Artist Research

I looked at Sarah Morris in my summer project and her work is very relevant to my painting project so I have included my piece on her that I did in my summer project again in this post.

Sarah Morris

Sarah Morris- Rings(1952)-2006

Sarah Morris- Still from film Chicago-2010

Sarah Morris has recently been featured in September addition of Art Review for a review of her latest film "Rio". This is the latest in a series of films in a series of films based in cities all over the world such as Miami, Munich and Beijing (1). Morris wants to express a wider picture of what's happening in the city, Rio was shot during the famous carnival which is obvious at the end (1). She also wants to make it more obvious that she values the history of the city, particularly the architecture and the story that creates (2). Morris links different elements of the film throughout for a reason that is unknown, until the end where you realise that it is the carnival (1). The film also seems to be a form of tribute to the famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer (1) who has been one of Morris' main inspirations throughout her work. I think that she is also trying to show that the importance of our past and to show that we shouldn't stray so far from our traditions unlike so societies.

It is obvious that Morris has been inspired by a modernism style, but it is also suggested that she has been inspired by the inside of hospitals and scenes for the film Gattaca (1997) (1). Morris practises in other materials such as household gloss paint on canvas (2). This gives Morris a wider range, these painting are made up off very bold block colours an example of this is "Weasel" (2007) I really like the superbly clean cut lines in the paint it gives the painting such clarity and boldness. The painting also speak of this almost obsession Morris has with making her work look clean. Her works all seem to have a clinical cleanliness to them, because of the white spaces between the blocks of colour (2). Obviously this is no accident; it was an intention, which I believe is very successful.

Morris isn't one to give that many interviews so her views don't necessarily get herd she prefers her art to speak for themselves. However in June 2011 there was a claim that her work "Origami" had been copied from six different artists (3) she said when she created the work the origami was a sign of change (3) in a rare interview. There are very few other articles that have surfaced about Morris. I think that personally she just doesn't want to be a part of the media. The review on the film "Rio" was very positive and also they didn't judge her and they respected her ideas.

I think that the way that way Morris presents her work is very intentional because of the ideas behind the work, like I have said before there is almost the OCD with the cleanness and she presents them in a almost hospital setting, its all white. Her work does remind me of Beatrice Milhaze simply because of the colours and Piet Mondrian because of the composition.

(1)- Art review September 2013 edition pages 124-126

(2)- Art Now volume 3 Sarah Morris

(3)- http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/jun/05/tate-artist-sarah-martin-origami-lawsuit

(4)- http://www.tate.org.uk/art/images/work/P/P78/P78601_10.jpg

(5)- http://bauhaus-online.de/files/imagecache/480h/magazin-bilder/6_Sarah_Morris.jpg

Gerhard Ritcher 

Abstraktes Bild 1997

Richter is both an abstract and a photorealistic painter, which is unusual to find in an artist that is that good at both of those disciplines. I am looking at his abstract works because they are more relevant to my project. He uses different layers and a squeegee to create his works which is very similar to how I make elements of my works. Unlike me Richter uses oils which give a more intense colour and you can leave a great amount of time before you can scrape them down. The oils also blends really nicely allot more that acrylics. The mark that Richter makes on the canvas seem to be quite random there doesn't seem to have any form of obvious meaning behind the paintings.

Richter was born in Germany in 1932 where he then studied art which lead onto him becoming a very established artist to this day is still creating work and who is one of the most talked about of the moment. He works on a very large and small scale, no size seems to scare him he seems to be able to do anything and does it well. In regards to my work I think that I need to experiment with colour combinations and maybe using oil paints.

http://www.gerhard-richter.com/quotes/

Book: "Gerhard Richter: panorama"

Mark Francis

Pyxis 2013

I have looked at Francis' work because of his use of line and again colour. His works are quite simple, but the way the paint has been applied. His work is quite bold and not over complicated. They are quite like maps and remind me of the London Underground map. The shapes are slightly blurred which creates a movement within the painting it looks like the shapes are moving. The paintings are quite flat themselves which adds to the movement of the painting. I think that one of his influences is Mark Rothko. The inspiration for allot of Francis' work is cells and microbes because of their shapes and patterns.

http://www.opus-art.com/the-artists/artist/mark-francis