Art Alphabet: E - Esther

The Art Alphabet strikes again. Being “Esther,” I’m fond of saying Everything starts with an E…which in a way cannot be denied. 

E

1. A Type of Art (embossing): Whiteprint by Robert Adams (USA, 1887-1986)

Embossing is a method of making raised or lowered areas on a surface by printing. It’s often used to create marks such as signatures in prints, but as we see here can also be used as a technique to form the art itself. It’s something that crafters have taken on in activities such as card-making, where you can buy actual machines to do the embossing. 

2. An Artist (Emin): Move Me, Tracey Emin (England, b. 1963)

Tracey Emin is most well-known for her 1990s installations. I was never a fan back in the day & politically we are poles apart, but I do admire perseverance & a profound artistic intent. So it was dismaying to find out that in 2020, she wasn’t sure whether she’d make it to that Christmas due to an aggressive bladder cancer. Listening to a recent art podcast however, I was glad to hear her discuss her recovery & the remission of the cancer. Her improved health has resulted in her plans to open an art school & retreat.

3. An Object (easel): Artist in His Studio by Rembrandt (Netherlands, 1606-1669) 

It’s allegedly about the “artist” but the easel dominates the painting, so I’m claiming it for E. To me, it portrays the artist as an isolated figure, the space between him & his work on the easel is vast. Does this represent a block he might have been experiencing? Or perhaps a distance from his audience? The brilliance of Rembrandt’s artistry is often in this still aloneness, where we can more easily project our own humanity onto his figures.

4. An Emotion (elation): Elation by Bitjamin Franklin

I was intrigued by this piece. I can’t find much information about the unlikely-named Franklin but this piece of digital art was apparently inspired by the idiom, “head’s in the clouds.” This makes more sense than taking the image of “elation” at face value, but I suppose the meaning of much art is in the eye of the beholder.

5. An Animal (elephant): Portrait of the Elephant ‘Alam Guman, attributed to Bichitr (India, c. 17th century)

I love an elephant; it’s my second favourite animal. There’s something poignant about its size compared with how we’ve treated them. Something that ought to be so mighty has been hunted & enslaved for human ends. Tragic, considering they are so social & often seemingly concerned with others of their species. Frequently they are depicted as something wild & free, but those are just as frequently cheesy & sentimental. Opinions may vary. This elephant is a captured creature, dressed up for transporting people that ill deserve it.

6. A Body Part (eye): The False Mirror by René Magritte (Belgium, 1898-1967)

Although he intrigues & puzzles us & makes us think, I feel Magritte is underrated as an artist. As a Surrealist, he’s often thought of as an ideas man. That’s fine, because he had some utterly brilliant sometimes humorous thoughts & came up with great concepts that can turn our heads inside out, but he was also a prolific worker & excellent technician. As is often the case, he has played around with the title versus the image & we can think ourselves very clever for “getting it.” This playfulness however isn’t always valued in these cynical times & his vast talent isn’t always appreciated. 

7. Ancient Art (Ancient Egypt): Portrait of Ramesses IX 

A ruler from 1129-1111 BC, Ramesses’s tomb is located in KV6 in the Valley of the Kings & was thought to have been incomplete at the time of his death. Although something of a traditionalist art period, his reign nevertheless also saw the rise new materials & methods. In any case, his eyeliner is spectacular & the makeup of Ancient Egypt has been immortalised both in tomb paintings such as this as well as the winged eyeliner of many of us today…

8. A Historical Figure (Edward VII): Edward VII Memorial by Alfred Drury (design), James Philip (carving) 

Aberdeen is awash with great statues. The older parts of the city are almost exclusively fashioned from granite, well-known of course for being hard. Yet, the creations our forebears managed to craft in granite is remarkable. Pneumatic tools made this possible of course, but as I’ve said before, look up in Aberdeen or you’ll miss some of the beautiful carvings. What I’ve also said however, is that it’s a dangerous practice to make statues of recognisable or at least named historical figures. I don’t believe in the monarchy, but this is an astonishing sculpture. & I do feel this is sculpture over mere statue-making.

9. A Country (Ethiopia): ? by Ermias Ekube (Ethiopia, b. 1970)

Lots of Es. Ekube’s work focuses on the Ethiopian people & is energetic & exciting in its execution. I love the thickly-applied paint is so expertly handled with a squared off brush. It’s a method used by artists in the past but here with less traditional colour choices. It’s entirely believable & very striking.

10. An Artwork (Ecce Homo): Ecce Homo by Jacob Epstein (USA-UK, 1880-1959)

Coventry Cathedral affected me hugely as a child. We had relatives in England & we’d visit the towns & cities round about, taking in as much culture as possible. There were worse things to have done as a kid, e.g. camping & sadly we sometimes did that too. But I grew to love visiting churches & cathedrals, despite my (now) atheism. Everything about Coventry Cathedral enthralled me, including the stories of how the new cathedral came about & the lessons I learned have always stayed with me. One of these was that Ecce Homo meant “behold the man.” At the time I didn’t understand it, but even then I knew that one day I would. I’ve understood it for a long time now & it seems more & more sarcastic by the day. Behold. Behold what we have become.