Thread: Knife Lanyard Bead & Some Thoughts About Aesthetics & Carving !

Originally Posted by Mike the knife

Perhaps such technical feats of skill are what a carver setting out on the path SHOULD ? concern himself with but recently I have come to question this whole approach.
When look at the sheer power & expression of "primitive" or folk carving I feel that the initial admiration of craft skills may have been misplaced , it is surely EXPRESSION which is the important thing & for me that is to be had much more in the untrained folk carvers than in some "polished to death" classical carving.
The questions I am asking myself now are , can I unlearn what I know about Hogarths' perfect cure or human anatomy ?
Do primitive carvers find their power of expression from ignorance ? if they do I sure wish I hadn't learned as much !
I need new direction - I'm going native ! - I think ?

..phew Mike...the BIG questions..(that most likely will remain forever unanswered)

My thoughts...yes, technical skills are important for the very reason you mentioned.."Expression"...if you wish to express yourself you need to be proficient in the vocabulary of your craft..
(also, I think that the human figure is still the single most expressive image available to an artist)..

Obviously unlearning Hogarth is not an option and finding that "polished to death classics" are becoming stale should be seen for what it is it is..The epiphany that will trigger your new direction...What it has done has taught you the observational skills critical to your art.

New directions are vital and can be intimidating and riddled with mistakes (if you're doing it right)

Do primitive carvers "find their power from ignorance"?...who knows..I suspect that repetition of traditional motifs may play a part in their impact..(you get good at something you've made a thousand times)..although there probably were the Mozarts of the ancient carving world..

I find that new directions are often triggered by the last work.. ie: my latest piece is often a refuge from the previous one..if I have just completed a complex detailed piece the next one will often be simple and abstract..if it was large and imposing the next is small and intimate..and so on..

if you find an answer let us know..

Having spent a few good hours at the National Portrait Gallery this weekend I am playing with these ideas as well. I took particular interest in the busts (as one does....) and was quite surprised by the variety of techniques employed and the outcomes. What I learned is that the most elaborate technique doesnt produce the most emotionally charged work. And what I find emotionally charged isnt what other people like or experience. So Im back to working on my skills and damn the torpedos.

Powerful art has been made in all times. Im having an affair with a Tang dynasty porcelain of a dancer at the moment.

Do you draw or model your work every time Undie?

Wow, Mike that's a pretty heavy analysis of your carving life. I don't have answers but can explain my feeling. I started carving late in life (54)I turned 58 yesterday and I feel I don't have the time or the skill level to achieve the multitude of ideas I have in my head, that's why I like to switch from one concept to another but in saying that I could never carve minatures like you do with knives, that's way beyond me, I make many mistakes along the way and get frustrated but the main thing for me is I love it.
Well done with this one, I instantly thought great chess piece.
Cheers
Rob.

Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

Do you draw or model your work every time Undie?

..draw (scribble) everytime...model in plasticene mostly...sketch on the piece..always.

Thanks very much guys , underfoot those insights were useful - in particular you mentioning often repeated tribal motifs - perhaps I' m marvelling at design that were developed over centuries & stylisations that evolved over generations.

Sebastiaan yes some technique I've concluded is vital of course , but I think it mustn't become the dominant factor when carving , as you say it is all about expression.

Hi Rob, yes the inspiration was indeed the 9th century carved walrus ivory chess pieces found on the Isle of Lewis.
Rob, miniature caving is identical to a other carving except that there is less margin for error, I seem to be attracted to it because I like the compact distilled essence feeling , sort of jewel like, it makes them more um... valuable & precious looking, in my eyes at least . I don't think I have long in that world though - my eye sight I letting me down.

Perhaps though what I took of most value from all the various replies was the fact that you all went from one thing to another with each project. Thanks again Gents, Mike