PART I:
FOOD AND INSPIRATION FROM ARTIST – RESEARCH and OPINION

There are some artists I refer to for inspiration during the process for my line works. They are mainly Agnes Martin, Frank Kline, Jackson Pollock, Sam Francis, Sol Lewitt, Piet Mondrian and Wassily Kandinsky. Below are some on the artists I explored/studied more on.

Wassily Kandinsky. (1896-1944)
Influential Russian painter and art theorist.

Wassily Kandinsky did painting, engraving and came up with art theories. His works was not simply created with colours and form. It was produced by conveying his ideas through profound spirituality and human emotions such as music. Published in 1912, one of his theoretical writings on art is entitled ‘Concerning the spiritual in art’.

I understand him to be an artist who wants to express his thoughts and feelings by human sentiments. This is something that I particularly like because feelings can be so real and much deeper than what the skin has to offer. When art is sought out from the inside, the results are so surreal. His work gives me an image of playing in space. Ascending, sinking and floating in a spiritual realm.

Agnes Martin (1912-2004)
American Painter born in Scotland
Immigrated and lived in America

She was influenced by Zen Buddhism and Taoism, which eventually contributed to her interest in nature. Despite having a different believe, I appreciate the innocence and simplicity of her everyday life, which can be reflected in her artwork.

Martin used grids as an organizational element, followed by horizontal or vertical lines and worked on two very different art styles: Minimalism and Colour Field. She succeeded in discovering countless variations of subtle colour.I find that she is somewhat a perfectionist, whereby her lines were drawn very meticulously. Personally, this can be a useful yet restrictive tool as an artist.

Jackson Pollock (1912-1956)
Influential American Painter.

I have heard of Jackson Pollock when I was a primary five student and I am still able to vividly remember his unique style of drip painting. Who would have thought that a painter who flings paint at canvases to create line and colour would become famous and be admired for his works?

People’s admiration for Pollock’s work lies in abstracting styles in the history of modern art, detaching lines from colour, bringing drawing and painting to a new level, and discovering new methods to describe pictorial space.

Autumn Rhythm(1950) is an example of an oil canvas painting made up of thick, thin, curved, dark, straight, horizontal and vertical lines.

Personally, I can see that his method of working with art is very spontaneous and incredible. He moves, dances, and dwells with the paper, paint and brush. Simply amazing.

Sol Lewitt (1928-2007)
American Artist.
Born and lived in America.

Sol Lewitt worked on sculptures, paintings, and drawings that applied existed only as ideas or the artistic process itself. He applied mathematical equations and architectural specifications, which were unpredictable and even illogical. One of the key ideas was that the process and directions for producing a work of art became a work itself. Work no longer required an actual material in order to be considered art.

Sam Francis(1923-1994)
American Artist

Before taking up art, Sam Fancis studied botany, medicine and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. This shows that he wasn’t exactly born as an artist. He chose to be one. He was known for his paintings and printmaking which expressed a profound range of emotions. His work reflected his passion for music, science and literature. With thousands of his art pieces kept in famous museum collections and institutions around the world, he is regarded as one of the leading linguists of colour and light.

In the 70s, Sam Francis did several works known as his ‘’Fresh Air’’ period. Fresh Air pieces was about using pools of colour (bright and contrasting), dripping and splattering. To quote from the artist himself, he said that ‘’Painting is about the beauty of space and the power of containment.“ The vibrant colours that he used to splatter over canvases looked like musical notes with a beating heart. It represented his world of emotions. On the other hand, white to him was his tugging space, a pure expression. His drip techniques are most definitely related by an influence of American Abstract Expressionism.

Sam Francis in his studio

Painted in 1982