This week I began experimenting influenced by Manolo Millares' style to create collages using various media such as hessian, fabric, cardboard, book pages, ink, acrylic paint, PVA glue, pen, pencil, hairspray and thread. My main influences in Millares' style were his paintings “Painting 150” and "CUADRO 31 OR PINTURA A".
(Above Manolo Millares “Painting 150” 1961, oil paint on canvas, 1308 x 1622 mm, Tate Modern Art Museum)
(Above Manolo Millares "CUADRO 31 OR PINTURA A" acrylic on burlap with string (1)
For my first two experiments I wanted to see how fabric can be incorporated with paper and acrylic paint to create a collage. I firstly got a piece of white fabric which I then sewed together with thread whilst folding parts of the fabric to create layered lines and to create texture. I then created a background in my sketchbook by gluing down ripped book pages and then using PVA glue I stuck down the fabric and then painted it in black and grey tones as this allowed the fabric to become the main focus point and stand out from the neutral background. I also got a piece of thread and dipped it into black acrylic paint and then dragged the thread across the surface of the paper which created thin fine black lines, this allowed to fill in the empty white space without overwhelming the focus point.
I also decided to refine my experiments by incorporating drawings of shells in my collages, this way making the experimentations more relevant to my overall theme.
For these three experiments instead of sewing the fabric or hessian together instead I glued it down with PVA glue and whilst doing so I pushed the fabric together to create a textured and ruffled effect which works as effectively as sewing the fabric together. For the experiments in the middle image and the right side image, drew out shell sketches on plain paper, I chose to draw them with pen relating back to my previous sketches, as in this textured background the shells drawn plainly in pencil would become bland. Once I finished my sketches I cut them out and glued them town into the textured sketchbook pages, to blend the background with the glued down sketches I used white and light grey acrylic paint round the edges, it creates a worn down effect for the page, which is similar to the way Millares' style is. For the image on the left I also used the same technique but instead of adding any sketches I simply poured some ink over the page to once again highlight the page with something of a darker colour and create a contrast.
As you can see for the two experiments above I once again experimented with tones and their contrast. For both experiments I began by creating the background using black acrylic paint on a flat dry paintbrush, this way the paint applied quite dry with only some areas containing a stronger amount of tone also creating unusual lines. I then repeated the process of gluing down some fabric and the pushing it into shape without using thread, this technique adds dimension to the page and dome surface variation. Then using black acrylic paint I painted the edges of the fabric to blend it in with the rest of the background to make it appear as a single solid piece. Initially the two experiments were monochrome, however I decided that there should be hints of colour in them, so I got some blue thread like Millares uses thread in his artwork and I sewed them into the fabric and some areas of the paper, this only hinted the artwork and added some subtle detail, which allowed the whole piece to stand out more and not lack of any features.
I also carried out a few experiments where I used a grey scale background and then added some warmth to it by sticking down hessian and cardboard in certain sections of the pages. As I focused on monochrome colours I decided that the colours I use on top should not be vibrant or intense, as I wanted to stick with earthier and natural colours to compliment the background, as the idea of portraying functionless shells in their unnatural environment is not suitable to contain lively and bright colours as they express positivity and livelihood, whereas I want to express neglect and dullness of something unneeded, hence darker or muted colours are more suitable in this instance. I chose to mix between hessian and cardboard because both these mediums have very textured surfaces that have a different feel and work with acrylic paint in a different way, hence by using them both I created diversity in my collage. I also like the way thread turn out on paper once it is painted on with black acrylic paint as it become bolder and more defined even if its not as clearly visible.
The four images above I personally see as my least successful experiments, mainly because they appear uninteresting due to the lack of strong features or characteristic, they are once again monochrome, however what I realise now is the reason why Millares usually creates his paintings with a black background is because they stand out better especially whenever highlighted with lighter tones. Whereas having a white background makes the experiments appear washed out specially when there is no specific focus point. On the other hand this experiments did allow me to gain a better understanding of combining different mediums together to create texture and in general see how the work together, For instance whenever I use fabric the surface is usually softer which means its good for creating softer lines and it also is easier to apply paint onto, whereas hessian is effective for a harder flat surface with an interesting rough texture, but it is much harder to apply paint onto, however this makes the hessian appear somewhat rustic.
As for comparison the images above I think were the most successful experiments influenced by Millares. I mainly think so because they have the best composition that is not overwhelming nor lacks in detail, as well as a balance of tones, textures and light.
To begin with for the image on the left I used the process which I have already previously mentioned of gluing down sketches of shells and then gluing down white fabric around it and then applying some white and grey paint to create a rustic effect. I know that I previously criticized some of my experiments which were very white and plain and washed the whole page out, however in this case I do not believe this happened. The key aspect for this experiment was effective composition, hence I drew my sketches in different scales as it creates an in depth effect and scale variance is also more appealing whenever viewing the piece, as the smaller sketch which is centred in the middle is the first to grab ones attention, and only then do you look up to the greater and larger shell. I also glued down the fabric round the outline of the sketches as this fills out the empty space around them and makes the whole piece appear more united, however I only applied a thin layer of fabric as I did not want it to overpower the sketches, and lastly to fill in the empty white space I flicked some black paint onto the surface using a paintbrush this adds a light touch of the media once again not overpowering the focus point.
For the two page experiment in the middle, I used black acrylic paint, hessian and cardboard.
This is probably the most favourite experiment out of the three as it appears minimalistic yet there is detail and texture that is highlighted through tones and colours. When I was painting the background I did not completely paint the pages black as the whiter edges seem to lift the art piece and not make it appear as if framed and limited. I then glued down the materials (cardboard and hessian) initially they were both a light brown sandy colour and did not really look appealing with the rest of the background, in a way they seemed too neat and clean. Hence to bring out the details effectively I used a mixture of white and black acrylic paint, I mainly applied the white paint in the centre of the mediums to highlight them from the rest of the sombre background, and then I blended in their edges with the black paint which made it appear like the mediums are sewn into the page, similarly as Millares' work appears to look. I did leave some of the medium surfaces in their original colour, as it adds warmth to the collage I only lightly applied some black paint over them so that they would seem to be a part of the collage.
Lastly the image on the right had a similar idea as before, I painted a black acrylic background however this time I fully covered the page, I must say it does not look as effective as the image in the middle does with he white edges. However this experiment stands out to me the most is the fact that for once it is not just white and black tones, but black and brown, so it instantly appears more warm and subtle, these colours are also the most resemblant to Millares' painting “Painting 150”. The main focus for this experiment is the way three surfaces work together to bring out the details and to grab ones attention, without unnecessary colours, marks or details. In a way the fact that it is minimalistic makes the whole experiment more appealing and interesting, as there is a clearly defined subject matter.
Overall I think working inspired my Millares' style has been very successful, as I thought of different ways to make marks I have not tried before, I also got the chance to experiment with fabrics,thread, hessian and cardboard which I haven't used before or for some time, and it was interesting to do something other than just painting for once. Working with these mediums and these specific tones and colours has been good as this style is very effective for incorporating with the idea of functionless shells in a collage form. I will continue with this style personalising it even more to my theme and style as well as incorporating my other artist style and techniques to make my work even more effective. I should now start to work on some kind of canvas surface as it is the prime medium that Millares used and it would be interesting to see if it proves as successful as working on paper. Also as I discovered that incorporating my shell sketches with the backgrounds proved successful, I would like to take this further and see if it is a successful when printing out my sketches on acetate.
Reference:
1) Manolo Millares "CUADRO 31 OR PINTURA A" http://www.invertirenarte.es/index.php/es/mercado-de-arte/322-el-turno-de-la-posguerra-en-londres
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