I am writing this blog in order to create my own moving and developing online version of a visual Journal. The sketchbook for me is the highlight of a project, from the research and the links forged, through to the journey of an idea, I am happily filled with a sense of excitement and purpose, I revel in the unravelling of information and in the development and articulation of the idea and spend hours filtering through sources in order to explain my intentions and let others know the map I have created in my own mind. The sketchbook process allows me to absorb my environment and contemplate my world, it allows me to grow and changes my path every time. To challenge myself in this final year I am endeavoring to try a new way of sharing and archiving my journey, putting aside the pritstick and Scissors, pulling up my chair and putting on my glasses this will now be my Sketchbook.
So here it begins a diary of the idea, growing and moving as I go forward with the project. It is what it is. What it will become ... I have no idea and to you the viewer I make no apologies.

Joseph Derby

Joseph Derby
Cottage on Fire at Night, oil on canvas, ca. 1785-1793

Thursday, 30 September 2010

Creating a landscape

Kim Keever 
Kim Keever's sublime landscapes have the appearance of the historical paintings of Rosa, Turner and Joseph Wright. However Keever does not use paint and a canvas he creates his ethereal worlds with in an aquarium adding topiary and pigment and capturing the changes that occur in the environment on a large format camera. I haven't seen a sequence of shots as Keever selects the perfect scene, yet I imagine if each shot were put next to one another the movement seen would add to the eery worlds behind the glass. I love the idea of capturing a moment in the landscape, that moment that hold the power, the shot that accentuates and highlights the thunderous clouds or twisted trees. 

Gregory Euclide
Gregory Euclide's work interests me due to it's textural qualities. I enjoy the way he uses layers to create strange and evolving landscapes. The way in which he just concentrates on a small area in a space, leads me to conjure up ideas of hidden realms behind the structure, I almost want to peel of the layers myself to see what else can be unearthed. Euclide uses a mixture of mediums including wall paper and emulsion, and works outside of a rigid frame work, creating pockets of landscapes. 

Bruce Wilhelm
 I have included Bruce WIlhelm in my research as an example of layering a scene. There is a theatrical stage element to his work, and he tends to play with the fusion of various planes in an unconventional way. Although this work isn't reflective of my personal aesthetic values, it is a great example of the possibilities in creating a fictional landscape, and an idea of how fragmenting can add to the chaos of a scene. 

Jacek Yerka
 

Imaginary worlds and fictional landscapes are heavily used with in illustration work. I love the way Yerka uses a limited palette to create his series of paintings, and enjoy the childlike intrigue the work provokes.

Glenn Brown 
 Glenn Brown is one of my favourite painters, and on researching for my project  discovered these two landscapes. I did not immediately recognise them as Browns work mainly due to there monotone nature, however I think they are great examples of the way in which the texture and density of land, in particular rocks and cliffs can be used as a starting point in creating strange landscapes.