JOHN SPEIER
  • Recent Work
  • Paintings
  • Woodwork
  • Works on Paper
  • Pastels
  • Giclée Prints
  • Contact
  • Pigment and Poiesis



​Fine Art & Philosophy

Revisiting the Tetons: The Value of Iteration.

4/1/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Tetons, Charcoal on Paper, 42x84 inches.
PictureCLICK TO ENLARGE
I can't overstate the importance of reworking an image (and while I'm at it,re-imagining work). This is the time and context in which we rethink and re-examine what we're doing. Re-visiting an image forces us to confront the prejudices we bring to the experience of translating a scene into a shareable medium. This experience has a strong analogue in daily life. It's of at least equal value to regularly examine how we experience, think about and inhabit the world.

Having long ago come to terms with being an artist, I realize how iteration fits into my everyday life. Each day presents me with opportunities to relive the ordinary and be-in-the-world differently. My most recent series of drawings is no exception to this. One of the most compelling and moving sights is the Teton Mountains in Wyoming. They are fault-block mountains and rise dramatically from the valley floor. I've visited the mountains several times and on my last visit took several photos of the range one very cold morning. 

My first step on this project was a smaller drawing, 8.5x24 inches. The second was larger, 30x44 inches. Finally I scaled up the image to an imposing 42x84 inches (7 feet wide). This is one of the larger drawings I've done and in so doing, I was reminded of how important scale is. The effect of working large is that the visual presence of the source scenery is retained.  A larger format requires different marks and mark making devices. As a result I resorted to a 2x6" inch piece of specialty charcoal from Nitram. This stick of charcoal was reminiscent of smaller vine charcoal in terms of texture and pigment darkness. It didn't give the darkest blacks, but was very good for initial expressive layout marks (See Video at the end of the post).

Surprisingly, each of the three drawings took about two hours. This was a very satisfying series to complete and I now have works that can fit into a variety of display spaces. I'm also left with a deeper appreciation for the sublimity of the Tetons. 


0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    J0hn Hunter Speier 

    Recent work, and explorations of techniques, aesthetics and  poetics.  

    Archives

    August 2022
    November 2020
    July 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    April 2013

    RSS Feed

  • Recent Work
  • Paintings
  • Woodwork
  • Works on Paper
  • Pastels
  • Giclée Prints
  • Contact
  • Pigment and Poiesis