ABIGAIL TOLLER

A2 FINE ART ESSAY

Art and the Landscape

Introduction
Landscapes are all around us, from the geographical phenomenon of the Galapagos Islands to the bleak
yet bountiful North Yorkshire Moors. Each has a unique and special meaning to different people. I have
always been fascinated by nature and the natural world. I see art all around us embedded in these
landscapes, from the way the light hits the surface illuminating the ground creating depth to the way
the seasons and weather work collectively to create different moods. Each fine detail like the delicacy
of each branch on a tree and the change in tone between hills paints a vivid and beautiful picture of
the world in which we inhabit.
In previous units I have looked at woodland and sensory deprivation both helping feed into a greater
understanding of form and especially texture, I would like to bring this forward into this unit as I feel
that nature has many hidden depths and feelings all which add life into the landscape, not just a flat
emotionless copy. I hope to show vibrancy and movement with bold brush strokes and a range of colour
and tones.
Growing up in the countryside many of my memories have been
placed in the backdrop
of the beautiful North
Yorkshire and Cleveland
landscapes such as the
peak of Roseberry
Topping, the hills
shadowing Over Silton to
the flat fields of Picton.
I use inspiration from
artists such as Mike Bell
who works from the wild
Northumbrian coast
where he has lived for
25 years. He calls it the

the land of far

horizons. To me this shows an everlasting aspect in which I
hope to include in my work. In his piece Hauxley Haven Low
Tide Blue Rhythms & Textures 1e (shown left) I feel he really
captures the personality and meaning into the landscape. The
flat vivid blue on the horizon contrasts with the textured sand
on the bottom to create a depth and relaxing mood in this
piece. An area of particular interest is the way the texture
fades out into the horizon capturing the perspective of the
landscape as well as the textures with in it. The cool colour
scheme feeds in to creating a tranquil image working with
mixed media to add movement.

Art and the Landscape

ABIGAIL TOLLER

A2 FINE ART ESSAY

Michael Morgan
What first attracted me to Morgans work is his unique
style and great sense of place within his paintings.
Morgan says I like to think that the images I

paint tell their own story for the viewer

to unravel. To me this touches upon a great part of
art that I deem essential for almost every painting,
especially for ones in the landscape. For the painting
to be effective it has to show more than its surface
value, so you read more into the landscape evoking a
bolder and more vivid mood. Morgan reaches this point
through the techniques he uses. Morgans preferable
technique is the use of gesso primer as a base for his
paintings, on top of this he uses watercolor to create
his landscape. The use of gesso really intrigued me, as
I liked the way it created a very earthy texture and
could be manipulated to create a soil like quality seen
in many of Morgans pieces.
In his piece entitled Loneliness One (shown right) we
can see he differs hugely from conventional
watercolours. He is much more inventive in the way
the colour is applied, you feel almost as though you can touch the soil. This sensation is heightened by
his use of the dark and gothic tones used, to emphasize this image of isolation. In particular I am drawn
to the dramatic mood this creates. The black bleak hills in the far horizon are smooth with little
texture creating a mysterious backdrop in the murky sky. This is significantly noticed as the hills of
Snowdonia again fitting with this theme of remoteness, where identity can be lost due to the vast size
of the national park. This contrasts with the grainy roughness of the foreground, creating a gloomy
mountainous feel. The single white house acts as a focal point drawing the eye into the picture and
emphasizes this image of solitude due to the scale of it compared to that of its dull surroundings.
Although the image may be poignant it is one of my favorite pieces as it really arouses a sentiment and
story around the landscape making it instantly more relatable to the viewer.

Art and the Landscape

ABIGAIL TOLLER

A2 FINE ART ESSAY

The structure of Morgans work is also key within his paintings, he often
uses buildings and trees is the distance to create depth in the terrain.
This forces the eye to become more involved with the piece. Form is
another crucial component in his pieces. Even within the rock like
foreground in Loneliness One the shapes that the watercolor makes
helps create this texture and adds to the mood of the piece.

John Blockley
Blockley was also a water colour artist and was Morgans main
inspiration for his work. Blockley, like
Morgan painted landscapes, however he
uses a more washy style. I feel it is
important to look into the works of Blockley to show how Morgan has
taken his technique and refined it into his own work. I like the way that
Blockleys colours merge and blend together capturing a transluency.
However I feel that Blokeleys image is a bit flat due to this watery
technque but despite this he has reflected the weather very well and
therfore captured a mood but not strong enough to really grip me as
much as Morgan,

Morgans work is that

from imagination.
his paintings are not
or scene but are
places collaged
himself. This can
view an image
are observing a
simply looking at an
interpretation of a
thing. However when
work each place can
impression on
can be anywhere the
be. This makes his
accessible to an
character and
work. The more you
more answers and
derive from it.
For example in his
(located left) on first
notice Morgans
using gesso primer to
surface. However in
noticed the mottled
made in the corner,

The unusual twist to

he simply works
The landscapes in
of a particular place
often fragments of
together by Morgan
affect the way we
radically, when we
known place we are
artists
particular place or
viewing Morgans
have a different
different people, it
viewer wants it to
artwork more
onlooker creating a
connection with the
look in detail the
deeper subtleties
piece Quarry
glance we again
unique technique of
create a rock-like
examining closer I
marks the gesso has
this draws on a
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Art and the Landscape

ABIGAIL TOLLER

A2 FINE ART ESSAY

historic element of this landscape, the marks fade and are pushed further back through the layering of
the paint again conjuring this image of the past and memories. Thus linking back into the title
Quarry, usually an area of exploitation, this could show us images of former glory and beauty
indicated by the richer warmer colours in the back drop compared to the colder colours in the fore
ground, the use of gesso and watercolour combined to creating this smoother runny image in the
foreground to me resembles melting and draining of this natural scene. The house joins and almost acts
as a barrier between the intense richness of the oranges and deep greens and the icy tones of the
dreary greys and blues which again could feed into this image of human impact on an environment.
Finally I admire Morgans ability to see landscapes in different ways. In his work it is evident that he
looks at more than the conventional way of viewing a scene but instead looks deeper into the mood
and thought of a piece. To me this is most clearly illustrated by the way he can look at a landscape
from a different angle and perspective and use this to create a different scene showing a different
feel. In his piece Lighthouse Six Morgan originally intended for it to be a landscape of a hilly area.
However as he painted the picture it became more apparent that he did not feel that this worked well.
Through rotating the piece and adding extra a sea scape began to unfold in front of him. This ability to
change and work with the paint as well as the imagination shows a real point of identity, important to
all aspects of painting.

Art and the Landscape

ABIGAIL TOLLER

A2 FINE ART ESSAY

Andy Goldsworthy
Andy Goldsworthy is a landscape artist and environmentalist, whom I came across whilst reading one of
his many publications Rivers and Tides. I then encountered his work while visiting Yorkshire sculpture
Park. I was drawn to the way Goldsworthy works with the landscape rather than from the landscape.
He produces site specific art from nature and does not affect the surrounding environment in the
process. He says I want to get under the surface. When I work with a leaf, rock,

stick, it is not just that material in itself, it is an opening into the processes of
life within and around it. When I leave it, these processes continue. The idea
that art is more than just the finished product is something where Goldsworthy excels, it is about the
ideas and thought process that has gone into each piece and what they symbolize. This sense of leaving
the landscape without permanently changing it is an aspect that really drew my attention to
Goldsworthy. This feeling of vulnerability is what I really wanted to capture in my Goldsworthy inspired
piece.

Art and the Landscape

ABIGAIL TOLLER

A2 FINE ART ESSAY

In Goldsworthys work entitled

Bones/Sand/Ball/Tide 2008 (left)
we can see the movement of the
sea as well as the sculpture. To me
this turns into a journey of nature
where the sculpture finishes as it
starts. He uses the defenselessness
and fleeting nature of the sand to
show the passage of life, taken by
an unsympathetic tide. On closer
review I realized that Goldsworthy
had packed bones into his ball of
sand and as it disintegrates a pile of
bones remain that in turn are
washed away by the tide. The
materials that Goldsworthy used for this
piece are essential as they really help
convey the transience of existence.
The materials also emphasize the gothic mood that is being portrayed while also capturing an essence
of life. I particularly admire the way Goldsworthy can manipulate the natural setting with his careful
use of materials portraying the mood of the scene. This piece resonates images of being younger,
building sandcastles which is in contrast with the image of death. I remember the hours of effort and
time building a sandcastle even though it would be devoured by the sea as its tidal waves reached out
and engulfed it. This feeling of discovery I experienced is also one that correlates with being a viewer
of a Goldsworthy piece; he shows us the magic of nature in that the sandcastle could be consumed into
its surroundings flat and undisturbed again. I think Goldsworthy has managed to combine a strong
emotional energy as well as a physical one. This is the premise of all his work which makes it more
beautiful.
One of the boldest aspects of Goldsworthys work is that he produces
site specific art using purely natural materials without the help of
adhesive or dyes. This really effects the way we look at a piece as
we not only take in his work but also the way it fits into the
landscape surrounding it. This creates a more profound bond
between the viewer and the artwork as you feel a greater
connection to the world around us through the sculpture.
An example of this would be in Goldsworthy pieces Sweet Chestnut
Autumn Horn November 1986 and Sweet Chestnut Green Horn
August 1987 (above). Both pieces are very small but detailed and
correlate with both the season and there natural environment. They
were both pieces of site specific art in Yorkshire Sculpture Park,
where Goldsworthy has used thorn to stich chestnut leaves and laid each leaf in the fold of the other to
keep it joined. To me the way he deliberately explores the tension of working in the area which he
collects resources from and factors in the surrounding climate and seasons is very inspirational, this
can be seen in each of his pieces. I love the immense detail of the horns and how they look so fragile.
The aspect of vulnerability of the delicate materials is in contrast to its underlying strength of the
sturdy structures which is part of Goldsworthys magic.

Art and the Landscape

ABIGAIL TOLLER

A2 FINE ART ESSAY

Hemali Bhuta
Bhuta is an Indian visiting artist who
created the work Speed
Breakers(left) for Yorkshire
Sculpture Park and the reason I
included her as a linking artist to
Goldsworthy is that Bhuta too is
interested in site specific art.
Bhuta likes investigating limited
spaces between the surface and
beneath, life and death and real
and unreal. I was captivated by the way she cleverly entwines the
roots she made into the earth making them hardly noticeable. This
subtly makes this piece even more intriguing showing how nature can
be so beautiful even if you dont initially notice. Bhuta said these
shallow roots seem to be transmitters, rising from one end and
submitting to the other, as though they are swallowed back into the land. They suggest a growth of an
unborn tree or one that has died. Like Bhuta, Goldsworthy has also explored this topic illustrated in
the above work Bones/Sand/Ball/Tide. The way they both use nature to emphasize the subtleties
and delicacies is something I have used in my approach to art work.

Art and the Landscape

ABIGAIL TOLLER

A2 FINE ART ESSAY

Goldsworthy also takes all his own photographs of his

studies which are then transformed into artwork
themselves. For this reason his piece 'Incredible
Serpentine Tree Roots' captures my eye(left). The
composition of the photo is mainly split into three
parts with the most detailed part at the bottom of the
photograph which focuses on the detailed sand roots.
This gives the roots a dominance over the tree,
emphasizing the life and energy within the piece. The
title Incredible Serpentine Tree Roots helps to create
the sense of power, creating the feeling of strength and
dominance with the analogy of them being snake like
which conjures up the image of the silent, sneaky
threatening creature. This along with the beak autumn
climate has created a more sinister undertone to
nature. What is of particular interest to me is the
shadows created by the roots which adds to the
intrigue as well as adding depth and tone. The texture
of the piece particularly the roots is one that is smooth
and flowing again reinforcing the serpent like
connotation.
Sand has been used blended with mud to so that the
roots merge with the soil around them giving them a
solidarity with the environment and helps to remind us
of the strength of nature. My personal response to the
work is one of telling a story with a deeper meaning
than that which originally appears. How the element of
what we cannot usually see (here the roots) can change
how we view what we can usually see (the tree), in this
case making the strength and resource of what is a dull
tree more profound in the viewers eyes.

Finally, my favorite aspect of Goldsworthy is his individuality. His love for the environment stands out
in all his pieces, each taking detail and care and most that do not have permanency in the way art
normally does. He opens the opportunity to question art in a more traditional form such as painting or
sculpture and this is why I have enjoyed reviewing his work. His originality really stands out and I think
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Art and the Landscape

ABIGAIL TOLLER

A2 FINE ART ESSAY

his work called Gold Leaf Ring Trunk is an excellent example of how Goldsworthys work and the
meaning he tries to emphasize. In this work the splash of yellow leaves adds a burst of energy focusing
the eye into the photo. The fading out could be interpreted as life the cycle of life even though the
vivid colour does taper out the trunk still goes on. The way the photo is composed with the tree
almost running parallel with the stream creates movement and flow.

David Hockney
David Hockney is a name I have been familiar with since GCSE. My eye is drawn into his bold explicit
brush strokes and the vivid colour palates he uses. Hockney says drawing is rather like

playing chess: your mind races ahead of the moves that you actually make .
This feeling of vitality is the most remarkable part of Hockneys work and drew me into being an
admirer of his work.
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Art and the Landscape

ABIGAIL TOLLER

A2 FINE ART ESSAY

Hockneys most recent work of the Yorkshire countryside are the pieces I have examined in more detail
as I believe they have an affinity to my topic, especially as thy also relate to areas close to where I live
and resonate with me giving a personal connection. I love the way he takes exaggerated colour he
used in his Hollywood paintings and injected them into the Yorkshire countryside. What I found
interesting about Hockney after watching a
documentary about him is how he has taken
modern every day technology the iPad with
the app Brushes to record landscape
scenes while he is out walking. This is a
technique that I think would be interested to
explore. He makes bold marks in place of
his brush strokes, for example his piece The
Arrival of Spring demonstrates the use of
different technological strokes on the iPad
that adds movement giving life to the work.
The use of different tones helps to create a
depth which makes it more inviting. As a
viewer you are drawn into the composition
where the bright white of the distant path
juxtaposes with the dark intensity of the
surrounding woodland. He also uses layering
to create depth in the foreground creating
the illusion of density within the forest, and
there are reflections in the water created
through blurring the image. This creates a
real sense of time and place putting the
sketches into context of the broader
surroundings. This method plays with the
concept of traditional landscapes and art as
Hockney flips this and turns it into something
new and original, something unique.

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Art and the Landscape

ABIGAIL TOLLER

A2 FINE ART ESSAY

The scale of Hockneys work

emphasizes the magnificence of
the landscape but at the same
time pushes expression and
experimentation. He takes risks
with his largest piece spanning
some forty feet by fifteen feet
called Bigger Trees Near Water.
The vast size of this piece makes
it all the more intense and
beautiful to view. The detail of
each branch compares with the
looseness of the markings on the
thicker tree stumps. The shapes
created by the branches help to
understand the majestic expanse
of the trees. The composition is
simple and effective; keeping the viewers eyes focused towards the middle of the painting looking into
the density of the trees. I would like to work on a large scale as I feel it adds to a sense of grandness
that nature has, which Hockney captures perfectly.

Another interesting aspect of Hockneys work is the way he does them on separate canvases to create a
segregated picture. At first one could see this as discontinuing the flow of the picture. However I
believe this adds a flavor of excitement into his pieces. For example Woodgate Woods 21,23 and 29,
November 2006 which the mosaic style helps create a more special awareness in the piece. This style
also enabled him to step back from his picture and see it as a whole as well as focusing on detailed
aspects. He paints while he is outdoors from the subject which I feel is captured in all his works
including Woodgate Woods. You can see the vivacity in this piece which I feel can only be shown
when working from life as you are experiencing the feel of the landscape as well as painting it. Overall
I am trapped in Hockneys world of an older beauty of the landscape within a contemporary courageous
style. This looseness and textural brush marks is one thing I have tried to develop in some of my
studies to create an energy and movement.

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Art and the Landscape

ABIGAIL TOLLER

A2 FINE ART ESSAY

Conclusion
In summary, Art and the Landscape co-inside with each other. Everyone can view the landscape
differently and use different methods and techniques to show a different view. This is shown by the
small selection of artists I have looked into here, each with totally contrasting perspectives yet all
working with nature to create a beautiful image of what to them the landscape means. It is this aspect
most of all which I hope to get across in this unit of work, a great love and enthusiasm for the
landscape via a wide range of different techniques to interact with the terrain. As Vincent Van Gogh
said I dream my painting and I paint my dream , without this passion and
imagination we would simply see a flat dull copy of what is already there.

Bibliography
Michael Morgan Youtube videos
stones Goldsworthy
the bigger picture- Hockney
the way Hockney sees it The daily telegraph

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Art and the Landscape