Contexts
01 Rorschach Inkblot Test
Reading Group: Vision of the Self
When hosting this Reading Group, Gavin Edmonds introduced a series of intriguing tests used in Psychodynamic Assessment, one of which was called the Rorschach Inkblot Test.
'The Rorschach is the most commonly used projective technique. The test consists of ten white cards with blots of ink on them in either black, black and red, or multi-colored…If the cards have no specific shape…the shapes we see are projections from our unconsciousness. In other words, it is not uncommon for children to see bunny rabbits, kitty cats, and monsters in the clouds. These images represent their needs for life and love as well as their underlying fears about death and aggression' (AllPsych, 2016 )
Placing the 'cards with no specific shape' into an artistic context, they can be seen as abstract shapes in figurative paintings or as abstract paintings. The understanding of cards with no specific shape can evoke our different unconsciousness, for me, seems to bridge the gap between figurative and abstract painting, and generate two new ways of thinking:
When working on figurative paintings, the thinking process of abstract painting can be added to consider the composition and expression.
Appropriate use of abstract and ambiguous shapes in figurative or narrative paintings allows the picture to have more potential for multiple interpretations.
References
Chapter 6.2: Specific projective tests (2020) AllPsych. Custom Continuing Education, LLC . Available at: https://allpsych.com/personality-theory/dynamicassessment/rorschach/ (Accessed: January 23, 2023).
02 The Dressed and the Undressed
Lucian Freud: New Perspectives
The exhibition presents the paintings of one of Britain's finest figurative painters, Lucian Freud (1922–2011). It spans a lifetime of work, charting how Freud’s painting changed during 70 years of practice.
Of all these outstanding works, I was most impressed by Two Men. The description next to this painting reads:
'Freud's double portraits stand out for their acuity of evoking a relationship between the sitters. Two men shows a couple on a bed: one dressed, the other undressed. Although their heads are turned in opposite directions, the men touch in a gesture of loving trust. The work creates a sense of tender intimacy without emphasizing its eroticism. Clothes are painted with as much delicacy as bare skin and buttocks. Paintings like this took months of sitting to complete, allowing Freud the opportunity to look deeply at his subjects and imbue the depicted relationship with a psychological charge.' (The National Gallery, 2022 )
This work appealed to me so much because it contrasts well with one of my recent works Just Like Honey. Both paintings feature two figures, the dressed and the undressed. He portrays similarity and equality through equal emphasis, whereas I merely use the contrast of clothing to highlight their different states and hierarchies. Obviously, his handling of the characters' relationships is the result of careful consideration and is far more complex and intriguing than mine. I should learn to be more thoughtful when Interpreting the relationships of the characters in my paintings to avoid falling into the trap of clichés.
References
The National Gallery, L. (2022) The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Lucian Freud: New Perspectives | National Gallery, London. Available at: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/past/the-credit-suisse-exhibition-lucian-freud-new-perspectives (Accessed: January 23, 2023).
03 The Representation of the Female Body
Chantal Joffe RA and Prof. Dorothy Price in conversation
In this talk, Artist Chantal Joffe and exhibition curator Professor Dorothy Price discuss the pioneering women artists in 'Making Modernism' of the RA exhibition and how they explored themes of identity, representation, and belonging in their works.
Chantal Joffe mostly focused on Paula Modersohn-Becker. She speaks of Paula's great interest in ancient Greek and Egyptian art and her drawing on the shapes of ancient Greek head sculptures and Fayum mummy portraits in her female works, which give her work flatness and a strong sense of balance. Paula’s expressive female portraits had a profound influence on Chantal, 100 years apart, who also shared the identities of mother and artist, struggling with the balance between family and work, stability and adventure. The similar identity gives them the same themes of intimacy and domestic life, endowing their works with unique perspectives and strong vitality.
For me, Paula and Chantal's works allowed me to see the honesty and authenticity in the portraits and nudes of women painted by female artists (which is hard to come by in the works of male artists), sparking great interest in the representation of the female body. Moreover, this conversation gave me the feeling that artists have personal experiences and themes, but they always stand within the tradition of art, being influenced or influencing others.
References
Chantal Joffe Ra and prof. Dorothy Price in conversation (2022) Event | Royal Academy of Arts. Available at: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/event/chantal-joffe-dorothy-price-conversation (Accessed: January 23, 2023).