Francis Bacon - Instinctual Strokes for Raw Folks

Francis Bacon (October 28, 1909 – April 28, 1992) was a British-Irish painter born in Dublin. During childhood, Bacon had no interest in painting and would work/play on his English parent’s farm. 

Francis Bacon

Self Portrait. 1970. Oil on canvas, 60 X 58"

At age 16, he left his parents and moved to London where he worked an office job before, then, moving to Berlin…then Paris. After moving to Paris in 1929, Bacon started drawing, watercolor painting, and interior decorating. Unfortunately, his works from this period are lost.

Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, 1944, oil and pastel on cardboard 37 X 43.125".

Study of a Baboon. 1953. Oil on canvas, 77X53"

In 1931, Bacon quit as an interior decorator to focus on only oil painting, after a slow developing inspiration through the surrealist/abstract movement of England, Pablo Picasso, Lucian Freud, and other painters. 

Study for Portrait. 1949. Oil on canvas, 58 X 51"

In 1936 the International Surrealist Exhibition rejected Bacon's work viewing it as “not sufficiently surreal.”

A unique quality that can be seen through Bacon's self-portraits is the depiction of movement as the convolutions of the face can be seen as the same face in different positions.  His unique style shows inspiration from surrealism, cubism, expressionism,...and photography.

Self Portrait. 1969. Oil on canvas, 14 X 12"

Fragment of a Crucifixion. 1950. Oil and absorbent cotton on canvas.

 After the invention of photography, painting needed to be more than a rendering of a moment in time. Bacon incorporated gesture and motion in ways more grounded to life than a photographic motion blur. It addresses the temporal nature of the world from a still.

Francis Bacon created emotional work, stylized with savage colors, unapologetic imagery, and yet a traditional approach.

Literature aside, a good quote to end on.

"If you can talk about it, why paint it?" - Francis Bacon

Study of a Nude. 1952-53. Oil on canvas, 24 X 20"

 

Painting. 1946. Oil and Tempera on canvas, 77 X 52"

Two Figures. 1953. Oil on canvas, 60 X 46"

Paralytic Child Walking on All Fours (from Muybridge). 1961, Oil on canvas, 77 X 55"

Source:
Bacon, Francis and Lorenza Trucchi. Francis Bacon. New York : H.N. Abrams, 1975., 1975.

Salvador Dali's Artwork

Shawn Redman
Molly Zimmer
Painting 1
September 25,2017

SALVADOR DALI

                                                               The Persistence of Memory  

                                                                    24 cm × 33 cm  Oil on canvas  1931

Slave Market with the Disappearing Bust of Voltaire

47 cm × 66 cm  Oil on canvas   1940

The Sacrament of the Last Supper

267 cm × 166.7 cm   Oil on canvas  1955

Apparition of a Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach

114.8 cm × 143.8 cm  Oil on canvas 1938

Metamorphosis of Narcissus

51.2 cm × 78.1 cm  Oil on canvas  1937

       Dalí, born to Barcelona Spain in 1904 was a futuristic artist and became involved in an era and movement known as surrealism. Many artist proudly wore this label of surrealism such as Miro or Magritte but more well- known was a quirky and witty soul that was a bit of a recluse.  Dalí was influenced through many things and people, for example, Sigmund Freud’s writings on the erotic significance of subconscious imagery caught the attention of a young Salvador as is evident in a majority of his work.

        The 1930’s started to push many surrealist artists away from its brand but Salvador found a way to put forth his “Paranoiac- Critical method” which was described as a way the he managed to possess the power to look at one object but “see” another. Through this, he empowered the era and befriended many other well- known artists such as Pablo Picasso.

         In 1931, Dalí painted one of his most famous works, The Persistence of Memory, which introduced a surrealistic image of soft, melting pocket watches. The general interpretation of the work is that the soft watches are a rejection of the assumption that time is rigid or deterministic. This idea is supported by other images in the work, such as the wide expanding landscape, and the other limp watches, shown being devoured by ants. 

“Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it”

― Salvador Dalí

“A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.” 

― Salvador Dalí

WORKS CITED

Caws, M. (2008). Salvador Dali. London: Reaktion Books.

  Dali, S. (1993). The Secret Life of Salvador Dali. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications.

      

Allison Miller's Art

School
Oil and Acrylic
48" x 60"
2006

Untitled
Oil, Acrylic, Pencil, Dirt on Canvas
66" x 60"
2013

Snare
Oil, Stick, Acrylic, Molding Paste and Pencil
73" x 68"
2015

Skytopile
Oil and Acrylic
48" x 60"
2010

Column
Oil, Acrylic, Dirt on Canvas
60" x 48"
2012

Morgan Yabeny

24 Sept. 2017

Painting I

M. Zimmer

Allison Miller is a Contemporary artist from Los Angeles who was born in Evanston, Illinois in 1974. She received he Bachelors of Fine Arts at the Rhode Island School of Design and her Masters of Fine Art from the University of California. From her time spent in Los Angeles is where her style was produced. Allison Miller uses abstractions in her work making her an Abstraction artist. Her style was influenced by Edouard Villard and Rene Magritte.

Allison Miller creates abstraction in her painting by using space and overlapping to create three-dimensional illusions. The pallet and technique she uses is based on the light, space, and flora of LA.  She uses a variety of material in her work such as oil paint, acrylic, pencil, tape, modeling paste and even dirt. She uses dirt and molding past to create texture in which she uses paint to loosen or open the visual. The paint is used to paint free hand lines and for transparency. She tries to push the limit of the paint in her paintings. The use of combining all of her material makes the piece abstracted but, also shows a small influence of Baroque paintings. All of these combine make her paintings very geometric along with surrealism. Allison quotes that all of her painting are not planned out. She goes along with her work organically.  

Work Citied

Miller, Allison. Allison Miller. https://allison-miller.net Accessed 22 Sept. 2017

Claude Monet's Art

Impression: Sunrise
Oil
17 1/2" x 21"
1872

Woman With A Parasol
Oil
51" x 34 1/2"
1886

St. Lazare Station
Oil
29 1/2" x 40 1/2"
1877

Water Lilies 
Oil
78" x 324"
1916

Rouen Cathedral at Sunset
Oil
41 1/2" x 25"
1894

Morgan Yabeny

24 Sept. 2017

Painting I

M. Zimmer

Claude Monet is an Impressionist and Contemporary painter. His works were very popular during the late 19^th century and early 20^th century. He is considered to be the Father of Impression since he helped push the movement with his style. Monet was born on November 19, 1840 and grew up in Normandy. He moved back to Paris in 1862. There he began to admire nature and landscaping. He became a gardener during this time period and also struggled with depression. Using his surroundings and conditions, Monet started to paint using oil. Before he paints, he started to sketch his visual before to capture the light and natural form of his painting. Thus, he leaves an impression of the visual.

Monet’s style comes from the natural form of the landscapes and scenery. He sketches his works beforehand to capture light and form. There, he begins to paint using a pallet only made of earthly colors to represent the landscape. He hardly used any black with his paintings. Therefore, we see saturation and contrast in his painting with cool and warm colors cooperating. He captures the essence of nature by using strong colors and bold, short brushstrokes. He doesn’t really blend his paint and keeps most of his mistakes. This style is more of a contemporary style with a slight classical twist. His paintings have a certain style in which can drastically differ from other artist. It also pushed and created the movement and style of Impressionism.

Work Citied

Tallandier, Yuon. Monet. Crown Publishers, Inc. New York. Print.

Forge, Andrew. Monet. Art Institute of Chicago. Illinois, 1995. Print. 

Paint with a Partner on Monday, 9/25

Since I have to be away, I want you all to still be gaining some experience with plein air paintings. So, here your assignment for Monday.

You are going to complete 1 plein air painting, and yes you do have to be outside for this, during class time. I want you to sit down with someone else from the class, and choose a spot together, on or off campus and paint. Choose someone that will motivate you and keep you on track, not be talking the whole time.

You have free-reign on this painting, but remember the tips for success with plein air painting.

Tips for successful plein air drawing and painting

** don't overwork them, experiment and focus on simplicity.

1. Hey good lookin’.

Start with a good, long look. 

2. Simplicity is sophistication.

Narrow down your picture plane, it is easy to feel overwhelmed in a new environment.

3. Seize the light.

Light changes throughout the day, which makes accurately capturing it one of the biggest challenges of painting outdoors. Begin with light sketching, then more detail.

4. Clint Squint.

Squint often. Squinting will allow you to dumb down the details and "focus" on the big shapes. You can’t paint the fleas on the dog till you have painted the dog.

5. Lighter than light.

Keep your values lighter than you think you see. The sun is one big bright light bulb. Outdoor paintings tend to darken drastically when they're brought inside. Darks in particular will get a lot darker indoors. 

6. Perfect imperfection. 

You can spend all day looking for a "perfect" composition that just doesn't exist. Embrace the reality around you — smog, power lines, debris — and open yourself up to telling interesting stories with new subjects.

Walter Ufer

Jasmine Mendoza       Painting I          M. Zimmer       9/18/17

Walter Ufer (1876-1936)

Self portrait (Ufer, right)

 Lone Rider, Oil on Canvas, 12" x 16"

Walter Ufer was born July 22 in Louisville, Kentucky 1876 and died August 2, 1936, in Santa Fe, N.M. He was the son of a master gunsmith so the artistry surly ran in the family and whom were supportive of Ufer’s paintings. He apprenticed in a commercial lithographic printing plant then decided to travel to Dresden, Germany where he studied at the Royal Applied Art Schools and the Royal Academy.

Sundown, oil on canvas, 30" x 25"

He continued traveling abroad for seven  years then moved to Chicago where he found an influential benefactor, the mayor Carter Harrison. Harrison and friend Oscar Mayer (yes that Oscar Mayer Wiener) then sent Ufer to Taos, New Mexico in 1914 to paint.

Isleta, New Mexico, oil on canvas, 30 1/2 x 25 1/2in

Walter Ufer was hooked. He liked the landscape but it was Native Americans in the area who fascinated him. He was a strong supporter of individual freedom and saw the Pueblo Indians being oppressed for centuries having their racial and cultural identity stifled. 

This anger and despair continued in his work. Ufer not only painted the culture and life of the Pueblos but he even joined picket lines and protests by labor groups. When the flu pandemic hit in 1919 it killed many Americans all over but in Taos there was only one doctor so Ufer worked all day and night assisting in treating the ill. 

The Bakers, oil on canvas, 50 1/4 x 50 1/4 in

Unfortunately, despair came with his compassion and he then became alcoholic and depressive experiencing crippling episodes of misery. He was successful in the 1920s with his paintings and friends but once the stock market crashed (1929) and friendships became abusive by borrowing money they wouldn’t pay back Ufer succumbed to alcoholism and gambling. Walter Ufer’s paintings are only from his better days.

A Part of Isletta N.M. Evening Sun,
Oil on Board, c. 1915, 10" x 12"

I chose this artist because I have lived in New Mexico most my life so I have certainly come to love the landscape and culture in it. I have seen one or two paintings of Ufer’s but never really knew who they were by I just knew they interested me. Once I started researching New Mexico artists and came upon his biography I was caught with his passion for individualism and care for the Pueblo Indians. His work would be good inspiration for later paintings of mine.

Offering for San Esquipula, Oil on Canvas, 25" x 30".

The Kissel Studio, Oil on Canvas, 20" x 25"

Where the desert meets the mountain, oil on canvas, 36 ½" x 40 ¼"

“Walter Ufer.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, americanart.si.edu/artist/walter-ufer-4912.

“Walter Ufer (1876-1936).” Taos and Santa Fe Painters, www.walterufer.net/.

“Walter Ufer - Artworks.” The Athenaeum, www.the-athenaeum.org/art/list.php?m=a&s=tu&aid=2064.

The Legacy of Claude Monet

Claude Monet: 

Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris, France
He  died on December 5, 1926 in Giverny, France
(The Art Story Contributors)








Throughout his life he moved around often, typically because of poverty, war and even to gain a better inspiration from his art.

In 1862 he moved to Paris, France and then went back to his home in Normandy in 1867. He then moved to London in 1870. Finally in 1883 he moved to Giverny, France where he spent the rest of his life painting his extraordinary flower garden. (Barton)

While living out several decades of his life in Giverny, he became a master gardener, and his garden inspired more than 300 of his works (Pritchard). His typical subject matters, and one of the most recognizable are the water lilies that grew on his pond. There are many works showcasing his work on the water lilies.
His garden is can be toured to this day in Giverny: http://giverny.org/gardens/fcm/visitgb.htm  This link takes you to the website that shows pictures, and admission prices to visiting Monet's garden.

"Waterlilies"
Oil on Canvas painiting
1904

It is the simplicity of this painting that draws me into it. His detail work with the reflections in the water, and the contrast between the lilies themselves and the surface of the water is simply mesmerizing.

Water Lily Pond
1899
Oil on canvas
35" x 37"

Monet took great pride in going outside to paint what was in his luxurious garden. The Japanese bridge that he had installed within his garden was part of many paintings that he did. The one on the right is one of the most recognizable views that he painted in his garden.



People tend to be drawn to water gardens, because they bring on a sense of calming to the person (Pritchard). It certainly has that effect on me when I look out over a beautiful pond, especially with water lilies on them. There is something about those flowers that I just absolutely love and there's no distinguishable reason as to why.

A Pathway in Monet's Garden, Giverny
1901-1902
Oil on Canvas
35" x 36.2"

One of my Favorite paintings by Monet, this garden pathway is simply breathtaking. The detail in the flowers that he put into his paintings is something that I personally love about his artwork.  Not to mention that anyone would love to have this kind of garden right in their backyard. His attention to detail with the sun dappling along the path, and even on the plants themselves.

Vase of  Flowers
1881-1882
Oil on Canvas
39.5" x 37"

Monet happened to be the leader of the French Impressionist Movement, giving the movement its name (The Art Story Contributors). Before this movement, he followed the same structured art that any artist in Paris did.


Monet stepped away from clear ideas of form, linear perspectives, and he began to work with bold colors, unconventional compositions, and loose handling (The Art Story Contributors).


The painting to the right provides of an example of Monet's later style of smaller brush strokes and using them to build up the paint in a new way. He began to build large fields of color, and experiment with contrasting color combinations in some of his later works (The Art Story Contributors).





This painting resonates with me in a different way than the others. My great grandmother did many still life paintings, and many of them had houseplants, or vases with flowers in them. Although her and Monet have completely different styles, its the subject matter that connects with me the most for this painting.



Sources:
Barton, Laura. “Passport to Paris Artist Profile: Claude Monet.” Denver Art Museum, 2 Dec. 2013, denverartmuseum.org/article/staff-blogs/passport-paris-artist-profile-claude-monet.

Pritchard, Ashley. “Five Facts About Claude Monet's Water Lilies.” Denver Art Museum, 4 Dec. 2013, denverartmuseum.org/article/staff-blogs/five-facts-about-claude-monets-water-lilies.

The Art Story Contributors. “Claude Monet Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works.” The Art Story, The Art Story Contributors, www.theartstory.org/artist-monet-claude.htm.

Hodge, Susie. Monet: His Life and Works in 500 Images. Lorenz, 2009

Assignment 6 - Watch Artist Talk by Amy Sillman "On Color"

** please post your comments in the section of this post. 

Due 9/18

Watch Artist Amy Sillman's "On Color Episode, and please write 2 questions and a paragraph about the episode on something that interested you. Please be ready to discuss in class on Monday. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Stk38nsVyos

The Rad, The Radiant...Georgia O'Keeffe

Me'a Wa'ahni Townsend

Artist Blog

The Rad, The Radiant...Georgia O'Keeffe

1887 - 1986

From Sun Prairie, Wisconsin; Georgia O’Keeffe studied at the Art Institute of Chicago (1905-1906) and also studied at the Art Students League in New York (1907-1908) learning the techniques of traditional realist painting. The Direction of her practice turned in 1912 when she started studying the work of Arthur Wesley Dow, who had an emphasis on composition and design. She experimented with Dow’s concept while she taught in South Carolina and Texas.

By the mid.-1920’s, O’Keeffe was recognized as one of America’s most important and successful artists; known best for her paintings of New York skyscrapers and flowers.

Brooklyn Bridge

Oil on Masonate

47 15/16 X 35 7/8 in.

1949

Jimson Weed/ White Flower No. 1

Oil on canvas

48 X 40 in.

1932

She began visiting New Mexico and fell in love in 1929, she began spending all her time there, painting the landscape, architecture and bleached animal bones.

From the Faraway, Nearby

Oil on canvas

36 X 40 1/10 in.

1937

She made New Mexico her permanent home in 1949, three years after her husband, Alfred Stieglitz, died.

In the 1950’s she began to travel internationally, creating epic paintings of the places she visited – mountain peaks in Peru and Japan’s Mount Fuji.

At 73 years-old, she began a new series focusing on clouds in the sky and rivers below.

She finished her last unassisted painting in 1972 – she was getting older and was discouraged by her failing eyesight.

Later she got a bunch of assistants together and went back to painting her favorite motifs from memory and vivid imagination.

She died in Santa Fe in 1986 at the age of 98.

Black Iris VI

Oil on canvas

36 X 24 in.

1936

            She is known for her close-up flowers, her signature described as “petals and blooms become abstracted into sweeping shapes and swaths of color”. She created her own style and paved the way for women artists to come. She had original contributions to American Modernism.

Music, Pink and Blue No. 2

Oil on canvas

35 X 29 9/10 in.

1918

Citations

“About Georgia O’Keeffe”. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, 2017.

https://www.okeeffemuseum.org/about-georgia-okeeffe/

“Georgia O’Keeffe”. Artsy. Artsy, 2017.

https://www.artsy.net/artist/georgia-okeeffe

Alex Katz's Artwork

 Alex Katz

Portrait of a Poet: Kenneth Koch, 1970
27 5/8 x 22 inches


Superb Lilies, 1972
Lithograph in seven colors
19 1/8 x 20 1/8 inches


Yellow Tulips, 2014
48 x 77 inches


Red Hat (Ada), 2015
Woodcut
60 x 42 3/4 inches


Belinda, 2016
Archival pigment inks
30 x 21 3/4 inches


Maddie Fenton

9/11/17

Painting I

Professor Zimmer

            Alex Katz is a major figure in terms of contemporary art. He was born in 1927 in Brooklyn, NY to a Jewish family, but later moved to Queens, NY where he was raised. In 1946, he enrolled in The Cooper Union Art School in Manhattan. Here he studied under Morris Kantor and learned modern art theories and techniques. After graduating from The Cooper Union, Katz attended the Skowhegan School for Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, ME for two summers.

It was after the 1950s that he became largely interested in painting portraits. Katz created portraits of many strangers and friends, but it was his wife, Ada, who became the largest inspiration behind his portraitures.

            Katz is primarily recognized for his large and simple paintings. In his works, he usually uses a monochrome background and a bright/bold color palette. In the 1960s, Katz put his skills in to the printmaking world, with his focus once again on portraits as well as fashion design. After the 1980s Katz began experimenting with landscape paintings as well as portraits. His focus was on close-ups of different groups of flowers and forests with light falling on the tree branches. Even though it was a completely different subject from his painted portraits, by this time in his career, Katz had already developed his easily recognizable painting style. 

 Works Cited

"Alex Katz." Alex Katz. N.p., n.d. Web. 

Katz, Alex, Carter Ratcliff, Robert Storr, Iwona Blazwick, and Barry Schwabsky. Alex Katz. N.p.: Phaidon, 2014. Print.

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