Tony Cragg

I chose to look at Tong Cragg's Ferryman. Bronze, 1997, as it relates to Modernism through it's use of experimentation with form and his focus on structure and abstraction. This particular piece of work rejects the traditional processes of which art work had been created.

I also chose to look at this piece of work as it particularly interested me due to it's un-usual material form and the way in which animal like object seems to be 'fallen' onto it's front, using its form to hold up the rest of the structure. By creating this in metal form (Bronze) it allows for the artworks surrounding to have an effect on the viewers perception, adding shades and tones helping to emphasise it's shape. I also believe by having the holes in the metal it helps to give the artwork more aspects to which will lead the viewers eye in, like being able to see into the structure and view the hollow space and also to see the patterns the sunlight going through the structure leaves.

When researching some quotes by Cragg, i tried to find myself one that related to the piece of art work I had previously chosen, 'My attitude is, I make the sculpture in the studio on my own terms on my own time, and I want to see it go out of the studio and have its own exictence whether it's noticed or not' I have chosen to look into this quote as in some ways it relates to me, the result of this quote is the belief that Cragg's wants his work to be in existence wether or not people fully agree with what he has produced and if they like it, no matter how long he spends on his piece he is able to accept different people's views on his work, allowing criticism but believing that it still has reason for existence outside his studio. This relates to me and most other artist's as it shows that he is entirely proud of his idea's and the outcome of his idea's, allowing other people's opinions and not rejecting them yet still wanting his work to be displayed for the world to view and analyse. This quote's main focus is to do with the response to the artist work by the public.

I then found a second quote, which is entirely different to the first and relates more to Modernism, it states 'There is this idea that sculpture is static, or maybe even dead, but I feel absolutely contrary to that. I'm not a religious person- I'm an absolute Materialist- and for me material is exciting and ultimately sublime. When I'm involved in making a sculpture, I'm looking for a system of belief or ethics in the material. I want material to have a dynamic, to push and move and grow.' When looking at the both the first quote tells of how he feel's about his work and how it should be kept, yet this second quote looks into his idea's and thought's behind it. In this quote Cragg expresses how he feels about sculptures, showing hints of his emotion's towars the process of making the sculpture and the materials he has used. Althought this quote is focusing on the heart of his work and the making behind this.

Art Quotes.Net [Online] Available at:http://www.artquotes.net/masters/tony-cragg/index.htm

(date accessed: 2 Nov, 2011)