Mondrian and Colour
The Skies can’t keep their secret
24 May - 21 September 2014
Piet Mondrian (1872-1944), Oostzijdse Mill with Extended Blue, Yellow and Purple Sky, 1907-1908
Oil on canvas, 67.5 cm x 117.5 cm
Collection Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, The Netherlands
© 2014 Mondrian/Holtzman Trust c/o HCR International USA
A free resource for teachers and group
leaders to use alongside the exhibitions
Introduction to the exhibitions
These exhibitions bring together the work of artists separated by hundreds of
years but who share a common interest in exploring the use of colour in art. They
also share a desire to express something that exists beyond material reality – a
deeply spiritual approach to understanding the world. In Mondrian and Colour we
explore how Mondrian’s (1872-1944) style developed over his life; often leading to
and mirroring the changes in the art world between the 19th and 20th centuries
and culminating in his Neo-Plastic style that he is most renowned for. In The
Skies can’t keep their secret we explore how Spencer Finch and JMW Turner
engage with colour as a means of understanding the world around them. J.M.W
Turner (1775-1851) is well known for his landscape paintings that seek to evoke
the ‘truth’ of a place, not exclusively through accurate depiction, but through
capturing the atmosphere, or mood of a place. Spencer Finch (b.1962) follows
this tradition; in which his art seeks to evoke an atmosphere or mood, to draw our
attention towards the feel of a space. His interventions are specific to the
location, and draw on colour, form, and distortion to change the emotional
resonance of a space, challenging conventional understanding; to go beyond the
material, physical properties of the environs. All three artists are linked by this
search for something beyond the physical, for the meaning and truth which lie
behind surfaces and objective reality. A view that art is not mere aesthetics, but a
search for understanding.
We are Curious
Much like Turner, Finch and Mondrian, at Turner Contemporary we think that art
can help us to understand the world around us - by encouraging us to think
about, and question the world; by encouraging us to be curious. We Are Curious
is Turner Contemporary’s Learning programme. We embrace students’ curiosity
about art, and encourage it to grow into confident and critical discussion of
artists and their work. We offer a range of activities for schools and community
groups to book, from ‘hands on philosophy’ tours with our trained team,
discussion sessions using our handling collections, to practical sessions which
explore the practice of exhibiting artists. You are also welcome to lead your own
visit, using our free resources for support. We ask all groups to make a booking
with us if they are intending to visit. To do so, please email
[email protected] and we’ll aim to get back to you within three days.
Turner Contemporary is open Tuesday – Sunday 10.00 – 18.00 and is closed on
Mondays except Bank Holidays.
Mondrian and Colour
‘I wish to approach truth as closely as is possible, and therefore I abstract
everything until I arrive at the fundamental quality of objects.’ Piet Mondrian
Mondrian lived in a time of extraordinary change, both in society and in art, which
had a profound influence on his own artistic development. Born in the
Netherlands in 1872 he met many Dutch artists and lived in Paris, London and
New York at points in his life, becoming involved in the art scenes in each city. As
such he was exposed to the new artistic forms being developed at the time, and
integrated aspects of them into his own work, developing his own personal style
through this experimentation. Mondrian begins, like Turner, with painting
landscapes, capturing the dynamic, rhythm or harmony of the landscape. In
(Berkenbosje (Small Birch Forest), 1902) we can see Mondrian attempting to
capture the impression of the forest; focusing on a small section and
experimenting with Impressionistic painting methods. In this painting we can
detect Mondrian’s interest in harmony and rhythm through flowing tree trunks
and the blending of colours between the trees and the ground.
http://www.moorsmagazine.com/kunst/mondrianfarbe.html
(Copyright restrictions prevent us from publishing an image of the work here,
please visit the link above to see the work.)
We can see this further development of Mondrian’s style as he continues his
engagement with art of his time in Reihe von elf Pappeln in Rot, Gelb, Blau und
Grün, 1908 in which we can detect hints of Picasso’s work in Mondrian’s use of
brush strokes and colour. Both paintings demonstrate Mondrian’s attempts to
find a method of using colour and form to convey a sensual experience of the
landscape, which abstracts the ‘real’ forms into simpler shapes.
http://1910-again.tumblr.com/post/72794662717/dappledwithshadow-bomenaan-het-gein-piet
(Copyright restrictions prevent us from publishing an image of the work here,
please visit the link above to see the work.)
This simplification of forms can be linked to Mondrian’s interest in Theosophy (a
philosophy that explored the mysteries of the universe through understanding
the bonds between the material and the divine: “as above, so below”), and a
desire to find the essence of objects; the inner truth of a thing that was present in
all instances. This led to Mondrian incorporating ever more abstract means of
painting, drawing on Pointillist techniques that further distort the figurative
elements of the painting, drawing attention instead to the feel of the painting,
and the relationships between colours, as seen in Little House in Sunlight, 190910.
Mondrian is influenced by other artists, but retains his own personal vision.
Mondrian’s use of colour becomes more important in his paintings; he detaches
colour from the objects being depicted, instead using colour to evoke more
symbolic concepts. In this painting of the house we see the colours of the
building featuring in the flowers, and vice versa, perhaps suggesting that
essentially buildings and nature consist of the same elements and like all
elements of the universe are deeply connected.
Piet Mondrian (1872-1944)
Little House in Sunlight, 1909-early 1910
Oil on canvas, 52.5 x 68 cm
Collection Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, The Netherlands
©2014 Mondrian/Holtzman Trust c/o HCR International
Piet Mondrian (1872-1944)
Molen (Mill); The Red Mill, 1911
Oil on canvas, 150 cm x 86 cm
Collection Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, The Netherlands
© 2014 Mondrian/Holtzman Trust c/o HCR International USA
This leads us to Mondrian’s later works, (such as Molen (Die rote Mühle), 1911,
above) where the relationship between colours has become more important and
forms more abstracted, eventually resulting in Mondrian’s Neo-Plastic style.
Here Mondrian has refined his exploration of colour and form, and reduced
painting to its essential components: line and colour. These compositions
demonstrate the logical culmination of Mondrian’s desire to find the essential,
fundamental quality of objects. No longer representing physical objects,
Mondrian’s painting are now only concerned with capturing the universal
relations and rhythms that connect all the world; an underlying truth of the
universe. In this quest Mondrian could be likened to the mathematicians and
scientists who were trying to find mathematical formulae, and physical rules
that underpin reality. But unlike those scientific explorations, Mondrian’s
paintings retain a spiritual connotation, evoking a deep connection that cannot
be rationally explained.
Paintings such as Composition with large red plane, yellow, black, grey and blue,
1921, below, encourage us to consider the relations between colours, lines and
meaning. How do the colours interact with each other in the painting, and how do
we relate to the colours? Mondrian’s compositions arrange colour and form in
order to explore these fundamental questions about the effect of colour. You
could argue that in them can be seen Mondrian’s interest in jazz music, which
similarly arranged musical notes in new ways to question their relation and
meaning. As an artist working at the beginning of the 20th century, a time of rapid
change in societies across the world, Mondrian can be seen as developing a
visual language that could understand the new industrial world whilst retaining a
spiritual element.
Piet Mondrian (1872-1944)
Composition with Large Red Plane, Yellow, Black, Grey and Blue, 1921.
Oil on canvas, 95.7 x 95.1 cm.
Collection Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
© 2014 Mondrian/Holtzman Trust c/o HCR International USA
Suggested discussion questions and activities:
Activity:
Mondrian wanted his paintings to have rhythm and harmony – using a small set
of instruments create a soundscape for Mondrian’s paintings.
Mondrian was a fan of jazz music, and his later paintings share similar concerns
with jazz. Listen to music and try to create paintings that evoke the feel of the
music. Does everyone interpret the music in the same way?
Create your own compositions. Using a limited set of colours, give each colour a
feeling and use those colours to capture the feel of a place. How many different
feelings can you include? Do others assign the same feelings to colours as you?
Questions to consider on your visit:
How does the artwork make you feel?
What do you think the colours mean?
What is the difference between being inspired and copying?
Do places feel different to different people?
Does art need to have a clear meaning?
Do the paintings mean different things to different people?
What might the paintings sound like?
Do the paintings look like they were made by the same artist? Why?
The Skies can’t keep their secret
Much like Mondrian, Spencer Finch is interested in exploring colour, meaning,
and place. His installations at Turner Contemporary use ethereal forms and
colour to alter our perception of space and evoke an emotional response in the
viewer. Spencer Finch has chosen several of J.M.W Turner’s artworks which share
a similar interest in capturing an emotional connection to space, to feature
alongside his art. Much like Finch’s work, Turner’s are not clear depictions, and
do not offer simple readings; they are vague and suggestive. We are left to
wonder, stand back, think, and feel.
Turner and Finch both respond to the environment in a dynamic way. They are
inspired by the colour, the light and the atmosphere of a particular time and
place which is distilled into art. Thus rather than necessarily seeking to evoke the
actuality of a place they seek to bring to life that feel. The colour of the sea,
heaviness of the sky, the hazy hue of a cloud and so on. The ethereal forms, and
abstracted shapes remind us of the limitations of observation; that the world
changes around us. Colours change in the shifting light, forms flex and flow and
look different from other viewpoints, and in other times. Like Mondrian’s
paintings we can see in Finch and Turner a desire to get past simple surface
observation and to find something ‘true’ about the subject. Be it by seeking an
atomic essence of the object, or by capturing a more fluid representation in
which we can find space for the variety of experience.
Spencer Finch, Back to Kansas, (2013), installation view at SFMOMA
Suggested discussion questions and activities:
Discussion questions
How many kinds of blue are there in the world?
Can we ever capture the truth of something in art?
If someone changes are they still the same person?
Do we need colour?
What makes red different to blue?
Do we need to see something clearly to understand it?
Can we ever know something completely?
Suggested Activities
Spencer Finch makes records of the colours in places. Make a record of the
colour in a particular location and create your own encoded colour grid that
represents that place. This could be repeated to see how colours change over
time.
Spencer Finch’s Passing Cloud changes the colours in the room as the light
changes throughout the day. Using coloured transparent materials (acetate,
cellophane etc.) create colour screens that you can look through to change your
perception of a space. Swap them with others in your class to compare.
Dates for your diary: upcoming events:
Last few places remaining: Curious Colours Primary Days, 24 and 25 June, 10am
– 2.15pm
This summer Turner Contemporary becomes a riot of colour with a major
exhibition of the works of Piet Mondrian. Alongside this colourful exhibition we
are planning two special days which will excite, inspire and animate Primary
School pupils! Children will take part in hands on sessions with dancers, visual
artists, scientists and historians in the stimulating and inspiring gallery spaces.
Sessions will be led by Turner Contemporary, The Beaney House of Art and
Knowledge, The Powell-Cotton Museum, Stour Valley Arts and ShivaNova dance
company.
Key Stage One day 24 June 2014, £6 per head
Key Stage Two day 25 June 2014, £6 per head
The price includes 4 hands on sessions with experts, guided access to the
exhibitions, and all materials. This represents a huge saving on what schools
would normally pay.
Book: 01843 233 000 or [email protected]
Page Turner Exhibition launch, 17 June, 4.30-6pm, FREE
Join us for the launch of the exhibition of work entered into this year’s Page
Turner art competition. Original works from all winners and highly commended
entrants will be shown alongside prints of all shortlisted works and a slideshow
of all other winners. The exhibition is on 17 June – 27 July.
Artsmark face to face training, 27 June 2014, 10am-1pm, free to members of the
Artsmark network (£40 one off joining fee – visit artsmark.org.uk)
Turner Contemporary is the Artsmark Regional Training Agency for Kent.
Artsmark is Arts Council England’s flagship programme to enable schools and
other organisations to evaluate, strengthen and celebrate their arts and cultural
provision. Any school, college or youth justice organisation in England can apply
for Artsmark. Join us on this special training day to find out how.
Book at artsmark.org.uk
2014/15 Teacher Briefing, 9 July, 5 – 6.30pm, FREE
Kick off your planning with a detailed view of our exciting exhibitions programme
for 2014/15 which includes two Turner Prize winners. We’re planning for Jeremy
Deller’s English Magic, self-portraits from the National Portrait Gallery,
interactive art from Mexican contemporary artists and in the summer we’ll have a
major exhibition by Grayson Perry. Find out how to make the most of your visit
here from the inspirational artworks to those all important logistics.
Book: [email protected], 01843 233 000
Exhibitions 2014/15:
Edmund de Waal: Atmosphere, 29 March 2014 - 8 February 2015
Our Sunley Gallery is transformed again with a brand new work, Atmosphere, by
artist Edmund de Waal.
This new work, commissioned specially for our ground floor gallery space
overlooking the North Sea, has been created in response to the changing
landscape and clouds viewed from the gallery and the architecture of the space.
Jeremy Deller: English Magic, 11 October 2014 - 11 January 2015
Commissioned by the British Council this new exhibition by Jeremy Deller was
conceived and created for the British Pavilion at the 55th International Art
Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia in 2013. The exhibition reflects the roots of
much of Deller’s work, focusing on British society such as its people, icons,
myths, folklore and its cultural and political history. Deller weaves together high
and low, popular and rarefied to create unique and thought provoking work. The
exhibition forms part of a national tour, supported by the Art Fund and the first of
its kind, that concludes at Turner Contemporary.
The Learning Team at Turner Contemporary is:
Karen Eslea, Head of Learning
Catherine Nicholson, Learning Officer
Beatrice Prosser-Snelling, Schools Officer
Navigators:
Nova Auty, Zoe Bates, Joan Hobson, Stacy Keeler, Nova Marshall, Shauna-Aine
O’Brien, Lucy Pettet, Mathew Phillips, Mandy Quy-Verlander, Sue Rumsey, Fiona
Taylor, Jan Wheatley.