I need help on my GCSE art project. We're investigating the study of time.?

Question

Ideas can include things like different times of day, seasons or movement of people - travel. I've got this far, but I don't have a strong idea to fit in any of the catogaries. If anyone knows of any artists that's work could help me - please post!

Answer 1

For artists, you could look at Monet, who was interested in the changing affects light had on a subject. His series of 'Haystack' painting show this, which were painted at different times of the day.

For general ideas, though, you could look at:
Growth (plants, people)
Decay (or things that melt -like ice)
Travel (moving home/country, holidays)
Change (you could look at political/social events)
Age (growing old, and how some people try to fight it)
Routine (how people create patterns of everyday tasks -wake up, go to work etc)

Hope that provides you with some inspiration! xx

Answer 2

What about thinking how time is measured - the instruments that have been used through history? You could incorporate some great decorative details from observation drawings (visit a museum to get some first hand images). Other things could be hour glasses or sundials. Or what about the inner workings of timepieces - the cogs and springs.
Another way of looking at the theme is to think about the earth and its orbit around the sun and by extension lines of longitude on the globe, datelines and calendars. This could lead to some ideas based on astrology, the signs of the zodiac or Chinese astrological signs for example.
The artist you choose to research as a response to this theme will depend very much on your preference but try to stay away from the obvious such as Dali. Think about using an artist that works in a medium other than paint, such as Eduardo Paolozzi, then you won't be tempted to pastiche their work. Remember the artist doesn't have to have worked on the theme of time themselves. It may be their style, colour or use of pattern that you use to inspire you.
Very good luck and, most of all, enjoy.

Answer 3

The former Turner Prize nominee Anya Gallaccio would perhaps be a good, link, particularly if your looking for contemporary art, her work often depicts things such as rotting fruit and her instillations show how they decay over time. It may not sound particularly appealing but doing still life work of pieces of fruit over a number of weeks can be interesting because you get a sense of time and decay and the change in color and texture is interesting.

Answer 4

I would look at seasons and times of day .. check out the work of the Russian Naval artist, Ivan Ivasovsky.. he painted ships, mainly .. but the settings were stunning .. his depictions of seasons, sunrises, sunsets, etc. are fundamental to the understanding of the setting .. (battles commencing at first light, for example)....

You probably know about how light affects things... so you should extrapolate your answer from how this relates to mood and setting.

Answer 5

Capsule project Monets Rouen Cathedral paintings, same place, same viewpoint, diferent times of the day/year etc.
Or you could look at the changing shape of women in nude paintings across the centuries.
How about Andy Goldsworthy, he uses natural resourses to create 'art' that will decay natural, takes photos to record his work.
Good luck

Answer 6

Long ago when I did my GCSEs I remember that people always got good marks when they played around things like images in reflective surfaces or interesting lighting. Eg a self-portrait of your reflection in a metal teapot, or dramatic lighting on a face. They are fun effects to play with and show you are thinking about perception, light and form.

Answer 7

Hi Rosie, what about using Salvador Dali as an example, he nearly always had a timepeice in his paintings or what about doing The Seven Stages of Man and look at life through time, it starts with man as baby/infant, childhood/schoolboy, Teen/adolescent, young adult, adult, old age, and finally dementia/death. Sounds depressing but you could explore and illustrate with lots. Hope this helps

Answer 8

Alphone Mucha made a famous art noveau study of the four seasons. If you wanted to do something classical this would be a good place to start.

Answer 9

iv neva done art so im no expert but what are you really interested in? coz people tell me if im gona do a project on somethin make it interesting or u will hate it by the end!! what about a bird or motorbike or somethin?