The Power of Drawing
As anyone resuming an artistic practice, I am going through a research phase… For me, this is a time to reconnect with my aspirations and what moves me.
It’s also a time to ‘look’ and ‘dive in’.
By looking, I mean observe and connect intensely with the works shown by other artists, living or from the past, and genuinely question what provokes our interest. By diving in, I mean experiment, and try things that feel risky, unsecured. Daring – not following recipes – is often the way to reach a form of artistic truth.
Looking is somehow easy these days, we are overwhelmed with content… Sometime great, sometime dubious… with social medias, the effort is to sort things and organize. I recently re-joined Facebook groups I didn’t look at for years.. The Pastel Society of America, always inspiring! The pastellistes de France (mais bien sur!), which is an interesting window on the French pastel community. Instagram, of course, is a goldmine, with its cohort of Art superstars! I would not pretend to be an Art critic, but I like to look at drawing and painting as objectively and honestly as I can, and by ‘talents’, I don’t mean those who excel in ‘showing’ things and that are great at anticipating what an algorithm will select and propel towards fame, no… I mean those displaying fabulous skills and whose Art is really striking me. I tend to regularly curating my feed, so that it serves as both an inspiration and a networking base, where I can get in touch with other artists.
Being a Londoner, I am also blessed with easy access to some of the world’s best galleries and exhibitions. Speaking of ‘Looking’, one show really drew my attention: Jenny Saville, The anatomy of painting, at the National Portrait Gallery. The display was impressive, the painted works were huge, and – it seemed to me during the show and confirmed as I was reading some of the notes from the catalogue – somehow inspired in response to some of the late 20th century figure masters (Lucian Freud in particular). I liked the paintings, their energy, the fact that they made us dive in the colours of flesh and humanity… but I loved the drawings. In these, I found life, energy, and some trace of the risky, adventurous process that make artists unsure, as by their work they suddenly unveil something which is beautifully hidden. The show was, somehow, a strong display of a great artist, both looking and diving in, touching greatness. if I was ever doubting drawing was somehow ‘passed’, this show also clearly demonstrated the power of drawing in unveiling artistic truth: Inspiring, and an invite to dive in, with more efforts, energy, and as much honesty as possible.
… Above, some of the details that caught my attention during the show… I would encourage all Art lovers - and those who love to draw in particular - to discover the work of this great artist.