RAYMOND MASON; AN EARLY SELF-PORTRAIT

Raymond Mason: The Life Model; a self-portrait.

I have always liked Raymond Mason's drawings  whether of human groups or Paris architecture. But this drawing I did not know. I do not remember it in any of the monographs on  Mason.It was sold by  those  excellent print dealers Abbott and Holder based near the British Museum.If you would like to read some further thoughts about Mason -with specific reference to his autobiographical writings please refer to my blogpost here.
Many artists have drawn naked self-portraits, one thinks of Edward Munch and no doubt others could be added.It is perhaps a northern European phenomenon-associated with narcissism and introspection.The legs are out of proportion to the torso-but that is probably just the consequence of working from a mirror

ART VERSUS STYLE

The Month of May in Paris-1968 by Raymond Mason

In my limited thinking about the nature of art I often find that I believe that artists are too concerned about style and not enough about content. It seems to me that the instant aesthetic of the poster and graphic art has commonly triumphed over any possible content. You can see this in amateur or semi-professional work. You can surely see it in the productions of many who exhibit at the Royal Academy. Here is a quote from Raymond Mason which just about sums up my view of the situation,

"Most artists do not seek truth,which being independent of their own person would gradually transform their art, but the perfecting of a style which will glorify their name."

This comes from a passage concerned with Bacon's late work and Mason's misgivings about it.
Whether or not there is a truth independent of the artist is a moot point but I hope that you will get my drift.There is not enough seeing, looking or loving in most landscape artists' work.

At Work in Paris, Raymond Mason on Art and Artiststs, Thames & Hudson ,2003.page 176.

For further remarks about this artist see another post here .

Raymond Mason

BMAG Collection Centre Raymond Mason
Originally uploaded by steve & lynda
A Tragedy in the North

Just yesterday I was rereading Raymond Mason's collected writings, At Work in Paris: now ,today I opened my newspaper to read the sad news of his death in Paris on 14 February. He was utterly unique and there was no one remotely like him on the UK or French art scene.

Mason is an artist who interests me because he had a highly original view of sculpture and was an excellent draughtsman.That he was also an excellent writer/speaker is also evident from the book I mentioned.I took it up because I wanted to refresh my image of Henry Moore whom Mason knew. Moore comes across as a genial but sometimes pompous soul who is concerned for his status and obviously saw himself as the leader of the first eleven of UK sculpture. Given the way many of his acolytes developed this was not necesarilly a good thing.

This contrasts with the line being put forward by theTate Britain who are trying to stress a darker more disturbing side to Moore's work. I don't see it myself and I will need some convincing for it seems to me that the curator has let his imagination run away with him and manufacturing something which cannot reasonably be found. Compared to Miro, Masson or Picasso he is far too genteel and the post war work of Moore is not evidence of a great old age.

But let me praise Mason for his remarkable drawings of townscapes and human anatomy. Let me also praise him for his willingness to make sculptures which deal with the disasters and sadness of contemporary life. The sculpture of the Tragedy in the North (the aftermath of a mining disaster) is too much in 3D to be called a relief and it is painted in the colours of life. I have often thought it grotesque and clumsy but even if that is the case it has a Hogarthian vigour which is unusual nowadays. My preference is for the earlier reliefs such as theBarcelona Tram .

Let me finish by mentioning some of the other texts in Mason's book. There is a beautiful essay on Cartier-Bresson -Mason seems to have known everyone in Paris - which describes Mason's experiences as sitter and observer of the photographer at work. There is a memoir of Dubuffet which is striking to say the least. He appears as very intelligent, generous,mercurial and irascible.There are also texts on Picasso, Giacometti,Balthus and various important dealers. Regarding Giacometti we find that Mason approves of James Lord's biography-his opinion differing from that of Sylvester.

At Work in Paris by Raymond Mason, Thames & Hudson 2003