Thinking tree

While not doing all my English essays, I've acquired a thinking tree. It's right outside my window, and it's very nice. I thought sharing it was a better use of my time than doing work. 

It is a good tree, no?

My favourite things.

It may well be a good idea for me to rename my blog: Diary of an Art student masquerading as someone who knows enough about the English Language to do a degree in it (?!!!). 


So, after a day of phonetics and literature reviews (?!?!), I felt a wallow in self-pity session coming on. I am choosing to re-package that as 'some of Mary's favourite Art works'. This will make me feel better. :)

Cornelia Parker's 'Cold Dark Matter: an exploded view' 1991

(above two) Fletcher Benton's 'Truckin' Geos'

Me, plus a little section of mosaic from Antoni Gaudi's Park Guell.

Christian Boltanski's 'The Candles' (I saw at the Shadow exhibition at Compton Verney 2007) 

(Above two) from Mike Nelson's 'The Coral Reef' installation.

Umberto Boccioni's 'Elasticity' 1912

Umberto Boccioni's 'Unique forms of continuity in space' 1913

Yeah, this has made me feel better. 

Scary but good. Scarily good?

I love Jamie T, and I love this video even more because at first it seems.... a fairly standard 'amateur' style, relaxed film. But it just.. isn't. And what it actually is (although probably meant to be funny) really freaked me out. I felt within my comfort zone, and because of that, the unexpected oddities were even better. Definitely worth a watch :)


Plus the song's ace. 

History of Art

Just completed my history of Art exam. Whilst I quite enjoyed the majority of the course so far, I can honestly say I really never want to see these two paintings again. You know when one of the things you really didn't want to come up on an exam turns up an just brightens your day...

Rembrandt's 'An anatomy lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp' (1632) (above)

Perugino's 'Lamentation over the Dead christ' (1495) (below)

 

Paul Noble.

I am literally so excited about this exhibition! At first I thought it was the New York Gagosian, but now I've found it's in London I am There. 


:)


Paul Noble at the Gagosian



Noble uses graphite drawings to depict a fictional place: 'Nobson Newtown'. The drawings are so intricately detailed, there is just so much to take in. This exhibition is just one part of a 15 year project based around Nobson. 
      Noble has created a city in which he knows every aspect and after how many years he has put into this 'place' the idea of letting it go is just mad to me (this huge drawing included in this exhibition titled 'Welcome to Nobson' is his penultimate in the series.). 

(Image from http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/arts/review-24008249-paul-noble-gagosian---review.do)


I wish I had been able to see more of the other work he has completed on this subject- I love the idea of having the dedication and interest in a topic as specific as this to work on it for over a decade. 
 

Lost in Lace

Took a little trip to see Lost in Lace at the Birmingham Art Gallery; had to fight through the Frankfurt Christmas market crowds first, but it was worth it.

The last two images are of the piece: 'After the dream' by Chiharu Shiota, which I basically thought was terrifying but I can't really say why. 
Mostly I think the length of the dresses was unsettling, mixed with complete web which they were suspended in- I just couldn't handle it! 
Also, there was an excellent film of the construction of the piece alongside the information :)
Beautiful!

I don't want to do English.

I don't want to do English.