Archive 2011-3

Robert Flinkman
Sagrada Pasion Andante Lamentoso
etching and aquatint on Hahnemuehle paper
17 1/2" X 12"
2011
copyright 2011 Robert Flinkman

November 19th, 2011 Saturday

Today I started etching the upper plate for Sagrada Pasion. Transferred the outline of the drawing to the plate, and began the line etch on it. Felt really good to get back to the actual artwork. The piece is going to come out really good, I feel.

November 25th, 2011 Friday

This morning I worked on the line etch for the central figure in Sagrada Pasion - my figure. It was important to get just right the figure's upraised left hand, and the expression on the face. I'm concentrating now on the sacred heart, and I'll etch that out tomorrow morning.

December 18th, 2011 Sunday

I'm currently doing acquatints on the etching, Sagrada Pasion. Today I did a 1 minute on the plate, then I'll do a 3 minute to darken some specific areas. I'm looking forward to making an edition of this piece. It's truly a very personal one, it speaks of my own private unrequited desires.

I listened to David Oistrakh perform Shostakovich's Violin Concerto n.1, with the Philharmonia Orchestra with Gennady Rozhdestvensky conducting - what a powerful performance! Oistrakh is a Master - such depth of expression! I was very impressed!
I'm currently listening to Vladimir Ashkenazy perform Shostakovich's 24 Preludes and Fuges - these are true gems! Shostakovich composed here the full spectrum of thoughts, feelings and experiences - it's a full range of the heights and depths of the human experience, and Vladimir Ashkenazy performs them to perfection!
Next I'm going to listen to Shostakovich's 10th Symphony.

November 13th, 2011 Sunday

Well, I've arrived back from Spain, and I had a wonderful time! Spain is great, so beautiful, rich in art. It was great seeing Luz-Teresa again and her family. Luz is fine, she looks good, and I truly owe her so much for her generosity and kindness. I met her family Friday evening for dinner at a local restaurant near her Mother's apartment in the northeast area of Madrid.

We hit all the major museums - the Prado with the special exhibit of treasures from the Hermitage! At the Thyssen we saw an exhibit about Architecture and Painting, split into themes how artists use both to illustrate Architecture and Imagination, the Modern CIty, and illustrate the past and ruins. The time period was from the Renaissance to about 1600.

Then Monday and Tuesday we were in Sevilla. We took the Renfe high speed rail down there, crossing the rollings hills threaded with olive groves. The high speed rail was quick and comfortable. We stayed at the Hotel Don Paco. We toured the city, the cathedral there - very impressive and climbed the Giralda tower - 35 stories! We went to the Museum of Fine Arts, concentrating primarily on artists working and living in Sevilla, also seen were works by Lucas Cranach, El Greco, and Velazquez. We took a river boat tour along the Gualdalquivir, which was enjoyable, giving a history of the buildings and bridges along the way.

In the morning [back in Madrid] I decided to head over myself to the Reina Sophia, thinking it would be probably pretty quiet. Wrong. There were quite a number of classroom groups being guided through. Still I got to see Guernica, and Picasso's preliminary drawings. The Reina Sophia seemed to concentrate on the Surrealist period in Spain, showing works by Man Ray, Magritte, Max Ernst, Picasso, Dali and MIro. Also focusing on Cubism in Spain - Delauney, Lipshitz, Leger, Juan Gris and Picasso. I was so surprised to see our own Bruce Nauman illustrated on my entrance ticket - a large sculpture of three different colored rings, Untitled, (Model for trench shaft and tunnel) 1978.

On Friday, my last full day there, I headed over on my own to the Prado, to view the works by Goya, Velazquez, Rubens, Rembrandt, EL Greco. Then I headed north, and went to several galleries there to view work by contemporary artists.

Madrid is just so rich in art - the museums, the galleries, the churches, the architecture. Each day was like gorging on chocolate sundaes. The people were very friendly, and I found the use of English more prevalent. Luz and I talked about this several times - the next time I visit, I'll need to stay longer. There is just so much to see and do, and to condense it into one week is just too much. We looked into considering getting a sublet apartment for 2 or 3 weeks.