Madonna Staunton is a well-respected Queensland artist with a national and international reputation. She is known for her assemblage and collage work, as well as her paintings.
The Queensland Art Gallery recently exhibited a retrospective of her work....where one could get up close and personal to these extraordinary artworks.
I say 'extraordinary'....but actually Madonna has a practice of using 'ordinary' materials to create her assemblages and collages.
I appreciate the way she uses everyday, found, chipped, scratched, flaky, scribbled, weathered objects to assemble her unconventional paths to beauty. The muted tones and colours in her paintings also scream emotion.
I like that concept.....finding beauty in the simple, natural, imperfect, withered, old, rusty, stained and speckled objects we use and discard every day. Not for me all that glammed up, glossy, shiny, fake perfection that is thrust upon us these days.
It's that Japanese aesthetic that I appreciate….wabi sabi....which, unknowingly, I've applied to many parts of my life for many years. Yes, give me tattered, torn, hand-painted and stained papers, a bunch of withered coffee-coloured rose buds, loose threads hanging from a linen skirt or sleeve, the deckled edges of my drawing papers, rusty sheds and their hidden rusty treasure, even a loose arrangement of lichen-covered sticks can have great charm.
Anyway, here's Madonna's unconventional beauties....I hope you like them as much as I do.
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| An explosion of yellows.....deconstructed number plates....but with balance and unity. |
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| Numbers....letters.... rust….scratches....an unexpected beauty. |
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| A well-used painter's plank or the cosmos? It's funny you know....often when I go into an art studio I like to look at the students' marks on their desks....often you can see the most beautiful images emerge amongst the splatters. |
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| To me, this assemblage says.....long hours of work creating and painting....loneliness of the long distance artist. |
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| Assemblage - wooden plank tee pee….the lines, spaces and colours...balanced and magnetic. |
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| Assemblage - chair, crates, planks....flaking, chipped, holey and stencilled...but intriguing. |
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| Blackened teal and rust beauty. |
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These two collages, using ordinary 'found' papers, have the most subtle colour tones and contrasts.
Sometimes, I don't really know why I like something...but I know when I do...and I really like these! |
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| A blackened dream trolly? Now this could be a good place to store your bad dreams! |
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| Pattern with coat hangers.....extraordinary contrasting colours.....arranged in an intriguing way. What is this assemblage saying I wonder? Clothes maketh the man......I hope not! |
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| "Yo".....by Madonna Staunton. |
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| And lastly, a few of Madonna's paintings…..incredible colours with simplified shapes….almost abstract. |
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| Little postcards....for Graham Greene and Tiny Tim (below). |
And with a nod to this inspirational Queensland artist...my collage 'parcel postcards' for Madonna.
You may also like:
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/promenade-with-my-parapluie-iv-lindy.html
well done - we love Donna and her work
ReplyDeleteThank you very much. Yes, her work is inspirational. Madonna's paintings really 'stirred' my emotions too.....she has such a great sensitivity and ability with colour don't you think!
DeleteCiao
R
Just realised who you were dear male. Thanks so much for visiting Mal.
DeleteAnd will I see you at the David Lynch opening party on Friday 13th? Hope so.
R
love her + always loved assemblage and collage work! xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
ReplyDeleteDarling Peggy....isn't Madonna an interesting artist. So much more to her work than what I have presented...but it does give you 'an entré' into her amazing practice. Her paintings are very emotive....those red hands above look frozen with fear...or frozen with anger. I'm not sure. I, too, am drawn to collage and assemblage....I can be lost in my own dreamworld for hours creating them. So lovely to have you visit again.
DeleteCiao
Robyn
Thank you Robyn for such a beautiful discovery, and for your amazing pictures! I love it, and I can see some links between her work and yours.
ReplyDeleteA bientôt ! Cheers from Paris
Dear Pauline.....my Parisian Art Teacher Par Excellent!!!!!!!!!
DeleteThank you so much for visiting and yes, isn't Madonna's work inspiring.
As you know, I do love making collages....and I have made quite a few of 'my interpretations' of Paris!
What wonderful art workshops we had together in Paris....I often think of them. I see you are off to Monet's Garden, Giverny soon for another workshop. Those lucky students!!!!. You always choose such wonderful places to draw in Pauline, I'm simply going to have to come back and visit you again soon.
A bientot!
Robyn
Hi, dear Robyn! As you read on my blog, I am just now returning from a two day break, so please forgive me for being tardy to your party.
ReplyDeleteI love this type of art which celebrates the aesthetic pleasure of the perfectly imperfect. Some people might think that anyone could throw together a few weather beaten objects or construction materials and create art of this quality but they would be wrong. My father was a photographer and his favorite subjects were barnacle covered boat hulls, dilapidated barns and sheds, rusted wagon wheels, etc. Through his compositions I developed an appreciation of this art form.
Thank you, dear Robyn, for presenting this wonderful collection of pictures of the exhibit!
I hope you had a relaxing and refreshing break Shady. Always good to get away for a bit!
DeleteThe perfectly imperfect......now isn't that a wonderful description. A worthwhile aspiration for us all I think!
It's amazing when you take the time to really look, feel and experience the simple, 'ordinary' things in life just how wonderful they are. I just stood quietly the other day near a 'mock orange shrub' on the pavement, looked carefully at those emerald green leaves, creamy white flowers and buds, and breathed their perfume. Delicious!
I'd love to see some of those images that your father took Shady!! Dilapidated barns and sheds, rusty wheels....oooohhhh, just my cup of tea!
As always Shady, love the way you write!!!!
Hopefully I'll post a little about 'Crystabel' in my next post? A fabulous voice and she's on Youtube should you have time to check her out?
Ciao
R
Yessum, I already check out several Chrysta Bell videos on YouTube. Her vocal style and the imagery and production methods used in her videos are reminiscent of Twin Peaks, Fire Walk With Me, Lost Highway, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Mulholland Dr and other David Lynch works.
DeleteI should have known that with your musical expertise you would be well across her style Shady! Will check out her concert next Friday and let you know how it 'transpired'!
ReplyDeleteA wonderful collaboration of 'bits' that most of us discard.......I think that Madonna would have loved a peek in Alan's 'Shed'....!! Thanks Robyn for sharing another interesting exhibition....great photos and 'parcel postcards'..Jude
ReplyDeletePleasure Jude....and wouldn't I like a little snorkel thru Alan's Shed!!!!!! What rusted and gilded treasures are hidden within!
DeleteR
I agree there is beauty in old stuff. I'm glad you explained some of the pieces though. I liked the chair best. Your collages too. I have two other blog friends who are artists. You may be interested:
ReplyDeletehttp://bellstjournal.blogspot.com.au
http://www.cindylane.com.au