Exploring the spatiality of deconstruction

Just come across how Egon Schiele occassionally played with the establishment by submitting paintings with his signature block (usually containing his name and date) placed through 90 degrees. So the purchaser or gallery hung the painting wrongly. He could do this as in most of his works there was no background so the figure existed within a space which had infinite depth. There is space between the beholder and the figure, there is often space enclosed by parts of the body and there is space behind the figure. So in certain cases a painting of body makes sense in more than one orientation.

I have referred to the spatiality issue in my recent approach in which I am selective in the parts of the pose I include in a drawing but deal with them in a way that deconstructs the actual overall form of the pose I am looking at, and my juxtapositioning of these parts suggests, or creates a space which is unique to that drawing. My figures, like Schiele's, exist in a space with no background. Additionally, at 'extreme poses' the model is supported in a harness of ropes and straps, up in the air, with the corresponding suspension of the issue of 'gravity' i.e. there is a complete absence of the sense of body weight being transmitted to something like a chair, or podium or floor. The sense one has is of almost complete weightlessness, almost floating in space.

So with no physical background context to the figure, and with the near absence of the role of gravity on the form of the pose, I looked through recent drawings and selected a few which I have turned through 90 degrees. And each one works OK. [where I go from here I am not sure, except tomorrow morning I will be at 'extreme poses' and will hopefully take this forward in some way, in the meantime I will see what I can get from these images which I have posted below]

Further 'de-constructive' acts

In my recent posting 'Not the whole pose' I first used the term 'deconstruction' to describe the process I have been exploring for some time of drawing those parts of a pose which I have an immediate feeling for, but drawing them larger and closer together on the paper than they would be if I was to include the whole pose. One measure of attainment in this process is whether the actual whole pose can be imagined or reconstructed by the beholder particularly by using the space created by the parts, or in fact imagined or recalled by me (I am gradually becoming conscious of the importance of this created space, but I feel I have a long way to go to realise what it should be and whether it should be itself drawn or just remain the space in between).
So here are my two latest variations on this emerging deconstructive proscess.

The 'grace of three'

Yesterday morning we had Liv again, and as two weeks ago she started with three 5 minute poses. So here is yesterday's drawing followed by the one from two weeks ago. It is something of a gamble to end up creating a 'designed' composition. Liv is in control and it is she who decides what the poses will be. There is no forewarning of the poses. Sometimes standing, sometimes sitting, then perhaps curled up on the floor. So it is pleasing when a composition of the relationship between the poses appears to work.
Even in these quick drawings I utilise my now established two-handed three stage mark-making strategy: two hard pencils (H/HB) to explore and map the basic form, then two medium pencils (3B/4B) to emphasise the principal forms/lines, then two soft pencils (8B/9B) to focus in and highlight points of intensity.

My emerging 'spatiality'

Just returned home from 'extreme poses'.
A large Italian red to celebrate my morning's dimension to my life-drawing journey.
From my window the sun reflects lts light from the cathedral structures of the beechwood opposite.
I photographed my drawings in the sunshine before I entered my house.
Relaxed by the woodburner, I attempt a reflection.

My last three postings have allowed an analysis of, and have incorporated a description of, where I currently am in my life-drawing journey. When I have done this in the past I have found that my next life-drawing session takes a new direction (often only a very slight one). By analysing, by rationalising, by describing, by categorising what I have been doing, this appears to draw a line from which a new experience emerges. This is not a conscious or designed pocess or mechanism. It just seems to happen. Today was no exception. In fact today it was clear and obvious this was happening. BUT it only became clear and obvious it was happening when I talked with my mentor Paul Fowler.

Each of these four drawings engages with the spatial aspect of juxtaposing parts of a pose. I feel that each deals with this issue in a slightly different way. There is a depth to the construction of the drawing. There is a space within and between the parts.

I think I will leave off saying anything more, for now. And refill my glass. And reflect upon my reflective thoughts. So, more on this later.....perhaps.

Not the whole pose

Not drawing the whole pose has certainly become a real fascination. Recent postings have gradually introduced this approach, which I am addicted to. Or rather, I am addicted to the idea that there is emerging a life-drawing approach which has lots of potential but I have no insight into where it is leading. It is a real journey into the unknown.
In essence this is the starting point (but in fact there is no sudden starting point, in reality the approach has been gradual, and I have been unaware of its significance)   1) I am not drawing the whole pose,
2) I respond to those parts of the pose which I am attracted to, for one reason or another,
3) I draw the chosen parts larger, and closer together, than I would if I was to include the whole pose on the paper,
4) I often create a space, not a drawn space, between the parts: I have previously referred to this as a 'counterbalance' to the drawn parts. It is where the rest of the pose exists, but is not drawn. One measure of success is if the beholder can imagine the form of the whole pose. In other words can the pose be reconstructed by the beholder following the deconstructive process of the artist?
5) I am allowing myself to pursue this approach because I have now fully adopted a three stage mark-making strategy so that my drawing technique is 'sub-conscious' allowing me to fully concentrate on higher issues.

So, for those of you viewing this posting, I am asking 'Are you able to recreate the whole pose in each of these three drawings?'

A not unusual morning

Is this becoming a habit? Three 5 minute poses on one A1 paper, followed by a journey up along the edge of the pose, then (and I really am pleased with this composition) homing in on the three parts of the pose I have an instant feeling for, and finally just playing around to see what would happen. Yes, quite a typical Tuesday morning,

Four drawings of Paul

Here are four drawings which continue my approach to my life-drawing which I described in my previous posting. Again the model is up in the ropes at Extreme Poses, This time it is Paul our male model whereas last week we had Robin one of our two regular female models.

I am not yet, and may never be, in a position to give a descriptive title to the approaches I am pursuing.  Recent postings have attempted a few terms, but very tentative at this stage. Perhaps I should not attempt to classify/catorgarise these approaches as this may (and I have a strong feeling it would) take the novelty, the experimentation, the exploration, the everchanging nature of what I do, out of the equation. Take the first drawing as an example. One could describe it as 'hands and feet'. But it is so much more than that. Paul is facing me in a sitting position about two metres away, I am standing at my easel, he is above my head height. His knees are framing his face, his torso provides a large background, but it is his advancing hands and feet which attract and which I feel excited about. So I start to outline his right hand then his left hand but in drawing them large enough I bring them closer together. Similarly with his feet. All four begin to advance towards me (in the drawing) and a clear 'spatial' quality emerges within the drawing/composition, within the paper. I continue with my mark-making through my now usual 3 layer approach. I then ask myself how I address the rest of the pose. What about the head, the chest the full length of the arms and the legs? Do I stop here and leave it to the beholder to sort the pose out? Or do I start to include something else? The 30 minutes are up! As usual, as nearly always, this then is not a finishhed drawing. It is part of a process, it is an event in my life-drawing journey. No title, no classification, no product, but it will be reflected upon.