Sunday, November 12, 2006
Tree Drawings
You may have heard of elephants or monkeys drawing, but what about trees drawing? The British artist Tim Knowles attaches pens to the tree and lets the wind do the rest of the work. They produce some interesting results too.
The exhibition catalogues sums it up like this..
Tim Knowles creates drawings independent of his own hand, using elaborate apparatus or time consuming practices. Interested in the process of drawing Knowles invents experimental and playful procedures to introduce chance and unpredictability into his work. Often he will employ and expose mans relationship to nature, in an ongoing series which will feature in the exhibition, Knowles attaches pens to the tips of branches of various trees; placing paper in front of them he allows the chance movement of the wind to dictate the composition of the final drawing. The artist surrenders final control of the work, questioning the authority of the artist whilst allowing the fundamental and primordial characteristics associated with drawing to be communicated.
See more info about Tim Knowles at the Rokeby Gallery, or an exhibition at the gallery. I found this link over at the Drawn blog.
>> Strange Art News, Art Exhibitions ¶ 9:03 PM
You may have heard of elephants or monkeys drawing, but what about trees drawing? The British artist Tim Knowles attaches pens to the tree and lets the wind do the rest of the work. They produce some interesting results too.The exhibition catalogues sums it up like this..
Tim Knowles creates drawings independent of his own hand, using elaborate apparatus or time consuming practices. Interested in the process of drawing Knowles invents experimental and playful procedures to introduce chance and unpredictability into his work. Often he will employ and expose mans relationship to nature, in an ongoing series which will feature in the exhibition, Knowles attaches pens to the tips of branches of various trees; placing paper in front of them he allows the chance movement of the wind to dictate the composition of the final drawing. The artist surrenders final control of the work, questioning the authority of the artist whilst allowing the fundamental and primordial characteristics associated with drawing to be communicated.
See more info about Tim Knowles at the Rokeby Gallery, or an exhibition at the gallery. I found this link over at the Drawn blog.
>> Strange Art News, Art Exhibitions ¶ 9:03 PM
But the artist still has a hand in it, he used a tool (in this case attaching something to a branch and placing paper in front of it)to create an image so it is not independent of him. Likewise the paintings by monkeys, congo for instance, was still directed and coached by Dr Desmond Morris. The process of selecting a few out of the hundreds that congo made required an artists or curators eye, so a curator played a role in selecting what was artistically worthy. If you read this:
http://www.spiked-online.com/Printable/0000000CABF6.htm
monkey paintings were not created out of spontaneous desire to play with colour but were very calculated and controlled by handlers.
The tree is just another novelty or means to draw attention (err pardon the pun), but ultimately there is a person creating the situation or means for the art to happen.
http://www.spiked-online.com/Printable/0000000CABF6.htm
monkey paintings were not created out of spontaneous desire to play with colour but were very calculated and controlled by handlers.
The tree is just another novelty or means to draw attention (err pardon the pun), but ultimately there is a person creating the situation or means for the art to happen.
Implying that the artwork creates itself is misleading, the trees/ wind have simply been used by the atist in the scenario the artist has set up.
It is also true there is a selection process, either by the artist once the artwork is deemed to be 'finished' or by curators.
In addition the artwork is not of nature, although it is facilitated by it.
Obviously this poses less of a moral dilemna than artwork produced by animals or child prodigies that the viewer may feel were exploited.
Although perhaps it is a little cannibalistic to expect a tree to draw on paper...
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It is also true there is a selection process, either by the artist once the artwork is deemed to be 'finished' or by curators.
In addition the artwork is not of nature, although it is facilitated by it.
Obviously this poses less of a moral dilemna than artwork produced by animals or child prodigies that the viewer may feel were exploited.
Although perhaps it is a little cannibalistic to expect a tree to draw on paper...
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