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Nature is one of those ambiguous words, but generally means the life forces around us, and it is interesting to see how the eight featured artists have interpreted the theme, and what nature means to them.
Some present images of animals, flowers and birds, drawn to these by what they represent for the artist concerned. It might be because of the attraction of the forms presented, and, or the memories evoked by them by the subject.
Others present land and seascapes, drawn by a beauty they seek to capture in their artwork. The colours, textures and patterns found in natural phenomena, are the inspiration for many if not most of the eight featured artists.
Nature has also for centuries been an inspiration to designers of material items, and we can see that too in the work beautifully presented on the screen over the next two months. The work of a local children’s book writer and artist also reminds us that stories and illustrations have for centuries been the way in for children to appreciate the living world, and in the process begin to use their own creative imaginations.
Finally, nature can have its dark side. We talk about a ‘force of nature’. This energy can be benign, awesome or destructive, and the artwork on the Big Screen is not just about artists representing what they see, but also about how nature makes them feel or respond. Nature can evoke a sense of the numinous and artists over the years have sought to capture an essence of this in their work.
The presentation on the Big Screen starts today until the end of April and will be shown twice daily at 12.30pm and again at 4.30pm. These daily presentations have been ongoing since 2016 and are a joint project between Bradford UNESCO City of Film and the Not Just Hockney website.
Here are the featured artists, and what they say about their artwork:
* Olivia Beau: I didn’t know I could paint until a few years ago. I’m now a full-time artist, work mostly with acrylics and I incorporate vintage maps a lot. Growing up in Filey on the Yorkshire Coast undoubtedly influences my paintings.
My evolving style nearly always captures the energy of nature, be it coastal or countryside.
* Laura Dawes: Painting is a great excuse to take the time to stay still and really notice the beautiful colours, patterns and forms found in nature – from majestic clouds to the tiniest details on a pebble. How to simplify the immense complexity into a well-balanced composition is a unique, challenging puzzle each time I paint.
* Fran Elliott: Based in Silsden, I paint mostly with watercolours, inks and acrylics. I graduated in Art History and Paper Conservation, entering a lifelong Civil Service career. In 2011 I completed foundation training at Leeds College of Art and now produce painterly florals, animals and landscapes. I also design pattern repeats for fashion. You’ll find me in my studio at Keighley Creative.
* Alice Fox: My art practice is based around exploring found objects, gathered materials and natural processes. I use materials grown and gathered on my allotment, including fibres from plants many would consider weeds – nettles, brambles and dandelion stems. I use techniques from textiles and soft basketry to make sculptural works, bringing different materials together to form tactile surfaces and structures.
* Tony Hogan: My love of nature was forged at a young age by the woods, river and canal at Hirst Wood, Shipley, where I was born: a beautiful gift of visual and audio stimulation to the mind that has driven my life as an artist. Changing seasons, colour, light and atmosphere activate my desire to capture them for others to enjoy.
* Mike Moor: I like to be awed; it seems to be part of what makes us human. Walking on the moors at dusk, the land can feel haunted by history. We are energised by the power of a storm, or stopped in our tracks by the unknown in a heavy fog. I want my pictures to have a similar charge and mystery.
* Hilary Roper: I am a professional, published author and illustrator of children’s books and fine artist, inspired by the Theory of Chaos, The Butterfly Effect, and Fractal Patterning. I paint stags, mountains, flowers, lizards, gnarled trees, braided rivers and butterflies etc. Colour interaction creates optical illusions. Fine brush work creates detailed, patterning as I delve into climate change, environment and natural wildlife.
*Helen Trevisiol: My background in fashion design and colour informs my paintings. Using nature: the elements, land, sea and wildlife as my focus, I love painting big skies with birds flying and clouds moving. I use my imagination, working spontaneously. I sketch nature in close proximity to my home. How the work makes me feel is as important as how it looks.
* For more about all the featured artists visit notjusthockney.info
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