Jenny Saville
Two trips to the gallery of Modern art to see the Jenny Saville exhibit obviously says I must have had some kind of reaction to her work. I think I am a slow thinker. And by that I mean I like to think over what I have seen and digest it (though I do tend to word-vomit up my initial opinions on almost anything) but with art, I want to be able to form my own opinion of the works without others influence. Hence the lateness of this post.
Here were my initial reaction and questions on my first visit;
"She knows how to paint! The colours and use of them in her flesh tones are impressive!"
hmmm is it as impressive without the scale she is working at?"
"That is not what I expected her initial sketches to look like! Very graphic and not at all like her end result of her paintings..."
I left with a postcard of one of her paintings deciding that they were still impressive on a smaller scale but not quite as impressive.
Her use of colour in skin tone could be matched or even topped by other artists so it maybe isn't that impressive either.
I left with a bit of a bad taste from Jenny. She has wowed me with huge canvases and huge bodies squeezing into the frames and of course a talent...
The second visit was a number of weeks later and I'd had time to really think about what I'd seen. I had started college again at this point so being exposed to other artists, works, my own I realised I had kind of flopped at the idea of the "Great Saville" so the next time was along with some friends who hadn't seen it yet and I thought "why not? I'd rather be in a gallery than no gallery!"
The day before our second trip we were looking at perspective in art. I was really trying to get my head around it and it wasn't until I was standing in front of this painting again that I truly understood and could appreciate her work. Her over exaggerated perspective just blew me away this time. I suddenly thought it isn't just the side of the canvas it's the way the figures knee juts out of it and her head towers above you! This was a much more rewarding visit.
I also took my sketchbook and quickly sketched a few of her paintings.
Taking my sketchbook is also a must for any future exhibitions I visit.
Here were my initial reaction and questions on my first visit;
"She knows how to paint! The colours and use of them in her flesh tones are impressive!"
hmmm is it as impressive without the scale she is working at?"
"That is not what I expected her initial sketches to look like! Very graphic and not at all like her end result of her paintings..."
I left with a postcard of one of her paintings deciding that they were still impressive on a smaller scale but not quite as impressive.
Her use of colour in skin tone could be matched or even topped by other artists so it maybe isn't that impressive either.
I left with a bit of a bad taste from Jenny. She has wowed me with huge canvases and huge bodies squeezing into the frames and of course a talent...
The second visit was a number of weeks later and I'd had time to really think about what I'd seen. I had started college again at this point so being exposed to other artists, works, my own I realised I had kind of flopped at the idea of the "Great Saville" so the next time was along with some friends who hadn't seen it yet and I thought "why not? I'd rather be in a gallery than no gallery!"
The day before our second trip we were looking at perspective in art. I was really trying to get my head around it and it wasn't until I was standing in front of this painting again that I truly understood and could appreciate her work. Her over exaggerated perspective just blew me away this time. I suddenly thought it isn't just the side of the canvas it's the way the figures knee juts out of it and her head towers above you! This was a much more rewarding visit.
I also took my sketchbook and quickly sketched a few of her paintings.
I actually think it took me 2 times to see that exhibition to really "see" it.
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