Royal Academy of Arts- Abstract Expressionism: Outside sculptures

On the 1st of December, I went to the Abstract Expressionism exhibition in the RA. Before you entered the exhibition there was these four sculptures by David Smith. David Smith was shown quite a lot through the exhibition of nearly every sculpture shown was Smith's. 

Photo- I took of the book that I got at the exhibition

Abstract Expressionism

Davis Smith

b.1906, Decatur, IN; d.1965, South Shaftsbury, VT

As the key first-generation Abstract Expressionist sculptor, David Smith created an output that spanned a great range of themes and effects. The works here represent four of the climactoc series that Smith produced from 1956 until his untimely death in 1965. They encompass rising forms that evoke the human presence (albeit in abstract terms) and others in which a more stern character, by turns mechanistic or architectonic, prevails.

The Annenberg Courtyard display seeks to recreate the spirit of Smith's installations on his fields at Bolton Landing in upstate New York. There, not only did each sculpture enter into a silent dialogue with others, but they also responded to the space and sky around them. Thus, for example, the Cubi's dazzling stainless-steel surfaces answer to the brooding, inward darkness of Zig III.

Often, Smith's imagery and ideas parallel concerns seen throughout Abstract Expressionism in general. As such, further pieces by Smith stand at crucial junctures in the Academy's galleries in order to amplify this sustained interaction between sculptor and painters, two and three dimensions. 

The four sculptures had a very interesting relationship with the space, Sir Joshua Reynolds' statue and the exhibition itself. 

Photo of 1. Zig III, 1961
Painted steel

Photo of 1. Zig III, 1961
Painted steel

Photo of 2. Sentinel V, 1959
Stainless steel

Photo of 2. Sentinel V, 1959
Stainless steel

Photo of 4. Voltri Bolton X, 1962
Steel

Photo of 4. Voltri Bolton X, 1962
Steel

Photo of 3. Cubi XXVII, 1965
Stainless Steel

Smith's sculptures relationship with the space, really opened up the exhibition to the audiences in my opinion, through the way the sculpture gives you a pick into the exhibition without going in. Maybe even if someone has got a ticket, might get interested with the sculptures and get one to see more. Also, because Smith was a key first-generation Abstract Expressionist sculptor, for his work to be outside as the first look to the exhibition, it shows the importance of the artist within this movement and the show itself. (key note, for a practical way these sculptures of Smith's are too big and heavy to be placed within the building).

The sculptures were laid out like this:

Photo of layout of sculptures

Photo of the pieces on the layout

Also the layout makes sure that his different coloured sculptures are shown in different areas for a contrasting effect between the darker and lighter sculptures.

The relationship between Smith's sculptures and Sir Joshua Regnolds statues is that all of them are sitting on a concrete plinth to rest them off the group to give them more important than everything else around them. However, Sir Joshua Regnolds statue is rested higher because of his importance for the Royal Academy through its history. The interesting thing this that the plinth makes all the different pieces of art in the same type of important by resting them. But with that the old style of Sir Joshua Regnold statue and the abstract sculptures of Smith are now in the same important even though they are very much different works.     

Self portrait of Sir Joshua Reynolds

Sir Joshua Regnolds
(16 July 1723- 23 February 1792)
He was a founder and first president of the Royal Academy of Art, and was Knighted by George III in 1769.

Photo, take I took of Sir Joshua Reynolds statue

Photo, take I took of Sir Joshua Reynolds statue

Overall, I felt that Smith's outside sculptures were a very interesting opening view of the Abstract Expressionism exhibition and has opened me to seeing a new way to lay out my own work. 

Royal Academy of Art- Abstract Expressionism

On the 1st of December, I went to the Abstract Expressionism exhibition in the RA. This exhibition was very interesting and opened my eye to a different ways I can use my ideas to make an outcome. Also, I learned how to create a lot of detail through there not being a realist image show through the media that you use.

Photo- I took of the book that I got at the exhibition

As well, I learnt more about the history of Abstract Expressionism and the range of styles that the different artist showed through the movement. From sculptures to large and small painting to photography, they all had many different styles within them, making for a diverse viewing experience through this exhibition.

Photo I took of the statue and the flag/sign

This exhibition also opened me to many different artists that I am thinking of using within my practices, in the likes of Lee Krasner (1908- 1984), where I saw her piece called The Eye Is The First Circle (1960). Krasner does a style of work which really connects closely to my type of work through the way I use natural elements, mud and clay. Krasner uses a natural pallet but she uses oil paint instead. However, I feel that the way she create so much movement within her piece, this a painting style that I feel that I can really work within my practices.

Krasner was a major figure in the American Abstract Expressionist movement. She mainly worked in oils, inks and mixed media collages. She used her own cut up paintings and drawings to create large collages. She exhibited with the American Abstract Artist group and met her husband Jackson Pollock through these exhibits. She was greatly influenced by Herri Matisse and Piet Mondrian and studied under Hans Hofmann. “Painting… in which the inner and the outer man are inseparable, transcends technique, transcends subject and moves into the realm of the inevitable,” she said, freeing her from formalised structures. 

Krasner's piece of me has many different hidden images, within the exhibition I was talking to a fellow student and they said to me that they could see a tiger within a jungle on the left side of the painting. Also, you can see many different faces and shapes with look like quick drawings of eyes. This to me add depths to this piece because there is some much different detail to this piece to make for many different interpretations from the audience/

Image from www.artsy.net (couldn't take photos at the exhibition)

Also the layout relationship between Krasner's and Pollock's and David Smith work within the exhibition was very interesting that workout and learn. So straight down the walk way past other artist's work is the part where Pollock's two main large piece which mirror each other. The Pollock piece that mirror each other are Mural (1943) and Blue Poles (1952). They mirror each other through the way it shows the evolution of Pollock's work, there is a 9 year difference between.

Jackson Pollock (1912- 1952)
Mural
1943
Oil and Caseinon canvas

Image of Mural from uima.uiowa.edu (website)

Commissioned by Peggy Guggenheim in the hallway of her Manhattan townhouse, this is Pollock's large work. Mural's vastness heralds a new energy and scale in Abstract Expressionism; by no coincidence, both Rothko and Gorky produced their largest canvases, the following year. The painting, abstract style permits the suggestion of many forms, these vestiges of figuration reflects Pollock's creative struggle with Picasso. 

Smith's sculpture 'Tanktotem 3' (located nearby) evokes a prancing bestial presence spun at of Mural into three dimensions. 

Image of Tanktotem from
http://pastexhibitions.guggenheim.org/
(website)

David Smith began his second series, the Tanktotems, in 1952. In these works he established a bold new aesthetic statement, dispensing with pedestals and creating sculptures that could stand directly on the floor. Tanktotem 3 I was told that the shape that the sculpture is similar to the shapes that are in Pollock's Mural piece. I found this very interesting that the layout in the RA show the relationship between these two artists and how one artist get inspired by the other to create their piece.








Jackson Pollock
Blue Poles
1952
Oil, enamel and aluminium paint with glass on canvas

Image of Blue poles from http://www.jackson-pollock.org (website)

The Most iconic of Pollock's late-period paintings, Blue Poles represents one of the pinnacles of his achievement. Its position here, opposite 'Mural', effectively 'book ends' the climatic decade of Pollock's meteoric career. Its seeming spontaneity actually belies the careful process of its creation, while tiny shards of glass embedded across the surface amplify its spectacular, crackling forcefulness. The stricture makes reference to the composition diagrams used by Pollock's teacher. Thomas Hart Benton, as well as to the 'processional' figuration that Pollock first definitively established in 'Mural'. 

The main element in this piece which interested the most was that there was more to this paint then I thought there was. For example there is bits of broken glass within the paint that adds more detail and depth to the piece when you see it in person. This made me enjoy this piece more because I have seen this piece many time but only within books and online, mean that I never got to see the amazing levels of details that Pollock has been able to make within this piece. This has now inspired me within my practice to found and made more hidden elements to make more details within my pieces.   

The interesting relationship between Pollock's own work and David Smith show me an effective way of layout work. However, even though I do like all the different piece I still feel that their style doesn't work into my practices so I'm not really going to use them throughout. But I will be looking in more depth at Krasner's work because she fits my style more.

Overall, The Abstract Expressionism exhibition was a very enjoyable and eye opening experience and I was able to come up with many different ideas from looking at these different artists within the exhibition.