So, some people are cross about choosing Bob Dylan as the new Nobel literature figure, the fact of the matter is though we have to take on new thought which applies to the times we live in, whether we agree with it or not. I do not like abstract paintings but that is not strictly true, images flashed before my eyes I remember going to an exhibition in Switzerland with my then father-in-law. It was the paintings of Paul Klee the Swiss artist which changed my mind somewhat, then I thought of Kandinsky, thought by some to be the first painter of abstract art. Then Cubism and Braque came to mind, and I realised that absorbing things unconsciously I had actually looked and enjoyed these paintings, now who did that multi- legged dog with his many footed owner taking him for a walk, clever idea and no doubt discussed into the ground by many an art expert......
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| Bottles and Fishes - GeorgesBraque |
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| Paul Klee |
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| Wassil Kandinsky |
I went through a period of Ruskin and the Pre-raphaelites but their heavy lidded eyed, ripples of red hair models left me feeling slightly wanting, and the 'Light of the World' reminded me of all those prayer books at the convent. So I moved on.
Latterly, it is Paul Nash and Eric Ravilious that catch my breath, if not my eye, clear light filled paintings with subject matter of an earlier time. Amongst the 'brown' paintings my favourite resides in Bath, the geese crossing a ford..... Watersplash by Henry le Thangue, its soft mellowed sun and shadowed path with a daft gaggle of geese always makes me smile.
All this talking of art has jogged LS into thinking of his own art work, though of course he went in a different direction in art and became a conservator, but he was talking about The Six Persimmons this morning so a hunt on his web site brought it up here.
And what I don't like!!
Damien Hirst's animals in formaldehyde
Tracy Emin's bed
Weiwei's sunflower seeds - slight repetition there, and this display went down in the house like a ton of bricks, smashing up antique bowls, etc, not sure what he did with them...
Yes - I agree absolutely about Bob Dylan.
ReplyDeleteWe are all so different in the kind of art we like aren't we? I like a lot of the modern stuff but not all - and I love the old masters - maybe for different reasons. I love that gaggle of geese you show us - I do rather like 'brown' paintings.
If you like the work of the Nash brothers and Eric Ravilious you may well enjoy the writing of Ronald Blythe. I ahve most of his books and pick them up for a read at odd times. I particularly like 'The time by the Sea' about living in Aldeburgh in his young days. Also of course he does now live in John Nash's house.
Must try Ronald Blythe, not someone I have read. Saturday we were in Helmsley, and I looked at a gallery with some paintings, but they seem so expensive, and the particular artist had them framed in white frames which I did not like - all a matter of taste I suppose.
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