Art Alphabet: I - Esther

The Art Alphabet continues & whereas we could go into the complexities of what “I” can actually mean, the Self etc, it’s a visual art blog. So we’re merely going to examine what can be seen & try not to get too philosophical…

I

1. A Bird (ibis): Ibis from 664-30 BC

This beautiful little sculpture has sadly lost his legs, but it’s remarkable he exists at all in this century. Although he’s very precious today, apparently copper alloy ibises are quite common, as are ibis mummies. The god Thoth was often depicted as having an ibis head, a bird which was sacred to him. Thoth was the god of wisdom, writing & learning & is sometimes depicted as sitting on his throne or holding his staff.

2. A Flower (iris): Irises by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

Not as famous as his sunflowers perhaps – although they can be seen in the background - but still recognisable and in all honesty, I prefer these. There is a Unusually for the end of his life, this painting feels more upbeat to me, more celebratory & the colours are rich & lush. The impasto is less intense & the irises speak to me of the promise of hope & a lazy summer. I like the way Vincent has taken the blue into the leaves & stalks to unify the clump of flowers but hasn’t overdone it. What’s your interpretation of that single white iris?

3. An Animal (iguana): Puerto Rican Iguana, Artist Unknown; photo by Maria I Firpi Mazur

This is perhaps best explained by the photographer of this image. It’s actually quite brutal, despite how great this example of street art is.

“Here you can see the detail of the Iguana holding the Coqui Frog. The truth of the matter is that Green Iguanas do not attack Coquis, so at the time this mural was painted, there was a misconception of the Green Iguana and the reptile, which has been stigmatized ever since. The Green Iguana is a beautiful reptile and its diet is strictly vegetarian. I love Green Iguanas and will do anything to rescue and protect them from being harmed.”

4. An Artist (Ingres): Madame Davaucey by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780–1867)

We have seen in past blogs how masterful Ingres is with a set of paints. It has been pointed out however – an accusation also aimed at da Vinci – that his figures often seem “boneless” & the anatomy questionable. & similarly to the Mona Lisa, she has a sly little smile, which could be interpreted as knowing & possibly risqué, particularly when she’s staring right at the viewer so confidently. I like the limited palette, her cheeky gaze & disappearing beaded necklace (!) & I find I couldn’t care less about proportions.

5. A Country (India):  Krishna & Balarama, Jamini Roy (1887-1972)

These are two brothers who are usually portrayed in different ways. Krishna I soften depicted as black or blue & Balarama is usually light skinned. Balarama never leaves Krishna’s side & is a patron deity to farmers.

6. A Body Part (iris):  All of Nature Flows Through Us by Mark Quinn (b. 1964)

Another kind of iris (& to me resembling a brown Polo mint), this depicts the iris of the eye. This is a water feature in a river, cast in bronze, installed in Kistefos, Norway & powered by a water pump. It is over ten metres in diameter & weighs in at over twelve tonnes. I like that whenever I read about structures, sculptures, installations of this type they tell you the size & mass. I also like to repeat it. I like to know the size of things. In art, it so often matters. The iris is based on that of one Christen Sveaas, a businessman & vice chairman of the Kistefos Museum. The concept can be interpreted as the bonding of humans, our senses & the rest of the natural world.

7. A Medium (ice): Ice Sculpture in Stockholm, Ai Weiwei (b. 1957) 

As a person that works in two dimensions, any sort of sculpture or 3D construction amazes me. But working with such a transient medium as ice? This 2014 ice sculpture is so well photographed against the warmth of the lights. You feel as if you can breathe in the cool air around the piece & if you were to touch it you’d feel the surface begin to liquefy under your fingers.

8. An Emotion (irritation): Irritated by Gank Pansuay (b. 1983)

The subject speaks for itself, but I would like to note how much I like this style. It is quite trendy but I rarely dislike the stroking of a brush from something figurative into the surrounding space. Unless focused on one area, our eyes don’t see everything clearly so to me, there’s something more realistic in this blurring. The necessary details are there but the other spaces are more loosely rendered & cleverly blended.

9. An Art Term (iconography): The Lady Chapel (Gnadenkapelle) from 15th Century

My brother & sister-in-law kindly took my partner & I to Einsiedeln in Switzerland once. It’s an incredibly beautiful part of the world & for such a small village, stuffed full of interesting things. One of those things is the Benedictine monastery Einsiedeln Abbey which is part of what was originally a hermitage founded in 835. Not only does it have the church, but also wines & its own breed of horses (some very friendly as it happens). Not only that but the church has a black marble chapel containing this incredible Madonna. She was carved in 1466 & survived iconoclasm at the time of the French Revolution. She is dressed in different outfits at different times of the year & I might have a little version of her at home…

10. A Method (intaglio): Girl With a Fig Leaf by Lucian Freud (1853-1934)

Any technique of printmaking which involves the artist having to scratch onto the printing surface for instance etching, drypoint, engraving or wood engraving. The scored plate retains the ink to construct the impression.