Throughout the study, time was also spent musing upon related interests and influences, often these became integrated into the visual artworks and the written word.
The School of Art in Aberystwyth University, has a painting by Ogwyn Davies, ‘Mynydd Gwyngoed Gaeaf’; 1992-93. It is a mixed media depiction of a snow covered valley with crows tumbling around in their flight, as they so often do on such days. The initial impact of the painting is of its almost monochrome colouring. It is a bright, stark, still countryside reaching out and upwards into the distance which with closer inspection, uncovers trees and the outlines of individual hills and farm buildings. The view’s outlook is much like this, but one viewed on a summer’s day. The view needed to be able to demonstrate the momentary movement of coloured light travelling across the fields, whilst also capturing the apparent stillness of all else in the margins of one’s sight.
Tacita Dean’s film, ‘Green Ray’, commences with her description of a filmed sunset and the ways in which she works as an artist. It is clearly informative, yet lyrically described. Her appreciation of the sunset, her willingness to stay and just be, is charming and persuasive.
Marlene Dumas’s 1994 artwork was related to a somewhat obscure illness, Chlorosis, which gave the sufferers a sickly, green pallor. The region of the visible spectrum inhabited by, ‘Chlorosis (Love Sick)‘, is not the same as that of the view, although, there is a watery connection. Cultural connections and related symbolisms of colour are always of interest.
http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=37856
The energy and movement of enormously powerful sea waves is captured by Maggi Hambling using impasto paint on flat surfaces.
Heather Hansen resolved her desire to express movement, by using the whole of her body and employs photography to capture this. The process of including photography was an important part of the preparation for and the realisation of the view.
http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/heather-hansen-emptied-gestures/
Maria Hayes uses line to express movement in ways which uses the human eyes and hand as tracking and recording tools. This seemingly simple approach is developed with the use of mixed media which often includes film and sound.
Tim Knowle’s s work with the environment can produce delicate, travelling lines which delight the eye. His range of adventures into such creativity have interesting bedfellows, ranging from the natural world to high performance cars.
The calm, respectful work of Wolfgang Laib has mindful, meditative qualities. He works with the natural environment and in a minimalistic way, reducing and simplifying in ways which are appealing to all the senses.
http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1340
http://www.sculpture.org/documents/scmag01/may01/laib/laib.shtml
http://www.speronewestwater.com/artists/wolfgang-laib
Memories of happy times spent working in classes with Mary Lloyd-Jones encouraged exploration into colour and becoming more confident in its use. She demonstrates that there is little point in being timid and uses textures as well as text in her work. With the view’ there was a need to understand the combinations and appropriate treatment of pigments which would bring out the different saturations of hue required, together with the separation of colour in its different forms on the hillsides.
http://www.marylloydjones.co.uk/
http://www.artwales.com/artists-detail-mtg-en.php?artistID=32
The work of Richard Long observes stillness and change. He picks up on patterns created by the natural landscape and transforms these observations into natural artworks within those landscapes, using materials form the local environment. His works are also brought indoors, still retaining their energy and impact. Such approaches were influential in the final decisions made when working on the view.
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/long-waterfall-line-t11970
A workshop with Shani Rhys James helped to loosen drawing practice and her encouragement to work with ‘the arabesque’, provided opportunities to allow drawing movement to flow with the natural movements of the body. Her artwork also bolstered confidence to work on a large scale
http://www.axisweb.org/p/shanirhysjames/
Colour symbolism, as related to culture, beliefs, elements of the physical landscape and scientific findings were also considered. These will provide opportunities for future inquiry.
*‘Under Milk Wood’, Dylan Thomas