Artist Reference: Julie Mehretu
Background Context
- An abstract, contemporary artist inspired by architecture and landscape
Practice & Style
- Large scale paintings of abstract lines and shapes
- Plays with layers and transparency to give illusion of depth
- The layers are mostly made up of acrylic paint, pencil, pen and ink
- Dense composition of elements, placed in geometric perspectives
- Her artworks always look like an epic party
Take Aways
- Use different mark-making tools to form layers
- Use tracing paper as a layer of transparency
Sources
https://art21.org/read/julie-mehretu-to-be-felt-as-much-as-read/
Artist Reference: Ed Moses
- Resembles northern lights
- Resembles glitch with sparks
- Background: Gradient of colours, straight-line texture
- Foreground: Polka dots, spread out evenly across canvas, stands out from background
- Flowy brush strokes
- Different highlights in the strokes give depth to the painting, 3D illusion
- Background is a darker shade of blue to make the foreground stand out
- Brush strokes seem to be painted with intent
- Use of negative space to bring out the red of intense emotions
- Negative space is more prominent on left side and die down towards the right
- There is contrast between left and right side
- Spam of colours
Background Context
- An abstract, contemporary artist
- Slightly eccentric personality
- Sees himself as a shaman who engages in magic
- Still alive
Practice & Style
- Action painter, acting out a thought or feeling
- Obsessive, aggressive, destroys his painting as part of the art making process sometimes
- Spontaneous, unplanned process, using the subconscious mind and actions with no solid meaning
Take Aways
- Techniques: use of lines, patterns, symmetry to evoke feelings e.g. peace
- Have a cause / purpose for your art e.g. use it for healing
- Creative thought process can come from something abstract e.g. sensing someone’s aura
Sources
http://www.scpr.org/programs/the-frame/2015/05/29/42820/ed-moses-says-he-doesn-t-make-art-he-makes-magic/
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-ed-moses-at-90-20160501-story.html
Artist Reference: Emma Kunz
Background Context
Emma Kunz is a self-taught artist active in the 1900s during the spiritual revolution.
Practice & Style
Her works are distinctively abstract motifs, made up of geometric shapes, symmetric, and subtly hypnotic, almost like looking through a kaleidoscope. She uses her art for spiritual healing and therapy, creating them using radiesthesia, the method of sensing one’s aura or energy. Perhaps it’s in the sense of balance from her symmetric lines that makes her work therapeutic. Her artistic style also has some resemblance to weaving, which is her family business.
Take Aways
- Techniques: use of lines, patterns, symmetry to evoke feelings e.g. peace
- Have a cause / purpose for your art e.g. use it for healing
- Creative thought process can come from something abstract e.g. sensing someone’s aura
Sources