Templemeads, Soviets and Sea Asters

Posted by Ivan Grieve on

Through repetition and practice I find new ways of looking at a subject or gather inspiration to try new ideas out. The visits to Bristol have always provided me with fresh ideas and material to think about. However trying to find a way to bring my ‘composition ideas’ together proved more challenging than I had at first thought. I believe this is partly because my ideas often run way ahead of the actual practicalities of the making. Then it is a matter of figuring out the how to…When this happens I default to exploring an idea with collage, this allows plenty of freedom and revision of a process as it evolves. I experiment with new materials more readily too. 

            

                         (Images above and below; Templemeads charcoal drawings)

 

            

For the composition of the second Templemeads pieces I am going to be collaging the older Bristol industrial buildings with some sheet music of the around same period and use Financial Times pink paper for the more contemporary buildings. I was looking at the work of Valery Koshlyakov whose work I enjoyed at the Art from Russia show Saatchi Gallery in London, just over ten years ago. In making the collage I shall use corrugated cardboard and raised surfaces to add texture whilst also painting and drawing into the surfaces.

           

(Image above ; Grand Opera, Paris 1995 Valery Koshlyakov, Tempera on cardboard 345 x 487cm this image was from the show’s catalogue so credit to the Saatchi Gallery and photographer who I have not managed to identify).

 

The revisiting of the symbolism of an empire in this massive work, frantic and bursting with energy, as paint runs down the tattered surfaces. This was made halfway through Yeltsin’s term in office as Russian President. On 25 December 1991, Boris Yeltsin, was full of presidential power in Russia in connection with the resignation of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and the actual collapse of the USSR.

                            

                      (Image above; Babushka Oil on canvas 60cm x 80cm 2013 and below a     detail from another of my 2013 Babushka paintings ).

                             

The strap line for the exhibition was a quote from Josef Stalin “ Gaiety is the most outstanding feature of the Soviet Union”.  Probably he was promoting an idealized image of Soviet life that contrasted sharply with the harsh realities many of its citizens faced. This statement can be interpreted as a part of the broader propaganda effort to depict the Soviet Union as a socialist utopia, where the evils of the capitalist world—poverty, oppression, and inequality—had been overcome.

                         

(Above;  Soviet poster image)

 

Comparing this to the situation of artists in Russia under Vladimir Putin, there are both parallels and significant differences. Putin, much like Soviet leaders, has overseen a government that seeks to control the narrative about Russia, both domestically and internationally. There has been a noticeable push towards promoting traditional Russian values, and the state has often been intolerant of dissent, including in the realm of art and culture. The contemporary Russian state, much like in the Soviet era, exercises considerable influence over the kind of art that is officially sanctioned and promoted, particularly when it comes to projects that receive state funding or are displayed in state-run institutions.

 

However, the context and mechanisms of control have evolved. Modern technology and globalization have given Russian artists broader exposure and more varied influences than their Soviet counterparts could access. Furthermore, despite the government's efforts to control and monitor the internet, Russian artists today have more opportunities to circumvent censorship, engage with global audiences, and express dissenting views, although not without risk.

           

(Image above Saltmarsh at Longmarsh and a detail below)

                        

The Sea Aster;

At the end of Longmarsh is some Saltmarsh that I am keen to further raise awareness of in an environmental collaboration with a small group of interdisciplinary artists. A little strand of this involvement on my part is to take a closer look at the species that populate this element of the river Dart salt marshes. Researching the plants is interesting and a natural source for inspiration. In order to involve younger people and widen the audience for the Saltmarsh project which is part of the Bioregional Learning Centre work, I shall be making some small mixed seed bombs. These seed bombs will be “launched” along the edges of the existing saltmarsh by the children with their parents.

                       

(Image above ; Sea Aster photo and below a pastel drawing)

                       

The Sea Aster has fine seeds in some ways similar to those of the Dandelion in that they rely on being carried by the wind (Toroidal Vortex) and I suspect can be easily carried on a tide too. A plant that happily provides nectar for late flying butterflies. The seeds of Arrow Grass have flavour similar to coriander. Each detail of the various seed types has an evolved function to aid or contribute to an ecosystem. For example the seed casing of the of the black needle rush (Juncus Gerardii) provides a habitat for the larvae of moths, the roots act as a haven for spawning fish and the seeds are eaten (and possibly later distributed ) by water fowl.

            

 

(Details from Syrinx charcoal on paper)

Thank you very much for reading and do leave comments and questions for me as you so desire.

artistic process mother nature saltmarsh working practice

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