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Showing posts with label the holburne museum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the holburne museum. Show all posts

9 April 2012

WK12: SHORT LIST

EXHIBITIONS
1. Weegee: Murder is my Business 
    The International Centre of Photography
    New York












I didn't really find the New Yorker that helpful, it was just the stripped down bare bones of informations, nothing descriptive or inspirational, just factual information with a map. The New York Times however gave every aspect of detail from the concepts and number of images to his history and background, ever descriptions on selected works! I felt eager to visit and see for myself and if i hadn't of know the photographer, i would have after reading this. The final example, i think was the most aesthetically pleasing to look at, the layout was nice and certain colours were included to poop from the black and white screen. The content however had more pictures than most, showing the artists variety which i really enjoyed.




2. Cindy Sherman
    Museum of Modern Art
    New York












Again the New York fails to meet my liking, even though there is a lot more content in this review, i still felt as if it was too wordy and just uninteresting really. there are a couple of useful quotes but no images. The New York Times could do with a tidy up on composition, but much like the previous review, it gave so much information and even room for improvement which was appreciated. I have next heard of Art Net doing reviews, i always thought they just gave images and basic information, but the bare bones of information was there, and the layout and colour scheme was legible and they also picked up on her missing series. 




3. The Art Of Arrangement
    The Holburne Museum
    Bath










I think the Guardian is one of my favourite papers and online source of information. they language is readable and intelligent and they always seem to have the latest new in the art world, no matter the country! However this article is fairly short, just the main names of the exhibition are in there and the concept of a timeline over the years of still life. Once again Vigette's layout is perfect, a giant image and big headings with a basic and effective structure. Not much text however, a good amount of images to work with. I have also never heard of Photomonitor, the website layout is cool, but im not too keen on the review page. Much like Vigette, i like simple colours, but the images just are striking enough die to their size. 

27 February 2012

WK5: BATH

EXHIBITION
The exhibition we visited in the morning was in the city of Bath, where The Holburne Museum was holding an exclusive photography exhibition based on still life called the "Art of Arrangement" which exemplified an array of prints dating back to as early as the first few decades of the 19th century. The collection explored the the traditional value of still life concept and composition while invoking a new medium of creative expression. The space was divided into section displaying theme running through the timeline, the first "A Dialogue with Painting" which was begun with the work of Roger Fenton (b.1819-1869), William Henry Fox Talbot (b.1880-1877) and Frederick G. Tutton (b.1887-1930) which all illustrate a heavy reseambles to 17th Centry painting of fruit, flowers and chalices on cloaked tables resembling  the withering and decay of time in a vibrant manor of a frozen image. 


William Henry Fox Talbot, A Fruit Piece from Pencil of Nature, 1845
gutenberg.org
Roger Fenton, Still Life With Ivory Tankard and Fruit, 1860
guardian.co.uk

Roger Fenton, Still Life with Parain Vase, Grapes and Silver Cup, 1860
firsttimeuser.tumblr.com

Frederick G. Tutton, Dessert, 1923
ocanorjacks.com



The Second section of the exhibition, "On Close Inspection" feature work that used photography for scientific purposes. In terms of recording information through radiography & xray photography, these techniques and approaches were used to unveil hidden forms of natural that could not be seen with the unassisted vision. Here we see more of Talbot's microscopic work, as well as William Henry James Coombs and Josef Maria Eder (b.1855-1944).
William Henry Fox Talbot, Insect Wings (as seen in a solar microscope), 1840
shadedbower.wordpress.com

Josef Maria Eder, Frosche in Bauch-und Ruckenlage. 1896
telegraph.co.uk

Another series of images titled "Arrangements in Negative" illustrated a number of ways of printing using several negatives in order to produce a single photograph. Artists such as Jerry Uelsmann (b.1934) and Henry Peach Robinson (b.1830-1901) experiment with this method of layering and montaging.

Henry Peach Robinson, Fading Away, 1858
photomontage.tumblr.com

Jerry Uelsmann, Memory and the Sun, 1966
flickr.com


The following collection held a focus of view points which explore concept of the time and nature. Legends such as Edward Weston (b.1886-1958) and Ansel Adams (b.1902-1984) carefully construct their images through the techniques of angling and composition to reflect the form of their feeling and mood for desired effect. Sadly i could not find this collection on the internet so i have to use photographs taken of the print on my iphone..
Edward Weston, Detail of Abandoned Car (Mojave Desert in New Mexico), 1937 

Nick Hedges,  (Birmingham Winson Green) Shop Doorway, 1971

Arthur Rothstien, The Bleached Skull of a Steer on the Dry Sun-Baked Earth of the South Dakota Badlands, 1936

This was then followed by "Movement and Stillness" which accompanied artists who's work became fascinated with the notion of passing and and freezing a  moment, such as Eadweard Muybridge (b.1830-1904) Harold Edgerton (b.1903-1990) and Arthur Clive Banfield (b.1875-1965).  Some of these image had scientific and particle purposes, where as some were pure creativity. 

Harold Edgerton, Bullet Through Jack of Diamond, 1955
cs.nga.gov.au

Phillippe Halsman, Dali Atomicus, 1948
utata.org

Eadweard Muybridge, Animal Locomotion (Plate 758), 1887
artlyst.com

We then moved onto the collection demonstrating prints from a variety of artists, such as David Williams (b.1952), Laszlo MoHoly-Nagy (b.1895-1946) and Alexander Rodchenko (b.1891-1956). Their work relates to the topic "Reflection on Light and Dark", which showed the definite link between photography and light whether it be natural or artificial. 

Alvin Langdon Coburn, Vortograph No2, 1917
memoryprints.com

Alexander Rodchenko, Glass and Light, 1928
valentinamoncada.com
Raymond Moore, Ayr, 1979
azurebumble.wordpress.com


One of my favourite sectors of the exhibition was the assortment of images under "Order and Disorder", as not only did these photographs relate back to still life arrangements and objects, but were all taken my documentary photographers who have found structure and chaos in the everyday. Bellow are some of the executed prints from Ian Beesley (b.1954) , Dorothea Lang (b.1895-1965) and Jem Southam (b.1950)




Jem Southam, Horticultural Show Carn Brea, 1992
photomonth.com

Dorothea Lange, Corner of the Dazey Kitchen, 1939
galloimages.co.za

Ian Beesley, Pieces (Drummonds Mill, Bradford), 1986
ianbeesley.com

We being to see the involvement of the human form in the following collection "Still Life with Figure" which is not a usual convention when it comes to this particular genre. However, such artists as Chris Killip (b.1946), Horst P Horst (b.1906-1999) and Edward Steichen (b.1879-1973) are infamous for their portraiture works and have bridged their specialities with the symbolism that accompanies fine art.

Angus McBean,  Miss Dorothy Dickson, 1938
thetranscendentalmodernist.tumblr.com

Alexander Rodchenko, MEHA BCEX, 1924
artvalue.com

Horst P. Horst, Gloves (New York) , 1947
printed-editions.com

Helen Chadwick, Vanity II, 1986
terminartors.com

The final part of the exhibition was named "The Subversive" in which these prints invoke the primary purpose of photography, be that documenting life and events, and reflect the traditional forms of still life. However the images have been dragged into a contemporary context with a dark twist, illustrating the work of Karen Knorr (b.1954), S.M West and Don McCullin (b.1935), who show a sorrowful and 'lifeless" aspect. 

Don McCullin, Body of a North Vietnamese Soldier, 1968
military-history.org

Ian Beesley, Interior in Disused Block (Lister's Mill, Bradford), 1987
saunalahti.fi

Karen Knorr,  A Young Nobleman's Introduction, 1983
eightmodern.net