Part 2 Project 5 Pets and other animals Research Point

When doing a Google search for contemporary animal artists, I stumbled across the exquisite work of Louise Pallister. Pallister’s stop-motion animation of a caged thylacine is extremely intriguing. I love the fact that the final image from this installation is unfathomable, yet has the traces of all of the previous images photographed. (Anon., n.d.) In her blog, Louise stated, “…I'm very interested in the marks you can make on a surface and how much you need to show for the viewer to understand the animal. So... it's not so much about turning out a nice drawing of an animal (I know I can do that) but more about how I convey that pure energy and sensation. That's the challenge.” (Pallister, 2014) I absolutely love the raw, crude energy caught in the artwork Brown Paper Wolf, 2013. 


Brown Paper Wolf, 2013. Louise Pallister.
Mixed media on brown paper.

Caged. Louise Pallister. Installation. Charcoal.

I found it interesting that Pallister states that Francis Bacon influenced her work. This is definitely evident in the artwork After the Fact IV, 2014. This chalk work on blackboard paint has an implied haunting appearance. I love the broad strokes with which she analyzes the pose of Rest, 2009. The study of the skin stretched over the bony skeleton of the Doberman clearly articulates her pose.

As part of a series of works created on invitation by Haydock Park Racecourse, Pallister painted the mixed media artwork of a jockey interacting with its horse, To the Post. I particularly like the sketchy nature of this image which almost portrays the horse’s anatomy as a well functioning machine. 
 
Louise Pallister refers to the work of Justine Osborne. Her work, although extremely realistic, still conveys a lively expressive quality to it. I enjoy the artwork Portrait of a Jack Russell Terrier. (Osborne, 2002 - 2013) As my parents have a Jack Russell terrier, I can visualize the little guy sitting in front of me, waiting to be taken on a walk.

I think that for an artwork of animals to work, it really needs to go beyond realism to endeavoring to capture the life force and nature of the animal, allowing the viewer to be moved by the expressive nature of the pose and technique used. I want to experiment with creating a white ink to use on top of mixed media works. I have no access to actual white ink, but will experiment with other options. I love the fact that the white gets added on top, creating a great sense of depth.

To the Post. Louise Pallister.
Mixed media.

 Works Cited

Anon., n.d. Louise Pallister. [Online]
Available at: http://www.louisepallister.co.uk/photo_13438044.html
[Accessed 17 October 2015].

Osborne, J., 2002 - 2013. paintmydog.co.uk. [Online]
Available at: http://www.paintmydog.co.uk/gallery_pet_portraits.htm
[Accessed 17 October 2015].

Pallister, L., 2014. Louise Pallister work in progress. [Online]
Available at: http://louisepallister.blogspot.com/
[Accessed 17 October 2015].