The Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition comes in for a fair bit of stick. It rarely gets reviewed in the weekend broadsheets and if anyone pays it any notice at all, it’s to give it a hard time. Seen until recently as rather conservative and dominated by older, male artists, the RA invites anyone to enter works for the Summer Exhibition: this year 12,000 submissions were received but only 700 works by non-Academicians were accepted.
The 2015 exhibition was stylishly curated by Michael Craig-Martin, whose own work I find rather sterile despite photographer Richard Guest’s shedding welcome light on it earlier this year. This year’s was left to the care of Richard Wilson and, if not as ground-breaking as it was under Craig-Martin, there’s still plenty to admire.
Among the less showy numbers was a small painting by Karolina Gacke, an artist whose name is new to me. Despite the presence of bigger names – including a particularly wobbly print by Tracey Emin of a woman doing something or other on a hotel bed and some vibrant prints by Jim Dine – I kept wandering back to this still life by Ms Gacke, looking at it hard and long for some time.
It’s been an uninspiring couple of weeks, I have to admit, but long after I left the Royal Academy Karolina Gacke’s lovely painting remained with me. Over the weekend I had a go at her spacious, loose style. Although my painting is more contrived, I present it here as a tribute to someone who, for me, stole the show at the Royal Academy this year.
I love this!
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Thanks, Sheena, that’s really kind of you.
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I think I still love you.
No. I’m sure I do……
R.
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Good to know. What the world needs now, etc.
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Humming tune….
Can you hear me now?
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I like Karolina Gacke’s piece and yours. It’s fascinating to try out someone else’s style and see what comes of it. I find it hard to do, because, ultimately, it’s not quite the way you see the world…but it does open up possibilities. Thanks for a thoughtful and engaging post.
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Yes, I was using it as a way to unblock, really. The style isn’t that different from some of the earlier things I’ve done – such as the picture in the Breakfast in America post – and I’d painted the strawberries before I went to the RA show. But it really helped to see Karolina Gacke’s free-sprited approach and play around with some of her ideas. I might work on that a little more in future.
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It’s a lovely painting and I enjoy your commentary. I own a Jim Dine print purchased long ago that I think is actually signed by him. This has never been confirmed but I continue to believe it. N.
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Thank you, Nina. And how wonderful to own a Jim Dine print – his work has enormous charm, I always think.
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I greatly prefer yours, Michael. A very pleasing homage indeed.
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Thanks, Rebecca.
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Refreshing! (K)
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Thanks, Kerfe.
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I love how yours turned out!! This is awesome! 😃
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Thanks, Charlie.
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I’d forgotten all about the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition – thanks for the nice post reminding me. When I was a kid, I always dreamt of submitting something….ha ha! I don’t know Karolina Gacke’s work but will look it up now – however hers is, I love the simplicity of your rendering!
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Do take a look at Karolina Gacke’s website: she has a series of 40 self-portraits which are fascinating and more still life paintings which I find irresistible. Thanks for your kind words about mine – much appreciated!
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I liked your painting and I liked it even more when I saw the inspiration. You took it and then upped it, I think. I love the spareness and calmness of what you’ve done. And thanks for the intro to a new artist, I really like her work.
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Thanks ever so much, Claudia. Do take a look at her website and her 40 self-portraits – absolutely fascinating.
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Love your strawberry piece.
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Thank you, Elena.
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This is glorious
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Thanks very much, Rosie – much appreciated!
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Really love the composition and textures of this piece. Totally delicious
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Thanks, Jeanette. I’m experimenting with composition a little more these days and will be posting another ‘fruit picture’ next week.
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Michael, I always love your work. This one is a great tribute to a sparse, but ample breakfast in late summer. You did well to try this new style.
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Thanks very much, LuAnne.
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Reblogged this on From 1 Blogger 2 Another.
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Many thanks!
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