Dear Planksters,
I hope your week has been full of creative thought, inspiration and output!
Today I wanted to share with you one of my favourite artists – L S Lowry!
Now, being totally honest with you, when I first saw his work I found it rather depressing and remember commenting that “It’s good, but I wouldn’t want it hanging on my wall…” (I know!) but I’ve since grown to love the man and therefore his art.
I personally find that the more I get to know about a ‘creative ‘ then the more I like what they’ve created. I love to find out what circumstances they grew up in, what they had to overcome, who their influences were, what drove them etc. Then, armed with all of that information, I can look at their work afresh and find new depths and a genuine appreciation – that often drifts into the realms of obsession!
This was my experience with Mr. Lowry and it now amuses me somewhat to find myself devouring a book that looks at the different styles of lampposts that Lowry depicted in his art! (A fantastic book called ‘Lowry’s Lamps’ by Richard Mayson)
I think what I admire about Mr. Lowry was the way he painted and drew in his own style regardless of what people thought – even after he was famous. At a time when people were imploring him to paint more industrial landscapes he politely refused as he had moved onto portraits.
It’s wonderful that there are a few YouTube videos of Mr. Lowry (how I wished there were more!!) - To be able to hear him talk, see him walk and watch him paint is unbelievably brilliant!
I thoroughly enjoyed the biography ‘A Private View of L.S Lowry’ by Shelly Rohde and highly recommend it.
The film ‘Mrs Lowry and Son’ starring Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Spall, is enjoyable and insightful, although as with most films about people, I’d suggest reading a good biography first as artistic license does come into play.
Actually viewing his work at The Lowry Art Gallery in Salford is remarkably intimate and is probably the closest I’ll feel to actually meeting the man himself. His work there is beautifully displayed and is a place I can happily visit over and over.
Mr. Lowry is one of my artistic heroes – he held down a full time job, was a carer to his ill mother, ignored the critics, stuck with his style, painted what he wanted to paint and maintained a top sense of humour – What a man - so much to learn from him!
With a raised owl mug filled with sweetened cardamom tea (no longer hot but still drinkable),
Thalamus Plank