Thursday 26 March 2015

Art in Sheffield

Hello. We woke up to rain this morning, and I am sure I have seen some sprinklings of snow. I remember Easter a few years ago when snow fell, so we are not out of the woods yet. Summer is just around the corner, but the great man in the sky has a habit of playing tricks on us. A day indoors I think today. 
I went to Sheffield hoping to see art, we trawled the galleries and found some. My preference is for contemporary and modern art, but understandably there was more of the traditional kind. I like to see something that stretches my mind, something that confuses me, and something that forces me to think outside the box. I've a few pics of my kind of art to show. 
Sheffield is the cutlery capital, the steel industry has been prolific in building the city's economy over the years. The Millennium Gallery has this amazing monument to steel, made of cutlery welded to a wire frame.


This decorative artwork encourages people to make a donation to the gallery.

One of the exhibitions in the Millennium Gallery is, 'Picturing Sheffield'. There are paintings from past and present, documenting  the regeneration of the city. The collection includes work by artists from the 1970's to the present day. It finishes on the 12th of April, so you have to be quick to see it before it closes. I like this one, big, bold, busy, and colourful. Here is a link to their web site.
Next stop was the Library, which houses the Graves Gallery on the upper floor. As you climb the stairs and look up to the skylight there appears to be a hundred birds floating in the air.

Looking closely, they are fringed squares of loosely woven fabric, folded corner to corner. As the warm air rises they look like they are floating.

This is amazing. A very large red canvas, the picture has been 'painted', with strands of beads, and chains, which have been left to dangle down to the floor giving the impression that the excess 'paint' has been allowed to dribble. 
A stunning piece of work, I love it.

In the same gallery are two large figures, this is one of them, both are holding a rifle.

As you can see all kinds of paraphernalia has been used in their construction. I am wondering if there was a plan for this work, or was it like stick this here and put that there, and see what happens. Hmmm, confusing.
Here is a link to the Graves Gallery.

Seen on the stairway of the Graves Gallery. So true. We need to have a certain amount of logic to get us through day to day living. I think I am a logical kind of person, but on the other hand too much logic can stifle imaginative thoughts. I am also a dreamer and like to let my mind wander to wherever it pleases. 
So, what are you? Are your thoughts always logical, or can you wander off the long straight path to explore either side of it. Do you like things orderly and straight forward, or can you cast off the shackles and let your mind fly freely? Let me know, I'm interested in how you think.

Thanks for popping in. The rain has stopped, maybe the day is going to turn out quite nice after all.
Toodle pip

23 comments:

  1. Thank you for todays post, I enjoyed looking at your pictures of art, I must admit I prefer this type of art to the big large religious paintings in art gallerys, portraits of straight sit up men and women. steel and metal hold my attention, but the material floating was fab too. Julie T

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  2. First of all, absolutely wonderful photos of the gallery, and I would love to visit in person. Then, in answer to your question...I'm educated as an accountant/CPA, so yes I do like order. I'm a planner for the most part. But my joy is in writing to use the other side of my brain, and I love, love, love adventure and seeing things I've never seen before. The blogs are a great escape from my logic mind.

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    1. Seems you have the best of both worlds there, Linda. My best friend is an accountant and our minds work totally different. Mind you, she has taken up knitting as she comes close to retirement, but I won't be puzzling over figures, ha ha.

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  3. Most of the time I prefer more traditional art, but the pieces you have chosen to show us make me smile too.

    Hubby was a teacher, so while he was going to school he would bring home some of the tests they could give to students to help identify the best way to teach a child who was struggling. One was to identify if you were random/abstract/concrete/sequential. I'm this weird combination of random/concrete/sequential. Most people are either random/abstract or concrete/sequential. So I get to talk to everybody!

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    1. Interesting Judy. I think my mind was always random abstract, even at school. I failed miserably at learning hard facts, but loved playing around in the sewing room and the kitchen.

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  4. I enjoyed looking at the cutlery exhibit, mainly because I get the connection with Sheffield. The imaginative exhibits....I don't know. I prefer to look at pictures where the artist has used their skill with the brush and paint. I guess I must be a logical person. Everything must have a reason and purpose for me.

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    1. Hi Caz. There are many different variations of skill. I too like paintings that have taken a lot of effort, as in the wild life portraits I wrote about recently. I wish I have that skill, but I don't. Sometimes the skill is in seeing the things that others don't see.

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  5. Wow... I love this kind of art. The cutlery dragon thingy was just right up my street. And of course the fabric squares too. I do like to see stuffy old school type painting too but not too much in one go. We don't go to enough art things here and your post is a timely reminder that we should make the effort more often. Great post Ilona. x

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    1. Thank you Jane. I like the way art takes me to another place.

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  6. I loved the cutlery Barrel Cactus, just brilliant. It's closely followed by the drippy red 'painting'. I've been watching the Big Painting Challenge programme on Sundays on BBC1 and I'm enjoying all the different contestants individual take on the briefs. Mind you, how nobody has punched that woman judge yet I'll never know. So scathing and rude. Mind you it has inspired me to get myself a little sketchbook and blow the cobwebs off my own paints. I've always loved the work of Rene Magritte especially his painting 'The Cheque'. I go cross-eyed working out how he did it!

    Linda xx

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    1. Hi Linda. Yes, I think that woman spoils the programme, and I wish they wouldn't hover over the artists while they are working hard to create their picture. I might tell them to buzz off.

      Wow, Rene Magritte, amazing artist. Couldn't find 'The Cheque', but lots of others to peruse on the web site. I like this quote.

      To be a surrealist means barring from your mind all remembrance of what you have seen, and being always on the lookout for what has never been. ”
      - Rene Magritte

      Thanks for the tip off.

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    2. Hi Ilona,
      Here's a link for the painting http://www.renemagritte.org/le-blanc-seing.jsp

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    3. Forgot to say, it also goes under the name of Le Blanc Seing - The Blank Cheque. It's the first pic on the page of the woman on horseback.

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    4. Thanks. Got the woman on horseback, but I am not getting the connection to a blank cheque. Maybe that's the whole point.

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  7. Thank you for sharing your trip to Sheffield - it looks a great place to visit. I liked the art photographs - it's amazing what people create and how they challenge us to view and interpret it. By the way, I am not very logical at all! Sarah

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  8. the cutlery were my favourite pieces. Thank you for sharing.

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  9. I loved seeing all of the different art. My favorite is the cutlery dragon. Modern sculpture is my favorite type of art.

    Loved seeing the buildings in Sheffield yesterday, too. First thing when I see you've gone on one of your jaunts is that I look up the location on Google maps. There are so many beautiful places in central and northern England. I love architecture.

    I am a logical person, too logical at times, but I love the arts.

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  10. Loved your sharing!
    Logic usually on the day to day things of life.
    My imagination soars and splats when a short story is running through my written words. On the "good' days the stories almost write themselves into existence. On not so good, the words are flat and lifeless.

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    1. Interesting annie. I get writers block sometimes, all the words are mixed up, takes a long time to sort them out, ha ha.

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  11. wow love the cutlery art amazing x

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    1. Hi Fi. Just been over to your blog and left a comment. Howz the frugaling thing going? Are you retired yet?

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  12. Wonderful post today, thanks for sharing your pics.
    I enjoy art that is thought provoking no matter what period it's from.
    I'm a retired teacher and some of the best art I've seen has been done by children.
    AussieCheryl : )

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  13. Hello,Ilona.Art...love it, it intrigues, inspires and challenges me to think and perceive in new ways.Though I have very creative drives,I also have strong logical leanings.The sculpture and floating fabric mobile were my favourites though all really good.IMO.Thank you for sharing the rest of your lovely photos and info,much enjoyed,regards,D.

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