Joseph Mallord William Turner
Clouds and Water
1840
oil on canvas
32 x 49 cm
Museum de Fundatie, Zwolle & Heino/Wijhe
Recently seen in the exhibition “De Romantiek in het Noorden”, Groninger Museum (2017-2018)
Clouds and Water
1840
oil on canvas
32 x 49 cm
Museum de Fundatie, Zwolle & Heino/Wijhe
Recently seen in the exhibition “De Romantiek in het Noorden”, Groninger Museum (2017-2018)
Turner is one of the artists that have always inspired me, and
as I grew in my artist life even inspired and inspires me more and more. I have
always looked upon artists that came before me, as my teachers. Every time when
I met a painting problem or painting question, I would visit the museum, and
answers would be found, as well as inspiration and recognition, that I was
going in the right direction.
Turner was inspired by the power of nature, the sublime. As a
Romantic painter he was intrigued by color and light. He depicted one moment in
time, which is ever-changing. A true light chaser (with which I can relate).
Therefore he has been a great inspiration for the Impressionists. As he is to
me.
Especially for the time of age Turner lived in, he is extremely
‘modern’. He uses references to nature, to get the extreme freedom in other
parts of his painting. Then it is all about paint and suggestion. This is what
also intrigues me. Painting landscapes in comparison to for example portraits,
provides an enormous freedom.
I started by studying and painting all classical themes, apart from one: the landscape. Through literally abandoning the interiors that I painted, I started painting my human figures seen on the back, not inside a house, but outside, in cityscapes. After that, the human figure slowly disappeared and nature slowly entered my paintings. Now natural landscapes are the main theme in my work.
Within these landscapes I use references, for example the horizon, as a reference, for entering the landscape, as does Turner. Apart from such an element, these paintings for me are abstract and suggest even more reality, then the original landscape, because of the adding of the painters associations, experiences, memories and feelings through color interpretations, dynamic strokes, etcetera. As if you could feel the storm, be within the storm ; very expressive.
To quote Morandi : ”Nothing is more abstract than reality”.
I started by studying and painting all classical themes, apart from one: the landscape. Through literally abandoning the interiors that I painted, I started painting my human figures seen on the back, not inside a house, but outside, in cityscapes. After that, the human figure slowly disappeared and nature slowly entered my paintings. Now natural landscapes are the main theme in my work.
Within these landscapes I use references, for example the horizon, as a reference, for entering the landscape, as does Turner. Apart from such an element, these paintings for me are abstract and suggest even more reality, then the original landscape, because of the adding of the painters associations, experiences, memories and feelings through color interpretations, dynamic strokes, etcetera. As if you could feel the storm, be within the storm ; very expressive.
To quote Morandi : ”Nothing is more abstract than reality”.
I admire how he succeeds to capture the sublimity of nature in
his paintings.
He is transcending representation of only the landscape, as is my research and ambition.
He is transcending representation of only the landscape, as is my research and ambition.
Apart from everything written here above…it is also just the
purest magic when you are in front of a painting like this... Turner takes you,
kidnaps you, into his world and his time. The painting pulls you in. You can
feel the wind, the storm, the power of nature, like you are there.
And technical, in that time and age, epic…
At the moment, while I am writing this, I am in Alentejo (Portugal) for a residency to research and paint a new body of work. As I regard painters like Turner (still) as my teachers, every year when I am here, I have the tradition to visit and study Turner’s painting in the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisboa. Although the painting stays the same, for me she changes. Every visit I see different parts or segments, that intrigue me, because of the development in my work and personal life.
This relation and tradition I also have with one of the other painters of the Romanticism: Caspar David Friedrich. Him I will visit again this summer, to admire and get advise during my residency in Berlin.
And technical, in that time and age, epic…
At the moment, while I am writing this, I am in Alentejo (Portugal) for a residency to research and paint a new body of work. As I regard painters like Turner (still) as my teachers, every year when I am here, I have the tradition to visit and study Turner’s painting in the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisboa. Although the painting stays the same, for me she changes. Every visit I see different parts or segments, that intrigue me, because of the development in my work and personal life.
This relation and tradition I also have with one of the other painters of the Romanticism: Caspar David Friedrich. Him I will visit again this summer, to admire and get advise during my residency in Berlin.
Ingrid Simons, May 18, 2018
Ingrid Simons (NL)
Unending Infinity I
2016
oil on linen
130 x 200 cm
photo by Peter Cox
www.ingridsimons.com
Unending Infinity I
2016
oil on linen
130 x 200 cm
photo by Peter Cox
www.ingridsimons.com
