Tuesday, November 30, 2021

What's in a Line...

I recently visited the Musée Cognacq-Jay near the Le Marais quartier of Paris in order to visit the exhibition Muséees Désinés with the drawings of Christelle Téa. Naturally, I cannot show any photos of the art in question but a virtual viewing of the work via the site or an actual visit to the museum itself allows you to enter the intricate world of this young artist. The museum Cognacq-Jay - dedicated largely to the 18th century - was absolutely beautiful, but more about this illustrious setting another day...
Appreciation of art is, of course, mostly subjective once the influence of norms, trends and popular tastes have been pared away, like so many protective layers. I tried to define what was concealed underneath those layers when looking at these incredibly complex, yet wholly simple encre de Chine drawings here, and the many other 'series' that this artist creates. In fact, the unbelievable detail of these drawings allows me to unashamedly acknowledge that I love the magic of lilliputian landscapes - real or imaginary; the mysterious depths of Miss Haversham's house - shrouded in cobwebs and dust; abandonned ruins of old buildings - vestiges of their former finery and grace; the perfect, miniature detail of antique dollshouses.
Eventually, I remembered the illustrated books of childhood that I used to stare at when I wanted to escape. I even recalled actual bus journeys to school during which I dreamt of climbing into the drawings! The following, by the illustrator Prudence Seward, were always a reliable source of safe evasion, even if they were not the most beautiful or other-worldly pictures. These were from the children's book More Tales from the End Cottage (Puffin Edition 1972) by Eileen Bell - and I still have it today.
The scenes were cosier versions of our life in the countryside, far from the nearest town and even further away from the dreaded and dreadful maths and French lessons at school...
The aimiable cows, with their docile expressions would never chase anyone across the fields in this reassuring universe! All evenings in this black-and-white simplicity would be spent by the fireplace, with its creature comforts and the company of creatures, free of the burden of homework. And now I look at the drawing of our old house, by a family friend long-gone, and realise that this too is now a place of safe retreat in my mind. It dates back to 1972 too... and now we are nearing 2022!

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