Since I’ve been concentrating on theory for the past couple of months, I thought I might start up this page with links and info of interest to my writing.

My investigations into spatial representation have roved far and wide. The most difficult thing I find is narrowing them down and turning them into a question that I want to answer.

So far I’ve been interpreting and contextualizing the new work of Hungarian ceramic artist Sandor Dobany, who is currently visiting at the Glasgow School of Art. Here is his website. He has created a series of nine porcelain pieces titled “The Both Sides”, which are a contemporary reinterpretation of iconic paintings from the Northern Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Two of the pieces do not have individual titles, so I will refer to them as “After Velazquez” and “After Durer”.

The Visitors

“The Visitors” is a piece which is a re-interpretation of “The Arnolfini Portrait” painted by Jan van Eyck in 1434. (well, actually the website seems to be playing up at the moment, but I’ll put in the link when it wakes up). The original painting is held at The National Gallery in London.

Jan van Eyck is credited with perfecting the technique of oil painting. This work is also one of the first to use an almost scientific method of perspective (although I think there are three vanishing points in it. Here is an article on perspective from The Oxford Companion of Western Art, which among other things, shows the vanishing points in this painting). The painting is loaded with iconography that has inspired furious debate, but one of its most interesting features is the mirror on the back wall. The mirror reflects the Arnolfini couple and also two other people in the doorway, one of whom is said to be van Eyck himself. This mirror is fascinating because it is a device that extends the picture plane beyond the painting itself. The other thing I find fascinating about this work is the theory that Arnolfini’s wife is dead, and this painting was done posthumously. In other words, it very probably shows one living and one dead person.

At first glance, Dobany’s piece seems to show the reflection of the Arnolfini couple in the mirror. But this is not so. In a reflection, the positions of the couple would be reversed. In his porcelain painting, the couple stand with their back to us, so it is as if we were INSIDE the painting, standing BEHIND THEM. Moreover, they are standing in front of Dobany. Sandor has put himself in the painting, and imagined himself to be a 15th Century ceramic artist, whom the Arnolfini couple have gone to visit in his studio. Round the walls you can see Sandor’s work and on the table, among the oranges, a still life composed of his own tea set. So Dobany has in fact imagined that the famous couple have come to life – or that he was transported back in time, to a time when they were both alive.

Regarding references for the original artwork, the online version of the Encyclopedia Britannica provides some good insight into Jan van Eyck and his work, but if you don’t have a paid subscription, you need to follow this link to the Artcyclopedia entry for Jan van Eyck and then click on “Encyclopedia Britannica complete article on Jan van Eyck” at the bottom of the page.

Also the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York does this excellent online series called the “Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History” with thematic essays on various artists. This link takes you to the essay on Jan van Eyck.

After Velazquez

“After Velazquez” is a piece which is a reinterpretation of two famous works by Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez (1599-1660). This is a link to the website of the National Gallery in London, UK, which showcases an exhibition that included both paintings.

Again, when Sandor Dobany’s website is up and running again, I’ll link to it here. The “After Velazquez” piece shows “Pope Innocent X” (1650) from the back, as if once again, the viewer were positioned INSIDE the painting, behind the Pope’s chair. The original painting hangs at the Galleria Dora Pamphilj in Rome, Italy.

The Pope is sitting in front of “Apollo at the Forge of Vulcan” which was painted by Velazquez in 1630 and now hangs in Spain at the Museo Nacional Del Prado. So here, Sandor has imagined that the Pope has gone to Spain to view the other painting. We see it from the Pope’s point of view, not from our own. As he sits very close to it, so he only sees the bottom. But this is also part of a clever device which Dobany uses. He shows only portions of iconic paintings, making the viewer aware that it is only necessary to see a small part of an iconic work of art in order to recognize it instantly.

The portrait of Pope Innocent X is one of Velazquez’s most famous paintings and sealed his reputation as a leading talent among Baroque artists. Follow this link to see the painting described in a thematic essay on the Metropolitan Museum of Art website. Here is also the entry for Velazquez in the Encyclopedia Britannica, but it must be accessed, again, through the Artcyclopedia – go to the bottom of the page and choose: “Encyclopedia Britannica complete article on Diego Velazquez”.

Interestingly, “Apollo at the Forge of Vulcan” was not a commission like most of the rest of Velazquez’s work – he painted it for pure pleasure and to show off his skill. It also has a depth of meaning. During Valezquez’ lifetime, painting was viewed as craft. He wanted to elevate it to a fine art, such as poetry and music were regarded at the time. Apollo is the Roman god of music and poetry and the fine arts, while Vulcan is the god of craft.

In some way this relates to Sandor’s work – he has made and painted this series for pure pleasure and to show off his skill. The work is not made for sale. Also, much like Velazquez, Dobany paints to comment on the status of ceramics in the art world.

…. more is to go in here…

There are many avenues that the interpretation of this work has led me down….

My first essay looked at the issues raised by the existence of virtual communities such as Second Life. I was looking at the work of Cao Fei and Patricia Piccinini. Cao Fei was someone who I was particularly fascinated by because she was exploring Second Life from the perspective of many of those issues. Then she created both virtual and real work as a response.

Now even though there is a clear link for me between illusionism and the virtual, I’ve been encouraged to look at virtual work in the field of ceramics, to link the two papers together more securely.

Here are some links resulting from those investigations:

Imagined Landscapes: the tasman map reconfigured. A project by ceramic artists Steven Goldate and Damon Moon.

Steven Goldate is a ceramic artist based in Melbourne. He is author and editor of the site Ceramics Today although I’m not sure if that’s still current. To me, Goldate is perhaps best known for his work in the field of Virtual Ceramics. In this project he and Damon Moon have conceptually linked the “Tasman Map” created by the Dutch East India Company in 1644, blue and white Wan-Li type ceramics and Delftware.

This is a link to the virtual work of Jeroen Bechtold. Bechtold was prominantly involved in the field of virtual ceramics about ten years ago, when it was starting out. His gallery in Amsterdam is currently hosting an exhibition of prints from the Imagined Landscapes project. Since then, however, Bechtold has returned to making physical objects.

Here is an article “All Aboard for the Craft Diaspora” by Kevin Murray published in 1995. This article critiques the beginnings virtual crafts. It is from a time when the internet itself was very new. A jewelry student mentioned in the article Christina Parkin, appears to have started a trend at Temple University. They have a fascinating website which shows virtual work (in jewlery only) by graduating Masters students up to present day. The work though seems to be designs for actual objects which are later manufactured, so it’s not pure virtual work for its own sake.

Back soon

Updated Wednesday, 25th February, 2009