dyeing for the undefined

^{In the forward of a copy of Ali Smith's 'Girl meets boy' I read this quote by Joseph Roth; 'It is the mark of a narrow world that mistrusts the undefined'.}

^{Since I stopped painting nearly 5 years ago I have had 'issues' with colour in my work. I am fearful of prettiness,of the suggestion of representation,of trite interpretation pinning my work down. Even as I am beguiled by the drab greens and greys of the riverscape, the flashes of mustard yellow as Spring emerges from the hold of Winter, the catch of red from a birds wing.}

^{So in the hope of that 'undefined' I spend a morning dyeing.}

 

rack

A lesson from the ice age.

^{Oh my! After a difficult week with my work, of what I shall call a series of ' near misses', of 'oh bother!', of ' what on earth!', of 'oh my hat!', I had a treat ! The Great Court at the British Museum milling with people, winter lit and softly buzzing with hundreds of voices only partially prepared my friend and I for the meeting of our artistic ancestors from 40,000 years ago!}

^{Ice age art arrival of the modern mind http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/ice_age_art/about_the_exhibition.aspx is a truly astonishing exhibition. The cases of artefacts including many figures of women ( fat and skinny!), animals and tools are full of minute detail. Some of the works are astonishingly modern,pared back and abstract. It is thought, by scholars that some of the figures were made by women artists and were possibly self portraits!}

^{What is perhaps most extraordinary is that research has shown that in these ancient societies artists were at work making artefacts purely for the sake of art, without function, setting aside time...loads of time... to do something that has no obvious use...to go back to Germaine Greer. Women and men at the grand opening of a time honourable occupation!}

^{After a week of failures what better moment to be reminded ( AGAIN) to keep that pencil sharpened...}

 

odd pod
constructed drawing
feb 13