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March 2002 - No 20
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[Under Construction]

THE  ABERDYFI ARTIST

March 2002                                                    ISSUE NO 20

Dear Member,

It is the first day of  Spring as I start to write, although looking out of the window one would not think so. But Spring is a time of re-birth, a Renaissance, and although the weather may not yet have caught up with that idea, I get the feeling that the Society, collectively, has. There was a good attendance at the AGM, fifty members and friends enjoyed the Dinner last night, the painting days are being well attended, and we welcome five new members to our ranks already this year. I am not the only one to feel that there is a stirring in the Society’s bones, a new enthusiasm. It has crept in impercep-tibly, as these things do, but now it seems to be establishing itself and I hope it will continue to grow. It augurs well for this summer’s exhibition. It has also revealed itself in one other, very welcome, form, I have received an article for inclusion in this issue of The Aberdyfi Artist, and have another one promised! I will cover all these points in detail in a while, but first to the subjects of mountains and art.

I was in Scotland with friends at the beginning of March for what was intended to be a week on the hills. I have known some wild weather up there over a period of almost 40 years, but the wind and rain this year were incredible. We managed two days out and spent three days in, known as festering in mountaineering circles, before returning home early in disgust. I have often used the phrase “crawled to the top of the hill” figuratively, but this year I actually had to do it, on my knees for the last fifty metres, clinging on, rock by rock, as I advanced. We descended immediately after reaching the cairn and the rain blew horizontally at us, like a constant stream of bullets, such was the force with which it hit us. In these desperate circumstances I found myself, strangely, pondering over my reaction to what passes for art today! A psycho-logist would probably come up with some reason for this apparently aberrant mental behaviour. Possibly a deep seated desire to be out of those wild elements and back in the safety of the arms of a mother figure, Tracy Emin perhaps? Not a chance, mate! I was recalling a study I did when at college on the change in critical reaction to Henry Moore’s  sculpture over the years. There was no even pattern of development, but the general trend was from relating the actual work to real life and attempting to relate it to an earlier period, towards a situation where it was accepted as work of and in its time and  appreciated  for its own qualities. But those qualities were still aesthetic qualities, even though based in abstraction from the organic form. Therein lies the problem with so-called Britart for me, where is the aesthetic quality? I got to the bottom of the hill, very wet, but determined to think again about my responses and see if I was not somehow missing the aesthetic qualities in the work of many contemporary “artists”. A few days later I got home and read, in the April issue of The Artist, The Tate’s description of the current Turner Prize-winning exhibit of Martin Creed. As you probably are aware by now, this is called The Lights Going On and Off and is described as – Emblematic of mortality. What Creed has done is really make  minimal art minimal by dematerialising it – removing from the hectic commercialised world of capitalist culture. His installation activates the whole space. I despaired as so far as I can see, the only reason for entering something for the Turner Prize is involvement in the commercialised world of capitalist culture. Perhaps I am wrong in believing in aesthetics as a value to be encouraged. If so, I am glad I am as old as I am for I see no pleasant future in our world.

Now for a contribution from John Hoyle, for which I am most grateful. I hope that this is the first of many, not only from John, but other members too. This newsletter is the voice of the Society, please remember that, and if you are muttering whilst reading one of my little diatribes, please put pen to paper and let me have your views.

 

MIXED UP COLOURS

It seems a long time since I sat in a desk and in my old school, but even so some things come back to me as if it were only fifty odd years ago.  The pens that really fountained ink and the pink blotting paper that soaked it up again, at least that bit that did not stick on ones fingers.

One thing in particular now comes to mind.  In the Art classes we were told of the three primary colours, which every artist knows about, red, blue and yellow and the secondary colours orange, green and purple, that could be made by mixing the primaries.  In fact all colours could be made by mixing these three primary colours, if only one had the patience to get the proportions right.  Then we had the Physics lesson where we were told that all colours could be made by mixing the three primary colours, red, blue and green.   GREEN?  Wasn't it supposed to be YELLOW?  I reached the unsurprising conclusion that someone did not know what they were talking about.

In a subsequent Art class we were given powder paints in the three primary colours.  You must remember those awful powder paints which always seemed to give a sludgy brown when mixed.  The yellow was, strangely enough, yellow, but the blue was much nearer to a sea green and the red was nothing like the pillar-box red that I imagined red to be.  In fact it was a purplish colour like the face of someone who has consumed too much alcohol over too long a period of time.  Something was definitely amiss.

Of course the know-all Physics teacher was much closer to the truth.  If he had not been, our TVs would have to be made quite differently and colour printing would require quite different dyes.  The primary colours are in fact red, blue and green. By mixing red and blue lights - not pigments or dyes – a magenta colour is formed.  Blue and green lights give cyan and red and green lights give yellow.  It is these three colours, magenta, cyan and yellow, which the physics teacher called secondary colours and which the art teacher called primary colours.  These three secondary colours  (or should I say primary colours?) are the colours used for printing colour photographs and could be used by artists to mix any colour needed.  I once went through a phase of using lemon yellow, magenta and Prussian blue to paint pictures, but it did not last.   

Confusing?  Well a bit!  What is certain though is that the primary colours are NOT red, blue and yellow, as stated in art book after art book.  So how is it, that to my knowledge, this confusion has persisted for well over fifty years?  The answer, I believe, is very simple.  To the artist it matters not one jot what the three primary colours are.  How many artists restrict themselves to three colours?  They can use any number from one, especially if using charcoal, pencil or ink, to twenty or more and some minimalists have been known to use none at all!  The aim of the artist of course is to produce an effect, not a photographic copy, so it is far easier and quicker to dip into a ready made colour that looks almost right and then add a bit of this or that to fine-tune it.  Then again, does it matter if the hills are green, brown, yellow, blue or even scarlet as long as the overall effect is what is wanted? 

Of course how we see colours is determined by the signals produced in the retina of the eye and the interpretation of these signals by the brain.  There is nothing fundamentally different about the different colours of light, nor is there anything that makes some colours more primary than the rest.  Some animals and birds see colours differently and have a quite different view of the world.

Well, I have got this off my chest and if Bev. thinks it worth printing then you will be able to read it in the news letter.  I hope it is of some interest.

John R. Hoyle.

 

OBITUARY

I am sad to report the recent death of Mr Owen Hughes who was well over the age of 90. He was a former manager of the Midland Bank and was thus well qualified to be the first Treasurer of the Society on its formation in 1968 under its original name of The Bryneithin Painting Club. He and his wife were members for many years. Mrs Hughes is still alive and was a flower painter and producer of marvellous embroidery. She taught art and tutored at the Society several times. I am sure that I echo the feelings of all members in expressing sadness and condolences at the demise of Mr.Hughes. Thanks to Philip Newman for this information.

SUMMER PROGRAMME 2002.

Jean has produced a programme with a difference for the summer. She has borne in mind  two of the main requirements of a venue which are  the need to be able to shelter from inclement weather and access to toilet facilities. The Yacht Club provides both these, and most days, both tutored and untutored are to be there. She has even negotiated a reduced fee for the facilities for summer usage. The programme is a little unsettled, datewise. The first Tuesdays in April and May fall immediately after Bank Holidays, and Queenie has upset our June pattern with her Jubilee holiday on the first Tuesday in that month. July and September are back to the normal first and third Tuesday pattern, but you will need to consult the programme for April, May and June. I think you will find it an interesting and varied painting summer, with the welcome return of two tutors who have not been to us for a while, Joan Baker and Terry Bailey, and two more recent and popular ones, Wendy Murphy and Jane Keay. The complete detailed list is enclosed. A synopsis will appear on the membership card, but this has only just gone off to print so the attached list is your key for an interesting summer. Don’t lose it!  I am asked to remind members attending tutored days to try to arrive at the Yacht Club by 10am. Tutors cost us a lot of money so it is to our benefit for them to start on time. It is only polite, therefore, for members to be there and ready at the beginning and not interrupt their opening remarks by late entry.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

It was a wild night with a bitter east wind, but 17 members were brave enough to attend. Thank you all! Once again no nominations were received for any post, so the existing officers and committee remain at the helm, with the addition of Vic Gowers, a welcome returnee after his sabbatical. Stewart explained that our costs are steadily rising, but it was decided that membership should remain the same for the current year. At £5.00 it represents good value for money. Following this year’s exhibition, the Committee will review the situation and changes may be suggested for future years. Possible ways of increasing income would be by raising membership fees, class fees, or the percentage retained from pictures sold at the exhibition. The Annual Exhibition is included in Aberdyfi’s list of events for Jubilee Year and ways of improving the display of pictures were considered. An appeal for volunteers to help paint the screens will go out with the exhibition entry forms. Jack Harbottle reminded members that the Committee and Officers were all getting older and the lack of nominations was particularly disappointing. There was a danger that the Society would eventually fold if younger members did not come forward to help to run it. Next year’s AGM will be on Wednesday 12th March.

 ANNUAL DINNER

Fifty members and guests enjoyed an excellent meal at Plas Talgarth on 20th March. It was the best turn out for some years, and it was particularly rewarding to see so many of our newer members there. I always enjoy these events, but do feel that it is a pity that we all dash off home after the dinner. We really need a bar wherein we can socialise after the event. Lots of dinners end up in a disco, that most anti-social of inventions where it is impossible to talk because of the noise, but it is usually possible to escape to a quieter room to catch up with old friends and make new acquaintances. I am not suggesting a disco, I think most of us would abhor that, but a means of continuing the evening after the meal.

NEW MEMBERS

I am pleased to welcome to our ranks Ann and Jim Brocklehurst, Judy Bloxidge and Mary and Fred Sanders. I believe they are all actively painting, so I hope they will enjoy membership of our Society and the facilities it offers.

PRIZE CROSSWORDS

The winners of the crosswords in the October issue were Joan Best and Valerie Land. The number of entries was disappointingly low, so I will not bother to give the answers to the clues, but if anyone is really waiting for them I will be only too happy to send them a personal copy. I have always believed that people must be keen on crosswords, after all nearly every paper or magazine contains at least one. I have been doing them all my adult life, in fact even before that – I remember getting “The Children’s Newspaper” and that had one too! Perhaps other people do not share my enthusiasm but I think they add a bit of interest to our affairs. Is it worth continuing with them? Answers on a postcard, please.

MEMBERSHIP FEES

Stewart informs me that 30 members have not yet renewed their membership. I regret to say to them that this will probably be the last communication from the Society unless they are paid. You will miss your chance to exhibit in the summer exhibition for the sake of £5. Was it Confucius who said “Don’t delay, pay today”?

ILLNESS

Members have probably heard that Glyn Davies is not well, and I am sure we all send our best wishes to him, Claire, Kay, and their family for a speedy recovery.

 

Bev Barratt

25 March 2002

 

Last modified: 09/29/05