Simon's Blog

WARNING:  This post contains an image which some people might find offensive…if you are one of those people then please don’t read on….you have been warned.

Yesterday I visited the latest exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery, Egon Schiele:  The Radical Nude and I have to admit it was one of the most thought provoking exhibitions I have visited in a while.   The question as to what is or is not pornographic is today just as controversial as it was 100 years ago – perhaps even more so now given the infinite pornographic images available to anyone with a smartphone – indeed you could be walking around the Schiele exhibition consuming pornographic imagery at same time as looking at Schiele’s work.  (Why you would want to do that is beyond me but it could be done.)

I am not going to enter into this unholy minefield other than to say it is a really thought provoking area and the exhibition is great catalyst for anyone to examine their own views on pornography.  However, a curious thing happened to me yesterday whilst I was sitting down trying to make some sketches of Schiele’s work (the reason for the warning above).  Anyone who has visited the Courtauld’s temporary exhibition space will know that it consists of two rooms, one larger than the other.  In the centre of the second, larger, room is a bench where you can sit down and take in the works or, as in my case, make sketches of what is on display.

I chose the two drawings to sketch not for any artistic reason but rather they were the only two drawings where people didn’t stand too long, so allowing me to see the drawings across the room.  As anyone who has tried to make sketches of works of art knows the more you do this the more you start to realise the skills being displayed – thus increasing you knowledge and  appreciation of the work. (Or is that just me?)

So I sat there sketching the drawings in gaps between people blocking my view.  As I did this I suddenly became aware that I had attracted an audience of young children who must have been no more than 10 years old.  As I drew I started to wonder why would you bring such young children into this exhibition?  They looked bored rigid apart from watching me sketch.  However, there was also the broader question of whether the imagery was suitable for young people to view?  Are these drawings Art or Pornography?   I guess really that is for you the viewer to decide.

So to the two pastel drawings.  These are the latest images I created at my art class and I have to say I am quite pleased with them.  What they have they to do with Schiele?  Nothing but these are images I produced today.

I mentioned yesterday that I was disappointed with the latest Portrait Photographer exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.  I’m still thinking about this and I will come back to the matter once I have decided exactly what I didn’t like about the works on offer.

So to the Schiele inspired sketches…they are what they are sketches nothing more than that.  You might find them offensive not because of their content but rather who they were executed.  This is a fair thing to feel but in my defence they are only sketches – nothing more.