In Assignment 3 feedback, my tutor noted a similarity of one of my linocut process prints (the red single layer in the experimental cat tree print) with works by Eduardo Chillida. What I found remarkable was that I had only briefly assessed the single-layer componants of my reduction print, and my tutor’s remarks made me realize they are interesting in themselves, too.

It’s good to get this kind of feedback because I think I’m sometimes “too close” to what I’m doing. The outside perspective is helpful as a different take on things. I noticed that I get a more detached view after some time has passed, discovering qualities I did not appreciate when I had just finished them.

As for Eduardo Chillida (1924-2002), he was a Spanish (Basque) Sculptor. I found a blog with a video showing an exhibition of his works in the United States. The monumental sculptures were set up in a golf lawn. They look quite expressive. The blog also features the image my tutor included in the feedback, set in context with three others.

What fascinates me about Chillida’s sculptures is the combination of curved shapes and hard edges, created in hard materials like iron or stone, which I perceive as rigid and fixed. The combination creates much tension. It should be interesting to draw these objects from various angles.

I’ve recently become interested in sculpture but wasn’t able to find the time for further exploration, so this was a nice opportunity to look outside my usual interest in 2-dimensional works. Prints are normally seen as 2-dimensional, but collagraph prints extended my understanding somewhat. I realized that the plates are actually 3-dimensional – as any relief and can have multiple height layers. In addition to this, the plates create an embossing of the paper, which is also a 3-dimensional effect.

Actually last summer I went outside during lunch breaks and on two occasions, made sketches of a large sculpture. They were done in the context of my watercolour course. The second one is only a section and I’ve used a white pencil to increase the 3-dimensionality. I’m including them only for reference here because they are going to be assessed elsewhere.

The sculpture is by Robert Cook, named “Dinoceros” and it really looks like some strange kind of artificial dinosaur. It’s located on 51st Street/Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. During lunchtime, lots of people are around, eating their lunch from a nearby food stand or smoking a cigarette.

I thought it might be interesting to make sculptures myself with the intention of setting up some interesting objects and views to draw. Of course I’d do something simpler and smallish which would fit into my studio!

References

Eduardo Chillida Blog post: http://nialldebuitlear.com/blog/?p=1097 (accessed 24 Feb 2015)

Video of 2011 Exhibition in Florida, USA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3quRqVGFCfA (accessed 24 Feb 2015)