“Men Looking” — cast glass sculptures by Graeme Hitchcock
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Art
But is it art?
Gnome sweet gnome? Su Leslie 2018
“There is no abstract art. You must always start with something.
Afterward you can remove all reality.” — Pablo Picasso
Picasso also said “we all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth”, while the American art philosopher, Arthur C. Danto described art as “embodied meaning” — apparently to distinguish Andy Warhol’s Brillo Boxes from actual Brillo boxes.
So is my image art? It contains a stripped-away (and colour-inverted) image of art — a cast-glass sculpture by Gregor Kregar (Creature exhibition, Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui.)
Is it whimsy? A comment on homelessness? Or is it nothing more than a collection of pixels to which you each will respond in your own way? Please let me know.
Debbie at Travel with Intent started me on this train of thought with this week’s quote-inspired challenge. If you haven’t already, pop over to see her wonderfully abstract images.
Dwarfed
Antony Gormley’s ‘Angel of the North’ — with a few visitors. Image: Su Leslie, 2013
‘The Angel of the North’ 1998 — artist Antony Gormley. Situated on the hilltop at Birtley, in Tyneside. Image: Su Leslie, 2013
If I’d looked more closely at Deb’s One Word Sunday last week, I’d have rationed my “huge art, tiny people” shots from Gibbs Farm Sculpture Park, Auckland, so as to have some left for this week’s word | Dwarf.
But I found these (pre-DSLR) shots of the magnificent ‘Angel of the North.’ At 20 metres tall, it definitely dwarfs its human visitors.
Art on a giant scale
As an art form, sculpture often plays with scale. At Gibbs Farm Sculpture Park north-west of Auckland, twenty seven world-renowned artists were given carte blanche to create works on a giant scale.
Richard Serra. Te Tuhirangi Contour, 1999/2001 (56 Corten steel plates 252m x 6m x 50mm). Located at Gibbs Farm Sculpture Park, Auckland, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2015
For example, Richard Serra’s wall (above) is 252 metres long and six metres high, while Bernar Venet’s corten steel arcs stand at 27 metres in height. Dismemberment, Site 2 by Anish Kapoor is an extraordinary 85 metres long and lies nestled between two hills.
Bernar Vernet. 88.5° ARC x 8, 2012 (Corten steel, 8 arcs each 27m x 0.75m x 0.75m). Located at Gibbs Farm Sculpture Park, Auckland, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2015
Bernar Vernet. 88.5° ARC x 8, 2012 (Corten steel, 8 arcs each 27m x 0.75m x 0.75m). Located at Gibbs Farm Sculpture Park, Auckland, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2015
Anish Kapoor. Dismemberment Site 1, 2009. (Mild steel tube and tensioned fabric; West end 25 x 8m, East end 8 x 25m. Length 85m). Located at Gibbs Farm, Auckland, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2015
One Word Sunday | Giant
Ironic juxtaposition?
‘What Makes a Real Aussie?” poster showing 1916 ID photo of Monga Khan from Afghanistan; poster campaign by artist Peter Drew. Image: Su Leslie, 2016.
Photography, as a powerful medium of expression and communications, offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation and execution.
– Ansel Adams
Posted to Debbie’s weekly quotation-inspired challenge, at Travel with Intent.
The Changing Seasons: June 2018
Late afternoon rain clouds, Papaiti Road, Whanganui. Su Leslie, 2018
While some months can certainly be summed up in a single image, June hasn’t been one of them.
The first part of the month was shaped by my father’s admission to hospital. He’s nearly 86 and has a series of medical problems. On the plus side, this means that any change in his condition is taken seriously by his doctors and he receives swift and usually excellent care; on the minus side it’s incredibly worrying for my step-mother and for me.
Visiting my dad entails a six-hour drive through some of the North Island’s most beautiful countryside (well it would be six hours if I didn’t stop to take so many photos). Whanganui itself is a lovely place and turned on one day of glorious sunshine during my visit.
Whanganui River — looking downstream from Aramoho Rail Bridge. Su Leslie 2018
Whanganui River — looking upstream from Aramoho Rail Bridge. Su Leslie 2018
Bearings, by David McCracken. Sculpture installed at Moutoa Quay, Whanganui. Su Leslie 2018
Mt Ruapehu with fresh snow, North Island, NZ. Su Leslie 2018
SH1 leading to Mt Ngaruahoe, North Island, NZ. S
Clear skies to the right; Lake Taupo at Waihi Reserve, near Turangi, North Island, NZ
And on the left, Waihi Village, with geothermal steam clouds obscuring houses and the village church. Seen from Waihi Reserve, North Island, NZ. Su Leslie 2018
Waikato River, at Whakamaru Dam, Waikato, NZ. Su Leslie 2018
My drive home was also favoured with brilliant — if not particularly warm — sunshine. An early morning stop in the small town of Hunterville revealed these beautiful frosted roses in a series of little gardens lining the main street.
Frosted rose; testiment to freezing overnight temperatures in the central North Island, NZ. Su Leslie 2018
Beginning to thaw. Morning sunshine on the roses. Seen in Huterville, North Island, NZ. Su Leslie
Su Leslie 2018
Su Leslie 2018
Back home, and relieved that my dad is recovering, I could turn my attention to a project I’m working on with artist Claire Delaney to document the life of her studio over a year; this month hanging out at a couple of weekend workshops as well as a regular weekday class.
June has been particularly special in the studio as it’s where Claire hosted the launch of a book she illustrated. Dining with Vikings, written by local chef Penny Webster, is part cook-book, part family memoir.
Dining with Vikings, written by Penny Webster, illustrated by Claire Delaney. Su Leslie 2018
Some of the limited edition prints from Dining with Vikings. Su Leslie 2018
What’s a book launch without music? Su Leslie 2018
Su Leslie 2018
Su Leslie 2018
Su Leslie 2018
Su Leslie 2018
Su Leslie 2018
… or cake? Su Leslie, 2018
Drawing faces workshop. Su Leslie 2018
Su Leslie 2018
Introduction to oil painting workshop. Su Leslie 2018
Su Leslie 2018
Introduction to oil painting workshop. Su Leslie 2018
Su Leslie 2018
Drawing faces workshop. Su Leslie 2018
The shortest day has now passed, and while the weather will undoubtedly get worse before it gets better, we are now heading back towards a time when the outdoor furniture will be covered in food rather than leaves.
Su Leslie 2018
About The Changing Seasons
The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.
If you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:
The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):
- Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
- Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
- Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them
The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):
- Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
- Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
- Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.
If you do a ping-back to this post, I can update it with links to all of yours.
UPDATE
See how June has played out for other bloggers:
Max at Cardinal Guzman
Tracy at Reflections of an Untidy Mind
Pauline at Living in Paradise
Garry & Marilyn at Serendipity — Seeking Intelligent Life on Earth
Jude at Under a Cornish Sky
Joanne at My Life Lived Full and Following a Bold Plan.
Tish at Writer on the Edge
Klara who’s joined us again from Brussels.
Sarah at Art Expedition
Ju-Lyn at All Things Bright and Beautiful
Deb at The Widow Badass
Mick from Mick’s Cogs
Tote-ally chuffed (yep, pun intended)
Weekend craft project; my new tote bag. Su Leslie 2018
I’m doing the happy dance today. My feeling-a-bit-meh-stay-in-and-sew project from the weekend has turned out way better than expected.
Sewing is one of the many things I do with considerably more enthusiasm than skill. But for all that I often hate the results of my labours, I do really enjoy the processes.
The tote was meant to be a simple solution to my twin problems of having a) lots of art and craft materials, and b) no dedicated space in which to use them.
A couple of weeks ago I realized that my stuff was dispersed through pretty much every room in the house. A huge tidy-up followed (you know the one that includes thoughts like “so, that’s where the screen-printing ink ended up” and “hm, don’t remember buying 10 metres of white satin ribbon”).
The art bag. Su Leslie 2018
My tote isn’t quite that ambitious. It is designed to hold an A4 watercolour pad, paints, pencils, brushes and assorted painting doo-dahs and I’m happy to report that it does this rather splendidly.
BUT … it’s also much nicer than I anticipated and it seems a bit sad to keep it at home, lurking in a closet or corner.
SO … I’ll probably test-drive it as a new handbag. And I guess I’ll just have to make myself another art bag.
