jack Knox
The top floor held a showing of Jack Knox’s work. I’ve never heard of him but seen this exhibit a few times now. His paintings are very obscure to me and I don’t really understand them. I’m writing about them as I feel they should be noted and that in a later time I can come back and maybe understand them or even take inspiration from them. The work is rather minimalistic with some sort of meaning. I like to try and understand a painting before reading the note beside them so I may see if the painting has been made well enough for me and others to understand without reading so much into it.
That is something I fear many modern art is doing, creating art but the basic human being cant understand what its on about unless you read a note or research it. It is important that people can understand what you are getting at with a design as if they need to take extra time to understand it the chances are they will loose interest or get more confused. Keep it clear.
I also did vist Tramway gallery in Pollockshields East, but unfortunately, I had appeared on the one day they were swapping shows around and setting up new exhibits. Though I intended to get back there at a closer date.
Overall, I enjoyed my trip to Glasgow as it allowed me to see a variety of work and take in a sea of new inspiration for my own work. I was also able to evaluate work and understand what is needed but what isn’t needed in making something successful.