Life Drawing Class - No. 5

I seemed to pick up the pace a little better today.  My sketches were a little more fluid, and I think I felt a little more relaxed in front of a naked stranger, - my modesty and sensibilities being formed from a behavioural schema I had acquired from my childhood, and no doubt, one that many older students in a similar situation may have cause to be reminded of.
Helen, the model, was completely un-fazed as usual, and her professionalism was gratefully acknowledged.

Reading & Responding - Part X, In the darkness

Having spent time looking at how I could incorporate perspective changes to images this last week, a discussion with Christian and Bob lead me to review the works of Geovanni Batista Pironesi and his son, Francesco.  Also in the research discussion, the name of Gunter Grass  and his work Tin Drum should be looked into.  I will spend some time in the Library to re-consider these names.   Christian had also previously mentioned Blek Le-Rat as an artist to consider, he had been one of the first professional artists to be recognised for his contribution to Stencil Art and Graphitti, in Paris.  I subsequently watched the film documentary of his work "Blek Le Rat", which also gave me the name of Gerard Zlotykamion, as the first contemporary Graphiti Artist, who's first work appeared in Paris in 1963.  An interesting factoid!...

Reading & Responding Part IX - A slightly altered perspective

I spent some time following a one to one with Jill and Christian to reflect on the comments made.  One area that I picked up with Christian was the interesting abstraction that I could investigate the Italian renaissance Artist and Architect, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, 1720 to 1778.
  Piranesi created some wonderful plates for etching which seemed to hugely enhance the feeling of perspective, - in itself, perspective being a relatively new concept to art at the renaissance and only some 300 or so years old.   The architectural perspective that Piranesi used has it's roots firmly founded on the work of Pranesi's old Italian contemporary, the Florentine architect, Fillipo Brunelescci 1377 to 1436,  (Who also designed the famous Doumo in Florence for example).

The level of detail in his drawings and etchings are far in advance of most of his contemporaries at the time.  This was because of an almost obsession fueled recordings of his imaginative visions;

He also created incredible images just from the imagination, but with an inspired attitude to sell his concepts he positioned the vanishing points in four aspects.  His origin (eye level) being so low gave the illusion of huge scale, something that his sponsors were no doubt keen to be impressed with.

Pironesi's work has also stimulated artists to create not only Architecture through the ages since his appointments to Rome, but also interior design, gold and silver furnishings, and of course, plaster reliefs, some of which can be seen in classic Adam style fireplaces of the same period (see Robert Adam, architect, 1728-92).

I really enjoyed looking at the book Piranesi as designer  - by Wilton-Ely, John (2007), London.  It's a rather hefty volume a couple of inches thick, approximately A4 size, but well worth taking a loan of; especially as the prints plates and etchings contained within it are to a very high photographic standard.  I have thought further about how the aspect position could also be reconsidered and I intend to carry out some further research on how the perception of space can be explored.

Reading & Responding, Part VIII - Invictus - A Rat's Eye View of Leeds

Having thought about the alternative angle of aspect and perspective of the world from a Rat's Eye view, I took my camera and an opportunity to visit Leeds city centre.

I got some strange looks from the odd pedestrian, but the idea was firmly in my head and I needed to explore how I could capture images that were very much "outside" the poem... and a Rat's eye view of Leeds.

Here are my initial best shots....

Reading & Responding, Part VII - Invictus

A recap on where I am so far on this project...

My reflections this week on the poem Invictus, and what images have come to mind outside of the poem, have lead me to the thoughts of being entrapped within a squalid prison, images of rats entering the prison cell and my research on rats in trenches from the first world war...

I'm in a frame of mind right now that takes me to thoughts of rats and where to find them...  In big cities?...  I wondered how a view of London might be represented with an alternative angle of perspective... So I found a couple of photos I took last year while I had been working in the city, while I was staying in the St Pauls area last year, and started doodling with a sketch...

I allowed my mind to wander, I started a drawing of the street behind the ClubQuarters Hotel where I often stayed during the past few years.  The reflections on the wet paving was interesting.

 I re-rendered my sketch into an acrylic....

An interesting excursion, ....the paved area gave me time to think further and spawned an idea, the idea of aspect and perspective.  What would a "Rat's-Eye" perspective be?