Grey Forest, 2012
Grey Forest is a 1926 painting by Max Ernst. The painting is abstract, but suggestive of figuration. Ernst used a technique called grattage, which is scraping colour on a prepared ground set over an uneven surface, effectively a version of frottage (making a rubbing, much like a brass rubbing).
Max Ernst had this to say about the technique: “By adapting the process of frottage to the technical procedures of painting, although at first it had seemed applicable only to drawing, while all the time trying to restrain my own active participation in the evolution of the picture so as to increase the active functioning of the hallucinatory faculties of the mind, I succeeded in being present as a spectator at the birth of all my works…Swimming blindly, I made myself see. I saw. And I was suprised to find I was in love with what I could see, and wanted to identify with it.”
You can see a picture of Grey Forest at Pam Thompson’s poetry blog here.
Without putting a time limit on it (because I know I won’t stick to it), I’m going to do a few posts (and photographs), with titles taken from Jean-Luc Daval’s History of Abstract Painting.
As usual, thanks to John Pindar and Deanne who set this whole titling thing in motion. And to my collaborator and all-round cool dude, Richard over at CK Ponderings with whom I will be doing a collaborative post this Sunday on his site. Please check it out.
Good post! Like the photograph and the relationship you´ve drawn to Max Ernst. It got me thinking! Also I like the idea of Grey Forest and, although the picture is “grey”, you´ve used colour – not all that common with your work – or is it?
Cheers
Charles
Thanks, Charles! Yes, I definitely post more B&W than colour (and even then tend towards muted colour, ha ha). Find it much easier to compose in B&W – lazy maybe.
Great image! So much to see, and the longer you look the more you pick up on. While I know it’s not an image you’ve set up yourself, I love the bent wheel (complete with lock) and the feet poking out of the doors! 🙂
Thanks, Richard! Yes, pure chance again – another happy accident – I stumbled on it and thought it had a theatrical air to it, so… 🙂
I first saw this in the reader and I had to go back and take another look. I love it, I love the legs in the corner, I really had to look to work out what it was. Great image Richard.
Thanks very much, Leanne. Yes, it’s not one of my more immediate images that’s for sure. I wanted to do something opposite to the previous post.
Fab image and thanks for the link to my blog. What a find yours is Richard 🙂
Thanks very much, Pam. That’s very nice of you to say. Love your blog. 🙂
I love the fixed motionless in this shot . . .
Thanks, Patti. I love motionlessness – haven’t got enough of it in my life 🙂
Absolutely gorgeous image!
Thank you so much, Deanne!
Fabulously subdued composition. I didn’t notice the legs in the corner at first, great touch.
Thanks so much, Stevie. Yes, again, pure chance that someone was on their break.
Absolutely love this one. Really fascinating lines. I’m completely drawn in.
Thanks very much, Melanie. I’m really glad you like it. I was trying for something half way between figurative and abstract (and ended up with something theatrical).
Great!
Thank you, CG!
I like the cut of reality piece by piece – like on this pfoto.
Thanks – what I liked about this scene when I stumbled upon it was how theatrical it appeared, while being completely mundane.
I agree. Additionally I like also when this kind of “cutting reality” is telling us short story.