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Tuesday October 4 2011 studentnewspaper.org
Culture 21 21 Star Rating First step on the moon Flying on Concord Wright Brother's flight Remote control airplane Jumping in the air
To infinity and beyond
ROYGBIV This week's cultural spectrum.
Varvara Bashkirova enjoys the astronautical photography at the Scotland-Russia Forum
Fergusson's women The Scottish Gallery Run Ended
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felt like I had wandered into someone’s personal studio, rather than an art gallery. The majority of Fergusson’s Women are surprisingly small conté drawings that look more like initial sketches, rather than the finished product. Fergusson’s Women is a collection of art by John Duncan Fergusson, one of Scotland’s greatest artists. The influences of Impressionism and Fauvism are very evident in the incomplete, sketchy style of his drawings and his
REACH FOR THE STARS: Poyekhali! at the Scotland-Russia very well known, having become truly iconic in the history of astronautics. Many, however, have never been
exhibited for the public before, including some private photos from the Gagarins’ family albums. These photos
colourful oil paintings. As the art progresses through the first twenty years of the twentieth century, it transforms. His drawings depict markedly more detailed faces, with much bolder, darker lines. This stamps the drawings with far more personality. Yet I much preferred the wispier, hazier drawings, which reminded me of unfinished sketches. A few of these drawings use the bare minimum of lines to hint at the female form. The way that your eye finishes the process and creates the human body out of the vague shapes is what makes his art so interesting. You need to get up close to examine the detailed little conté drawings but you are forced to step back to view the bigger oil paintings which stand out
vividly in the room of black and white sketches. They are full of extremely rich, vibrant colours, depicting exotic patterns, influences from Fergusson’s time spent travelling abroad in Spain and Morocco. The Red Shawl is a portrait of Mrs Elizabeth Dryden and pushes the focus of the painting onto the shawl which is a single block colour that consumes most of the full-length painting. As you focus on the shawl, the background fades away. Fergusson creates an out-of-focus impression that you only normally experience when you are not directly looking at something. It sometimes helps to not look directly or too closely at his art. The huge squiggly shapes in the background only really transform
Last week an art historian at Oxford University, Martin Kemp, found the proof he needed to claim a portrait ripped from the pages of a book was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. Speaking to The Guardian, Kemp discussed how the vellum thickness, stitching distance and other complicated technical factors presented irrefutable evidence to arty sceptics. The find comes in light of the news this July that another of Leonardo’s lost works, the Salvator Mundi, has been found and will be exhibited by the National Gallery in London this November alongside some of his more carefully conserved works. The resurfacing of lost artwork is an issue that probably makes most people a little uneasy. What if this is the artist’s biggest flop that happened to get lost, leaving only the masterpieces behind? What if its being found is only a way of embarrassingly exposing my ineptitude for art appreciation? Especially with Leonardo, where the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper are ingrained in the public imagination, these new finds are unsettling. Our culture is so saturated with his legacy that nobody would dare doubt the value of his masterpieces; people may be incredulous at the tiny size of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, but they never follow that up with “and he couldn’t even paint!” Very well painted, of course, but it’s a very modest depiction of a woman in profile. In a collection of Leonardo’s works, you’d walk past it after a few seconds. My issue is that Kemp’s find isn’t one to get too excited over. ���� The Salvator Mundi is obviously a bigger deal: an image of Christ holding a glass globe, beautifully painted down to the last detail in the very precise style we recognise from his other paintings. But when I saw Jesus’ face in the painting I laughed out loud - his hazy eyes look out at the viewer confused, as though he’s had a few too many glasses of the Blood of Christ. I can’t take the great master completely seriously after seeing this painting. The problem with rediscovered works: they change the oeuvre completely. The reactions from the art world prove a fascination beyond the man as an artist, however, and as more of the man as a cultural icon. I can’t help thinking we’ve been reading too much Dan Brown.
are particularly significant, as they really bring the character of Gagarin to life. In 1961, he became a national hero – but such status had its cost. His name became a symbol: of the space race and the Cold War when used by politicians; of the technological advance of humanity and the USSR among scientists; of human courage in general in philosophical debates. The exhibition, on the other hand, showed me a very ordinary, admirable person. While I was looking at him playing with his daughters, exercising with dumbbells and talking to his wife, the image of a virtuous hero became that of an ordinary man, who gained his status by simply doing his job. Overall, my visit turned out to be very inspirational. We need to remember and honour people like him to keep moving on and progressing. After all, Gagarin is not only a part of Russian history, but of the history of mankind, and of our constant aspiration to break through new frontiers.
russian news and information agency ria novosti
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ommemorating the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s flight into space, the Scotland-Russia Forum is hosting a photographic exhibition dedicated to the Russian hero. Having been previously displayed in London, it consists of rare photos from the archives of RIA Novosty, the Russian news company. The exhibition also includes an hour long film about Gagarin’s voyage, shown daily at 1:00 pm. The photos are arranged chronologically, each with a brief description and date, so that the photos tell the life story of the great man. Starting in the remote Russian countryside and culminating in his 1961 launch, which was followed by his enormous popularity, it ends with his death just seven years later. Gagarin’s visit to the UK is also documented, showing an overwhelming amount of people meeting him at the airport. Forget The Beatles - he was a real star. The manager of SRF, Jenny Carr, pointed out that one of the big advantages of the exhibition was the variety of photos on display. Some of them are
The Lost Leonardos
into flowers when you focus on the shawl in the foreground and allow the background to blur. The art carries a strong impression
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You might easily be standing behind the shoulder of the artist as he sketches a stranger passing by." of the moment when the artist was working. You might easily be standing behind the shoulder of the artist as he sketches a stranger passing by. Victoria Tripp
THE ART DOCTOR with Anna Feintuck This week: a violently muddled schedule
Help! I’ve joined too many student societies. Every night of the week I’m busy picking up a new hobby, new friends, but never my coursework. More than just my diary is getting muddled: I found myself bringing my knitting needles to kickboxing and accidentally punching a girl when she asked for the yarn at Knit Soc. How do I continue to gain mad skills without having my life unravel?
T
hank goodness you haven't taken up javelin... Although, having said that, knitting needles and kickboxing sound like a dangerous enough combination. I think, though, that the real issue here is organisation - or lack thereof - rather than danger. Never underestimate the power of a good diary. If you know where you have to be and when, the likelihood is that you'll bring the
correct equipment and, correspondingly, the right mindset. On a purely aesthetic level, I'd recommend Moleskine diaries, beloved of arty types – their simple design makes complicated schedules much less frightening. Record all your events, and use the blank page on the right for important notes (things like "TUESDAY - KNITTING - NO PUNCHING" or "MONDAY - VIOLENCE OKAY" - assuming of course that Tuesday is knitting and Monday is kickboxing. The days are interchangeable here, but not - I repeat, not - in real life). For inspiration, consider famous artistic diary keepers: Andy Warhol, Everett Ruess, and Canadian artist Emily Carr to name but a few. Got a problem? We can cure you! All problems will be treated confidentially. And ever so seriously. Email us at artdoctor.thestudent@gmail.com.
Michael Mackenzie
Look oot for... Wayne McGregor's Randon Dance: Far will be showing at the King's Theatre on 4 and 5 October.
oliver ninnis
Dear Art Doctor,
David Mach, Turner Prize nominee, is exhibiting Precious Light at the City Art Centre until 16 October - a provocative and politically relevant look at religion in today's culture.
gra