The Genius of Art

1. The start of British Modern Art started where?

The start of British Modern Art was in post-war Britain at the tip of the west coast of Cornwall.

2. What did one critic describe Patrick Heron’s work as?

   The critic dismissed Patrick Heron’s paintings as absurd.

• What did Patrick Heron think art should do?

  Heron felt that art should lift the human soul.

• What did Francis Bacon think life was full of?

  Bacon thought life was full of Pain and suffering.

• What did Francis Bacon’s artwork deliberately set out to do?

  Francis Bacon’s artwork set out to shock post-war Britain to the core.

• What did Peter Blake’s work celebrate?

  Blake’s work celebrated the American culture of denim and Elvis.

• Who is the Father of British Pop Art?

  Richard Hamilton

• What does Transient mean?

It is used to describe something impermanent. Lasting for a short time.

9. What happened to the UK economy during the 1970s?

Britain was struggling through an economic decline. This was due to a 3-day working week, miner’s strikes and IRA bombs.

10. Gilbert and George describe themselves as?

They described themselves as pure, weird and normal.

11. What was the new spirit for 80’s Britain?

The 80’s spirit was money, greed and ambition.

12. Who is the world’s richest living artist today?

Damien Hirst, who was an important member of the YBA movement.

13. Who is Charles Saatchi?

He is a co-founder of advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi with his brother, and famous for a campaign that helped Margaret Thatcher come to power.

14. At the end of the 80’s boom, how much did Hirst sell his work at Sotheby’s auction for?

£95,000,000

15. What was Tracy Emin’s unique selling point?

Emin expressed her most intimate thoughts and feelings, making self-obsession a form of art.

16. What does Grayson Perry explore in his work?

He explored the way we live in the present.

17. What does he feel the main most important activity in life is?

His most important activity was making artwork.

• Rationing – The controlled distribution of goods that are scarce at the time.
• A stiff upper lip – Means to keep valour in the face of adversity.
• Abstract art – is an art movement that aims to represent reality in an alternative form using shapes colours and gestural marks.
• Post-war Britain – The state of Britain after the war.
• A triptych – a piece of artwork that is divided across three sections that are on separate surfaces from each other.
• A 3-day week refers to a week that only has 3 working days.

Patrick Heron – A British abstract and figurative artist, critic, writer, and polemicist, who lived in Zennor, Cornwall. Heron was recognized as one of the leading painters of his generation.

Francis Bacon – An Irish-born British figurative painter known for his emotionally charged raw imagery and fixation on personal motifs

Peter Blake – An English pop artist, best known for co-creating the sleeve design for a Beatles’ album. His other best-known works include the cover of the Band-Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, and the Live Aid concert poster.

Richard Hamilton – An English painter and collage artist. His 1955 exhibition Man, Machine and Motion and produced for the This Is Tomorrow ^{exhibition of the Independent Group in London, are considered by critics and historians to be among the earliest works of pop art.}

Gilbert and George – Are two artists who work together as the collaborative art duo Gilbert & George. They are known for their highly formal appearance and manners in performance art, and also for their brightly coloured graphic-style photo-based artworks.

Tracy Emin – An English artist known for her autobiographical and confessional artwork. Emin produces work in a variety of media including drawing, painting, sculpture, film and photography.

Grayson Perry – An English contemporary artist. He is known for his ceramic vases, tapestries and cross-dressing, as well as his observations of the contemporary arts scene.