Emma Roberts lecture at the Tate. 27th October 2009

Frida Kahlo 'Broken Column' 1944




Her art is very personal. She had lots of operations because of her accident. Her art is ok to be about the personal and appearance. She should accept that she is being viewed by others. A womans life is all about pain and suffering. Her work was not as large as her husbands Diego Rivera's. Frida Kahlo is controlled by her body.










Hans Baldung Grien 'Adam and Eve' (1484/85-1514)


Women were like nature. Women had less control than men. They were powerless in terms of their body. Men had more choice in life. Artists were de-feminised. Here we see Adam and Eve naked in what looks to be a forest. Adams body looks very slim and muscley whereas Eves body is very curvy and feminine. The snake on the tree looks out angry to Adam as if he doesn't want him to advise Eve on the deadly fruits she may eat. There is lots of animals an objects etc that are symbolic in the work.







Artemisia Gentileschi 1612-21 'Judith and Halofernes'.







This painting portrays two women in control. If raped in the 17Th century the woman would have been seen as the cause, it was always the woman's fault. Women were never seen as powerful. Men who raped probably gained power from doing it. In the painting the women have strong manly arms, they have physical strength to hold down the man. The women look more like men because of the physical strength. Women in that era were passive whereas men were active. Women stayed at home to weep while the men went out to war. Women were seen as muses (objects.) ''Men act and women appear'' John Berger.


In the 19th century women became more powerful and free. Being free to do whatever they wanted could lose their virtue. Clothes formed and shaped womens bodies for mens ideal.

Womens ribs were squashed because they wore corsets. Women were prone to fainting, because corsets were too tight. Women wer'nt allowed to view the nude model to do life drawing. Until the 18th century womens work was done at home. Womens role was to be mother, housewife and wife.

Photograph of Jane Morris 1865 and 'La Donna della Frammia 1870, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti






Jane Morris looks modist in the photo. Her body is posed. Jane Morris was a painter and designer. Jane Morris was one of Rossetti's favourite models after the death of his beloved wife. She was married to his great fellow painter William Morris.








William Morris 1883 'The Strawberry thief.'




This piece is a piece of wallpaper. Executed by women in the workshop. Jane Morris most likely gave her husband ideas for this piece. The men are the womens creators.

James Iveson seminar. 27th October 2009

The artist abandoned painting at the start of his career. James explained the following:
*Biggest names pay the least amount of money for your designs
*Some techniques interfere with the production.
*Scale can be tricky especially in his own work.
*He believes that more can be learnt when the work doesn't take that long to create.
*Life today is fast, ideas can be fast.
*If you face the topic of the work everyday you should'nt get bored.

I didn't really find this seminar that helpful as not that much information was given off the artist and people were asking some silly and confusing questions.

James Iveson lecture. 27th October 2009

'Decision to make a pattern or let it happen'. Worked on the subject of boxer shorts. He used a repetitive technique and he worked using a system (method.) He takes inspiration from anywhere and sticks to it. He likes to work with things he is familiar with. For some of his process of making his work he stretches and then cuts the canvas. 'It is editing in some way'

I found James's lecture quite interesting and different to most lectures i have attended as his ideas were probably the most random therefore making his work include an element of fun. He made me realise that your inspiration doesn't have to be something big and important to most, as long as YOU have been inspired by something you can use it and stick to it.

The Rebel. Tony Hancock. 1962

Tony Hancock was an important English comedian in the 1950's. He was a insecure man and was an alcoholic. Socio-political subject. Although the film was probably not funny to some we needed to look at the context of the film. It would of been funny to people in 1962. Hancock committed suicide and George Sanders killed himself. Hancock could'nt cope with being famous and being a alcoholic. All the men at the start of the film are alike they wear the same clothes are in the same job and are going in the same direction in life. The actor is bored with his job in the film. He draws to make his job less boring. He thinks he has been working too hard and thats why he feels he needs to draw. The actor starts to crack up in front of his boss. Every day he goes to his job he can't wait to finish and leave.

Although the actor has a office job, he wants to be an artist. In his home he has a locked room full of artwork such as paintings on the wall and a giant sculpture. He puts his beret hat on when he creates his work. He calls his sculture the 'Aprodiati of the waterhole'. 'It's a nymth' Nude modelling. He sculpts women as he see's them from memory. The landlady doesn't appreciate art and especially in her home. 'Turning my house into a rubbish dump'. The artist is perticular for example he likes no froth on his coffee. He wants to go to Paris to get his art appreciated. Takes his art onto a train to Paris. He took 3 years to complete his sculpture and on transit it gets dropped by accident into the sea. 'Art should reflect life like a mirror.' 'You feel like what you are painting.' Hancock gives a entirely new exception to art. Hancock is an expressionist. Hancock has a new approach to art. He created a action painting in the film by laying a sheet of canvas onto the floor and throwing tins of paint over it aswell as stapping and riding a bike over it. His painting looked like one Jackson Pollock has made. His friend (flatmate) decides to leave Paris to go back to England because he feels his painting doesn't say anthing. Tony Hancock is a obsquer artist. 'Who painted that cow?' His friends work gets noticed butnot his work. His work gets mocked. Hancock takes the credit for his friends painting and gets £1000 for exhibiting his work. The curator of the exhibiton explains to Tony that 'they don't belong to you they belong to the world.' He confesses that he never painted the paintings, he painted 'the rubbish'.

At the start of this film i didn't find it very funny but as it got into it i found it more interesting as art was introduced and the actor became more funny when he became an artist. The film was about the myth of the artist and changes in society. The art is the film could refer to Surrealism and abstract expressionism. The film also links to how artists are pecieved then and still today.

I did not find the film particually helpful to my art but i did find watching the film to be funny.

Emma Roberts lecture at the tate 13th October 2009..CONTINUED

The National gallery in London had an extension built in 1987. It was owned by the Sainsbury family, the same family that owns the Sainsbury's supermarkets. The gallery was built in 1824. Many more people wanted to collect art and view it. 19Th century art got much smaller as people's homes got smaller and art became more popular.



Home of Leo and Gertrude Stein 1907.




The patrons were American and not majorly rich. They were patrons, they bought works by artists such as Matisse, Picasso etc. The relationships between artist and patron were important. Some artists did paintings of their patrons such as Picasso's Portrait of Gertrude Stein 1906

From the 20Th century the America's became big lovers of art. Art was bought more so if it was going to be famous in the future. Picasso was aware of who was important to promote his work.

Picasso, 'Ambroise vollard' 1910

Vollard bought work cheaply and sold it at higher prices to rich people. Vollard realised that artists need emotional support and practical support. Artists leaned on dealers and dealers relied on the artists.

Van Gogh 'Pere Tanguy' 1887



Van Gogh never had any money and never sold any of his paintings while he was alive. 'Pere Tanguy' was Van Gogh's friend. He gave Gogh free oils and canvas etc. Tanguy helped the poor. 1957 was a critical year. That year was the year of the collection of William Wineberg. The sale of the art became an event were even the queen and celebrities turned up.....i think it was Sotherby's in London. Sotherby's is an auction house. Black tanoy sales and night sales were introduced. Warhol's work was sold in the 80's and people turned up with blond wigs on to look like Warhol. Art had public appeal. It was the art boom in 1989. This painting sold for 8.1 million in 1985.





Mantegna. 'Adoration of the Magi'

The painting sold for £1460. To understand art is not just a matter of viewing them but actually knowing what the art is about and where and who it has been passed to.

Van Gogh 'Sunflowers' 1889

The painting was bought for 24 million pound by a Japenese buyer. Japanese people bought art at the highest prices. Dr Gachet was bought for 84 million by another Japanese buyer. Sometimes in some galleries the most famous works are forged. Power has moved away from King's and Queens etc to corporations. Are corporations taking over galleries and museums? Some corporations buy artwork never to be seen. Corporations not only buy art that is cutting edge but also boring and bland works of art. Is art only about the money now? Art gives a sense of immortality and aura. Art now is about lifestyle and consumerism.