Penny's address
Tilibrennou 29690 Berrien FRANCE
simonandpennygardiner@orange.fr
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Penny's address Tilibrennou 29690 Berrien FRANCE |
simonandpennygardiner@orange.fr |
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How Penny Works |
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PENNY GARDINER - Her Art Click on any of the thumbnails to enlarge.At her recent exhibition in Carhaix, a perceptive visitor noted that her work put him in mind of Maurice Denis. Denis worked with a group of painters who wanted to expand the power of their art so that their pictures would convey not only the physical reality of their subject, but its emotional connections as well. They achieved this first by simplifying the natural appearance of the subject, and then emphasizing it by means of its recognisable form, with a 'hard outline'; then by brightening colour, the picture transformed the subject into something novel in the viewer's mind. By this means, a mental link was created, by which the artist could tell the viewer of his picture what he felt about the subject as well as what it looked like! This circle, or Les Nabis - Prophets of the new, revitalised religious painting by bringing it into a contemporary world. They painted Annunciations, Visitations, Crucifixions and Resurrections; set in the landscapes of Brittany and Paris, complete with contemporary spectators. As did Stanley Spencer paint resurrections in Cookham, Berkshire, England in the mid 20th. Century. Here is Penny's "Visitation"; set in Florence Rd., Wimbledon
She has created her own stylised figures, they are representations of actual people who are doing the things they really did in real life - digging in the garden, looking out from behind a curtain. These people live in a recognisably suburban street. But the colours of the houses are significantly brightened while all natural forms are considerably simplified. That leaves the mind of the viewer to alight on the two central figures who are approaching each other, and to ponder upon the dove that has alighted on the roof above them. She has also painted "The Flight into Egypt".
In ICHTHUS - "Fishers of Men", Penny has taken the Greek letters to form a set of stylised figures that stand with a similar representation of Christ, on an abstract Sea of Galilee.
In these three works, Penny has transformed conventional religious painting with its tired old conventions, into an art form that brings the contemporary viewer into the picture, thus giving him an opportunity to respond with his own faith. Taking natural objects, in painting, then giving their form a new image, is an act of transformation that takes place in the artists mind. This is the artistic process that gives the viewer an image which he cannot see in the original object. In Pierres et Brindilles the motifs are carefully arranged:-
...before the photo is transformed into:-
A photo of roots and fungi:-
...is transformed into:-
A view of the whole countryside, through which we pass, body and soul, becomes transformed out of the workaday world into new world of light and colour.
In "A Homage to Mozart", the composers work is portrayed by characters from his operatic works, while his life is represented by his family and supporters who sit at his feet while he plays the solo part of an orchestral piece!
The pictures above the characters represent scenes from several of the operas, and the old fortress of Salzburg. The French classical narrative of Abélard and Héloïse:-
Another transformation - the Classical reference taking the form of Medieval decoration - projects its central theme of Romance into contemporary life by the use of students as the characters. From the earliest age, Penny has been inspired by the work of Vincent van Gogh. In "To Vincent" from Penny his favourite flowers are lovingly presented to the great artist by his grateful admirer.
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