Whilst thumbing through other people's blog I came across Ed Kluz an artist mostly working in collage. What caught my eye was his painting of Fonthill Abbey, a folly if there was ever one built by Beckford and which within a few years started falling down because of its immensely tall tower. It stretches to the sky like something from the 'Lord of the Rings'
Ed Kluz needs to reconstruct the past, so if even the building is not there, he will paint it and that is in itself rather intriguing bringing back to life other people's dreams and vanities, especially follies.
Whilst watching a short film of Kluz talking about his art, he mentioned his 'cabinet of curiosities', an evocative term, and my immediate thought is that what LS wants for all the fossils and stones that litter the window sills and tables, brought together in one whole cabinet. It reminded me also that another artist from The Brotherhood of Ruralists had also painted a picture of a curiosity cabinet, but I cannot find it at the moment but it has set me on a journey through my books.
Whilst watching a short film of Kluz talking about his art, he mentioned his 'cabinet of curiosities', an evocative term, and my immediate thought is that what LS wants for all the fossils and stones that litter the window sills and tables, brought together in one whole cabinet. It reminded me also that another artist from The Brotherhood of Ruralists had also painted a picture of a curiosity cabinet, but I cannot find it at the moment but it has set me on a journey through my books.
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| There is a cabinet in this picture, now whether Graham Ovendon did the background to it I do not know, but it is probably an illustration from A.G.Housman's Last Poems |
A book falling apart, the pages are loose, the extraordinary lengths people went to building grand houses, as I take photos from this book (Early Renaissance Architecture of England by J.A.Gotch) I find the buildings very ugly, over ornate.. Two gateways to remind us of the great gulf that exists between rich and poor people in their dwellings, and still does today of course as this Guardian article outlines in London.
I love Ed Klux's work. He originally comes from Richmond and I have known his work since he
ReplyDeletefirst began - I must say I still love some of his early work better, but an artist has to develop as he/she wishes. (Richmond here in North Yorkshire I mean)
First time I had come across him, watching him cut paper for collage, and he was so happy in his work, Yorkshire bred then, there is a painter in The Reading Gallery, who paints tumbling down houses, a bit childlike but very colourful, can't remember her name.
DeleteGosh, I'd love a cabinet of curiosities! It might tidy away a few flints and seaside keepsakes for starters, and the little bits of pot, and glass and what have you, dug up here.
ReplyDeleteAs for odd houses, I don't have a link, but the one that Elizabeth Barrett-Browning grew up in near Leominster is Very Odd Indeed - designed by her papa, it looks for all the world if someone stuck gigantic Smartie tubes around the outside! I can only say he wouldn't have made it in the real world as an architect . . .
I think I am in love with the idea of a cabinet of curiosities, must be a 19th century concept as they came back with their treasures from far lands. Also wanted a warden case for plants, they always look so graceful in illustrations.
DeleteWill look the house up, Hardy's house was on the TV the other day, the elaboration of these 'posh' houses clash very much with the simpler lines of the cottages...
What a great idea a cabinet would be. Finding the time is the problem but I realise so much of my time is taken up with stuff related to the computer; answering emails, endlessly fixing things that have gone wrong with ordering stuff. None of this was a problem in those days! I agree about the houses.....flouncy and ugly.
ReplyDeleteI must admit Em that the computer dominates the day to some extent. The fact of the matter is that we live our lives through the computer, talking to people, ordering things, and generally wasting time ;)
ReplyDelete