This is what I read in the Sunday times yesterday. According to Ms Tang Wen Li, the Singapore representative for auction house Christie’ s, the view that art can be a good investment, like equity and fixed income issues, has become popular in recent years.
It was mentioned that in the long run, returns from art are comparable to those from stocks and bonds. The art market is very weakly correlated witht the equilies market, making art useful and valuable if you wish for portfolio diversification.
It was also reported that experts claimed that South east Asian art is fast becoming ‘ the next big thing’, because of the growing interest in modern and contemporary art from this region. (Singapore art included?)
In a Singapore auction in April, Indonesian artist 1 Nyonman Masriadi’ s Me and My Coke sold for $240000 which is more than 5 times its estimated price!!!! That ’s a lot if you ask me. Well, it just goes to tell you that keeping artwork especially those from Southeast Asia might be the way to go.
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The official definition of public art is any visual artwork [sculpture, mosaic, mural, memorials and any other form whether it be functional or aesthetic only] that is located on a publicly accessible site should be considered public art. A very general meaning for a concept as broad and varying as, well, art. And to make it all-encompassing, public art also covers street performances such as, parades, street theatre, outdoor concerts - any sort of live performance. The scope of this article, however, is much more narrow and defined. Public art = structural artwork made by an artist with the intention of improving aesthetic environs or providing a functional gathering place.
Many of us have walked past, eaten lunch under or beside, thrown coins at, and completely ignored a whole array of public art. But not any more! Public art is a blossoming component of our built landscape that, in many cases, we can be involved in. Local governments and art organisations, depending on their public art policy or specific requirements, allow for community consultation on design and basic structure. The level of consultation, of course, depends on the function and placement of the piece being planned.
Arts organisations, museums and galleries that are involved in bringing art to the public, have stricter opinions on what constitutes public art and less scope for community consultation. Their goals are different. Developing and coordinating outdoor exhibitions, of one artwork or many, is vastly separated from local government acts that require their planning departments and private developers to make provision for art in future developments.
What I love about public art is that the artist often has space to create really big works! Works that can inspire and uplift by their sheer physical presence alone. We won’t like them all, but we’ll pay attention to the statements the work and the artist are trying to make.
Local government authorities around the world have development policies that require a percentage of a proposed development’s value to be spent on commissioning art. The art may be required to suit a particular location’s natural environment or heritage identity, or fit in with the cultural or tourism demands of the area. Public art can be temporary as in outdoor exhibitions and building wraps, or permanent such as fountains, memorials, roadside noise reducing barriers or street furniture.
The possibilities for public art continue to grow as many regions include Public Art Trails in their tourism plans. Guides, maps and booklets are being developed that outline and locate notable artworks in an area, and then targeted to local and international tourists. In Australia, there is a long history of Big Things on the tourist trail; things such as the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour, the Big Trout in Adaminaby and the Big Merino in Goulburn, plus the dozens of other Big Things dotted around the country. That’s not to say that all tourist-attracting public art needs to be big and garish. There’s quite a number of arty, culturally-aware and just plain interested people that like to take a step into an area’s local culture and get a feel for the people and lifestyle they are visiting.
For the ordinary person not so involved in the art or local government worlds, how do you go about getting, locating or recognising public art in your area?
Recognising is simple. As mentioned, public art is anything that is installed or erected that has either a purely aesthetic value or is functional, purposeful as well as being interesting to look at.
Locating the public art in your area ranges from easy to hard. Start with local parks, town squares and outside any museums, galleries or government buildings. Not all areas or towns are created equal when it comes to money to spend on art [which is why making public art a development requirement is such a good idea], but that doesn’t mean there won’t or can’t be any around. Schools, public buildings and large expanses of wall are great places for the odd mural or three. Businesses that have turned their signage into art forms are only limited by their imagination. Tourist information centres and historical landmarks may abound. Many reserves and former industrial sites are the locations of old equipment and structures that have been turned into a reminder of days gone by.
Holbrook, a town approximately halfway between Sydney and Melbourne, has gone “superstructure” with its public art and turned an old submarine, the HMAS Otway, into an historical and artistic statement. Closer to the New South Wales/Victorian border, the Ettamogah Pub, near the town of Albury, has turned itself into the reproduction of an iconic cartoon edifice, a major tourist attraction and quite a fascinating piece of life-size 3-D, functional pop art.
Around the world, towns and regions are travelling the public art trail by coordinating exhibitions that link individual homes, businesses, and industries via the artistic rendering of local identity. Scarecrows, cows, letterboxes, indigenous culture, building facades, milk urns, produce festivals, and the list goes on and on, all represent identity as seen by the local people, and all are art.
Public art has been with us since the days of the cave and the creation of the first memorial sculptures and wall-murals. It may not be something new, but it does have the potential for huge growth as people insist on the beautification and visual expression of their communities and look for the same in countries, cities and towns they visit on holiday. Find your local public art and celebrate it. Make more. Art in the open has a way of lifting your soul and calling you to it, whether it’s to admire, disagree with or rest your feet and eat your lunch under.
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Art Nouveau is an international style of art, architecture and design that peaked in popularity at the beginning of the 20th century (1880-1914) and is characterized by highly-stylised, flowing, curvilinear designs often incorporating floral and other plant-inspired motifs. Art Nouveau was a concerted attempt to create an international style based on decoration. It was developed by a brilliant and energetic generation of artists and designers, who sought to fashion an art form appropriate to the modern age.
Over the years, there have been many influential artistic movements and Art Nouveau being one of the most popular with the general public. Artists, architects and designers all fell under its spell during the 1880s, producing highly stylized pieces of work. Examples of magnificent buildings in the style can be found all over Europe, particularly in Paris, Prague, Budapest, Barcelona and Berlin. Other locations, such as London, New York City and St. Petersburg also have landmarks in the style.
During the World’s Fair in Paris in 1900, the movement was brought a wider audience in fair. Art Nouveau embraced the modern use of technology on materials such as stained glass and wrought iron, which were used extensively in sculpture and functional items. A classic tradition was observed too in the use of motifs from the natural world, such as flowers or insects. Furniture, jewelry, lighting, textiles and posters were all part of the style.
And one of the famous architect of the movement is Antoni Gaudi, and still celebrated today for his eccentric buildings in Barcelona. Gaudi was a man of simple ideas and common sense. In his architecture it fuses structure and decoration. He clearly accepted nature as his guide. His interest in nature was in three dimensional forms, rather than in two dimensional and he was interested primarily in nature’s inner forces, which expressed themselves on the surface. He took the style to new heights, never making a straight line where a wavy one could do the job. His crowning glory was the city cathedral, left unfinished at the time of his death.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh was one of the leading exponents and a designer from Glasgow in Scotland. He brought his distinctive ideas to buildings, furniture and jewelry. Examples of his work are held in museums and his jewelry is constantly copied and sold. The French designer Rene Lalique was also a jewelry maker in the Art Noveau style and he also became famous for his work in glass making.
Well, many artists in the genre remain popular today and none more so than Gustav Klimt. The Austrian specialized in the female figure in paintings, drawings and murals. Some of his paintings have sold for extremely high prices and his work is mass produced in the form of prints, posters and furnishings. Aubrey Beardsley, an English artist and illustrator, is also still popular today. He is mostly known for his posters, drawn in ink and sometimes depicting controversial images.
By the time when the world War 1 was begin, the movement was fade. Times were hard and less expensive materials were favored. A more modernist and less fussy design style came into favor, culminating in the Art Deco movement that would dominate through the 1920s and 1930s. There does remain, however, a nostalgic affection for Art Nouveau and the many expressive people caught up in it.
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One of the very first decisions you must make when you start painting is what sort of paint (also called medium) to use. The following information is intended to help you decide between the most commonly used paints.
What is paint and what is the difference between each type of paint?
The brief technical bit!
Paint is a dispersion of pigments, resins and fillers in a liquid carrier. By varying the basic ingredients the different types of paint can be created.
Oil Paints
Oil paints as the name suggests contain oil. This is usually a natural vegetable oil such as linseed or a synthetic hydrocarbon made from oil.
The oil is the carrier used for the pigment and resins (alkyd). The pigments provide the colour which can be in the form of a soluble dye or an insoluble powder finely dispersed in the liquid. The various colours are produced from one or several pigments mixed together. By varying the different amounts, not only the different colours, but different shades and hues can be produced.
The resin is dissolved in the oil and acts as a binder for the different ingredients and to, and also binds the paint to the surface that it is applied to.
When the liquid evaporates after application, the resin and the pigments remain and form a skin which sticks to the painting surface.
Acrylic Paints
Acrylic paints are similar in make-up to oil paints, i.e. they are similar in appearance and contain a liquid carrier, pigments and resin. However, the liquid used is water.
The resin is not the same type as in oil paints, because it has to combine with water. The acrylic resin does not dissolve in the water but forms an emulsion (forms globules). When the water evaporates the globules of resin stick together to form a skin. The pigments used must also combine with water and so are chemically different than oil pigments.
Watercolours
Watercolours consist of pigments, filler and water if they are in liquid form, or just pigment and filler in they are solid. As they have no resin component to bind the pigments and form a skin, they rely on the surface they are applied to, to be absorbent. A filler is a fine powder which can be used as a carrier for the pigment and provides texture/body.
Pastels
Pastels are a solid paste form of water-colour. Far less water is used in their manufacture (when compared with liquid paints), and water soluble binders are used to maintain their solid paste form. Oil based pastels are similar with far less oil used than used in making oil paints.
What are the practical differences between the different types of paints?
Oils:
~ dry slowly allowing time to work and to blend colours. The temperature of the air you are working in, and the proportion of thinner used dictates the drying time
~ can be used to produce texture by building layers
~ once dried sufficiently, can be over-painted without disturbing underlying layers
~ rich, deep colours which maintain their intensity when dry, so can be left unfinished and returned to later without a change of colour
~ can be used thickly or in thin, smooth washes increasing the scope for different painting techniques
~ colours are resistant to bleaching by sunlight and surfaces can be cleaned of dirt with methylated spirits
~ completely water proof and resistant to the elements
~ require brush cleaner/white spirits to clean brushes
~ usually applied to non absorbent surfaces including board, wood, coated paper and canvas
Acrylics :
~ dry fast but still allows time to work and to blend colours. Can be a disadvantage when working with thick applications in hot environment
~ less viscous than oils so easier to mix but tend to produce less texture and brush strokes
~ can be mixed with water or other mediums/gels which are compatible with water
~ can be used thickly (impasto) like oils, or in thin washes, like waterclours, so can be used on both absorbent and non absorbent surfaces
~ once dried can be over-painted without disturbing underlying layers
~ water resistant when dry
~ colours dry darker than when applied so can give problems with colour matching if left
~ less resistant to sunlight that oils, surfaces can be cleaned of dirt with methylated spirits
~ requires water to clean brushes, but can give difficulty if brushes dry prior to washing
Watercolours :
~ mixed with water giving transparent colour
~ dries fast and requires pre-wetting of the surface in hot environment
~ strong tendency to bleed so good for general wash techniques but can be difficult for fine definition
~ transparency makes it hard to rectify or hide mistakes
~ colours dry lighter than when applied so can give problems with colour matching if left
~ no white in watercolour painting, the white comes from the paper you are working on. So can be difficult to produce prominent white high-lights without preplanning or masking
~ paint can be lifted off by rewetting so can be useful in some techniques, but can be difficult to use in wet conditions or in hot/dry conditions where rewetting is necessary
~ brushes are cleaned easily with water and paint is reusable when dry by adding water
~ colour intensity is less when compared with other media and tends to bleach in direct sunlight. Problems with dis-colouration to the support and the media can occur in damp conditions
~ very difficult to clean the surface without damage so has to be protected from the elements under glass or other suitable material
Pastels
~ colours are mixed on the paper/support by over-laying or blending so no drying time
~ easily used and require no brushes
~ oil based pastels can be thinned and blended with turpentine, or scrapped off to reveal colours underneath, known as sgraffito
~ a wide range of colour are available, however, usually a greater range of colours are required to create a picture when compared with other media
~ different brands and pigments tend to vary in softness so difficulties can arise when obtaining supplies from varying suppliers
~ soft pastel works tend to be liable to smudging and the colour coming off the support unless precautions such as fixatives or mounts are used to keep the surface away from frame glass
Other considerations
Cost:
~ Watercolours are the cheapest to set yourself up with and most budding artists start this way. However, watercolour requires different techniques to other media and can restrict development
~ acrylics are not as expensive to buy as oils and can bridge the gap between oil and watercolour
~ oils are more expensive to buy initially; however a little goes a long way when painting thinly. Several paintings can be produced from a single tube of each of the base colours
Hazards
Oil Paints
Some people are put off by oil paints because of the solvents involved; they may be allergic to the solvents or may not want solvents lying around when young children are about. However, oil paints themselves usually contain linseed oil as the carrier which has low odour and is essentially non toxic.
The pigments themselves are bound by the oil and are not available to cause hazards. White spirits and turpentine used as thinners or brush cleaners are flammable and should be used sparingly. However the volume used is very small and the hazards are many times less when compared with the use of domestic household paints. Saying this, low odour versions of paints are available.
Acrylics
Acrylics are the least hazardous as there are no solvents used and the pigments remain bound in the paint.
Watercolours
Can be hazardous if traditional pigments are used because they are not bound by resin and dry to a fine powder. However the quantities used are so small that hazards are very minimal.
Pastels
Similar to watercolours, however soft pastels can produce a lot of dust so care should be take to minimise the amount you inhale. For example, do not blow on your work to remove loose pastel.
Your choice of paint
Choose whatever paint suits you. Try them out and you will soon discover whether you enjoy working with it and the results you get or not. If you like certain properties of different paints, you can try working with a mixture of paints (known as mixed media) in one painting. The variation is both challenging and rewarding.
The advice and information above is meant as guidance to the properties of the different paints. The only way you will know if you like a particular paint is to try it, and enjoy the results.
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