Part 1 Research point study of Odilon Redon

The following research forms part of my studies for the Open College of Arts.

I have always been mystified by Redon's works. I remember first discovering his works whilst living in Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, the art magazine that drew my attention to his work was in Russian, and as my ability to read Russian remained rudimentary, I was never able to read the content. However, I found his symbolist artworks to be enigmatic, conveying a distinctive sense of mystery and emotional impact. Interestingly, as cited by the website Odilon-Redon.org, Redon described his own works in similar terms: "My drawings inspire, and are not to be defined. They place us, as does music, in the ambiguous realm of the undetermined." (Odilon-Redon.org, 2002-2015)

Reading the following quote that is cited to have been written in his A Soi-meme (To Myself), I was struck by his process:

I have often, as an exercise and as a sustenance, painted before an object down to the smallest accidents of its visual appearance; but the day left me sad and with an unsatiated thirst. The next day I let the other source run, that of imagination, through the recollection of the forms and I was then reassured and appeased. (cited by Odilon-Redon.org, 2002-2015)

Mere realism and the depiction of what was before him apparently left him empty, yet when he allowed the power of reflection to motivate his expression, he felt "appeased". I did notice how many floral arrangements and portraits he did of the same subject matter. After studying these subjects so many times, I fully believe he could paint without needing to see the subject in front of him.

According to a research paper produced by Harriet K. Stratis, technical investigation of Redon’s Noirs reveal that he used the intrinsic tonal blackness of varying graphic media to provide varying degrees of blacks and greys, each with varying degrees of warmth, or coolness. The “cool, blue-black tone and velvety surface quality” of black pastel was often used as fine accent lines to contrast with the warmer, browner tones of vine or compressed charcoal (Stratis, 1995).

I also learned that he would soak his charcoals in linseed oil to ensure that when he applied them the charcoal affixed to the surface of the paper. Later he would apply a spray or liquid fixative to the reverse of the artwork to ensure its stability and longevity (Stratis, 1995). As I am unable to get modern spray on fixative in Benin, and bringing spray canisters via air transport is illegal, I will need to experiment with fixatives to see if I can stabilize my drawings from the verso side of my drawings.

The variety of ways in which he manipulated his charcoal media is what strikes me as adding to the atmospheric impact of his tonal ranges. His techniques included laying an initial fine layer of charcoal as his base upon which he would work. Harriet K. Stratis states:

He turned a rectangular stick on its side for broad tonal applications, and wetted a rounded stick with a pointed tip for linear applications. His intermittent use of fixative allowed him to expand his methods of subtraction to include incising with a pointed tool, scraping with a hard-bristled brush, and lifting of media with a sponge or his hands. (Stratis, 1995)

After spraying his work with fixative, evidently he would rework the surface with stumping, erasing, gouging with sharp instruments, and even redistribute the charcoal with his fingers, applying ground up charcoal to textural areas in the foreground. The degree to which he exposed the initial color of the paper seems to be instrumental in creating the contrast between heavily worked areas and the lighter toned areas used to determine the background or the highlights on the subject and foreground.

Fig. 1. Odilon Redon. Tree, c. 1875

His skillful application of zones of intense dark tones, as opposed to lighter gray areas, and golden white, creates directional forces. As can be seen in Tree, c. 1875 (fig.1), these seem to draw one’s eye to an indefinable focal point, such as a hollow in a tree or the shadowed area behind the tree (Redon, 1875). This visual attraction to the indefinable and illusive areas of his artworks helps to increase the emotive impact of his pieces. It also creates a somber rhythm across the surface of the page, causing one to sense an eerie cadence to the piece. I look forward to the day that I am able to view his works in person, as they are no doubt more enigmatic and powerful when viewed in person.

Works Cited

Odilon-Redon.org, 2002-2015. Odilon Redon Biography. [Online]
Available at: http://www.odilon-redon.org/
[Accessed 14 May 2015].

 

Stratis, H. K., 1995. A Technical Investigation of Odilon Redon's Pastels and Noirs. [Online]
Available at: http://cool.conservation-us.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v14/bp14-08.html
[Accessed 16 May 2015].

Illustration

Figure 1. Redon, O., 1875. Trees, c. 19. [Charcoal Drawing] (The Art Institute of Chicago.). Available at: http://cool.conservation-us.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v14/bp14-08.html
[Accessed 16 May 2015].