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A woman passes by a few of the paintings by David Hockney in his "82 Portraits and 1 Still Life" exhibit at LACMA.
Overzichtstentoonstelling van David Hockney, van 9 februari tot en met 29 mei in de Tate Britain
De Engelse schilder, tekenaar, graficus, fotograaf en filmer David Hockney (Bradford, 1937) is een van de bekendste en meest geliefde kunstenaars ter wereld. En terecht, als je het mij vraagt. Maar ik ben dan ook een fan: ik bekijk tentoonstellingen, lees biografieën en interviewbundels, koop documentaires over Hockney op DVD. Ik verheugde me al maanden op de persvoorbezichtiging van zijn grote overzichtstentoonstelling in de Tate Britain in Londen. Nu ik daar geweest ben, probeer ik me een jonge kunstliefhebber voor te stellen die nog níet vertrouwd is met Hockney’s werk. Wat voor indruk houdt zo iemand over aan dat retrospectief in Londen?
In de eerste museumzalen maakt hij kennis met de jonge Hockney, die omstreeks 1960 rauw schildert, een beetje zoals Francis Bacon, maar dan grappiger. Poppetjes met scherpe tanden. Veel cijfers en letters in het beeld. Toespelingen op homoseks, die destijds in Engeland nog bij de wet verboden was. Na drie zalen is Hockney naar Amerika verhuisd en maakt hij strakke, klinische schilderijen in pastelkleuren van Californische villa’s met privézwembaden, vaak met blote jongens erin. A Bigger Splash (1967) hangt hier, zijn beroemde schilderij van een plons witte verf in een egaal blauw chloorzwembad. Een flard action painting in een hard edge abstracte compositie.
Dan is er een indrukwekkende zaal met Hockney’s levensgrote, ineens heel naturalistische dubbelportretten uit de jaren zeventig, van onder meer zijn bejaarde ouders, de modeontwerper Ossie Clark en zijn vrouw Celia, de schrijver Christopher Isherwood en zijn vriend Don Bachardy. Gevolgd door een zaal met alleen maar tekeningen op klein formaat. Weer gevolgd door een zaal met alleen fotowerken: de joiners uit de jaren tachtig, waarin steeds één beeld is samengesteld uit tientallen, soms zelfs honderden losse detailfoto’s. Uit de late jaren tachtig en negentig zijn er interieurs en landschappen waarin Hockney met het kubisme flirt, al schildert hij in veel bontere kleuren dan Picasso en Braque ooit zouden gebruiken. Kort na het jaar 2000 woont hij weer meer in Engeland dan in Amerika; hij vereeuwigt het platteland van zijn geboortestreek Yorkshire in grote, vaak uit meerdere doeken bestaande schilderijen, maar ook in enorme videowerken – en ten slotte weer in good old houtskool op papier. De tentoonstelling eindigt met een zaal tekeningen die Hockney op zijn iPhone en iPad maakte. Ze worden in het donker getoond op negen grote beeldschermen.
Door de decennia heen bedient Hockney zich dus van alle mogelijke technieken en lijkt hij zich weinig om stijlvastheid te bekommeren. Van die grote afwisseling geeft het retrospectief in de Tate Britain wel een idee. Er hangt van alles wat, min of meer chronologisch, en er zijn topstukken uit het oeuvre bij. Dat is knap werk van de organisatie, want de tentoonstelling is hierna nog in het Centre Pompidou in Parijs en het Metropolitan Museum in New York te zien: musea en verzamelaars moesten dus bereid worden gevonden hun bruiklenen voor meer dan een jaar af te staan.
Maar ik betwijfel of de samenhang tussen de verschillende onderdelen duidelijk is voor wie Hockney’s werk niet goed kent en wel eens wil weten wat de maker van die beroemde Big Splash nog meer heeft gedaan. De groepen werken zijn niet zo gekozen en gepresenteerd dat je begrijpt hoe de ene groep uit de andere voortvloeit, en hoe Hockney vaak in een andere vorm of techniek op hetzelfde thema terugkomt. Een paar zalen na de dubbelportretten uit de jaren zeventig hadden bijvoorbeeld enkele van zijn veertig geaquarelleerde dubbelportretten uit 2002 getoond kunnen worden. (En, idealiter, helemaal aan het einde een paar van de 82 grote portretten die hij tussen 2013 en 2016 schilderde – maar dat was helaas niet mogelijk omdat die hele reeks momenteel in Melbourne hangt.) De informele iPadtekeningen van een asbak, bloempotten op de veranda of een iPhone aan de oplader zouden minder uit de lucht komen vallen als ze waren voorafgegaan door de felgekleurde, originele stillevens uit de jaren negentig: schilderijen van onder meer narcissen, broccoli, een plastic terpetinefles en slapende teckels.
Omdat de diversiteit in het oeuvre meer nadruk krijgt dan de continuïteit, is de solotentoonstelling in de Tate een soort groepstentoonstelling van één kunstenaar geworden. Van de catalogus wordt de bezoeker niet veel wijzer: de auteurs daarvan doen hun uiterste best Hockney alsnog in te lijven bij de moeilijke moderne kunst waar hij al zestig jaar vrolijk omheen fietst. ‘Hockney patiently proceeded to overcome, through Hegelian sublation, Benjamin’s dialectics that oppose painting with technology.’ Het staat er echt.
Nu is David Hockney heus wel een conceptuele kunstenaar, in die zin dat hij nadenkt over de bedoelingen en de betekenis van wat hij maakt. Maar die laten zich ook heel goed begrijpen zonder de filosofieën van Hegel en Benjamin en zonder onnavolgbaar kunstjargon.
Het gaat bij Hockney altijd over de waarneming. Over het plezier van intens kijken naar de wereld om je heen, en dus over levenslust. There’s a fabulous lot to look at, vindt hij. Om te beginnen is daar de ruimte waarin we ons bevinden. Hoe onze blik de ruimte aftast, hoe het perspectief verschuift als we ons verplaatsen. Die ruimtelijke ervaring probeert Hockney op het platte vlak te benaderen. Vandaar zijn samengestelde fotowerken, vandaar zijn belangstelling voor de kubisten (die een onderwerp van meerdere kanten tegelijk wilden laten zien). En vandaar ook het videowerk uit 2011, waarvoor hij een auto met negen high definition-camera’s over een bospad in Yorkshire liet rijden, vier keer precies hetzelfde stukje in winter, lente, zomer en herfst. Negen camera’s zien meer dan één; ze kijken vooruit, maar ook naar links en rechts en omhoog, net als de bewegende mens.
Nog een bron van kijkplezier: licht. Hoe het licht breekt in transparant spul als water of glas, en hoe je zo’n effect in verf kunt stileren. Bliksemschichten op een zwembadbodem. De reflectie van een schemerlamp in een donkere ruit. Tegenlicht en lange schaduwen als het voorjaar je tegemoet komt op een landweg.
Bovendien zijn er de kleuren. Zoek op ‘David Hockney’ in Google Images en je ziet het in één oogopslag. Hockney is een colorist, iemand die de gekleurdheid van alle dingen viert. Hoe zo’n bos door de seizoenen heen van kleur verschiet: je weet het natuurlijk wel, maar je staat er toch weer van te kijken als je het – knisperend scherp – op vier keer negen beeldschermen om je heen ziet. Dat is wat Hockney al zestig jaar doet: het vanzelfsprekende zo in beeld brengen dat je beseft hoe bijzonder het eigenlijk is. Je vergeet soms gewoon uit je doppen te kijken, niet naar een computer- of smartphonescherm maar naar de mensen, spullen en plekken om je heen. Je verliest ze uit het oog omdat je ongelukkig bent op school of werk, omdat je je zorgen maakt over ontwikkelingen in de politiek, omdat je bang bent voor de dood van jezelf of anderen – en dan is daar de kunst, vooral die van Hockney, die zegt: kijk wat het leven allemaal te bieden heeft zolang het duurt. Kijk ernaar en verheug je erover.
(Verschenen in de NRC van 18 februari)
Piccadilly Circus station has recently been 'adorned' by this new 'artwork' by no less than David Hockney. Its on an electronic display on one landing. The same image is also displayed going up one escalator shaft, but alternating with adverts.
I do recall how Mr Hockney used to work in the old fashioned medium of oil paint. He managed to produce a number of paintings that are definitely recognisible as 'art'. I'm not sure what this is, though at least he apparently wasn't paid for it!
At least one person likes it: www.creativebloq.com/news/hockneys-london-artwork
And the Mayor thinks its 'brilliant' - though possibly he used to say that when his children came home from school with something similar....
Overzichtstentoonstelling van David Hockney, van 9 februari tot en met 29 mei in de Tate Britain (en daarna in Parijs en New York)
Photos Taken in Salts Mill, Bradford. Pentax K5 ii & Pentax kit lens. The B&W photos were inspired by "Ian Beesley" a Bradford Social documentary photographer, and of course some inspired by my favourite Artist, "David Hockney".
Poem Text:
I could see
the black pear tree
before it's gone
It was
a greater
luxury
one
million miles away
Quote: "Millions of people will move from Earth to Space over time... they will be born and live on these colonies. They will visit the Earth the way you may visit Yellowstone Park." --Jeff Bezos
Text Source: Spring Cannot be Cancelled by Martin Gayford and David Hockney
Boards Of Canada
Art :
David Hockney
Acrylic Paint On Canvas
1967
DVD :
Boards Of Canada
Warp Records
WARP200DP
Music . Mike Sandison & Marcus Eoin
Design . Boards Of Canada
Diver . Joe Kittinger (Project Excelsior 1960)
iTunes :
Boards Of Canada
In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country
Warp Records
WARP144
A GMA Bomb ...
Illustration for a 'Printable Art Project' by Lisa Currie. The theme for the project was 'Feels Like Home'.
See and print out the full project here www.lisalightsafire.blogspot.com/
Back in the 1990s, before digital cameras were invented, and under the influence of David Hockney's famous photo collages, I experimented with shooting lots of 35mm prints of family life and assembled them onto large sheets of paper.
This is one of my favourites showing my kids Ben and Sophie at the Kew Gardens glasshouse.
The tomb of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York
This was designed in the Renaissance style by Italian sculptor Pietro Torrigiano (Henry VIII had not liked the designs which were first put forward for the tomb by other sculptors). The black marble tomb base is adorned with six medallions in copper gilt representing the Virgin Mary and Henry's patron saints (Michael, George, Anthony, Christopher, Anne, Edward the Confessor, Vincent, Barbara, Mary Magdalene, John the Baptist and John the Evangelist). At either end are coats of arms supported by cherubs. The gilt bronze recumbent effigies can be seen through the fine grille which surrounds the monument. Seated angels balance on the carved frieze at each corner of the tomb, supporting coats of arms They once held pennants in their hands.
The grille is by Thomas Ducheman (who most likely also designed the bronze gates to the Chapel). Only six of the thirty two statues in the niches of the grille now remain (Saints George, Edward the Confessor, Bartholomew, James the Great, John the Evangelist and another). The badges of the Welsh dragon and the greyhound of Richmond are also part of its decoration. The grille was originally gilded and on special anniversaries many candles, each nine feet high, were lit on top. Four candles were to burn constantly, tended by the monks.
Around the grille (both inside and outside) is a Latin inscription which can be translated
Henry VII rests within this tomb, he who was the splendour of kings and light of the world, a wise and watchful monarch, a courteous lover of virtue, outstanding in beauty, vigorous and mighty; who brought peace to his kingdom, who waged very many wars, who always returned victorious from the enemy, who wedded both his daughters to kings, who was united to kings, indeed to all, by treaty, who built this holy temple, and erected this tomb for himself, his wife, and his children. He completed more than fifty three years, and bore the royal sceptre for twenty four. The fifteenth hundredth year of the Lord had passed, and the ninth after that was running its course, when dawned the black day, the twenty first dawn of April was shining, when this so great monarch ended his last day. No earlier ages gave thee so great a king, O England; hardly will ages to come give thee his like.
[Westminster Abbey]
Taken inside the Lady Chapel, Westminster Abbey
Henry VII lavished huge sums on his new Lady Chapel, which was begun in 1503 but not completed until 1516, nearly six years after his death. Henry’s imposing tomb at the east end of the chapel has magnificent gilt bronze effigies of the king and his wife, Elizabeth of York, made by the brilliant Florentine Renaissance sculptor, Pietro Torrigiano.
Since 1725, it has been used for installations of Knights of the Order of the Bath, and their colourful heraldic banners hang here. The Sovereign and the Great Master of the Order continue to install new knights in the chapel, usually every four years.
A Lady Chapel is a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and is common to most cathedrals and large churches.
[Westminster Abbey]
Westminster Abbey (The Collegiate Church of St Peter)
In the 1040s King Edward (later St Edward the Confessor) established his royal palace by the banks of the river Thames on land known as Thorney Island. Close by was a small Benedictine monastery founded under the patronage of King Edgar and St Dunstan around 960A.D. This monastery Edward chose to re-endow and greatly enlarge, building a large stone church in honour of St Peter the Apostle. This church became known as the "west minster" to distinguish it from St Paul's Cathedral (the east minster) in the City of London. Unfortunately, when the new church was consecrated on 28th December 1065 the King was too ill to attend and died a few days later. His mortal remains were entombed in front of the High Altar.
The only traces of Edward's monastery to be seen today are in the round arches and massive supporting columns of the undercroft and the Pyx Chamber in the cloisters. The undercroft was originally part of the domestic quarters of the monks. Among the most significant ceremonies that occurred in the Abbey at this period was the coronation of William the Conqueror on Christmas day 1066, and the "translation" or moving of King Edward's body to a new tomb a few years after his canonisation in 1161.
Edward's Abbey survived for two centuries until the middle of the 13th century when King Henry III decided to rebuild it in the new Gothic style of architecture. It was a great age for cathedrals: in France it saw the construction of Amiens, Evreux and Chartres and in England Canterbury, Winchester and Salisbury, to mention a few. Under the decree of the King of England, Westminster Abbey was designed to be not only a great monastery and place of worship, but also a place for the coronation and burial of monarchs. This church was consecrated on 13th October 1269. Unfortunately the king died before the nave could be completed so the older structure stood attached to the Gothic building for many years.
Every monarch since William the Conqueror has been crowned in the Abbey, with the exception of Edward V and Edward VIII (who abdicated) who were never crowned. The ancient Coronation Chair can still be seen in the church.
It was natural that Henry III should wish to translate the body of the saintly Edward the Confessor into a more magnificent tomb behind the High Altar in his new church. This shrine survives and around it are buried a cluster of medieval kings and their consorts including Henry III, Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, Edward III and Philippa of Hainault, Richard II and Anne of Bohemia and Henry V.
There are around 3,300 burials in the church and cloisters and many more memorials. The Abbey also contains over 600 monuments, and wall tablets – the most important collection of monumental sculpture anywhere in the country. Notable among the burials is the Unknown Warrior, whose grave, close to the west door, has become a place of pilgrimage. Heads of State who are visiting the country invariably come to lay a wreath at this grave.
A remarkable new addition to the Abbey was the glorious Lady chapel built by King Henry VII, first of the Tudor monarchs, which now bears his name. This has a spectacular fan-vaulted roof and the craftsmanship of Italian sculptor Pietro Torrigiano can be seen in Henry's fine tomb. The chapel was consecrated on 19th February 1516. Since 1725 it has been associated with the Most Honourable Order of the Bath and the banners of the current Knights Grand Cross surround the walls. The Battle of Britain memorial window by Hugh Easton can be seen at the east end in the Royal Air Force chapel. A new stained glass window above this, by Alan Younger, and two flanking windows with a design in blue by Hughie O'Donoghue, give colour to this chapel.
Two centuries later a further addition was made to the Abbey when the western towers (left unfinished from medieval times) were completed in 1745, to a design by Nicholas Hawksmoor.
Little remains of the original medieval stained glass, once one of the Abbey's chief glories. Some 13th century panels can be seen in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries. The great west window and the rose window in the north transept date from the early 18th century but the remainder of the glass is from the 19th century onwards. The newest stained glass is in The Queen Elizabeth II window, designed by David Hockney.
History did not cease with the dissolution of the medieval monastery on 16th January 1540. The same year Henry VIII erected Westminster into a cathedral church with a bishop (Thomas Thirlby), a dean and twelve prebendaries (now known as Canons). The bishopric was surrendered on 29th March 1550 and the diocese was re-united with London, Westminster being made by Act of Parliament a cathedral church in the diocese of London. Mary I restored the Benedictine monastery in 1556 under Abbot John Feckenham.
But on the accession of Elizabeth I the religious houses revived by Mary were given by Parliament to the Crown and the Abbot and monks were removed in July 1559. Queen Elizabeth I, buried in the north aisle of Henry VII's chapel, refounded the Abbey by a charter dated 21 May 1560 as a Collegiate Church exempt from the jurisdiction of archbishops and bishops and with the Sovereign as its Visitor. Its Royal Peculiar status from 1534 was re-affirmed by the Queen and In place of the monastic community a collegiate body of a dean and prebendaries, minor canons and a lay staff was established and charged with the task of continuing the tradition of daily worship (for which a musical foundation of choristers, singing men and organist was provided) and with the education of forty Scholars who formed the nucleus of what is now Westminster School (one of the country's leading independent schools). In addition the Dean and Chapter were responsible for much of the civil government of Westminster, a role which was only fully relinquished in the early 20th century.
[Westminster Abbey]
"Examining Pictures: Exhibiting Paintings," Whitechapel Art Gallery London and Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Curators Francesco Bonami and Judith Nesbitt. Artists: Francis Bacon, John Baldesari, Georg Baselitz, Vanessa Beecroft, Simone Berti, Eric Boulatov, Glenn Brown, Vija Celmins, John Currin, Ian Davenport, Peter Doig, Marlene Dumas, Caroll Dunham, Franz Gertsch, Joanne Greenbaum, Philip Guston, Peter Halley, Richard Hamilton, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, Gary Hume, Jörg Immendorff, Ilya Kabakov, On Kawara, Toba Khedoori, Anselm Kiefer, Martin Kippenberger, Imi Knoebel, Svetlana Kopystiansky, Jannis Kounellis, Udomsak Krisanamis, Sean Landers, Sherrie Levine, Margherita Manzelli, Brice Marden, Nader, Carsten Nicolai, Dietrich Orth, Laura Owens, Elisabeth Peyton, Vanessa Jane Phaff, Lari Pittman, Sigmar Polke, Richard Prince, Michael Raedecker, David Rayson, Gerhard Richter, Ed Ruscha, Robert Ryman, Thomas Scheibitz, Rudolf Stingel, Luc Tuymans, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, Royce Weatherly, Sue Williams.
I'm not really quite sure what was going on here but I think I was holding a camera in my hand and pointing it at myself while pretending to be interested in something which happened to be at a 45 degree angle to both the camera and the window.
Six days later. And another part of a distant past beckons due to an impending property purchase in the local area and another visit to the East Coast area near Wilsthorpe. The area has an interesting historical past with a large airfield, disused since before 1955 and now the land is used for .. well what else, an Industrial Estate which stretches around 2-3kms, south-west alongside the old London & North Eastern Railway's Hull & Scarborough Line. There is a family connection with this place in that my mother and father-in-law owned a property on the South Shore Holiday (ex-military) camp from around the late 1950s until about the mid-1980s, when family interest in UK holidays waned and we all went off somewhere else; ultimately myself and wife, to the 'Great South Land'. Returning in 2010 due to family ties, more than anything else, found us here back in the local South Yorkshire area, somewhere I hadn't lived since departing the place in 1970. Finally, wanting to sample once gain not only hot summer holidays abroad, but more of the East coast venues we remembered from the 1960s.. it seems perverse that we have arrived back in our 'home town' and now are seeking a retreat in an area which my wife's parents were very familiar with and who also found a retreat, located in a very minimal cabin, from just after the last war, but which was renovated into a family holiday locale; me turning up towards the end of all this of course. Enough of all this. Last weekend, our 4th or 5th visit along this part of the coast, the whole 'project' having extended in time for about 8 months and in distance from Heacham in Norfolk to Whitby in North Yorkshire, has resulted in a location selected due in part, to the presence, 10 years ago up until recently, of one David Hockney, one of the World's noted artists, who resided in the Bridlington area and undertook work, producing paintings, 'A Bigger Picture', from the Woldgate area on the outskirts of Bridlington and who has since had large exhibitions of this work at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2012 see-
www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/david-hockney-a-bigger...
and in the local area, in Hull , see-
www.visithullandeastyorkshire.com/yorkshire-wolds/hockney...
see the following links for more on this artists works-
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/jan/22/david-hockne...
and
www.yocc.co.uk/woldgate-and-david-hockney/
So, as an artist of much, much lesser standing, this was an incentive to re-connect with this area and, along with the fantastic scenery and coastline and its past history, the odd railtour, RHTT and steam occasionally visiting Scarborough to the north; here we are. These four shots show the LNER's Scarborough to Hull line in the vicinity of the old Carnaby Station and, as can be seen, the station site looks still to be in tact. As local passenger DMUs pass through here, en-route south to Driffield and Hull, and stop at Bridlington, Bempton (almost a 'halt') & Filey to the north, its a wonder there isn't a request stop here; I know who'd be the first on the service if it paused here to pick up a passenger or two. The DMU is diagrammed between Scarborough, Bridlington, Hull, Goole, Scunthorpe, Doncaster, Meadowhall and Sheffield; what could be more useful than that and something we will be making use of in the not too distant future. On this day, Sunday the 9th September, there are extensive engineering works going on in the Nunnery cutting, just north of Sheffield Midland Station, and so the passenger DMUs are terminating at Meadowhall, with an onward bus service into the city. In the top left picture a Northern Rail 'Sprinter; class 158, 158872, rattles past in quick fashion, the barriers only just having descended across the local road, on the 1J05, Scarborough via Bridlington & Hull to Meadowhall service. The Station buildings are apparent as are the platforms and general air of a well kept station site... At top left, the DMU is now running parallel to the Carnaby Airfield which stretches parallel along the line for around 3km; some of us, in 1971 or so used to drive 'full pelt' along the uneven runway concrete, 'learning how to drive', it was great fun. The airfield has accommodation for the air crewe still in-situ at Carnaby Sticks about a half mile off to the left; though now the flats are residential properties on a quiet estate. Automated signalling and crossing barriers and lineside electronics now rule the way along this double track section but semaphore signalling is still present at the important locations, one of which is at Bridlington, see-
www.flickr.com/photos/daohaiku/41046391421/
taken in MArch, this year. At lower left, the view looks back north along the double track section, through the old platforms and towards Bridlington, just about 3km away. One of the locals stands, perusing the view over the station site and maybe remembering more interesting times here; all the associated sidings and junction along with the ancillary buildings have now gone, leaving jus6t the station structure in tact. The latter can be seen at lower right, the old LNER Carnaby Station building with the lines juts off to the left beyond what must have been the station extension facilities for tickets and goods; there is still a lot of space here and its not beyond the bounds of possibility, with significant holiday accommodation a half mile or so away, that this station could be used as an easy and quick access to both Hull and Scarborough... 'Carnaby Halt' ..
The tomb of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York
This was designed in the Renaissance style by Italian sculptor Pietro Torrigiano (Henry VIII had not liked the designs which were first put forward for the tomb by other sculptors). The black marble tomb base is adorned with six medallions in copper gilt representing the Virgin Mary and Henry's patron saints (Michael, George, Anthony, Christopher, Anne, Edward the Confessor, Vincent, Barbara, Mary Magdalene, John the Baptist and John the Evangelist). At either end are coats of arms supported by cherubs. The gilt bronze recumbent effigies can be seen through the fine grille which surrounds the monument. Seated angels balance on the carved frieze at each corner of the tomb, supporting coats of arms They once held pennants in their hands.
The grille is by Thomas Ducheman (who most likely also designed the bronze gates to the Chapel). Only six of the thirty two statues in the niches of the grille now remain (Saints George, Edward the Confessor, Bartholomew, James the Great, John the Evangelist and another). The badges of the Welsh dragon and the greyhound of Richmond are also part of its decoration. The grille was originally gilded and on special anniversaries many candles, each nine feet high, were lit on top. Four candles were to burn constantly, tended by the monks.
Around the grille (both inside and outside) is a Latin inscription which can be translated
Henry VII rests within this tomb, he who was the splendour of kings and light of the world, a wise and watchful monarch, a courteous lover of virtue, outstanding in beauty, vigorous and mighty; who brought peace to his kingdom, who waged very many wars, who always returned victorious from the enemy, who wedded both his daughters to kings, who was united to kings, indeed to all, by treaty, who built this holy temple, and erected this tomb for himself, his wife, and his children. He completed more than fifty three years, and bore the royal sceptre for twenty four. The fifteenth hundredth year of the Lord had passed, and the ninth after that was running its course, when dawned the black day, the twenty first dawn of April was shining, when this so great monarch ended his last day. No earlier ages gave thee so great a king, O England; hardly will ages to come give thee his like.
[Westminster Abbey]
Taken inside the Lady Chapel, Westminster Abbey
Henry VII lavished huge sums on his new Lady Chapel, which was begun in 1503 but not completed until 1516, nearly six years after his death. Henry’s imposing tomb at the east end of the chapel has magnificent gilt bronze effigies of the king and his wife, Elizabeth of York, made by the brilliant Florentine Renaissance sculptor, Pietro Torrigiano.
Since 1725, it has been used for installations of Knights of the Order of the Bath, and their colourful heraldic banners hang here. The Sovereign and the Great Master of the Order continue to install new knights in the chapel, usually every four years.
A Lady Chapel is a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and is common to most cathedrals and large churches.
[Westminster Abbey]
Westminster Abbey (The Collegiate Church of St Peter)
In the 1040s King Edward (later St Edward the Confessor) established his royal palace by the banks of the river Thames on land known as Thorney Island. Close by was a small Benedictine monastery founded under the patronage of King Edgar and St Dunstan around 960A.D. This monastery Edward chose to re-endow and greatly enlarge, building a large stone church in honour of St Peter the Apostle. This church became known as the "west minster" to distinguish it from St Paul's Cathedral (the east minster) in the City of London. Unfortunately, when the new church was consecrated on 28th December 1065 the King was too ill to attend and died a few days later. His mortal remains were entombed in front of the High Altar.
The only traces of Edward's monastery to be seen today are in the round arches and massive supporting columns of the undercroft and the Pyx Chamber in the cloisters. The undercroft was originally part of the domestic quarters of the monks. Among the most significant ceremonies that occurred in the Abbey at this period was the coronation of William the Conqueror on Christmas day 1066, and the "translation" or moving of King Edward's body to a new tomb a few years after his canonisation in 1161.
Edward's Abbey survived for two centuries until the middle of the 13th century when King Henry III decided to rebuild it in the new Gothic style of architecture. It was a great age for cathedrals: in France it saw the construction of Amiens, Evreux and Chartres and in England Canterbury, Winchester and Salisbury, to mention a few. Under the decree of the King of England, Westminster Abbey was designed to be not only a great monastery and place of worship, but also a place for the coronation and burial of monarchs. This church was consecrated on 13th October 1269. Unfortunately the king died before the nave could be completed so the older structure stood attached to the Gothic building for many years.
Every monarch since William the Conqueror has been crowned in the Abbey, with the exception of Edward V and Edward VIII (who abdicated) who were never crowned. The ancient Coronation Chair can still be seen in the church.
It was natural that Henry III should wish to translate the body of the saintly Edward the Confessor into a more magnificent tomb behind the High Altar in his new church. This shrine survives and around it are buried a cluster of medieval kings and their consorts including Henry III, Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, Edward III and Philippa of Hainault, Richard II and Anne of Bohemia and Henry V.
There are around 3,300 burials in the church and cloisters and many more memorials. The Abbey also contains over 600 monuments, and wall tablets – the most important collection of monumental sculpture anywhere in the country. Notable among the burials is the Unknown Warrior, whose grave, close to the west door, has become a place of pilgrimage. Heads of State who are visiting the country invariably come to lay a wreath at this grave.
A remarkable new addition to the Abbey was the glorious Lady chapel built by King Henry VII, first of the Tudor monarchs, which now bears his name. This has a spectacular fan-vaulted roof and the craftsmanship of Italian sculptor Pietro Torrigiano can be seen in Henry's fine tomb. The chapel was consecrated on 19th February 1516. Since 1725 it has been associated with the Most Honourable Order of the Bath and the banners of the current Knights Grand Cross surround the walls. The Battle of Britain memorial window by Hugh Easton can be seen at the east end in the Royal Air Force chapel. A new stained glass window above this, by Alan Younger, and two flanking windows with a design in blue by Hughie O'Donoghue, give colour to this chapel.
Two centuries later a further addition was made to the Abbey when the western towers (left unfinished from medieval times) were completed in 1745, to a design by Nicholas Hawksmoor.
Little remains of the original medieval stained glass, once one of the Abbey's chief glories. Some 13th century panels can be seen in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries. The great west window and the rose window in the north transept date from the early 18th century but the remainder of the glass is from the 19th century onwards. The newest stained glass is in The Queen Elizabeth II window, designed by David Hockney.
History did not cease with the dissolution of the medieval monastery on 16th January 1540. The same year Henry VIII erected Westminster into a cathedral church with a bishop (Thomas Thirlby), a dean and twelve prebendaries (now known as Canons). The bishopric was surrendered on 29th March 1550 and the diocese was re-united with London, Westminster being made by Act of Parliament a cathedral church in the diocese of London. Mary I restored the Benedictine monastery in 1556 under Abbot John Feckenham.
But on the accession of Elizabeth I the religious houses revived by Mary were given by Parliament to the Crown and the Abbot and monks were removed in July 1559. Queen Elizabeth I, buried in the north aisle of Henry VII's chapel, refounded the Abbey by a charter dated 21 May 1560 as a Collegiate Church exempt from the jurisdiction of archbishops and bishops and with the Sovereign as its Visitor. Its Royal Peculiar status from 1534 was re-affirmed by the Queen and In place of the monastic community a collegiate body of a dean and prebendaries, minor canons and a lay staff was established and charged with the task of continuing the tradition of daily worship (for which a musical foundation of choristers, singing men and organist was provided) and with the education of forty Scholars who formed the nucleus of what is now Westminster School (one of the country's leading independent schools). In addition the Dean and Chapter were responsible for much of the civil government of Westminster, a role which was only fully relinquished in the early 20th century.
[Westminster Abbey]
Detail van een tekening van David Hockney uit 1971 (collectie Matthys-Colle) op de tentoonstelling PHALLUS - norm & vorm, tot en met 25 februari in het Groninger Universiteitsmuseum
These pictures are inspired by the short but influencial photographic experimentation of David Hockney. These are all pieced together in photoshop, with no out of camera manipulation, in other words, I stood in one spot and took multiple images in auto mode, then put them together in photoshop.
model: Serena
Questo è un esercizio che ho sviluppato per l'insegnamento; vorrei proporre in classe un fotomontaggio stile David Hockney...
l'unico problema sta nel fatto che purtroppo la carta Polaroid è sempre più difficile da trovare. Secondo me i ragazzi sperimenterebbero veramente in cosa consiste un montaggio (istantaneo) e si divertirebbero un mondo!
come mi sono divertita io!