CoVILLE - SackVILLE - WolfVILLE

January 22nd 2013

     Today we talked about Alex Colville in Class. Most recent news about him was on CBC maritime news.  
       
"Rhoda Colville wife and muse of Alex Colville for 70 years died couple weeks ago at their home in Wolfville. She went on to study fine art at Mount Allison University in Sackville where she met Alex. They got married in Wolfville in 1942."

     I think Alex Coville is one of the few artists that I have known who had a long happy marriage. I think that influenced his art a lot. No matter what kind of subject matter or colour theme of his works. I had always found peacefulness in them. In China people always say that without a good home (which is the foundation of your life), you cannot be successful. 

     Even though, I admire his extremely detailed brush work and his patient (he only made one or two pieces per year), but most of Colville’s work doesn't really speak to me. Expect the Seven Crows.

Seven Crows 1980

Acrylic polymer emulsion on hardboard
60 x 120 cm
Owens Art Gallery Mount Allison University, Sackville NB
Gift of Mr. Ross B.

     



  I have always remembered the feeling from the very first time I saw Seven Crows. This paint was hanged on top of the fireplace in presentment's house. As soon as I walked it just captured my eye, it was not the brightest painting in the room but the sharp image just made me zoom in to it and I felt these crows were really flying. Seriously, I felt I could hear a deep calm music played in the back of my head. When I walked close I couldn't figure out what kind of painting skill is it. There was too much to look at and I had realized that the sharp image from far was build up by little dots.  This image could not get out of my mind for days.

     Crow is always representing bad luck in China but I always loved them. Not only because of their beautiful black coat but also crow is the only bird that would come back take care of their parents when they got old. I guess the painting shocked me not only because it's emotion but also that was my first time saw a crow painting hanged in people's home. I saw that painting many times after that in different place but I had never paid any attention to who was the painter so I couldn't look up on internet. Therefore, every time I saw it somewhere always gave me the same feeling like the first time I saw it. 

    

    

Changing Perspective

January 15th 2013

     Kurt Schwitters was introduced in today's lecture. He used a lot of bird view for his paintings. The new perspective made these boring everyday tools interesting to look at. It's almost hard to tell what they were; instead they just became block of colours. 

Kurt Schwitters

Merz Picture with Rainbow

Mixed media and Paint on Plywood

1939 

     On the very same day I saw my friend who is a professional photographer in Shanghai snapped this shot from an office building. This photograph made me connected to Schwitters's many bird view paintings instantly.  I imagined if anyone walked on this street beside a fence (block the mess view from contractions), cars and sky they won't see this many block of colours. I didn't realize these ugly temporary container house could give such vivid colour from a different perspective. 

Jun Mao
 Shanghai
Digital Photography
2013

    

     If I could always looking for different perspective when everything went wrong. I am certain that I could find better solutions or at least a prettier image.

    

Claude Monet...

Octomber 9th 2012

     We learned about the Group of Seven in class today, they were ok information. I didn't mind to study about them I guess. Since I am studying fine art in Canada, I should respect and learn their art history.  However, Claude Monet did get motioned in class today. He was one of the most important artists to me.

     I think he is one of the few artists who could make real life looks like a dream. I could not separate reality and dream when I sit in front of his huge water lily paint. Looking at his work is like drinking very fine wine all by yourself. I tried very hard to follow his brush strokes when I stand in front of his piece. It always made me dizzy,I got lost in there.

      His art make time stops, I enjoy his work a lot and I wish one day I could make paintings that give same effect to viewers. 

      Therefore, Group of Seven is good, because I do enjoy impressionism. 


       Here are pictures that I took of Monet's painting in MOMA art museum in New York. I will try go see them every time when I in New York. So far I had only been there two times, but every time I will be in that room for more then half an hour.

 

 

Why do we paint?

November 20th 2012

     Today in class was Chris Down's lecture. Since he's my fourth year adviser I am quite comfortable to listen what he had to offer. There is only one question that really caught my attention and I couldn't stop think about it. 

      WHY DO WE PAINT?

      I guess my quick answer to that would be, maybe if I really do know why then probably I will stop doing it.  It is like to ask me why I love you, I just do.

      To me or to nowadays society we don't really use painting to document image anymore. There are tons of technologies to do it. Painting becomes a higher documentation tool - for our emotions.  It's like the moment of truth; sometimes our painting could capture a moment that the artist who was painting didn't even realize. 

     I love painting, and I think I could never really know why I paint. I am only certain for one thing is that I will not stop to paint. 

Night time is not always silent

September 20th 2012

     Finally! There are some painting I could truly enjoy from the lecture. We had studied a Canadian artist named Joseph Légaré who is a master of night time painting and also an art collector.

     I love art works that are about the night, not only for their dramatic and mysterious effects, but also for their simplicity.  One of my professors once told me that in my art I need to leave some empty space for the viewer's eye to rest. I think in these night paintings there is plenty of this kind of space for our eyes and mind to rest. So, because they are mostly dark, I feel that they are simple in that there is a lot of space to look at.

     I think the reason I enjoy night more than day time is because my parents often returned home very late when I was a child, so I always fell asleep when the moon was very high in the sky. I pulled my bed next to the window so the moonlight could reach me. I was always able to build a little world in my head when I saw a very beautiful, starry night. In my world, I could fly, but only at night when the moonlight was very bright. Here is the painting I did four years ago to show others what my world looks like on a full moon night.

     Also, I often hung out with my father, who was a very important friend during the nights (he worked until 8pm, so that was the only time we could hang out). He always put me on his shoulders and told me stories about the moon. I always thought that there were rabbits on the moon, and I had discovered a bunny riding a bicycle on it. I made a piece especially for my father with the bike-riding-rabbit in it, to remember the good times we had together.

    Therefore, I always feel very safe and secure at night. I think that is why animals in the tropical rainforest, jungle, and prairie are most active at night time. That might be why some artists can only work at night, because we are hunting - hunting for inspiration.

     Night is so wonderful. It's when the most beautiful ball room dancing starts, when people dress fancy to go to music halls, when delicious banquets are being hosted, and when the craziest parties happen. We have the freedom to either be ourselves or to be someone else at night. There are so many stories that have their most exciting moments at midnight or on a full moon. I don't think the moon is just a little ball running around the earth - instead, the moon and stars define the night. Without them, it can't be complete. But at the same time, without the night, we can't see them.

     Somehow, I am glad that I got to stay up all night so often. Even though it isn't good for my health, I love to be awake in the dark.