1. Marks and lines - Cubism

I have chosen to analyse a work by Georges Braque called "Still Life With Violin"

Braque, G. (1913) Still Life With Violin, Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Braque created this oil on canvass artwork in 1913. The work loosely evokes a violin and sheet-music through artistic use of lettering, angular forms, dramatic lines and emotive shading. The piece has been rendered using a muted colour pallet of warm, earthy tones, juxtaposed with an accent of cool grey.

This work is intriguing due to its clever use of naive tonal shade creating a collage effect. The shapes, when viewed in isolation, appear unrefined and unremarkable, however when observed holistically, we’re invited to layer our own memories and emotions upon the collage to bring the subject matter into focus.

This work reminded me that there is pleasure in the journey and exploration of a piece of art. I have always struggled with overworking my pieces. I try to hold the hand of the observer and force them down a specified path, rather than just letting them chose their own interpretations.

This piece, and I think cubism in more general terms, is a reminder to try and be more imaginative and free with my mark making and overall concepts for pieces of work. I also need to try and enjoy the creative journey rather than focusing solely on the end result.

I like the idea of attempting to incorporate layering techniques and the use of bold confident line work into future projects. These are both areas that are totally out of my comfort zone, but I am definitely intrigued to give it a go and I think I will learn from the experience