Open 10:30–5:00, Tuesday – Saturday
Our second in a series of talks, Jean Ryan brings you closer to the ideas, thoughts, processes and theory considering our temporary exhibition, The Tyranny of Ambition.
All of the artworks in The Tyranny of Ambition exhibition are different in style, subject matter and genre. Explore with art historian, Jean Ryan what they all have in common; how do artists communicate to you, the viewer , through the silence of a painting? Why do they sign their works? What was the origin of ‘Authorship’?
About
Jean Ryan is an art historian who is interested in exploring the topic of creativity in the visual arts. She aims to show how artworks are the end product of multiple decisions artists make when creating their work. These decisions range from the subject matter they want to bring to the viewer’s attention to the direction of research and focus on that subject. What aspect of it do they want to bring to the viewer’s attention and why?
Artists have to decide how to communicate their ideas to the viewer. What visual form will they take? Which materials are best suited to their needs? How will they use them effectively? The decisions are endless and while some are planned others are more spontaneous as the artist responds to unexpected events while making the work.
Creativity needs imagination, understanding, curiosity, skill, and risk-taking. The ability to think laterally allows an artist to present the viewer with new images based on associations between diverse ideas and points of reference.
Jean is curious to explore and map the creative process. She wants to pinpoint the decisions made along the way so the viewer can understand the artists thinking and making as they give form to their ideas.