Critical Studies Essay on Authority

Critical Studies Essay on Authority

What makes an artist an artist?/Who makes the rules around here?

In our current contemporary society there is much more of an open approach to exactly what is considered to be Art. How do people own that title of an Artist? and to be recognized as one? Must every budding creative go through years of training before they are seen as a professional artist as apposed to a keen amateur? Modernism, new materials and new approaches are now defining what art is and this revelation is opening up to more and more people. I am interested in looking at this Naive Art style with artists who have left a legacy, who have made their marks on this world even though they have never studied any art training. I wish to also explore those artists whom have worked in such a way that hits the Naive Art criteria, these artists wanting to work in this style themselves even with an art educated background.

Naive Art

Characterized by a child like perspective and simplicity. Objects are disproportionate. Bright colours are used. No sense of light source. Incorrect anatomy of humans or animals. This genre is usually, specifically to be created by people who are shortfall of art education or they feel non compliant to conventional art practices. Naive Art is sometimes referred to as modern Primitive art or sometimes this is called Pseudo-Naive art or Faux Naive art. This genre also coincides with something similar called Outsider Art and this is made up by artists on the outside of society like prisoners or the mentally ill. Naive art is now recognized all over the world and displayed in museums and galleries. Going back to the beginning of the 20th century artists where expected to train for long periods of time because they had to produce works that were highly illusionistic. They were under more pressure and high skills where needed when working in specific fields. Sculptors using casts of bronze or stone or marble, artists with oil paints, printing, lithograph and different materials that would each have a different outcome but each would have a specialism you would need to train in. Artists back then would need to apprentice for 8-10 years purely perfecting a medium like fresco painting for example which was very challenging to do properly. With Naive art there is more freedom to be a non specialist. 

Marchell Duchamp assertion at the beginning of the 21st century said that skill is not a vital component of art, the art is a work of art because the artist says it is, it is the concept, it is the idea, its not the skill its not the craft its not the value its not the scale its the idea and equally he was the one who put the urinal on the pedestal.

Marcel Duchamp 1917

This piece was entered by Duchamp into an exhibition for the Society of independent artists in New York where it was stated that anything could be entered, any style, any material. Duchamp wanted to test their claim that they would accept any work of art. Duchamps piece was subsequently rejected and hidden away behind a curtain as some deemed it as immoral and vulgar, some cried plagiarism and it was called a plain piece of plumbing. After learning this Duchamp resigned from the group in protest Claiming them to be an “unjuried” Society.

I shall now look at some artists who come from a non traditional background who have had no training and perhaps sit on that cusp between amateur and professionals.

 Alfred Wallis (1855 - 1942)
Alfred Wallis moved to Cornwall around 1880 and worked as a fisherman. He was a deeply religious and private man who was born in Devon and worked as a cabin boy in his youth. much later on in his life and following the death of wife Alfred needed to find something to keep loneliness at bay and so he started painting. Although not trained, Alfred followed his instincts, painting from his memory and imagination and gave him this earnest authenticity that other artists strive for. St Ives was the main location for Alfred's work, telling stories of his life by the coast and and his experiences at sea. He liked to use scrap everyday materials for his work, as they were convenient and affordable and often using ship paint left over from the painting industry, lots of greys and blues. These materials represent Wallis and his working background, making something new from collecting local materials. Alfred was almost unknown until one day in 1828, two British artists Ben Nicholson )an English abstract painter) and Christopher Wood (known for his idiosyncratic, post-impressionist paintings) the men approached Wallis after seeing him working in his kitchen, they helped him to sell and exhibit his work in London, launching Alfred into a clique of some of the most progressive British artists from the 1930`s. Sadly towards the end of his life Alfred's mental health worsened and he moved into a poor house in Penzance. Alfred could not look after himself well and was unable to work although he still continued to create art during his stay here. He created pictures in children's sketchbooks in 1941- 1942 given to him by Nicholson. 3 sketchbooks have been saved and for the first time you can see Wallis used traditional art materials, boats changing overtime from sailboats to steam boats, showing us an intimate glimpse of his memory and his unfolding of his life as a marina. Alfred died in 1942. This self taught artists work had a tectonic impact on modern British art.

All it took was these two British artists to happen upon him casually one day working away in his kitchen and take him into there world. The kind men found him working in isolation and they felt they shared a similar academic approach to making art which was to try to move away from representation and to really embrace the idea of the truth of experience and real life and try to recreate an experience in the painting for the viewer and this was what Alfred Wallis did. 

  

…..

Henri Rousseau  (1844 - 1910)                                                                

                                                

Born in 1844 in Laval, France, Rousseau worked as a customs official and at the age of 40 he started to paint in his spare time. Rousseau was a French Post - impressionist painter known for his vibrant jungle scenes, primarily working with oil paints on canvas and employing a technique that combined academic precision and Naive style. Often depicting exotic plants, animals and landscapes, drawing inspiration from botanical gardens, zoo visits and illustrated books rather than direct observation. His compositions were meticulously constructed featuring bold outlines but with flattened perspectives. Henri's works was ridiculed initially by some critics but later gained appreciation from Avant- Garde artists for its dreamlike quality and bold use of colour. Despite his lack of formal training, he gained recognition for his unique compositions and imaginative landscapes. A show in France called The Salon Des Independents was an important exhibition for artists to showcase their work independently. Henri participated in several of these exhibitions. The Salon Des Independents was known for its inclusivity and openness allowing artists to exhibit their work without being subjected to the jury system used by the official Salon. This made it often more accessible for artists who didn't conform to mainstream tastes or styles. Henri's unique style caught the attention of fellow artists, critics and collectors gaining recognition gradually. Artists like Pablo Piccaso and writers like Guillaume Apollnaire both admired Henri`s work and helped to popularize it.

In my opinion this is an incredible achievement given Henri had absolutely no formal training but could still demonstrate a understanding for example of colour and composition. He could evoke in the viewer a sense of enchantment and mystery displaying fantastical worlds that exist somewhere between reality and imagination.    

 

 Pitmen Painters (1934 - 1983)

The pitmen painters or otherwise known as The Ashington group were a collection of working-class Miners living in Ashington in Northumberland. The groups members where primarily coal miners who faced dangerous and sometimes life threatening conditions on a daily basis. Mining work was physically demanding and quite often these miners would endure cave-ins, explosions or health hazards like lung disease all while receiving little compensation. This life was horrendous but despite these challenges, mining communities often fostered a strong sense of camaraderie and solidarity. Looking for an outlet to express their experiences, emotions and perspectives on their lives in the mining community they chose to paint in the evenings, meeting up in a small shack to experiment even after a hard days work down in the pits. Initially they joined a Workers` Educational Association (WEA) class to study art appreciation but in fact found more joy in creating art themselves and in there own way. Since they were self taught they often employed technique's they learned through trial and error and studying other artists work. Essentially there paint of choice was mainly oils or watercolours. Often painting from observation, capturing scenes of everyday life including landscapes, portraits and still life's. They found fame and recognition with their documented paintings by gaining attention from art critics and the public alike, leading to exhibitions and acclaim beyond their local community. 

Their story became a testament to the power of art to excel beyond social boundaries and show talent that exists in unexpected places.

obvioulsy im still working on this but this is my essay so far, unpolished 

Discover the work of artist and fisherman, Alfred Wallis | Tate (youtube.com)

https://medium.com/sketchar/naive-art-creating-outside-the-rules-a6cfc2a93f4a 

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/n/naive-art