Places And Spaces

Places and Spaces

"Critically examine and evaluate the approach of three artists (at least one of which being contemporary) who have created work that had been influenced by place or space"

All people are constantly being influenced and moved emotionally, be it by their surrounds or the people in their lives. An artist is the epitome of this; they are continually being influenced by their surroundings, from their childhood and with their day-to-day lives and expressing it in their work.

Depending on the artist's personal upbringing, certain images and objects will appeal to them more than others. Therefore different aspects of each artist's life can be seen and examined through their art via the images they use. Since certain scenes or images will have specific significance to an artist, their use of these images as well as their technique and style can give the viewer an insight to the artists life.

For example Edward Charles Williams grew up in an artistic family and was taught by his father how to paint beautiful scenery reminiscent of the Dutch landscape artists. The area and era in which he grew up in are the main contributors to his style of work considering the area in which he was painting and the society in which he would have been living. These things together with other aspects all influenced his style and choice. Williams painted the beauty of nature with minimal human interaction compared to some one like Jeffrey Smart who paints nature with total human interaction and occupation. The city invasion, the wastelands and industrial zones, modern man's ecosystem, environment, man made forests of metal and concrete. Then compare these two artists with Dion Salvador Lloyd, who paints nature with absolutely no human interaction. Nature is shown in his art in the purest form, simple beauty. These three artists from different times and backgrounds have all had different influences and this is evident in their art.

Dion Salvador Lloyd grew up in London in an artistic family. One of the greatest influences is his father who was sculptor. It was after his home being burnt down and loosing all his possessions that a dramatic change in his life took place and be begun painting for more than simply a hobby. Growing up in London has a clear influence in the colours and tones in his art as well. Being known for its gloomy weather and grunge feel this has infiltrated and been incorporated into his art through his use of greys, blues and bland colours for his skies. Also, his use of rough texture and composition add to this feel (Ancient, 2004). His art is generally vague, in that nothing is highly defined as in Williams or Smart's work. His art insinuates skies and horizons through his use of line and composition, by contrast to Artists like Edward Charles Williams or Jeffrey Smart whose art is far more definitive in its overall image (Panoramic II, 2004). Lloyd shows the simplistic and pure side of the natural world without its human occupation. Coming from London, a city of millions this is contrary to his surrounds and can be seen to be a kind of escapism from this busy over populated life style.

Edward Charles Williams was born in 1807. His father, Williams who was landscape artist, was his teacher and this has obviously been his greatest influence due the similarities between their works.

Williams lived in and around London for most of his life and many of his paintings feature scenes from the surrounding countryside including Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Essex.

His art is composed of simple natural scenery with human interaction. For example in the piece Out Fishing (1855) the men are in a boat fishing on the beautiful calm river with the trees, reeds and cattle all around them. It can be assumed that considering the time and area in which this