Susie Hodge - Artistic Places

ARTISTIC PLACES

SUSIE HODGE

ILLUSTRATIONS BY
AMY GRIMES

EVEN IF weve never been there, some places in the world can be uncannily familiar. They might be misty mountain ranges or craggy ravines, dense forests or sunlit waterways, imposing architecture with ornamented faades, flower-filled fields, secluded interiors, mystical mountains or tranquil ponds. They may be exhilarating places that take our breath away or calm locations that fill us with comfort, like a warm scarf on a cold day. Because these places have been interpreted by talented artists, entire worlds are created for us in pencil, paint, ink or pastel, or marble or bronze, or even in wool, silk and other textiles; sometimes colourful, sometimes sombre, often uplifting or contemplative, threatening or restful. And we have seen them often, in galleries or in reproductions localities that have become iconic, presented to us by an artists skilful hand.

Places such as Dedham in Suffolk, England, where John Constable grew up and later depicted the landscapes of his childhood, a world that he feared was changing in the wake of the Industrial Revolution; or the desert landscapes, bones, shells and skies of New Mexico that inspired and occupied Georgia OKeeffe for 56 years over half her life; or the small town of Eldon in Iowa where Grant Wood made a feature of the peaceful-looking domestic architecture all have become well-known to us, whether we have actually been there or not. Rouen Cathedral and the Gare Saint-Lazare, for instance, are now easily recognised because of Monets paintings, while on seeing the actual wheat fields and church of Auvers-sur-Oise in France for the first time, you can be forgiven for feeling as if youve been here before when really, its all down to Vincent van Gogh and his brushes. As Leonardo da Vinci once said, The artist sees what others only catch a glimpse of.

Some of the most proficient artists have conveyed the entirety of a place; others capture an overall feeling or an atmosphere. The art that connects with a particular place doesnt necessarily present a panoramic view; locations are often implied through connotations, or perhaps colours or shapes. The place may be exemplified by one seminal work, or through many different renditions and interpretations by a number of artists. There may be one relatively small, flat image, or something created with minimal marks and distorted shapes and colours. It may be a work of sculpture, a print, or the place itself may have become familiar because either many artists have chosen to portray it or the one depiction of it sums up a feeling or a particular time. Often, as art captures a place, that place becomes imbued with a richness, a mystery and even a sense of celebrity. Whatever it is, this art can conjure up the intrinsic ambience of a place; the light, colours, vegetation or architecture, for instance, even sometimes evoking sounds and smells. For example, Claude Monet, J.M.W. Turner, John Singer Sargent and Canaletto have all captured Venice uniquely, while Hokusais prints of Mount Fuji from several locations and in different seasons and weather conditions have become quintessential images that epitomise Japan for those far beyond its shores. Gauguins prints and paintings of Tahiti may have been created largely from his imagination, but for many now, the colours, figures and landscapes have become unmistakable depictions of French Polynesia. Barbara Hepworths biomorphic sculptures embody the sea, sand, cobbled streets and coastline of St Ives, and David Hockneys swimming pools, which are individually anonymous, clearly convey California through the light, colours and atmosphere.

Many artists simply paint their own domestic surroundings, what they see, just inside or outside their own front doors, whereas others have travelled, often afar and sometimes quite remarkably considering the difficulties of their times, to remote and even dangerous locations in order to capture dramatic or exotic landscapes. Turners 1802 The Schllenen Gorge from the Devils Bridge, Pass of St Gotthard, and Caspar David Friedrichs 1818 Chalk Cliffs on Rgen are just some examples of precarious mountain views created by two intrepid artists in the early 19th century, while Eugne Delacroixs 1838 Fanatics of Tangier and Paul Klees 1914 View of Kairouan both capture the essence, light and heat of North Africa in completely different ways.

This book explores 25 places that are associated with a range of international artists, who lived and worked at different times. It takes you on an enlightening journey, investigating some of the artists thought processes, some of the situations they found themselves in, and comparing the places they portrayed and what you can see of them and their surroundings now. Of course, considering how many evocatively artistic places there are in the world, 25 is not a lot, and it has been extremely difficult to choose, but each place has been selected carefully for its strong artistic links. All the locations are fascinating in their own ways, from the cool fjords of Norway to the sizzling heat of Coyoacn in Mexico, or from downtown New York to Dessau in Germany between the two world wars. Visit the desert plains of Georgia OKeeffes New Mexico, follow the footsteps of the Renaissance masters in Florence, explore the crags of Caspar David Friedrichs Elbe Sandstone Mountains or the canals and Gothic palaces of Canalettos Venice.

Like a rich tapestry, the book weaves through the stories of the artists and the places connected to them through their art. You can dip in and out, selecting one or more of the places featured, or read it in entirety from cover to cover. Or use it as a guide for your own journeys of discovery, to find out more about the locations and paintings, and where you can retrace some of those artists footsteps today.

THE FOG that defined it for centuries has long gone, but parts of London, especially around the River Thames, remain as atmospheric as ever. London continues to be brimming with people busy, active, enjoying all it has to offer as one of the worlds most important cities for business, finance and culture. At approximately 2,000 years old, London is steeped in history, pageantry and culture, and much of this is still in evidence in many parts of this sprawling metropolis, where youll find Roman remains, Gothic churches, Tudor halls, Georgian palaces and Victorian bridges. Red brick and slate are adjacent to sheet glass, steel and concrete, while cosy pubs, stately houses, opulent theatres, narrow alleyways, luxurious hotels, broad thoroughfares, peaceful parks and lively squares are all in close proximity to each other.