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understanding contemporary art

Stuart Bush Studio notes, Egon Schiele

The inspirational work of Egon Schiele

The inspirational work of Egon Schiele One artist, I found inspiring as a student was the inspirational work of Egon Schiele.  Egon Schiele was known for drawing mainly portraits and self-portraits. He worked in a striking graphic style that challenged the notion of beauty.  It would be easy to have a fleeting look at Egon drawings and mistake them to be only about sexual arousal or pornography, but that misses the intent and the reason behind his work. Egon not only shows sex as beautiful, but he also demonstrates how he questions and adores life.   At aged 16, Egon enrolled in the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. He died… Read More »The inspirational work of Egon Schiele

What l see in the work of Jeff Koons

  It is easy to be impressed by the work of Jeff Koons. He has an impressive art career and has gained international success. Koons has developed a secure grip on the art market and he can make whatever he wants.  He often turns the popular; Michael Jackson with his pet monkey or scoops of Play-doh; into an expensive ceramic or stainless steel sculpture.    Plus, Koons is not afraid to make work that could potentially alienate him. It is easy to sneer at his works based on topics like guilt and shame. After all, we are all bound by our own unconscious and conscious signals.  He openly encourages opinions on his… Read More »What l see in the work of Jeff Koons

15 things I learnt from Neil Gaiman’s Make Good Art speech

15 things I learnt from Neil Gaiman’s Make Good Art speech In 2012 Neil Gaiman gave a commencement speech for the University of Arts in Pennsylvania.  Neil Gaiman is a writer of novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. He was born in Hampshire, UK, and now lives in the United States near Minneapolis. Neil’s most notable works include The Sandman, Stardust, American Gods, Neverwhere, Coraline and The Graveyard book. He has also been honoured with many international awards.  His speech is packed full of helpful advice for creative people. I thought I would write this blog post and highlight many of the learning points l found in it. “Instead of… Read More »15 things I learnt from Neil Gaiman’s Make Good Art speech

An artist’s advice to finding art

An artist’s advice to finding art I have a modern house and l love having modern art on the walls.  My art collection personal to me.   I also enjoy spending time in London visiting museums and galleries.  I appreciate having time to look at a variety of artist’s work and considering their different styles and types of work.    Artists are generally in the know and are usually very helpful.  I also try to go to alternative spaces to meet artists. I learn a lot by talking to artists and uncovering who they admire and who influences who, and what they think about other artists.  If the same name… Read More »An artist’s advice to finding art

Picasso paints want he knows

Picasso paints want he knows rather what he sees The subject of this exhibition ‘Picasso 1932 – Love, Fame, Tragedy,’ is the influence of love, fame and tragedy on Picasso’s painting over a one year period.  This year-long output is a rich visual diary which gives away a great deal about the artist; from his professional career to the way he worked and his personal life.  There are more than one hundred pieces of artwork, showing Picasso’s entanglements with love and fame, his convolutions with colour and form, and his intricacies as the 20th century’s most influential artist. Using this review, I am seeking to unpick how a highly accomplished artist approached… Read More »Picasso paints want he knows

Stuart Bush studio notes, peter doig

A painting paradise – Peter Doig review

A painting paradise – A review of Peter Doig exhibition at Michael Werner, London A fictional world of colourful hues surrounds me as I go from one work to another.  I feel like I’m between cultures and countries at Peter Doig’s show at the Michael Werner Gallery, London.  Peter Doig born in 1959 in Edinburgh, has lived in Trinidad since 2002.  He studied at Wimbledon School of Art, Saint Martins School of Art and Chelsea School of Art. He is a professor at the Fine Arts Academy in Dusseldorf, Germany.  In reviewing this exhibition, I’m interested in contemplating Peter Doig methods, techniques, and content in order to consider how an acclaimed artist approaches… Read More »A painting paradise – Peter Doig review

Howard Hodgkin, Stuart Bush Studio, Discover your taste in art

Hodgkin says goodbye to absent friends

Howard Hodgkin exhibition review at the National Portrait Gallery in London 2017 Ever since I was interested in art, I have always seen Howard Hodgkin as one of my artists whose work resonates strongly with me. In this review of Howard Hodgkin’s Absent Friends exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, I want to explore, understand and put into words (if that is possible) what it is about Hodgkin’s paintings that have managed to turn mere paintings into objects of contemplation and hold my curiosity for so many years.  At the same time say goodbye to another great artist; Howard Hodgkin died on 9th March 2017, two weeks before this show opened.… Read More »Hodgkin says goodbye to absent friends

How do I begin an artwork?

How do I begin an artwork? What equipment, materials and techniques do I use? My work starts with street photography. I wander the streets as a Flaneur.  Charles Baudelaire, the nineteenth-century poet described a Flaneur in his essay ‘The Painter of Modern Life’ as a stroller and loafer of the city streets observing modern life. Likewise, l wander around the city like a man of leisure as l try to take it all in. Following my intuition and hunches, I take pictures of what seems important to me. I look to capture that important element in the frame of my viewfinder, the essence of the importance of life. The photographs… Read More »How do I begin an artwork?

The secrets of art and creativity

Art is about using your creativity to make new connections to things around you.  The intention is to reconsider what you previously thought to give you a better understanding of what life is really about. Creativity in art is really about playing and experimenting. Taking two random things and letting things happen.  Being overly self-critical or self-conscious can prohibit a breakthrough.  You’re not trying to re-invent the wheel; you need to encounter discomfort and ignore any fears and tell yourself, this is for me and try not to worry what other people think. You could connect something banal like house bricks, reflecting coldness and the mundane, as a wake-up call to the excesses… Read More »The secrets of art and creativity