'Drummer' by Patrick Kitson.
Michael Robinson, Gleaner Writer
THE FIRST known human drawings appear in caves. Early man, primarily occupied with hunting, eating and generally staying alive, obviously placed great importance on the creation of these pictures. To think of it, they must have stood on each other's shoulders to paint these pictures that have withstood the test of time.
Historians speculate that Paleolithic man, in trying to actualise the thing that was most important to the hunter, created duplicates of his visions in this dimension in the hope or belief that doing so would bring them into this reality.
Catch a buffalo on the wall, catch it in real life.
Our ancestors lived in a time when man's relationship with the earth and the world around him was his religion. Placement of the drawings deep within the womb of the earth, conceivably illustrates a belief in the control of the earth over all things. When making a wish, one
generally makes it to the people who can make it happen.
Over the years, drawing has retained its spiritual roots, even as all art forms can be said to have their roots in drawing. Properly defined as the creation of pictures using a pencil, crayon or pen, time has seen the expansion of this art form to include a variety of media. Pastels, paint, and even papier-mâché are but a few of the materials artists use to create 'drawings' these days.
The recently opened 'Art of Drawing' exhibition shows that the relationship between artist and muse is as fundamental as it has always been. The exhibit was launched at the Mutual Life Gallery on February 23 and
features the works of a diverse and talented group of 16.
Some of the artists are more commonly known for other types of work. Natalie Butler is a trained sculptor whose quest for truth has seen her metamorphose into a compelling and delightfully fresh conceptual artist. While she may eschew the tag, her intriguing work has taken on a decidedly conceptual focus in recent years.
Sana Rose graduated Edna Manley College under the banner of the Painting department.
RANGE OF EMOTION
She is represented by two strong pieces that evoke a range of emotion. "Reverence" leaves us with more questions than answers. Her choice of wood stain and chalk as media must have helped to give her the
physical freedom necessary
for the production of such expressionistic work.
Central to the gallery's two longest walls, two masters face each other, anchoring the display. George Rodney and Barrington Watson, each traditionally concerned with the treatment of the female form, offer up two very different perspectives. Watson's sensuality is achieved through an appreciation of line, form and body language.
His "Girl Tying Scarf" is refreshingly whimsical. Rodney's nudes evince a veracity of line and a sensitivity of application that transport the viewer and imbue his pastels with an almost supernatural quality.
Through what is best described as pointillism, Patrick Kitson has
managed to create soulful and dynamic works. The attention to detail and the intensity of focus in "Drummer" are awe-inspiring.
Similarly adept with the point are Israel Delmonte and Errol Moo Young. Where Delmonte's spare compositions and exquisite attention to detail conjure up dark emotions, Moo Young's lines are witty and loose a ray of sunshine.
Drawing can be loosely defined as the creation of a concept in the physical dimension. As such, it can encompass all genres of art, with the specific drawing tools separating disciplines. A sculptor can be considered to draw in clay, while Michael Jordan creates art with a basketball, for instance.
Thusly defined, drawing becomes the interface between idea and "objet d'art"; the relationship between the artist's mind and what we know as the artist's work. This space is where Zen masters are said to reside. It is a place where some believe that a person is neither body nor spirit, but a melding of the two. It is also believed to be the source of all truly great art and of very many world-changing ideas.
If drawing is one of the gateways to such a place, then there is much to learn from our gatekeepers.
