Jean Dubuffet
The quality of line and texture. Being a lithograph on paper you can see the array of textures created, it is a sculptural image because of this. It adds depth to the image, not just by texture but also by use of tone and line. Aesthetically it seems quite naive, almost childlike. I enjoy how the image isn't completely clean, ink smudges slightly and parts are more focused than others. It adds originality to the image. The line work within the image is beautiful, the face in particular which I think adds more to the image having a naive aesthetic. Teju behan's drawing also strike a similar approach within use of line to draw the face - which you can see further down.
Yayoi Kusama
An early painting by Kusama, The image is absolutely stunning the use of texture creates beautiful depth, intriguing the eye further. The texture adds a more abstract aesthetic as they depict many objects familiar to the human eye. I love everything about this image, the use of colours - they are subtle yet alluring, the primitive shapes in the centre, the blurred edges. I see a link to the surrealist Joan Miro due to the shapes in the centre of the image as well as the colour. It is titled The Coral Reef you can see she has depicted the title well, although at first glance it appears much more ambiguous especially as you can interpret much more from the textures alone.
Joan Miro
The reaper, one of my favourite pieces by Miro. A surrealist mural, the image portrays an array of shapes and line. It is interesting to see the levels of tone he has created, due to just using black and white paint. Again it is not a literal piece it is much more crude and expressive. Because of this viewers will interpret the image differently, which I personally think makes for a more interesting piece of work. I also admire the sense of movement he has been able to create.
Mexican Miracle Painting
A piece of outsider art from an exhibition at the welcome collection, The image is from the supporting book. Here the supporting text states how the artist had fallen down a mine shaft and prayed to the lord saint Francis who brought him back to life. He offers this painting as a thanks. Im intrigued by not only the way in which he depicts the story but how it is painted in such a naive manner. Adding to the originality of the painting is the writing, placing it in the corner but not having much room - as if in need to write it all down. Evoking a sense of childlike art. Not everything is painted correctly it is quite crude, but this all adds to the originality of the piece. The main reason it interests me is due to the people not having art training, they are simply producing these images as a thanks. Therefore they appear crude but it's fascinating to see how there minds work at depicting images - and how they chose to illustrate them.
The above image is from her book Drawing from the city which shows an illustrative insight into her experiences of life in India. Teju herself has not had any artistic education, making her work outsider art. Her illustrations have a sense of poetic/folklore which I believe is due to the way in which she draws. Using pattern rather than the conventional line adds a sense of character and originality to the drawings which creates an organic aesthetic, as well as being rich in charming detail. Having no initial art training yet creating work as original and individual as this, interests me.
Noa Snir - arabian nights
The use of colour is what first intrigued me to Noa's illustrations. Alluring you in - are the pastel blues against the marooned sky, the pink bodies and the deep blue. The image looks alive there is a sense of movement. It has a mythical/fairytale quality , It illustrates arabian nights perfectly with the themes of sexuality,betrayal and immortality, but I also see it appearing as a midsummer nights dream. It bestows a certain sense of folklore due to its decorative qualities - especially on the trees.
The Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux tapestry is simply stunning rich in detail as well as history. Depicting the norman conquest of 1066, the tapestry demonstrates just how powerful and multi disciplined illustration can be. Rather than being a drawing or a painting it is a tapestry/needlework. Pieces such as this are a reminder of the craftsmanship that has been forgotten in our new digital age. Tapestry is defiantly a medium I want to investigate further - it makes illustration come alive. Especially with the Bayeux tapestry, due to it being so long you have to move around to view it, which adds to the whole story. Making it more than a piece of history but a piece of art.
David Hockney
A bigger splash, the beauty within this painting is the flatness and colour. Everything is completely flat even the egdes. The splash is the only movement in the image — just as Hockney had wanted. I feel a sense of eeriness when viewing the image, a huge splash yet there is nobody present. The straight lines make the painting seem grided as if it were mathematically thought out. It looks as though it should be the backdrop of a Hollywood movie, where everything is perfect — except for the inevitable tragedy lurking in the background just waiting to happen.
Franziska Walther
The colours are stunning within Walther's work, especially in this book. Lithographic beauty at its best. I adore the type face supporting the illustration, as well as its composition. The image itself is playful and vibrant. The subtlety of the hand is exquisite, contrasting against the bold flat colour perfectly which makes the image become alive. It portrays the harmony that can be created between text and image, to create a piece as beautiful and allusive as this.
David Shrigley
And finally David Shrigley, for work that is just hilarious. The crude aesthetic and the dry sense of humour - I would love to be able to inject this sense of humour as well as personality into my own work, but I don't think it would be as original as his.
