Case study on Judy Watson and Cherry Hood

By Helena Bean
The two Artists I have chosen to focus on are Cherry Hood and Judy Watson. Both of these Australian artists greatly influenced my final studio piece that is shaped around the theme of personal identity. I admire each of these artists and their own unique styles of painting. Cherry Hood was born in 1960 in Sydney. The Australian, Sydney based artist lives currently in Gouldburn, NSW. Hood is famous for her watercolour and pigment paintings of young adolescent boys and girls. She studied and attained a Master of visual art at the Sydney College of the arts in 2000. Whilst studying her thesis focused on representations of and attitudes towards the male body. Hood is most famous for winning the Archibald prize in 2002 with her portrait of the young Australian pianist, Simon Tedeschi. Hood has also been an Archibald competition finalist 4 times in 2001, 2007, 2009 and 2010. As well as around Australia, Hood has frequently exhibited internationally in places including San Francisco, Zurich, New York, Vancouver and Toronto. Her first solo exhibition was in 2001 and there have been many since then. Hoods focus on the male face and body has been a long-standing interest and ever since her earlier days at Art school she has been intrigued by representations of the male body and masculine features. The large majority of her repertoire consists of adolescent or younger boys faces painted with watercolour on paper or canvas. Her large scale, highly detailed portraits are almost haunting due to the realistic way she captures a face. Her focus on the eyes create an almost hypnotic, possessed edge to her paintings, a trademark which she has become world renowned for. Her portraits are not so much a direct representation or likeness as her subject is generally an inspiration and the face in the painting, although similar, takes on a whole new identity. In terms of her subjects, Hood uses her sons, their friends or adolescent boys that she spots on the street. She works from live sittings and photographs. The expressions on the faces she paints are a key part of her work, she specifically asks the boys not to smile saying, its amazing the range of facial expressions you get. I never paint smiling children. A smile fixes a meaning it makes the painting look like a snap shot photograph, I want my work to be more complex than that, more demanding on the viewer. This opinion is something I personally find very interesting and have included the idea in my final piece of work. I also believe that a face without a smile creates a more intriguing painting as it can be interpreted in many different ways and the eyes in particular seem to hold their own story.

This painting by cherry hood is titled butterfly kiss and she has used watercolour on canvas, which is the medium she normally paints with. The composition consists of a young boy in the centre of the foreground; his head and upper body fill most of the canvas. The boy is dressed in a dark green/ blue jacket over a white collared shirt. His brown hair is neatly combed over to his right hand side. In the background, Hood has used a paler palette consisting of light grey blue washes and off white and cream coloured butterflies. The colours in the background blend in to each other and pale drip marks run down the canvas. The boys light blue eyes instantly capture the attention of the viewer and would definitely be classified as the focal point of this painting. His darker brown hair and the dark green, blue and almost black tones of his jacket create a distinct contrast with the softer pale background, making the boy stand out as the main object of the composition. The smooth wash of pale skin tone that Hood has created through the use of watercolour paint as well as the soft pink tones she has introduced to the cheeks clearly define the boys youth and innocence. This obvious mark of childhood is contrasted with the way she has captured his eyes with dark shadows encircling each glassy blue iris. Hoods trademark technique of long drips of colour running down the painting is clearly evident in this work. The butterflies that are seemingly scattered through the pale blue background have long drips of their creamy golden colour running down onto the boys jacket. There are also lines of grey blue that have run from

the swirling, almost stormy looking sky that is painted across the top of the canvas. These drips are noticeable across the whole canvas except the boys face, another technique hood has used to make it stand out even more. Principles and elements of design such as line, contrast and repetition are all evident and contribute to the overall composition. The straight lines running vertically down the canvas created from the drip marks act almost as a grid or structure in the painting and create what could be interpreted as a sense of conformity, that the boy is trapped in the gridlock of society. The repetition of butterflies in the background add an element of balance to the composition and as a symbol of peace, hope and freedom, they contrast with the plain, almost depressed expression on the boys face. One interpretation of this artwork could be a reference to the conformity existing in our society. The butterflies encircling his head symbolise the freedom he wishes for, yet he is stuck in a school uniform in the daily routine of school and study. The dripping lines running down the work emphasise this as they suggest structure and the grid of the society in which we exist. The dark shadows the hang under and above the eyes, contrasting with the bright, piercing gaze and soft pale skin could suggest a maturity and the great intelligence that adults are often unaware of in children. In this interpretation of the work the butterflies could symbolise youth and the pretty innocence and assumed lack of awareness that is often cast over children. This ignorance towards the creative minds of younger children that is not uncommon in our society seems to be irritating and almost infuriating this young boy as his expression could be read as one of frustration. In my opinion the eyes that appear to be so realistic is what makes this painting so intriguing. The young boys hypnotic stare instantly captures an audience and I think that this is the beauty of Cherry Hoods paintings. The gaze of the young children is so mesmerising and effective because it can be interpreted however the viewer wishes. There is no right or wrong way to understand and view paintings and Hood is emphasising this statement through her art as she encourages people to take away their own thoughts about her work. This artwork expresses the identity of not only the subject but the artist herself. The subjects face and expression is so vividly represented in the painting and his visual identity is displayed through that likeness. The fact that he is not smiling also expresses his identity because his face is not masked with a pose, it is captured exactly the way it is which intimately enhances the viewers insight into the young boy. Cherry Hoods identity is expressed through her portraits of children because each painting clearly illustrates her interest in the young male face and body as well as her passion for watercolour painting and the ability to capture a childs gaze. Her ability to capture an expression and the life in her subjects is something I greatly admire. In my final painting have included my face without a smile or pose and I would like my painting to have that similar mesmerising effect. Her portraits have also influenced my decision to particularly focus on the detail of my eyes as a way of expressing my own identity. I admire and am intrigued by Cherry Hoods paintings and I believe each one holds great meaning. I like her paintings because of the detail and highly skilled technique used as well as the entrancing effect that they have on each

viewer. I wish to incorporate this into my work in order to create a final painting that conveys meaning and captivates viewers. Judy Watson is the second Australian artist I have chosen to focus on. Watson was born in 1959 at Mundubbera in the coastal areas of Queensland. She grew up in Brisbane and gained a diploma of creative arts in 1979 at the Darling Downs institute of advanced education in Toowoomba. She moved to Hobart in 1980 and graduated from the university of Tasmania in 1982. In 1990 Watson was finally able to fulfil her life long dream to research her Aboriginal heritage and travel to her grand mothers country of Northwest Queensland. Watson herself is a direct descendant of the Waanyi clan. Watson spent a lot of time exploring her background and subsequently encountered a number of isolated aboriginal artists, whom she helped in gaining access to art facilities. Watson has travelled around many parts of Australia staying in areas as an artist in residence to allow the public to personally encounter her works in progress. Watson is known for her swirling, spiritual prints that have an ethereal quality with undefined figures and objects. She also has a repertoire of paintings that are greatly influenced by her exploration of northern Queensland and her personal heritage. Watsons distinct stained canvasses often convey tough, powerful messages of her history and culture in a subtle, beautiful way. Her work is intensely personal and her culture and heritage remain a very strong inspiration for her paintings. The beauty of the aboriginal culture is displayed through her work as well as educating her audience about the aboriginal way of life. When you walk in that country the earth is beating pulsating heat, blood, heart things are hidden like the bones of the people who have been there before you are walking in their footprints Judy Watson, 1990 This quote of Judy Watson speaking of her culture is a clear indication of the powerful messages her paintings hold.

This work is titled Blood Language and uses pigment, pastel and acrylic on canvas. The background of the canvas has been stained using dark blue pigments. The colour is a mottled dark blue with areas of lighter and darker shades. In the centre of the top half of the canvas is a triangular shaped are that is an opaque earthy yellow colour. Cracks appear in this block yellow colour and the dark blue shadow of the initial stain shows through. In the bottom third of the painting is a detailed line drawing that appears to be a grass or string pattern. It has been painted on using a white pastel. In the top two thirds of the canvas a thin white pastel line had been drawn in the shape of a two handled jug. This outline has a blended white stain around it, which creates an effect where the jug appears to be emitting a soft glow or smoke. In the bottom of this outline is a collection of small round identical objects, possibly fruit or stones. They have been created through use of white dots. The outline of the jug falls over the yellow area creating a layered effect. The overall composition of this painting is very balanced and central, there is a clear line running vertically down the centre of the painting on which the main objects appear. The focal point is difficult to classify however it would most likely be the yellow triangular area as the contrast in colour makes it stand out from the blue stained background. This painting has a very spiritual, mystical sense as each object is uncertain and therefore compelling, the composition holds a fascination that captivates an audience.

This image is difficult to interpret because it is so unfamiliar to me. The soft glowing effect surrounding the jug could suggest a sense of holiness and great importance. The fact that this jug contains objects that could be fruit symbolise the importance and vitality of food in the aboriginal culture and their specific, traditional methods of hunting and gathering. It is possible that the earthy yellow triangular shape represents land and the blue stained background is the ocean. In this sense the large jug outline that covers both land and water could be symbolic of the way tradition and cultural practices bring a country together and unite people. This painting, along with Judy Watsons other artworks very strongly expresses her identity. She has captured her heritage and culture and she uses art as a way to convey messages of her land and people. I find her work very powerful and am particularly fascinated by her technique of staining the canvas. The coloured wash effect, which this technique creates, is something I have included in my final studio piece. I have incorporated a blue, mottled wash into my painting as the background on which I will paint my face. I think the mystical, spiritual appearance of Judy Watsons work is beautiful and captivating, an aspect I would like to have in my final artwork. Bibliography Document on www. (without author) Document on www. (without author) Document on www. (without author) Document on www. (without author) Cherry Hood. (2010). Retrieved 16th August, 2010, from http://www.cherryhood.com Tim Olsen Gallery. (2010) retrieved 17th August, 2010 from http://www.timolsengallery.com/pages/artists_details.php?artist_id=277 Torlano Galleries. (2010) retrieved 16th August, 2010 from http://www.torlanogalleries.com/judy-watson/ Judy Watson. (2010) retrieved 17th August, 2010 from http://nga.gov.au/landscapes/Wat.htm