Sophie Calle

Just decided to do an art therapy workshop which I am going to talk about later but in association of this idea I have got Sophie Calle to look at.
I am looking at one of her first book I found in the library and I found interesting ideas which are very inspiring and also create a feeling : "why I didn't invent before this simple and great idea?"
E.g.she gets hired for few days in a hotel as a maid just to take pictures.

Wordless Books - The Original Graphic Novels David A. Berona

I found this fantastic book in the university library and after it I ordered from Amazon because I wanted to own it. David A. Berona collects together some great woodcut graphic novel artists.
There are so many great works together, also he writes in a great style, the reader of this book can became like a sponge which wants to be soaked with every information one can get from.
Just to mention some of them: Frans Masereel, a Belgian artist. His work by title: La Passion d`un Homme, published in 1918 is a story about battle of human against machine, against the Western industrialization. As we know from the title of the Berona`s book these stories are all wordless, all stories told just by pictures. (Berona, 2008. p. 15)

                   available at: http://www.ephemanar.net/janvier03.html accessed 26 April 2012

After one year he came out with an other story told in 25 woodcuts by title "Passionate journey".

picture available at: http://thecribsheet-isabelinho.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/frans-masereels-la-ville-coda-2.html accessed 26 April 2012

I would like to mention my other favorite from this book who is a Hungarian artist by name Istvan Szegedi Szuts who was born in Budapest in 1892 and immigrated to England in 1929 where he published his only wordless book. This book is composed of pen-and-ink drawings. He is telling a story about a Huszar (Hungarian cavalryman) whose name is Iskos. He gives a title to each page to make better understandable the story. The title of the book is My War. (Berona, 2008. p. 177)
His lines are unusual, little bit similar with Japanese ink-works, "R.H. Mottram states that Szuts is one of the chroniclers of a fundamental change in human nature." (Berona, 2008. p. 177)

available at: http://libraryexhibits.utad.utoledo.edu/mppcoll/arts/D522szuts.html accessed 26 April 2012
He is able to express very intense feelings just by applying few lines:

picture available at: http://lerbd.blogspot.co.uk/2008/06/wordless-books-original-graphic-novels.html accessed 26 April 2012

Berona, D. A. (2008) Wordless Book The original graphic novels. Abram, New York

Joseph Cornell

I get much inspiration from works of American artist and sculptor Joseph Cornell. I really like the idea how he uses the boxes. In this society we always have a phobia about boxes, we don`t want to be in a box, we don`t want someone to put us in a box, telling who we are and how closed is that box which keeps you inside. But Joseph Cornell doesn`t know this phobia. He feels comfortable, free in his boxes because he knows that this boxes are full with invisible openable doors to the infinity. He creates different, well separated, wonderful worlds in some of the boxes.

              picture available at: http://www.hedonia.net/art/cornell.htm accessed 26 April 2012

              picture available at: http://www.hedonia.net/art/cornell.htm accessed 26 April 2012

One of his famous box is "grid" with rectangular shapes, forming an organized structure which is even more emphasized by letters, text and mathematical elements of a newspaper. Is inspiring to think about how a good artist can create great artwork from the most inexpensive materials. However the puritan presentation of this well organized box can have a message for us. If we look at our present world where we are facing with a net of straight rules, boxes, quantities, structures, regules and standards we are supposed to follow.

picrure available at: http://www.josephcornellbox.com/menu.htm accessed 26 April 2012

David Thorpe The quiet voice - Saatchi Gallery

The collage of David Thorpe is a well organized, structured abstract 3 dimensional piece of art where there are mixed media - wood, twigs, strings and painting - used. Is organic, has a triangle shape with stripped texture, worm colors which give an impression of silence, calm, happiness, relaxation, attracting and encouraging the viewers to take the adventure of their inner world.

Alighiero Boetti

Exhibition in Tate Modern with works started in 1966. Surprising materials, surprising displays used packaging materials, glass window...He wants the visitor to think about what is an artist in an industrial city? Everyone is working in a factory while Boetti is sunbathing, not working at all. (atribunetv 2012)

Picture available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/feb/27/alighiero-boetti-tate-modern accessed: 26 April 2012

From 1969 he starts to work more conceptual, using language, text, photography, drawing by both hands on the same time.

Picture available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/happyfamousartists/6790150732/ accessed 26 April 2012

Atribunetv, 2012 Alighiero Boetti, Tate Modern - Londra 2012 available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntzIKxz6paE

David Hockney: A bigger picture

Amazing, colorful digital landscapes at the Royal Academy this spring. A real celebration of spring what we still keep expecting here in London even after this exhibition finished. Between the common straight lines my eyes keep searching the outstanding features, and I found interesting the aslope tree:

picture available at: http://artobserved.com/2012/02/london-david-hockney-a-bigger-picture-at-the-royal-academy-of-art-through-april-9-2012/ accessed 26 April 2012

The other one which popped out for me is a very bright, colorful composition but using colors in a very nice way, also the composition has an interesting playfulness.

picture available at: http://www.thestyleexaminer.com/2012/01/david-hockneys-bigger-picture.html
                                                             accessed 26 April 2012