http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/leonardodrawings/section.asp


Last week, whilst spending some quality time back home i was given the great surprise and honour of being able to see some work by one my most significant influences, Leonardo Da Vinci. What was so surprising about the pieces was that they were actually his lesser-known drawings and sketches.
This meant that the interest was high, although not perhaps as astronomical as it would have been if some of his paintings or dare i say it....the Mona Lisa came to the city art gallery.
It felt like a really keen mix of an audience with those new to his work and keen enthusiasts who have spent much time studying him...like myself. The blurbs seemed to go into a great amount of depth about his working methods, equipment and techniques. This was of paramount intrigue as it felt as though the exhibit had been tailored to those who really were eager to know the inside story.

I managed to assess the value of the exhibit to this module, stunningly, whilst being mesmerised y the sheer genius of the artwrk. All ofrhe drawing were hung in a simplistic format, in similar sized frames, stick in with tape, as though they were ripped straight out of a sketchbook, yet all pristinely mounted. They also decided to display some of the sketches in double sided plinth cases, which gave another dimension to the presentation of the exhibit.

My studio work also gained highly from the experience. When looking at the work i found one of Da Vinci's plans for a Madonna painting (see picture) that he would later complete. This is what i am looking for in my own work......the sigificance of plans and blueprints to the overall produced piece. Sometimes they can feel like works of art in themselves, although many people see them as merley another step in the planning stage of devlopment. For instance, there were some wonderful plays with washes and inks to give multi-layered sketches. Indeed, the very fact that his drawings (plans) were put on show makes it clear that my own plan to bring the same awareness, is possible. The final piece need not necessarily be a sculpture. In fact, i think it is more excitingof the sketches are put infront of you, simply hinting at the possibilities.