Expressionism - Draftsmen S3E14

Introduction

In this section, Stan and Marshall introduce themselves and the topic of discussion.

• Stan and Marshall introduce themselves.

• Marshall jokes about singing a song while Stan goes to the bathroom.

• They discuss the title of the podcast and their respective titles for it.

Difference between Expressive Drawing and Abstract Expressionism

In this section, Stan asks Marshall about the difference between expressive drawing and abstract expressionism.

• Marshall explains that abstract expressionism is a specific art historical movement named in the 1940s with roots before that time.

• He mentions that there are distinctions between different types of abstract art such as non-objective art, expressionism, etc.

• They acknowledge that they may not be able to talk about it from an art historical point of view but will try to make some generalizations.

• Stan asks if there is any difference between expressive drawing and abstract expressionism.

Roots of Abstract Expressionism

In this section, Marshall talks about the roots of abstract expressionism.

• Marshall explains that there are two things to deal with: one is from an art historical point of view, and the other is generalizing the term.

• He mentions that abstract expressionism was named after World War 2 in the 1940s.

• The most famous artist associated with it was Jackson Pollock in New York City.

• The roots go back into Austrian artists like Oskar Kokoschka who broke traditional realism rules.

• German expressionists in film also contributed to its development.

• Russian artist Kandinsky is almost considered as father of abstract art.

Distinctions Between Different Types of Abstract Art

In this section, they discuss distinctions between different types of abstract art.

• Marshall mentions that there are distinctions between the art historical movements that get these labels of abstract art, non-objective art, expressionism, abstract expressionism.

• He explains that abstract art can be representational but when it becomes entirely non-representational where there's no object to be named, he called it non-objective art.

• Artists like Mondrian and Kandinsky evolved into that.

• Mark Rothko is another artist who evolved into that.

Simplifying Abstract Expressionism

In this section, Stan asks Marshall to simplify the concept of abstract expressionism.

• Stan asks Marshall to simplify the concept as his brain is overloaded.

• Marshall apologizes for being too technical and simplifies by saying that it's a movement in which artists break traditional rules of realism and create something new.

Abstract Expressionism and Expressionism

In this section, Marshall and Stan discuss the difference between abstract art and abstract expressionism. They also touch on the topic of expressionism as a movement.

Abstract Art vs. Abstract Expressionism

• Kandinsky saw a piece of artwork by another artist that had an abstract design which inspired him to pursue abstract design as art.

• This was revolutionary in the 20th century because it dispensed with subject matter altogether.

• Jackson Pollock took it to absurd extremes with drip painting and randomness, making it a movement.

Expressionism

• Abstract means different from representational realism.

• Expressionism can be representational or non-representational.

• The spirit of expressionism is about submitting to mood and feeling rather than rules, logic, form, and tradition.

• Studying abstract expressionism is hardly necessary for abstract expressionists because they already know they don't have subject matter. Realists benefit more from studying these artists because they tend to rely on subject matter instead of focusing on the basic elements of painting.

Fear of Inaccuracy

Stan and Marshall discuss the fear of being inaccurate in art due to rigorous academic training.

Rigorous Academic Training

• The goal of academic training is to be as accurate as possible.

• The fear of being judged for not doing it correctly holds back artists from being more expressive.

• Artists who get well trained in their craft often forget that there's more to art than just accuracy.

Balancing Accuracy and Expressivity

• A fellow teacher suggested a four-year program: spend the first year teaching craft, the second year teaching students to draw like a kid, and the third and fourth years fusing both skills.

• The big balance is not forgetting to be a kid once you've learned to be a grown-up artist.

Russian Academy Experience

• At the Russian Academy, students are trained to be really accurate. After graduation, they move away from realism towards expressivity.

• Graduates' work may appear rough because they're trying to forget their rigorous academic training.

Skill vs. Expression

Stan and Marshall discuss how skill and expression are perceived differently in art.

Perception of Skill vs. Expression

• Stan's bias was towards graduates who displayed more skill at the Repin Academy exhibit.

• Marshall believes that people tend to appreciate skill over expression because it's easier to recognize.

• However, he also thinks that expression is what makes an artist stand out in the long run.

Andrew Wyeth and Fechin

In this section, Marshall and Stan discuss the work of Andrew Wyeth and Fechin. They talk about how Wyeth wanted his work to be both realistic and abstractly exciting, but later in life felt that he had too much subject matter. They also discuss how Fechin achieved a perfect balance between abstraction and representation.

Andrew Wyeth's Work

• Andrew Wyeth wanted his work to be both realistically accurate and abstractly exciting.

• Later in life, he felt that there was too much subject matter in his work.

• Marshall agrees with Stan that Fechin is one of the greatest artists ever.

Fechin's Art

• Fechin achieved a perfect balance between abstraction and representation.

• His art has enough abstract qualities while still being representational of reality.

• He pushes the boundaries of realism without breaking them.

Improv for Drawing

In this section, Stan talks about using improv techniques to improve drawing skills. He suggests using "yes and" as a maxim while drawing, which means accepting everything you draw as correct.

Using Improv Techniques

• Use "yes and" as a maxim while drawing.

• Everything you draw is correct; adjust based on what you've already done.

• Don't think about whether something is right or wrong; just enjoy the journey.

• Try to be okay with seeing where your drawing goes.

Letting Go of Accuracy

• Let go of the idea of accuracy while drawing.

• Enjoy the process and don't worry about getting somewhere specific.

The Value of Exploring

In this section, Marshall discusses the value of exploring and experimenting in his expressive drawing class.

Expressive Drawing Class

• Marshall teaches an expressive drawing class at a community college.

• The first half of the semester is focused on experimenting with uncontrollable media such as wet media that has its own personality and randomness.

• The second half of the semester is to continue experimenting but also to use some of those expressive experiments to conjure ideas for representational pieces.

Character Design

• Expressive drawing has turned into a popular way to do character designs by starting with a shape or blob and turning it into a character.

Experimenting vs Tradition

• Some people believe that once you find something you like, you're turning into a hardening shell of tradition and losing the sense of wonder.

• There are people who are so committed to abstract expressionism as a philosophy that just segwaying into representationalism means missing the whole point.

Expressive Work

In this section, Marshall and Stan discuss the concept of expressive work in art. They talk about how artists tend to repeat things that they have done before and how abstract art is the most concrete form of art.

Abstract Art

• Abstract art is ironically the most concrete form of art because it does not pretend to be something else as a representational illusion.

• There is a spectrum from entirely abstract to representational, and the more we move towards abstract, the more people tend to call it stylized like a cartoon.

Expression in Art

• There are two things that artists express in their work - experience and emotion.

• A line on paper can be seen as a seismograph of human emotion.

• The analogies between pictorial art and music may be useful because lyrics in a song are like subject matter while pure abstract music can still be expressive.

Tips for Studying Art Movements

In this section, Marshall gives tips on how to study different movements in art with an open mind.

Learning About Movements

• Learn about different movements such as cubism, fovism, futurism, surrealism with an open mind.

• Don't approach different genres as if they're competing characters.

The Story of Art by Gombrich

Marshall recommends the book "The Story of Art" by Gombrich as a great resource for people who want to learn about art history.

Features of the Book

• The book is an easy read and is geared towards people who don't know anything about art history.

• Unlike other books on abstract expressionism, which can be difficult to understand, "The Story of Art" takes readers through a story that leads them into the 20th century.

• Marshall struggled with understanding Kandinsky until he read Gombrich's book. While Kandinsky's books were too philosophical for him, "The Story of Art" was mind-opening.

Why It's Not More Popular

• There is a division between those who want to be illustrators or comic book artists and those who care about the evolution of art with a capital 'A'. This division prevents certain resources from being passed around in all circles online.

• However, if there could be crossover between these two groups, "The Story of Art" would be a great resource for both.

Other Resources

• Simon Schama's videos "The Power of Art" are also recommended by Marshall. They cover several key artists in art history and are very involving and intense.

• Schama's videos go back to previous centuries and include episodes on Bernini among others.

Understanding Abstract Art

In this section, Marshall discusses the importance of understanding abstract art and non-objective art. He also introduces an exercise called "The Daily Composition" that helps artists to recall experiences and improve their skills.

The Importance of Understanding Abstract Art

• Marshall emphasizes the importance of understanding abstract art and non-objective art.

• He explains that some people who don't know anything about the history of these types of art could be the ones who do it best because they have another thing - talent.

• As a teacher, he aims to train artists to bring out their best talent rather than teach them art history.

The Daily Composition Exercise

• Marshall introduces an exercise called "The Daily Composition," which is a drawing from memory of an experience you had.

• This exercise is about drawing on experience, and students should limit these drawings to line only so that they simplify it.

• The important thing is to do them, 365 of them between today and this date next year.

Memory Drawing Exercise

• Memory drawing is simply Nicolaides exercise number 14 which he calls The Daily Composition.

• It's the most important thing in the whole book of the natural way to draw.

• Spend no more than 15 minutes on each drawing, don't try to do them well, just try to do them because it is an exercise to get your mind recalling experiences and imprinting them better when you're living your life.

Balancing Skills

• There are two ways to train balancing skills - memories and reveries.

• Memories are used in composition class where students draw something they remember experiencing every day for 15 minutes.

• Reveries are used in figure drawing class where students imagine themselves as someone else doing something else.

Doing "The Daily Composition" Exercise

In this section, Marshall and Stan discuss the "Daily Composition" exercise in more detail. They talk about how to do it and what to focus on.

Doing the Exercise

• The Daily Composition is a drawing from memory of an experience you had.

• It's important to limit these drawings to line only so that they simplify it.

• Spend no more than 15 minutes on each drawing, don't try to do them well, just try to do them because it is an exercise to get your mind recalling experiences and imprinting them better when you're living your life.

Accuracy vs. Creativity

• Marshall emphasizes that accuracy should be set aside for creative processes.

• He encourages artists not to worry about any kind of accuracy or anything being wrong when doing the Daily Composition exercise.

• The goal is simply to recall experiences and improve skills.

Conclusion

• The Daily Composition exercise is a valuable tool for artists looking to improve their skills by recalling experiences from memory.

• By limiting drawings to line only and spending no more than 15 minutes on each one, artists can simplify the process and focus on improving their skills rather than worrying about accuracy.

Training for Drawing Accuracy

In this section, Marshall explains the importance of training to accurately recall and represent what we see. He introduces an exercise that involves drawing a line representation of something mundane that was in our field of vision during the week.

Exercise 1: Memories

• The exercise is not about doing it right or wrong but rather about getting a line representation of something seen during the week.

• The goal is to exercise the part of your brain that recalls and tries to get it accurate enough.

• The exercise is meant to be done repeatedly to strengthen the muscle of recall.

• Accuracy is important, but it's not about making it look good or turning it into a decorative composition.

Exercise 2: Reveries

In this section, Marshall introduces another exercise called "Reveries" which involves recalling a memory from childhood and drawing it as accurately as possible.

• The second exercise is called "Reveries" and involves recalling a memory from childhood and drawing it as accurately as possible.

• This exercise helps develop visual memory by recalling details from past experiences.

• It's important to focus on accuracy rather than creativity when doing this exercise.

• This exercise can be challenging but helps develop skills necessary for more advanced drawing techniques.

Abstract Expressionist Design within a Rectangle

In this section, Marshall discusses the process of creating abstract expressionist designs within a rectangle. He explains that these designs should not be representational and can be tonal shapes or memories.

Creating Abstract Expressionist Designs

• Listen to a piece of music and create an abstract expressionist design within a rectangle.

• The designs should not be representational and can be tonal shapes or memories.

• Memories are what you saw, while reveries are what you want to see.

• These exercises train both sides of the brain separately; one factual and one fanciful.

Reveries in Expressive Drawing

In this section, Marshall talks about doing reveries in expressive drawing. He explains how they listen to short bits of music without lyrics and do reveries to them.

Doing Reveries in Expressive Drawing

• Listen to short bits of music without lyrics and do reveries to them.

• When done with expressive drawing, put the drawings up on a wall to look at everybody's work.

• Children naturally do highly creative exercises like these.

• Reveries are expressive of your experiences, visual biases, and emotions.

Marshall's Sketchbooks

In this section, Marshall shows some examples from his sketchbooks. He talks about how he tends to find three-dimensional forms in his reveries because he knows how to draw spheres and blocks.

Examples from Marshall's Sketchbooks

• Marshall's sketchbooks tend to be about 60 or 70% reveries.

• Some of the reveries are not within rectangles.

• Marshall tends to find three-dimensional forms in his reveries because he knows how to draw spheres and blocks.

• Some of the students who have done wonderful reveries have turned them into finished compositions.

Balancing Exercises for Composition Students

In this section, Marshall and Stan discuss two balancing exercises for composition students to get strong with both representationalism and abstraction.

Memories and Reveries

• Memories and reveries are two balancing exercises for composition students to get you strong with both representationalism and abstraction.

• Memories exercise trains you to notice things more, while the reveries exercise trains you in the freedom to do whatever you feel like doing within that rectangle knowing that if it doesn't work, there's no consequences.

• The memories exercise also trains you to remember things.

• The second exercise (reveries) is playing around with composition without any restraint of subject matter.

Judging Success

• After doing these exercises for a year, how do I know that it was worth it?

• You judge it by saying "do I need this anymore?" and looking at your work. If it's missing a quality, then look for the regimen that will help that.

• If your fear of being inaccurate gets less intense after a year of doing the second exercise (reveries), then this was successful.

Other Exercises

• Studying masters and taking photographs are another set of exercises that balance each other out nicely.

Abstract Expressionism

• When doing a memory, you're not trying to do an abstract expressionist piece; you're trying to do something based on reality and representational. When doing a reverie, you're trying to take the subject matter out of it as much as possible and just do an abstract expressionist piece.

Expressive Artists

In this section, Marshall and Stan discuss expressive artists, specifically Käthe Kollwitz's work. They talk about how her art expresses grief and the experience of war.

Käthe Kollwitz's Work

• Van Gogh was a great expressionist before expressionism.

• Käthe Kollwitz is one of the greatest expressionists, mainly expressing grief and the experience of war.

• Her art expresses a feeling that can be felt by viewers too.

• There was so much pain in her world that expressing experience and emotion became an example for others.

Doing a Reverie Together

In this section, Marshall and Stan plan to do a reverie together. They discuss what they will focus on during their reverie.

Planning the Reverie

• Realists who want to get good at composition would do well to see every piece metaphorically as an abstract expressionist piece.

• They plan to spend 15 minutes doing a real reverie together.

• They decide to focus on cacti for their reverie.

• Stan suggests using music from Röyksopp for their reverie.

Revealing What We Did

In this section, Marshall and Stan reveal what they did in the episode.

The Fruit of Our Work

• Marshall and Stan reveal their work.

• They are unsure if they did a good job or not.

• Stan needs to do 364 more of these or is 2022 a leap year?

Closing Remarks

• Marshall thanks everyone for listening.

• They ask listeners to comment on how much they enjoyed the episode.

• They say goodbye to their audience.