It's been two weeks

I didn't notice how I've become fond of ceramic art. I tended to underestimate its possibilities, but by now at least two of my recent posts include clay or porcelain pieces. And here I go again - plastic surgery on dishes by Beccy Ridsdel. What a concept!




I'm happy to be back for a while after busy exam times and presentation writing, which took up my entire weekend. Although there's tonnes still to be done, I thought I'd earned a blog post or two.

I'm starting to put together one of my last final pieces for the IB course that finishes in mid-March. The base will be a large silk cloth with three heads batiked - a young face, an old one and a skull - on which will go a printed collage of.. what, I don't exactly know yet. The main theme is Shakespeare and I'm personally illustrating death and passage of time (blahh). If it turns out to be any good, I'll upload a photo. Otherwise my next project in pending is collage on pottery (inspired by Grayson Perry, of course). Now only to get this all done and, I almost forgot, visit Florence in February half term! Life is becoming good again.

I rewatched Perfume: the Story of a Murderer last night. As disturbing as it may be, it's one of the most artistic films I've ever seen. Couldn't say anything about the book, but I'm intrigued - is it as visual? The director (also of Run, Lola, Run!) did an incredible job at illustrating Grenouille's extraordinary sense of smell.

Conceptual Art

I discovered today the existence of the Stuckist movement, which, as amusing as the name may sound, has been producing figurative work in opposition to the currently dominating conceptual art. I myself have finally come to appreciate the latter, as long as the idea conveyed in the work manages to captivate me.

You have to admit that the art of today is less and less about the skill of the work and predominantly about the idea behind it - illustrating a different attitude towards an object; experimenting with an environment; shocking the public (although the last is probably no more, since we're becoming immune to provocative and daring works).
Contemporary exhibitions are dominated by installations and performance art that will illustrate our society to future generations just as, well, Baroque art illustrates 17th century society to us.

Below are a few of my favourite pieces that the Stuckists would probably disaprove of:

Curtain by Daniel Arsham

Tee trinken by Lei Xue

Believe it or not, I find these to be just as deserving of the label 'art' as a painting by Rembrandt.