EdexcelArt and Design

Unit 2

The Theme:Encounters, Experiences and

Meetings

Chance encounters often provide inspiration for artists and

craftworker’s. These spontaneous meetings can act as a catalyst resulting

in artistic journeys that produce spectacular artefacts and works of art.

Specific people, places incidents or objects can all act as a triggers to

effect major changes of direction in an artist’s or craftworker’s career.

Andy Goldsworthy’s site specific sculptures are often a direct response to chance encounters with rocks, trees or other features of the landscape.

Andy Goldsworthy1956

Slate arch made over two days, Blaenauffestinog Wales,

1982

Bernard Leach 1887-1979Bernard Leach’s meeting with Japanese potter

shoji Hamada completely transformed his approach to ceramics and resulted In a major resurgence of interest in studio pottery during

the 20th century.

Bernard Leach1887-1979

'Tree of life' dish 1923

Remember to think carefully (clarification) about the theme. Do not go for the obvious connection of making a ceramic piece with Japanese images on it. Think of aspects of the 2 cultures ,or any cultures, that combine or share ideas. For example the introduction of linear perspective ,a western European mathematical system, to Eastern countries and artists. Then the influence Japanese art had on artists such as Van Gogh and Monet.

Not all encounters are the result of chance, however. Artists will often intentionally place themselves in situations that will inspire their

creativity. It is not uncommon for them to take an equivalent of the Grand Tour to

experience the visual wonders of the world. On a more modest scale many simply expose

themselves to distinctly contrasting environments such as the artist John Virtue, who after extensively using the surrounding

landscape of a small village in Lancashire moved to London to explore the cityscape.

John Virtue1947

John Virtue1947

Conversely, some artists after years of working in towns and cities, escape to isolated countryside and moorlands to seek fresh

inspiration.

War artists are not always prepared for the experiences they encounter on the field of battle. Some of the most haunting images of the battlefield of France in world war 1 were captured by the artist Paul Nash

Inspiration can come from various sources such as war photography or text. The War poets such as Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and Rupert Brookes can be used as a sources to explore and investigate

War Artists

Paul Nash1889-1946

Ypres Salient at Night

Paul Nash1889-1946

The Mule Track 1918

Paul Nash1889- 1946

The Battle of Britain 1941

Dramatic Changes in familiar environments can often shock and inspire artists.

Encountering the demolition of a familiar landmark or the placing of an obstruction or intrusion on the landscape can instigate a powerful creative response. The placing of Antony Gormley’s giant sculpture The

Angel of the North produced both positive and negative responses from the local

population.

Antony GormleyThe Angel of the North

Antony GormleyThe TelegraphThe Angel of the NorthAntony GormleyGateshead, 1998Since it was unveiled on Valentine's Day in 1998, an estimated 90,000 people a day have seen Gormley's Angel of the North, making it Britain's most famous piece of public art. Standing on the site of an old colliery in Gateshead, the towering steel sculpture pays tribute to the industrial heritage of the North East.

Here are some Further suggestions generated by the theme that might inspire your journey.

Examiners’ report: ‘where direct observation is encouraged, outcomes tended to be stronger’. Try to think of ways of incorporating primary observation into developing your ideas. This could be through direct observation or taking photographs yourself relating to the theme

Examiners’ report: ‘weak responses focused on the theme in the simplest terms with heavy reliance on secondary source material’

Eve’s meeting with the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

The Garden of Eden, Earthly Paradise, 1480-1505Hieronymus Bosch 1450-1516

Genesis : Expulsion from Paradise; marble bas-relief by Lorenzo Maitani on the left pier of the façade of the cathedral;

How could you try to avoid relying on second hand sources when working on ideas based on these images?

Paris’s encounter with Helen of Troy.

Helen at Troy, Helen and Alexandros (Paris)

The meeting of the battle of Thermopylae between the immense Persian army and 300 Spartan warriors.

The encounters between European explorers, conquerors and Native Americans.

Columbus meeting with Native AmericansAztecs

Fleming's accident with an unknown mould which turned out to be penicillin.

(1881-1955)

Around 1439, the meeting of paper and inked movable type in the workshop of

Johannes Gutenberg.

Johannes Gutenberg's printing of a Bible from movable type

The meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin at Yalta, 1945.

Sand Sculpture: Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin

at Yalta in 1945.

Close encounters of the third kind

Though the PowerPoint is here to offer guidance to ideas and suggests a wide range of sources you need to focus on narrowing your ideas to allow you to explore it fully so pick an approach that you know will keep you interested and offer you the chance to develop and make changes to so that you create a strong, personal and imaginative outcome.

Television, radio, talking to friends, lectures, lessons, sermons.

Examiners’ report: ‘many candidates would have benefited from narrowing down their final ideas sooner, so that they could have achieved sustained investigation and development towards the final outcome.’

Summit, Club, Office, Society, Annual general and Race meetings

‘Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the Twain shall meet…’(The Ballad of East and west, Rudyard Kipling 1865-1936)

Art and Design met in the philosophy and approach of the Bauhaus, both were enhanced and changed by the encounter.