Roger donned his Harlequin suit of light and shade last night. As the light both sculpted and camouflaged his form some struggled and others soared, some saw the light as an opportunity for invention, diversion and play whilst others ignored it, a passing aberration maybe, an irritant at most. I chose the pick and mix approach using it when an advantage was to be had and ignoring it when not, at best I was an unreliable witness to Roger's dazzling presence. The dazzle as in the dazzle camouflage designed by Edward Wadsworth, Cleckheaton's own art superstar criminally ignored.
Light creates form and without form life drawing is all the poorer. When that form is de-constructed, disguised and re-made it's a chance maybe to also deconstruct, remake and re-imagine the figure, easy to say much harder to do. Tony was getting there and Roger S in what looks like a bout of liquid frenzy almost arrived. I think time was the issue when time is so short it's enough to just build the figure without then dismantling it to re-construct it in another way entirely. I would have loved more time to play with those sinuous shadows, to camouflage the form and maybe arrive at a new way of re-engineering the figure. Willem De Kooning's magnificent series of 'Women' paintings does exactly just that. It would be a journey worth taking and maybe it's the route I'll take on our two day odyssey on the 14/15th April (a few places still available, contact Tony at tony.noble3@ntlworld.com).
Special mention for Russell's ambitious new approach to life drawing, you may wonder why he has now taken to cinemascope. Well the reason is he wants to integrate his life drawing into his wider practice as a painter so taking the most direct route he has simply combined both activities with in my view, great sucesss. Exciting times!
Paintings and drawings by Barry, Ivan, Jamie, Neil, Patrick, Roger H, Roger S, Russell, Sam, Sandra, Steve, Steven, Sue, Tom and Tony.
