Tuesday 3 August 2010

Good Art




There is an art exhibition on at present at The Station in Richmond. I went there last week to view it and I went again with a friend today. I think the standard is pretty poor really but, as my friend says, the sheer act of painting a picture or taking a photograph, squaring it up, putting it in a mount, framing it and getting it ready for exhibiting is all to be admired - and I do agree.
And I suppose it goes without saying that a picture I like a lot may not be the picture you like a lot - we all have different tastes. Nevertheless, like a picture or not, I do think one ought to be able to judge whether it is 'good art' or not. Surely it is possible to admire technique, use of colour, composition etc. and yet still not feel like giving 'wall room' to the finished article.
And on the same subject - the said friend is herself an accomplished textile artist. I went to lunch before we went round the exhibition and I asked her permission to photograph two of her textile pieces to show you.
The first is a wall hanging using decorative motifs she has made; the second is a wall hanging which she did on her return from her beloved Shetland Islands a few years ago.
The third picture arose because she had found the beginnings of a wasp's nest in her shrubbery - just a tiny fragment, light as a feather. On her coffee table she has a beautiful piece of petrified wood and she laid the piece of nest on the wood for me to see - now don't you think the combination of petrified wood and wasp's nest is a work of art in itself?

15 comments:

mrsnesbitt said...

I love the second wallhanging! I am looking forward to doing some of my own artwork when we make some alterations to our house starting next year!

Loved the wasps nest approach! Am looking forward to coming to the Station - will bring my purse! lol!

steven said...

i'm with mrsnesbitt in admiring the middle wall hanging. we have little pieces of rocks, feathers, wasp nests, sea glass and dead bugs in little heaps around the house. i really like looking at them when the place is quiet and reflecting on how incredible these tiny little things are. steven

MorningAJ said...

I like the top one. It reminds me of ancient cave art and that's something I've always been interested in.

ArtPropelled said...

I love the fact that the colours in the petrified wood are found in the textile pieces. They are both lovely pieces!

VINTAGE HEART said...

HI just thought i would drop in and say hello from the next dale i live in Swaledale and Fi from Hawes (Marmalade rose) told me about your blog, and thought us dales lasses should show solidarity! I uses to work at the station up until a few months ago , so found your last post vey interesting and shall go to see the exhibition on my next day off.I f you get time pop over to see me at my blog.. nice to "meet" you! best wishes,Linda ps i shall become a follower..

Acornmoon said...

I like all the images shown here far more than any pieces of so called Contemporary Conceptual Art in galleries like the Satchi Gallery in London. I like the building far more than its contents!

Heather said...

Your friend's textile pieces are beautiful Pat and the wasps' nest on wood is one of Nature's works of art. I remember visiting an art exhibition once and appreciating several of the paintings but the President's choice which won a prize left me very unimpressed. Is that because I don't know much about art, or because he has no taste?! By the way, I love your new header picture. Are they your geese?

Crafty Green Poet said...

what lovely textile pieces and yes wasps nests are works of art.

I really like your new header by the way, such pretty geese

Titus said...

When I saw the little preview picture on my dashboard, I thought the first was cave art. Very beautiful, and much to my taste.

And astonished at the colours in the petrified wood!

izzy said...

I have bits of things all around my house, however this time I am partial to the spotted ponies!

Totalfeckineejit said...

I think your new header is very arty!

PurestGreen said...

I love these kinds of colours -earthy with warm rust tones.

(You have won the Tattoo DVD over on my blog! Please email me your address so I can send you your DVD in the post!)

Unknown said...

Your friend's work is very good, Weaver. I love the horses, which really do resemble cave art. The Shetland piece also looks aged. And I'm struck how the colours in her work also feature in the petrified wood!

Jinksy said...

The third picture is most certainly a wonderous, serendipitous work of art.

George said...

An interesting posting, Pat, and I agree with many others that the first piece must have been inspired by ancient cave art. Thanks for sharing.