The Art of Dying
Many artists have been inspired by someone close to them dying of cancer or a similar disease. Some of thse artists include:
The Scar Project [http://www.thescarproject.org/] is a series of portraits of women who have survived breast cancer. some portraits are confronting but all of them show the strength and vulnerability of these survivors.
Another set of portraits can be found by Angelo Meredino [http://www.visualnews.com/2013/10/25/man-intimately-photographs-beloved-wifes-heroic-battle-cancer/] who photographed his wife's battle with breast cancer. His artist statement says "My photographs show this daily life. They humanize the face of cancer, on the face of my wife. They show the challenge, difficulty, fear, sadness and loneliness that we faced, that Jennifer faced, as she battled this disease. Most important of all, they show our Love. These photographs do not define us, but they are us."
Charles Jencks
Charles Jencks is a landscape designer who makes earthworks and sculptures. Although you would not be able to make this type of work as your major work, have a look at the ways he interprets ideas about cells and cell divsion.
Education Scotland has an overview [http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/marksonthelandscape/theartist/ideasandthemes/themes/humancells.asp]
Charles Jencks own website [http://www.charlesjencks.com/] has a fabulous gallery of his work
The Newsmaker interview [http://archrecord.construction.com/news/2013/10/131004-Newsmaker-Charles-Jencks.asp] has some interesting comments about the role of architecture in healing, as used in the "Maggie Centres" he created in his wife's memory.
Hannah Wilke - KHOLA - PAY ATTENTION TO THIS ONE!
Hannah Wilke is a feminist artist who deals with taboo subjects, especially female sexuality. In the 1980s, both she and her mother were diagnosed with cancer, which she approiached through large-scale photographs of the process.
[http://www.hannahwilke.com/id5.html]
[http://klblack.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/hannah-wilke-body.html]
This is a review of her final work, Intravenus [http://www.feldmangallery.com/pages/exhsolo/exhwil94.html]
This article [http://www.feldmangallery.com/media/wilke/general%20press/Tembeck_RACAR.pdf] about Hannah Wilke and Jo Spence compare theier artistic responses to suffering from cancer. It is very theoretical but has great images.
Make sure you listen to this YouTube clip [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgu3ZM11Qto] of her final work, created after her death - a video installation of her process of dying, which ironically makes her vivacious courage over come her illness.
as Anya Gallacio who works with site specific or organic materials (flowers, fruit, chocolate) which decay during her exhibitions.
https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/artists/khaled-sabsabi/
The Scar Project [http://www.thescarproject.org/] is a series of portraits of women who have survived breast cancer. some portraits are confronting but all of them show the strength and vulnerability of these survivors.
Another set of portraits can be found by Angelo Meredino [http://www.visualnews.com/2013/10/25/man-intimately-photographs-beloved-wifes-heroic-battle-cancer/] who photographed his wife's battle with breast cancer. His artist statement says "My photographs show this daily life. They humanize the face of cancer, on the face of my wife. They show the challenge, difficulty, fear, sadness and loneliness that we faced, that Jennifer faced, as she battled this disease. Most important of all, they show our Love. These photographs do not define us, but they are us."
Charles Jencks
Charles Jencks is a landscape designer who makes earthworks and sculptures. Although you would not be able to make this type of work as your major work, have a look at the ways he interprets ideas about cells and cell divsion.
Education Scotland has an overview [http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/marksonthelandscape/theartist/ideasandthemes/themes/humancells.asp]
Charles Jencks own website [http://www.charlesjencks.com/] has a fabulous gallery of his work
The Newsmaker interview [http://archrecord.construction.com/news/2013/10/131004-Newsmaker-Charles-Jencks.asp] has some interesting comments about the role of architecture in healing, as used in the "Maggie Centres" he created in his wife's memory.
Hannah Wilke - KHOLA - PAY ATTENTION TO THIS ONE!
Hannah Wilke is a feminist artist who deals with taboo subjects, especially female sexuality. In the 1980s, both she and her mother were diagnosed with cancer, which she approiached through large-scale photographs of the process.
[http://www.hannahwilke.com/id5.html]
[http://klblack.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/hannah-wilke-body.html]
This is a review of her final work, Intravenus [http://www.feldmangallery.com/pages/exhsolo/exhwil94.html]
This article [http://www.feldmangallery.com/media/wilke/general%20press/Tembeck_RACAR.pdf] about Hannah Wilke and Jo Spence compare theier artistic responses to suffering from cancer. It is very theoretical but has great images.
Make sure you listen to this YouTube clip [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgu3ZM11Qto] of her final work, created after her death - a video installation of her process of dying, which ironically makes her vivacious courage over come her illness.
as Anya Gallacio who works with site specific or organic materials (flowers, fruit, chocolate) which decay during her exhibitions.
https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/artists/khaled-sabsabi/
Scientific Photography
There is a strong overlap between science and photographic art. Microsopic photographs often look like interesting abstract art. You might find inspiration in some of these artists:
Nikon Smallworld Competition [http://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries]
Cancer Cell Art Prints [http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/cancer+cell/all]
Science Photo Library [http://www.sciencephoto.com/set/1336/close-look-at-cancer]
Bone Cancer photograph [http://directorsblog.nih.gov/2013/01/02/science-becomes-art/]
Ovarian Cancer Cell [http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2012/02/an-ovarian-cancer-researcher-f.html]
The Colour Atlas of Ultrasound Photography [http://www.mybookezzz.net/ebook.php?u=aHR0cDovL21hcmlvcmFkLmNvbS9ib29rcy9VbHRyYXNvdW5kLzAwNiUyMENvbG9yJTIwQXRsYXMlMjBvZiUyMFVsdHJhc291bmQlMjBBbmF0b215LnBkZgpDb2xvciBBdGxhcyBvZiBVbHRyYXNvdW5kIEFuYXRvbXk=] has some interesting photographs that could become the basis of drawing experiments
Artists using photos from microscopes
Nikon Smallworld Competition [http://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries]
Cancer Cell Art Prints [http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/cancer+cell/all]
Science Photo Library [http://www.sciencephoto.com/set/1336/close-look-at-cancer]
Bone Cancer photograph [http://directorsblog.nih.gov/2013/01/02/science-becomes-art/]
Ovarian Cancer Cell [http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2012/02/an-ovarian-cancer-researcher-f.html]
The Colour Atlas of Ultrasound Photography [http://www.mybookezzz.net/ebook.php?u=aHR0cDovL21hcmlvcmFkLmNvbS9ib29rcy9VbHRyYXNvdW5kLzAwNiUyMENvbG9yJTIwQXRsYXMlMjBvZiUyMFVsdHJhc291bmQlMjBBbmF0b215LnBkZgpDb2xvciBBdGxhcyBvZiBVbHRyYXNvdW5kIEFuYXRvbXk=] has some interesting photographs that could become the basis of drawing experiments
Artists using photos from microscopes
- Art under the microscope Fibre Artists @ Loose Ends have made some wonderful abstract quilts based on microscope photographs [https://www.cell.com/pictureshow/art-under-the-microscope]
- Rob Kessler [http://www.robkesseler.co.uk/] prints micriscope images onto textiles and ceramics
Vanitas and Baroque still life paintings
During the baroque period of Art (C17th-18th), still life paintign were popular. However, they weren't seen as simple paintings of fruit or flowers but complex symbolic representations of life and death. This was called "Vanitas". Sometimes death was shown very conceretely, through the inclusion of a skull in the composition; other paintings showed insects, decaying fruit or wilting flowers. Fruit or flowers might indicate the pleasures of life, or the sin of giving into these pleasures, or the speed with which such pleasures decay. The viewer gets a mixed message because the sensuousness of the painting contradicts its meaning. Hargrove courses [http://hargrovecourses.com/docs/painting/stilllifes.pdf] has a brilliant powerpoint illustrating the motifs and compositions common to Vanitas paintings and givign suggestions for hwo to create a vanitas paintign of your own.
Some artists who painted in this style include:
Hans Holbein [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ambassadors_(Holbein)] who added a skull (which can only be clearlty seen if you stand at the side of the painting) to a portrait of important leaders
Osias Beert [http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/osias-beert/still-life-1]
Jaques Linard [http://www.pinterest.com/jeanpaoletti/jacques-linard/]
Pieter Claesz [https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/explore-the-collection/overview/pieter-claesz]
Maria van Oosterwijk [http://www.mariavanoosterwijck.nl/works.htm]
Modern artists who incorporate this style include:
Alain Khadem [http://www.artisanart.us/vanitas.html]
Some artists who painted in this style include:
Hans Holbein [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ambassadors_(Holbein)] who added a skull (which can only be clearlty seen if you stand at the side of the painting) to a portrait of important leaders
Osias Beert [http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/osias-beert/still-life-1]
Jaques Linard [http://www.pinterest.com/jeanpaoletti/jacques-linard/]
Pieter Claesz [https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/explore-the-collection/overview/pieter-claesz]
Maria van Oosterwijk [http://www.mariavanoosterwijck.nl/works.htm]
Modern artists who incorporate this style include:
Alain Khadem [http://www.artisanart.us/vanitas.html]
Skulls in Art
The Mexican Day of the Dead is a Mexican festival celebrating the lives of one's ancestors by visiting their graves and building shrines to their memory. It has its roots in ancient Aztec festivals. Much of the art associated with this festival celebrates death and decay as part of life. More about this festival is available at Inside Mexico [http://www.inside-mexico.com/featuredead.htm]. You can see a sample of this art at Marie Kazalia's Pintrest page
[http://www.pinterest.com/mariekazalia/day-of-the-dead-art-skull-art/]
These artists were inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead:
David Lozeau [http://www.davidlozeau.com/collections/day-of-the-dead]
John Huerta Arte [http://johnshuertaarte.com/]
Miscellaneous sugar artists (!) [http://ilovesugarskulls.com/]
Art Macabre [http://deathdrawing.com/] is a life drawing event which offers art students a chance to experience dark themes such as poison, freaks and skulls in interesting places such as a medieval herb garden,