Precedent Drawings

When we discussed the scope of this project in studio, and I found out a straight line precendent drawing was to be chosen, I automatically thought of picasso and the cubism stage of his career. The 'Girl with a Mandolin' jumped out instantly as the use contrast and angles create a clear picture. What I love about this peice of art is that your eyes fill in the parts where the form is not so clear.

I found this description of the painting on the website:  http://www.artbeyondsight.org/handbook/text-v-mandolin.shtml. This website is discussing how the painting came about and features of the work. I also found out that this artwork is incomplete. Perhaps this is the reason it jumped out to me as opposed to the other cubist works.

"Picasso looked at his model and analyzed her nude figure, breaking it down into many squares, cubes, rectangles, and other unnamable geometric shapes. He arranged these shapes to show different parts of her body that in fact, it would be impossible to see from one point in space or in a single moment of time. This characteristic is what makes it an Analytic Cubist painting, that is, showing multiple points of view simultaneously in one painting."

"It is possible to identify the figure of the girl because she is in slightly lighter tones than the background. These lighter colors make her body parts visible,

Also, it’s easy to recognize the pear-shaped body of the mandolin. It’s oval curved lines stand out starkly against all the straight lines and angles of the geometric forms."

http://www.artarchive.com/ describes Picasso as "Staring into the abyss of abstraction, Picasso blinked...and began to start putting the pieces of the object back together".

Pablo Picasso's Girl Playing The Mandolin falls into the Analytic Cubism period which was between 1909-1912. The timing was before world war one, and at a point where Picasso was experimenting with art and painting. Actually both of these partist specific peices are before the war so wouldnt have had any influence on materials, or theme.

"Art is a lie that makes us realise the truth" - Pablo Picasso.

The fluid form precendent I chose, I stummbled upon. I love the curves in this sculpture, it takes the eye and mind awhile to realise its a woman. The drapery create such detailed fluid movement, but it has a structure about the detailed flowing nature.

"Larche’s most popular and endearing works are the statues he created of Loïe Fuller in bronze. He produced three different poses of Fuller, a tall 18 inch version with two lights set into her gauzy robes floating above her head, a smaller version with a single light, and a set of Fuller bronzes with differing left and right poses. Fuller was known for her innovative stage lighting which she used to great effect, illuminating her robes and shock of red hair. Larche imitated this effect in his sculptures by hiding tiny lights inside the bronze robes which illuminated the area above and around Fuller’s head and cast a soft ethereal glow on the sculpture. "
http://www.macklowegallery.com/education.asp/art+nouveau/Artist+Biographies/antiques/Decorative+Artists/education/Fran%26%23231%3Bois-Raoul+Larche+/id/153

At this development stage I am torn between ideas of exploring light and dark contrast, and also the constrast of structure and curve. I would like the curves in my sculpture to be supported by a structure which has a cubism feel to it. My materials would be card and material (silk or something lightweight that will fall nicely over the structure) or wire and material, I need to experiment more before I can decide on what material the structure under the fabric will be made of.

I have also an idea to create a light out of my sculture somehow as this will directly link to my curves precedent drawing which is a the sculpture lamp. From the outside the sculpture will look quite simple, draping fabric creating the movement. Then if allowed, i'd like to have a light inside that illuminated the structure through the fabric and you see the cubism like structure which makes the curves on the outside. Showing a direct relationship between the curves and structure which creates them.

I am onto the development stage and finding it difficult to decide what form I want the simple movement to look like.  more development I did with my materials and ideas the more I found it wasnt working for me. I wasnt inspired by the shape/form or materials, so I took the object in a different direction. Now, the sculpture which incorporates wire and foam board, uses the repitition of line to create a fluid form.