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Objects, Added Color and Installation: Thoughts on Artistic Direction
By Deirdre A. Fox

Imagine the ancient Greek world colorized. Quite a different picture from the white facades we normally conjure when picturing classical Greece. Indeed, the ancient Greeks painted and adorned their statuary and architecture. This has been commented by Pliny the Elder, and acknowledged since the end of the 18th century. http://www.classics.cam.ac.uk/museum. We came to think of Greek sculpture as white and unadorned because that is generally the condition in which we found it, paint having deteriorated off what statues and architecture survived being demolished, recycled into other uses or otherwise lost to time. Objects do not necessarily enjoy longevity, and certainly not in the condition in which they first were created.
Revising the view of color and classical Greek statues does not make color necessary or integral to sculpture. The sublime beauty of Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Theresa, where shadow elicits very subtle differentials from a material of one hue, dispels any notion of a driving need for color in sculpture, in my view. So why, a minimalist may wonder, complicate sculpture with color beyond the natural hue of the materials used?
Reduction to the least variables, inevitably to nothing, while an intriguing exercise that others have done, is not the end all, be all; for me, the issue is the right number of variables, not the least. Whether or not color is essential does not diminish the spatial possibilities of playing applying color to the multiple dimensions of sculpture, working with and against color’s wonderful ability to add dimension even to flat surfaces. Ellsworth Kelly’s colored canvas shapes hang in the Art Institute of Chicago, framed by pillars as one looks across the room – a deconstruction of the picture space of painting; the installation never ceases to make me stop and think how well it integrates concept into visual presentation. Like wise, David Smith’s painted sculptures, Circles I, II, and III, installed in a concentric row at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. (the last time I was there) so that the negative space creates a cylinder of air, brilliantly incorporate space.
Interplay is the place for the nexus between 2D, 3D -- even 4D -- a search for a perfect point of dynamic equilibrium between painting (2D), sculpture (3D), environment /context (3D) and time (4D).

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The Painted Sculpture group’s inaugural exhibition at
Thistle Hall gallery in Wellington is a mix of its own
obvious roots and direction, and less obvious
destination.

The idea of painted sculpture is as a guiding
concept/idea for artistic investigation. This show is
a number of artists exploring the cross over between
painting and sculpture in similar, yet unique ways.
Many of the works reference the traditional picture
format, rather than the traditional sculpture on a
plinth format. Mostly these works are hung on the wall
as in a show of paintings. Some are colour fields on
plywood; others are almost low relief sculpture with
varying degrees of colour applied with paint or in the
actual materials applied.

Some of these are low relief created with plaster then
painted; these take traditional figurative painting
and push it into low relief sculpture. Others are
built up with fabrics, netting, plastics, metals, as
well as paint to push the picture plane out into 3
dimensions. All reference the idea of paintings in a
gallery, being hung on white wall, but have such a
range of textures, attachments, & marks, that they
push into the territory of sculpture, as well as out
into sculptural space.

Other works in the show are made of ceramics and found
objects displayed as, almost, dioramas. These ones,
and other works made from plastics, with their
inherent colours obvious, stretch the idea of painted
sculpture to objects in and of themselves. These
pieces embody the concept, but take it to a different
place.

A number of these are displayed on plinths and are
referenced to the traditions of 3 dimensional
sculpture, figurative and abstract – but use a
diversity of materials and surface treatments with
great abandon. It would be interesting to see more
work drawing from the sculptural traditions, as well
as the pieces growing from the painting traditions.
Another part of the show is a DVD of a number of the
exhibiting artists and others affiliated to the group.
These other artists are, on the whole, drawing from
the 3 dimensional traditions, both figurative and
abstract, creating forms which then have paint
applied.

The works succeed, some more than others, to embody
the idea of painted sculpture – some take the leap
into becoming very much their own things, rather than
paintings on sculpture, or sculpted paintings. All the
works embody traditional ideas and concepts of art, as
well as pushing their work into a new zone where
sculpture & painting blend and become something new
and interesting.

Aaron Frater

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Augustus Firestone, opening speech, inaugural exhibition of Sculpture Painted, Thistle Hall, Wellington Friday 13th October 2006

“I would like to start my speech with a quote from William Butler Yeats: "Art that doesn't attempt the impossible is not performing its function." I think we have done this here tonight. I was told by many people that you can’t start a art movement, well here we are and there are 10 of us.

This basically all started when Aaron and I were working at Vincents Art Workshop and I said to him “have you noticed that you don’t see many sculptures with paint on them” he said “Yes” he had noticed. So we set about creating what you see tonight.

The first thing we did was create a web site to see if other people out there were interested in what we were doing. Not long after our web site was up on line we were contacted by Gamal Abd El Nasser who lives in Egypt and Maha Al Jammas who lived in Lebanon.

Now to our shock we noticed that earlier this year Israel was at war with Lebanon!! and we became very worried that Maha was in real danger. At one point we had lost contact with her and considered for a moment that Maha may have been killed. Luckily Gamal came in contact with her and sent her a ticket to come to Egypt. We still have not heard from her but know she is safe and hope she has not been to traumatised by the war.

As you can imagine their works are not here but you can see them on the DVD here tonight.
I would like to move on to quote you a piece that was first written about the “Impressionists”, they were one of the first art movements in modern times.

Albert Wolff in ‘Le Figaro’ on the 3 April 1876 “ First there was a fire at the opera house, and now Fate has struck again. An exhibition of so called art has just opened at Durand-Ruel’s five or six lunatics blinded by ambition, one of them a woman, have put their work on show. These self-appointed artists call themselves rebels, Impressionists; they take a canvas, brush and paint, fling on the colours indiscriminately, and then sign the thing.

An interesting point to make is that the first Impressionism group show was in 1874 those members were Monet, Renoir, Pissaro, Sisley, Dagas and Cezanne. Cezanne also became a leader of Cubism.

It wasn’t until 15 years later when Monet painted the Hay Stacks, which became the signature style of Impressionism. I wonder how “Finalism” will develop in it’s own way.
I would also like to mention that Davey McGhie and Harry Watson could not contribute to the exhibition due to their popularity and were called else where. But you can also see their work on the DVD tonight.

I would like to end this by quoting Andy Worhole “Art is what you can get away with” I feel we have certainly done that tonight.

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A Brief History: Coaxing the Fruitti’s into existence
These artworks were created at the “Mac’s Nelson Sculpture Symposium” as part of the 2005 Nelson Arts Festival. The macrocarpa timber, from a log in a Tasman orchard, has been chain-sawed, chiselled, ground, sanded and painted.

The work developed from a proposal based upon four small Fruitti’s (see above) which evolved while exploring options for original small works that could translate into various media & scale. The forms are organic in origin, a combination of land and sea a creature with spirit from both elements. Embracing the form, the viewer may interpret a sense of life and living energy reminiscent of those we encounter in nature “comfort and savagery”. The depth and drama of light and shadow upon and through the forms would also engage the viewer. The shape of the arch is to suggest forward movement. The work could be presented singularly or as a group.

Surface Treatment - with a wood sculpture one tends to see “wood” a warm, familiar material with a unique smell and grain with multiple uses and other associated memories before actually reading the form. I wanted to change this experience by treating the surface with painted colour to extend the viewers level of thinking and feeling.

This was achieved, the varying comments and feedback from the public while interacting with two large painted wood sculptures at the arts festival. I felt people were claiming ownership of my rights to treat the surface as I wished in public regardless of the surface treatment style/modes they may have used on their own wooden houses, furniture etc.
I hope you enjoy the work they are meant to be fun and won’t bite if you wish to touch. I am available for commissioned Fruitti's also.

Davey McGhie

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Wood is like skin with pores for the
absorption of paint similar to a skin
pigment. I enjoy a multi disciplinary
approach.

I wouldn't say painted
sculpture was 'multi media' for in my
case at least it's oils on wood. The
same way for a painting it's oils on
canvas.

The materials a sculpture
is made of can be beutiful and some
would say speak for themselves.
If they are speaking for themselves
I would ask 'what are the saying on
behalf of the artwork?'.

People have
been painting their sculptures for a
lot longer than they haven't. The trend
not to I believe is a 'fine arts' piece
of misplaced snobbery.

Show me an unpainted bronze and
I will ask, 'why is it not painted?'
Bronze goes an ugly brown colour.
People won't even polish it.

H Watson.

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My current body of work is a return to my childhood
roots, filtered through 25 years of art making. As a
child I made art, all art, any art. I loved making
forms, I loved coloured pens. In later years I studied
art, delved into sculpture & carving honing & refining
my 3-D art making. I painted as well, did murals, etc
keeping up a 2-D art making practice. My current works
are a meeting point of these ideas, techniques, themes
& concepts - that have been with me for many years.
The works all use modern materials in a fine art
manner. I am investigating form & surface creation
with a wide range of materials.
As an artist I am driven by my need to create &
express as much as by my engagement with materials in
my practice.  I see art making as a dance between
ideas, tools & materials. This series of paintings &
sculptural paintings is a continuation of a series of
works of the last few years using: colour, texture &
form, pushing my work in to new places between 3-D &
2-D art.
My concepts are based around: stability, with the
possibility of instability. A change of view, a change
of place, changing materials from one state to
another. The ideas of windows, moods we see through,
perceptions - light, reflections, perceptions, forms
we interact with, etc. These pieces are a static
depiction of windows on life, objects & images that
come from my interaction with my materials & my
environment, things that inspire me as an artist. I
live & work in built spaces/dwellings in Wellington, I
go out on the Sea, in the bush, on the beach - through
all the spaces I inhabit I look at the world, as well
as reflect back to the world.
My materials have mutated from paint & canvas, stone &
wood to plywood, fabric, paint, insulation foam,
polypropylene, glues, tapes, metals, etc, etc -
ubiquitous modern construction materials. The colour &
texture in the works is Perspex (acrylic resin),
polypropylene, paint, glitter, fabric, etc. Some of
the works have been heated, some layered upon layered,
some barley touched – all have been treated as
individuals, the idea, the tools, the materials all
combining in unique ways.

Aaron Frater

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Artefacts of a crossing point of nature & culture
Aaron Frater

My work has always been inspired by my surroundings;
it is a dialogue / communication between me as art
maker & the world – nature, places, people, and
things. I engage in that dialogue through form &
image; two-dimensional and sculptural work.

In this show I have been mixing carving & painting,
using materials like plywood & plastic along with
timber & stone, juxtaposing manufactured with natural
materials & blending them. Most of the paints &
plastics I use are modern materials, mostly “man made”
from petrochemical products, which were once in the
ground.  I like working with the contrasting and
similar elements within the materials to express the
idea of culture (the human made) and nature meeting &
engaging each other.

My art is a language to me. This language continues to
evolve as I use new materials & respond to new
stimulus. My sculptural forms are often inspired by
nature, the elements, living by the South Coast. My
paintings are mostly inspired by the way the material
behaves, but there is a cross over in all my work
between my inspirations & the nature of my materials.
The works in this show represent a whirlwind blending
of forms I have worked with for years & new
explorations into more industrial materials.

Aaron Frater

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Why Painted Sculpture?

Firstly why not? As a child I had no defined
boundaries/concepts of 1 art form being painting (a
2-D representation made with pigment & binder on some
kind of support surface- that I didn’t learn to say
till high school!) & another separate form being
sculpture (a 3-D object having form, mass, volume, etc
– that took me till art school to be able to say!).
When I was young it was all about creating, making,
releasing.

Some of the earliest forms of painted sculpture I am
aware of are cave paintings, pigment on a rock,
surface illusion on volume & mass. I grew up with
images of cave paintings, amongst other artistic
influences. I grew up making objects & images
compulsively – paper, pens, wire, cardboard, glue,
paint, etc, etc, etc, all were fodder for my
expression of what was in my head, heart & hands.
Since then I have made a journey into art history,
craft art, sculpture, painting, set design, & many,
many other of the fine & applied arts. As I have got
older I have gone back to a mix & match approach, a
postmodernist collage approach, but informed by craft
art & modernist influenced art education & early art
practice. I think of my self, still as a symbolist,
but my symbols are more about what the actual work is,
rather than what it is depicting.

Painted sculpture is a natural coming together of
having been a carver, then a painter, then a sculptor,
then a set builder, & all sorts of other things in
amongst that. I love to make forms, I love surface
making, there are many combinations like this that go
together to become my painted sculptures, curves &
surface marks, mass & paint applications, coloured
materials cut & formed.
Painted sculpture is a liberation of each discipline
into the other for me, & it is from these uncertain
boundaries that new worlds evolve.

Aaron Frater

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