Halloween, Highwaymen, Peasants, and Breaking Codes
Welcome to your October edition of Signified
Art is a great talking point. Why not start a conversation by forwarding this newsletter to someone you know who shares your love of art?
Announcing the October exhibition at : six : shot : gallery
Remy Dean on ‘word ⦿ code’
“Visual arts attempt to express something from the artist and elicit responses from the viewer. What differentiates each piece of work is the materials and languages used, and the codes conveyed…”
Continue reading and see the art at : six : shot : gallery
Recently ‘Boosted’ in Signifier:
‘A Peasant Wedding’
We watch the celebration feast from the corner of a barn and the foreground has been left unobstructed so we may enter the scene. The strong diagonal of the table draws our gaze and the lively guests beckon us in further. There is so much going on that we linger to absorb every detail. The rhythm of white shapes draws our gaze around the table and the predominant vibrant reds and golds, evoke warmth — of summer and the sentiments of the ceremony. The solidity of the figures carrying the food…
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‘Susanna and the Elders’ — She is Never Alone
I was not only drawn into the painting by Tintoretto’s masterful way with paint, but also by the subject-matter. The dark greens, the textures of leaves, roses, bark, water, all pulled me into the garden where Susanna sits. It is Susanna’s garden, for she has made it her own. Her possessions are laid out in front of her. She is naked, and she dips one foot into the pond beside her. She wraps her hands around her other foot…
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A Real Robin Hood?
Many believe the legend of Robin Hood to be part-inspired by some of the age-old tales told about King Arthur, combined with the life story of Sir Fulk FitzWarin, of Whittington Castle, Shropshire. Both these mythical and historical sources have informed our modern interpretations of the legends across media since Hollywood’s Silent Age but the character was created long before, by a lineage of balladeers and storytellers…
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Popular Signifier (ICYMI)
Spotlight on one of our most popular or trending articles…
Ghost Paintings of Ubume
Ghost Painting is an ancient and enduring genre of art closely linked with literature, regional folklore, and religious beliefs. It’s so interwoven with the cultural fabric of Japan that it’s impossible to discuss with brevity so, as a way in, we shall focus on the beauty, horror, and poignancy of Ubume paintings which, across the centuries has developed into a subgenre of its own that still has a place in today’s art and media…
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‘Halloween’: from the archives of Signifier
In this regular feature of our Signified Newsletter, we select a few choice articles from our archives linked by a monthly theme. It’s that time of year again for a spooky selection of haunting art…
Goya, Goats, and the Grotesque
In the twilight years of an illustrious, and tumultuous, career the great Spanish painter Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes — more usually referred to simply as Goya — purchased Quinta del Sordo, a two-storey house on the banks of the Manzanares river in the countryside near Madrid. Over the next few years, he painted a series of sinister murals that would rank among his most famous works, now known as The Black Paintings.…
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Sat Upon my Heart, an Incubus
Henry Fuseli once said, “one of the most unexplored regions of art are dreams.” His haunting painting of 1781 allows us to voyeuristically view a sleeping woman, contorted by her dreams, whilst visualising those private visions. She’s draped across a dishevelled bed. Sitting on her chest is a goblin or incubus, and the head of ghostly horse with blank ‘zombie’ eyes…
Supernatural Scrolls
Most children in the west know what fairies and goblins — even vampires and werewolves — are. They’ll even have a general idea of what they look like and how they may behave. There’s little need for detailed descriptions and explanations. Well, that’s how it is for Japanese children and yōkai. Indeed, fairies, goblins, vampires, and werewolves would all come under the umbrella term… as would umbrellas!
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Our Redbubble online store offers three collections of artistically taste-tested objet and there’s even a button badge of our distinctive Signifier/Signified dynamic diagram for all you media theorists and students of semiotics!
If you know anyone who enjoys reading “imaginative fiction at its best”, you can further support our editor and curator by recommending or purchasing their latest novels in the series, This, That, and The Other, written by Remy Dean with Zel Cariad and published by The Red Sparrow Press.
“Bursting at the seams with magic!”
“…will be enjoyed by fans of fantasy of all ages, particularly those who like classics, like the ‘Narnia’ saga.”
Attention, Boost-worthy Writers!
…propose an article for Signifier. The Signifier is a not too complicated, yet not too simplified, look at the evolution of art in short bites and bigger essays taking in art history, design icons, media theories, analysis of great works, think-pieces around art, the signifiers and the signified… from professional writers with art-related backgrounds.
We welcome proposals from Medium writers for suitable articles. Best way to get a feel for what is suitable is to read a range of our articles. The best way to make contact is to leave a comment on a recently published article written by our editor, Remy Dean. (A familiarity with the Signifier publication — demonstrated by following, claps, and comments — is advisable.)
Calling All Artists!
…submit your visual art to The Signifier : six : shot : gallery. Every month we showcase just six images by each artist, or creative entity. These six images are linked in some understandable way — perhaps from the same project, series, or dealing with related subjects. They may be linked by aesthetics, techniques, processes, philosophies, formal or conceptual elements. The six images are accompanied by an artist’s statement that does not necessarily explain the work but lends insight into meaning that informs deeper engagement.
You can read an overview of the gallery’s first two years here.
The art must be the sole creation of the artist, or creative entity, and intended to be viewed as a 2D image. No sculpture or 3D work will be considered at present. No NFTs. Acceptable media include, fine art, photography, drawing, painting, collage, prints, illustration, mixed media, digital, etc. The curator favours concept-driven work that is visually adventurous.
The Six Shot Gallery is hosted on the Medium platform, so the administration and maintenance costs are met by the reader and member contribution, not the exhibitors. Therefore, it will remain free to submit for the foreseeable future and no ‘virtual hanging fee’ is charged. Artists may include a single link to their personal website, agent, dealer or preferred sales site — we charge zero commission for this.
If accepted for exhibition, the six images should not appear elsewhere in the digital realm for the first month of their online exhibition. Exemptions to this rule include social media promoting the exhibition, artists’ personal websites, and any related press coverage. Apart from this agreement, Six Shot Gallery has no further control outside of the scheduled month of exhibition and copyright always remains with the author of the works. Layout and presentation is at the sole discretion of the curator.
The host and curator is Remy Dean and initial contact should be made by leaving a comment on the most recent exhibition showcase published in The Signifier : six : shot : gallery, or leave a private note on a recently published article written by our editor, Remy Dean. (A familiarity with the Signifier : six : shot : gallery — demonstrated by following, claps, and comments — is advisable.)
Please note that there is a maximum of 12 exhibition slots available per annum, so don’t be disappointed or discouraged should your work not be selected.
We look forward to receiving some exciting art from you!
There are example exhibitions to see here.
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Thank you for your continued support. Our Publication updates every week, so visit often!
