John Craxton RA: A World of Private Mystery

I had been eager to see this exhibition, as the last time there had been a major survey of Craxton's work was in 1967 at the Whitechapel Gallery. I had seen two of his paintings at Tate Britain fairly recently and was curious to see more.

Craxton was born into a musical family and was mostly self-taught as an artist. Formative influences on his art were the work of Picasso, (he encountered Guernica, which was to remain a profound influence on his style of painting throughout his career), Fernand Leger, Miro and Cubism. He became friends with Graham Sutherland and Lucian Freud and lived with the latter for a period. It was though, a visit to Poros in 1946 and the quality of light, and life of the fishermen, goatherds and sailors there, that became the main focus and subject matter of his painting.

His early work was influenced by that of the Surrealists, William Blake and Samuel Palmer, and consists of solitary youths in pastoral settings such as Shepherd and Rocks, (1943) above, which has a mystical quality about it, and reminds me of the spirit of the work of Cecil Collins. Most people will probably be familiar with Craxton's work through the series of book jacket designs that he illustrated for the author Patrick Leigh Fermor.

Craxton's particular style of painting lends itself well to illustration, and also textile design, as is seen in the piece below which was a tapestry commissioned by Edinburgh University. It is a really good example of Craxton's love of colour and mark-making and was influenced by Byzantine mosaics he'd encountered on the Greek islands.

The two favourite pieces of mine from the exhibition however were:-

This piece 4 Figures in a Landscape (1950-1) above, which shows his a mastery of composition, line and tone. And Reclining Figure with Asphodels, (1983-4), below, where Craxton again returns to the theme of a solitary figure in the landscape, but where Craxton's mature style is less reliant on the influences of Picasso and Cubism, and again displays his love of colour and nature.

There are also a variety of drawings and personal photographs on display in the exhibition. I enjoyed this show as it was a bright blast of Mediterranean sunshine on a wintry Cambridge morning. The walls of the exhibition space reflect this as they are painted a nice sunshine yellow and complement the vivid colours of the Med reflected in Craxton's paintings. Well worth a visit.

A World of Private Mystery: John Craxton RA (1922 - 2009), continues at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, until 21st April.

Stanley Spencer: Heaven In A Hell Of War

Portrait of Spencer by Henry Lamb

I thought I'd get away with seeing this exhibition alone whilst everybody was out of London for the Christmas break, but it was still hopelessly crowded. Apparently it is only the second time that these murals have ever been shown in London, (the last time was 33 years ago), so it's no wonder the exhibition was so well attended. I shall have to try to sneak back now everybody has returned to work for a better, unobstructed view.

These mural paintings by Stanley Spencer are taken from the Sandham Memorial Chapel in Burghclere, Hampshire, and are Spencer's depiction of his wartime experiences. They were commissioned by John Louis and Mary Behrend to honour the forgotten dead of the First World War. The murals have been lent out for exhibition whilst the chapel at Sandham is undergoing renovation work.  

There are 17 mural paintings on show at Somerset House and a projection of the altar piece which cannot travel because it is permanently attached to the chapel wall at Sandham. This series of paintings took six years to complete and were finished in 1932. There are also some interesting paintings by Spencer's friend and fellow artist Henry Lamb such as the portrait of Spencer (top).

I like that in a similar vision to Eric Ravilious, Spencer chooses not to depict the horrors of combat, and instead focuses on the domestic and small incidences of life during wartime when he was both a hospital orderly here at Beaufort Military Hospital, Bristol, and also a soldier abroad on the front at Salonika. I really like Spencer's painting technique, and the unusual viewpoints adopted in the murals, as well as the way he contorts the figures to fit into the picture planes.

 

 

Stanley Spencer: Heaven In A Hell Of War continues until the 26th January 2014
Terrace Rooms, South Wing, Somerset House, London

Andy Warhol for Dior

Art/Fashion collaborations seem to be quite the thing now. The Alexander McQueen/Damien Hirst skull scarf collaboration produced some great results, and now Dior are using Andy Warhol's early shoe drawings to good effect also. I was fortunate enough recently to be able to see a private collection of Warhol's early illustrative shoe drawings. It was great to be able to get up close and examine them and his drawing technique first-hand, and in relative privacy. His blobby, linear drawing style was unique at the time, and the use of butterflies quite whimsical.

Raf Simons and the design team at Dior have realised the beauty of Warhol's early shoe drawings, and with the permission of the Warhol Foundation, put them to use decorating a series of Dior handbags and dresses for their A/W 2013 collection. It is not the first time that Simons has sought inspiration from artists, as previous collections have seen him using the work of artists from the Bauhaus movement as well as that of Picasso and Roualt. I really like the Butterfly Shoe illustration hand-bag and clutch, and think it is a particularly apt use of the art/fashion collaboration considering the drawings were originally commissioned for Harper's Bazaar fashion magazine in the 1950s.

The attention to detail on the dress below is pretty amazing. The designers and technicians have done a fantastic job of translating Warhol's whimsical butterfly imagery, and blobby line drawing technique into the textile medium with the use of sequins and beads.

When Britain Went Pop!

There is a fantastic exhibition at Christie's Mayfair, on New Bond St. which chronicles the early years of the Pop Art phenomenon in Britain. The great thing about the exhibition is that Christie's has managed to persuade owners to lend significant and early Pop pieces by  greats such as Peter Blake, David Hockney, Richard Hamilton and  Allen Jones, which are usually kept away from public view by their owners. Some haven't been publicly exhibited since the 1960s.

Personal favourites in the show are Allen Jones' early 'Bus' pictures which are a wonderful splash of colour, as are his later stylised fetish pieces of stiletto heels and shiny rubber-clad legs. His furniture sculptures of women in prone positions seem as controversial as ever, but make an important statement.

 

David Hockney's early paintings are also exciting. I really like the looseness of his brushwork compared to his more controlled paintings of the 1970s, as well as his use of graffiti/typography.

It was also really interesting to see Gerald Laing's work which has obvious parallels with Roy Lichtenstein's because of the use of the Ben-day dot system used in newspapers and comics, which both adopted in their work.

My absolute favourites are Peter Blake's paintings of wrestlers and tattooed ladies. I like the contrast in his paintings of the highly finished elements and areas which are left sketchy and seemingly unfinished. It was so wonderful to be able to see these early works in the flesh.

You really get the feeling from this show of how advertising, music and popular imagery caught the imagination of the these young artists of the period as there seems to be a real youthful energy and excitement to this show that reflects the "swinging" London of the time. All of the artists were clearly fans of the music, products and stars of the era. I now want to visit the Barbican's Pop Art Design exhibition which is also currently running before it closes. This was one of the best exhibitions I have been to this year.

When Britain Went Pop!
British Pop Art: The Early Years
Christie's Mayfair
103 New Bond St.

 

George Osodi: Kings of Nigeria

Whilst I was in Bermondsey, I also caught this show by the Nigerian photographer George Osodi. The Kings of Nigeria documents a variety of Nigeria's regional monarchs whose ancestors owned vast tracts of land, but who were all stripped of their constitutional powers in 1963 when Nigeria became a republic within the British Commonwealth. Despite being stripped of their powers these monarchs still cling to the pomp and ceremony of the royal lifestyle and are still very popular amongst, and feted by their loyal subjects, and act as intermediaries between the people they represent and the Nigerian government. There are parallels in what Osodi and Kehinde Wiley, (the subject of a recent post), are trying to achieve, in that they are documenting, and preserving a peoples and their lifestyle, and how they choose to express themselves in culture, and dress, through portraiture.  

I do not know if it was the photographer George Osodi's intention, but when I look at the two photos above I am reminded of the formal, historical European portraits of royalty, and in particular Velasquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X (below). Their poses, age, extravagant dress, and direct stare out of the picture plane at the viewer lends them an air of gravitas. I think there are distinct similarities, what do you think? 

I like looking at the clothing of the various Kings in these photographs. There are sumptuous taffeta and brocade robes as well as traditional African textile prints. Other photographs from the series (not shown here), depict elaborately beaded necklaces, veils and head wear. I would like to know more about the choices made by the monarchs represented. What influenced their tastes in how they choose to display their wealth? They differ from those of the contemporary monarchs of the West, so were they cultural decisions, or based on geographical necessities? 

Also interesting is the decoration and architecture of the palaces which isn't represented so well in the photographs here, but you get a good glimpse in the exterior shot of the palace in the last photo below.

This was an interesting exhibition as it documents a different experience of wealth and culture to that most of us are used to. Osodi has hit upon a good project and will hopefully capture for posterity all of the remaining Nigerian monarchs.

George Osodi Nigeria Monarchs
Until 3rd November 2013
Bermondsey Projects
46 Willow Walk
London SE1

George Grosz: Berlin, Prostitutes,Politicians, and Profiteers

I was really glad I caught this show in my frenzied gallery dash. I admired George Grosz's draughtsmanship as a student, and it was really good to engage with it again years later in the intimate setting of the Richard Nagy Gallery. It has been 20 years since there was an exhibition dedicated to Grosz's work in the UK so it is was a good, and timely choice by whoever chose to curate this show.

George Grosz had a contempt of bourgoise life in Germany and it was this dislike, and negative experiences as a soldier in the trenches of the First World War that fuelled his artistic vision and satirical view of the German establishment. Grosz is known for his association with the Dada movement, but it was with the sexual and violent images of prostitutes and their wealthy clients in decadent 1920's Berlin that he is best known. The biting, satirical nature of the artwork is tempered by the tenderness of his drawn line. He clearly loved drawing as a medium, both to express himself artistically, and also vent his frustrations at the authorities. I was reminded of the British satirical political cartoons of Gillray, Cruikshank and Hogarth, and also of the factory workers in the work of LS Lowry in the drawing below.

This is a real gem of an exhibition for those who are interested in drawing, or a glimpse into an artists view of decadent 1920's Berlin life. Another one to definately catch again before it finishes on November 2nd. 

George Grosz Berlin: Prostitutes, Politicians and Profiteers
Until 2nd November 2013
Richard Nagy Ltd
22 Old Bond St
London W1

Flamingos-a-Go-Go

As a recent commission I was asked to create a Butterfly Ball to be hung against this fabulous Cole & Son Flamingo wallpaper. 

I prepared a swatch for the client of colours I thought would be most appropriate from the palette of papers that I use, and then once these were client approved I started cutting. 

I thought that as the dominant background colour of the Flamingo paper was a cool duck egg blue, then the Butterfly Ball needed to be made up of warmer reds, and pinks to highlight the pink of the birds, with accents of blue and grey. This was the resulting artwork. A very nice commission.