Diploma Chapter 11 - Expressive Figures - Option A - Part 1

I had planned to study Chapter 12 - Option B - Head and Face Designs but following a wonderful visit to the Edward Bawden Exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery I did a U-turn.  I was particularly struck by the fluidity of movement and personalities of the dancers round the maypole in the Map of the British Empire Exhibition (watercolour 1924), MM196.

(By the way, I also loved his Panorama: The Seaside - more on that later - and the mark-making and use of colour in his 1927 Untitled landscape with sunset.)

Part 1 of this chapter is my relevant research to date into artists - all media - who use the figure form in expressive ways, with the emphasis on movement and abstraction.  Though I've looked at a lot of artists I include here those which appealed to me.  This research is on-going and being collected in a 20cm x 20cm sketchbook, both line drawings and sketches of work. Some comparisons have also been made between figures from Opus Anglicanum and Indian textiles, and contemporary artists.

So in no particular order, but starting by carefully dipping a toe into the water with the Bayeux Tapestry, Harold on mission to Normandy, 11th Century, MM197.

From Picasso's sketches I chose his stick-figure of a photographer, MM198,

and his Dance of Youth, MM198.  Both were full of movement and the Dance of Youth reminded me of an abstracted Bawden.  I also studied his 'one-liners' of the human form.

Then three pieces by Matisse, his Jinx from Poésies, MM200;  Necklace, MM201;  and Blue Nude, MM202.

I also looked at the linocuts of Ethel Spowers, particularly The Giant Stride due to its similarity to the Bawden maypole, though stylised, but full of movement.

Lowry, The Rush Hour, MM203

Keith Haring, Untitled, MM204. I love the way just a few marks outside the form give a sense of movement and humour.

I looked at the sketches of Henry Moore, but here include here three sculptures by Antony Gormley, the two on the left from Lake Ballard in Western Australia and the one on the right from the new exhibition, Essere, at the Uffizi.

Now, an unlikely choice? The hand-drawn stick figures of Edna Mae Burnham are as iconic as the piano tutors they illustrate...interesting they were meant only to show the position where the 'real' drawings should be inserted.  They are full of life and movement - up and down the keys - running, walking, leap frog, giant steps, etc. etc.

Starting to look for comparisons between figures observed in Opus Anglicanum and contemporary textile artists, I started with a figure from the Jesse Cope, 1310-20, MM207; similar figures from The Becket Casket, 1180-90, MM208; and the figure of Peter the Deacon from the St Cuthbert's Maniple, early 10th century, MM209.

The stance of these figures bore a marked similarity to those in a work by Hilary Hollingworth,   'Gandhi came to 'whistle', one of my favourite pieces, MM210.  The body is held in a similar position with the hands and feet showing, though Gandhi did expose a little more leg.  In contrast to the stitching techniques already discussed in the Opus Anglicanum section, Hilary Hollingworth uses techniques which add layers to the ground including her own darning/weaving technique whereby an additional directional warp is inserted on top of the ground and needleweaving is carried out through this.  This gives the directional interest as the warp changes and also forms texture in the robes. The needleweaving can be dense or loose for additional interest in the surface texture.  Also used are collage, patchwork, dry-felting and hand stitching. Delightful.

Image MM211 is a line drawing of a piece by Belinda Downes used to illustrate the carol Hark! The 'Herald Angels Sing' in the book 'Silent Night Carols for Christmas' which is illustrated with her embroideries.  Once again the stance of Mary is similar to the earlier embroideries.  The work here is applique and the detail of the folds in the cloth is obtained by different sizes and colours of running stitch.  The surrounding angels are enclosed in roundels, a design element frequently used in Opus Anglicanum embroideries.  The ground is machine embroidered in vermicelli stitch which gives a similar appearance to the vine motifs in the Jesse Cope.

MM212 illustrates design elements from Indian embroideries, a Chamba Rumal from Himachal Pradesh and applique figures from a wall hanging made in Delhi.  Belinda Downes in illustrating The Starlight Princess used similar figures when illustrating the story of The Starlight Princess.  These and the simple outline figures from the kanthas of West Bengal remind me of the simple figures used by Janet Bolton in her applique work, MM213.

More stylised but still with a similar simplicity are the figures of Rachael Howard, inspired by a work placement in India.