While decorating the tree I made drawings of the individual types of baubles that went on. This was done in the spirit of those botanical illustrations, especially those made by the well-to-do ladies of the countryside manors. My intention would be to draw, colour (most likely with watercolours) and annotate the items, and present them in a book. Being unable to suitably make a book myself due to both a lack of technical proficiency and time restraints I have forgone this part as a purely theoretical (as yet) development. The drawings were done in a day, partly as an exercise in discipline and partly as a practical measure.
Drawings of this nature are consistently fascinating to me as an art form that seems both antique and timeless; as retaining their highly artistic appeal while carrying a very scientific quality too. Similarly to me, despite the modern commercialism surrounding the holiday, there is a certain appeal in a Christmas bauble. The best ones tend to be in themselves fairly simple decorations but, I find, somehow very elegant and there is a strange kind nature to adding decoration to plants. Thus this would ideally be presented in a gallery that also had a reputation as a museum or other historical sight, presented itself in a case with others available as interactive to the audience. I would hope to gain some air of juxtaposition between the feel of a botanical illustration and the somewhat justified Christmas cynicism, as well as a different or closer look at the baubles themselves as (sometimes) rather attractive things, rather than just tacky bits of plastic.
No comments:
Post a Comment