Review: A Look at Two Abstract Paintings
75
Books on Abstract Art:
|
The Art of Abstract Painting: A Guide to Creativity and Free Expression
Price: $14.11
List Price: $25.95 |
|
Color Your Own Abstract Art Masterpieces (Coloring Books)
Price: $2.00
List Price: $4.95 |
|
Abstract Art (Taschen Basic Art)
Price: $6.18
List Price: $9.99 |
|
Pictures of Nothing: Abstract Art since Pollock (A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts)
Price: $29.70
List Price: $45.00 |
Guides on Figuring it out:
|
Teaching Art with Books Kids Love: Art Elements, Appreciation, and Design with Award-Winning Books
Price: $11.54
List Price: $19.95 |
|
A World of Art
Price: $72.00
List Price: $128.00 |
|
Art: The World's Greatest Paintings Explored and Explained
Price: $75.00
List Price: $27.50 |
|
The Taste of Wine: The Art and Science of Wine Appreciation
Price: $25.05
List Price: $39.95 |
For as long as I can remember, among family members (none of which have an art school background), and certain friends, I've had to hide the fact that I not only like abstract art, but if I were a working artist right now, abstraction is the mode I'd definitely be working in.
I suppose it is like anything else--like ethnic food for example--something most people are not familiar with, so that they find it strange, inaccessible; even confrontational. Nothing really could be further from the truth, but I've always thought that perhaps it does take some background or exposure to the arts to know this. Otherwise, its like trying to read a foreign language--there is meaning, communication, and value there, but it isn't definable for anyone who doesn't read, speak or write it.
This essay will not be a review of the movements in recent modern art history, but instead a personal critique of a couple of my favorite paintings, which might, through exposition, help to show that abstract art really isn't so strange after all.
Mark Rothko, "#14"
I actually like almost everything Rothko, a "field color" painter has ever painted. Of his color field period, that is. The painting here is just representative....but I do love the combination of red and black in paintings and always have. This is especially so since I moved to the Sedona, AZ area, where many artists take their cue for their work from the unique landscapes found in Redrock country. There are many red and black paintings here, including some that I love (some not so much) at one of my favorite modern galleries in the area (and where I will one day show my work, ;)), Rene Taylor:
http://www.reneetaylorgallery.com/
Which brings up a point, and theory I have that abstract expressionism (an 'ism' which Rothko roughly belongs in) largely emerges out of past painters' engagement with the landscape. I think Helen Frankenthaler even admits this, if I recall, in talking about her work, as do many other abstractionists, or lyrical abstractionists.
This ties in with Rothko's assertion that his canvasses be large and fill the gallery space so that viewers can experience them. It also connects the dots (at least for me), with the spiritual element of his work, which to me is the experience of emersion or meditation. Similar to when you gaze at the horizon on a plain or the ocean and simply contemplate. The experience of his paintings, I feel, are visceral. The colors suggest feeling; the space a grand scope...leading almost to infinity, which is very connected to gazing on an endless horizon line in nature.
The red and black in #60 carries with it the feeling of night, of muteness, of encroaching darkness, of the earth. Yet, it is peaceful in it's quiet. I also see a molten quality, a 'core,' like a heart or even the core of the earth, surrounded by pitchy black earth. Still, it is a quiet painting, subtle, doesn't scream at you...and I like it all the more for that.
In short, Rothko's paintings (although absolutely you can intellectualize them) were more about a quality and a spirit than anything else. And it doesn't have to be about more than this--it doesn't have to have a narrative or reproduce something--especially not when experiencing these paintings is very close to sitting on the beach and looking at the ocean, or sitting in a cathedral.
Jackson Pollack, "Mural"
This is my favorite Jackson Pollack and is permanently on display at the University of Iowa Museum of Art. I studied painting at Iowa, so I've gazed at this one frequently. Note the two chairs placed in front of the large canvas in the gallery photo.
When I first saw this painting, it was an experience in itself. I saw it from the second level of the gallery floor (there is an open stairway with a view above this gallery), and my intial reaction was to just kind of gasp. The thing many don't realize about Pollack and the action/drip painters is that their is definitely a method to their madness.
Seen from far away, it is apparent that the whole painting was more or less planned (could be during an 'action' painting session, but planned nonetheless). There is kind of a skeleton to this work that can only be seen from far away. There is also a rhythm to the work that reminds me of a jazz riff. No...it's no classical melody, but is roughly akin to jazz with all its discordant notes, but resounding inner beat or composition.
Seen close up, there is also all these details--and no, they are not representative of something, not 'realism'--but that doesn't and shouldn't matter. Of course, a person needs to be somewhat familiar with the vast history of art throughout the ages to really understand that. What I'm saying is that design, rhythm, repetition of line, etc.--raw design representative of nothing and for its own sake--has always existed within the history of art. The idea that art has devolved from a grand past where realism was the only mode of creation is a false one, even if one is talking soley about Western art--let alone taking into account the art of other civilizations. There are many examples of pattered art, going as far back as the first Sumerian civilization, and living among examples of the recent past, such as the designs of William Morris during the American Art Deco period.
What bothers most people about artists like Pollack (and he is the whipping boy for so much of that, often), is that, as they would say, "It looks like my 6 year old could do it!" Which isn't really the case, either. Like I say, just because the paint has been applied in a novel manner does not mean their isn't a pattern or method to the madness. I think if people could relate painting more to music (maybe even rap or hiphop!) as a metaphor, it would be easier for those who do not like abstract art to actually "see" it.
I'm including a video (I was happy to find) by an contemporary artist whose work I really admire. I came across her online gallery a year or so ago and felt it was very inspiring. Here was somebody who obviously enjoyed her work, was prolific, and was successfully running an online business selling her paintings.
I e-mailed her, and found out that we both had a connection to the University of Iowa, and an affinity for the New York school abstract expressionists (which is kind of unusual for women, supposedly, in the art world...or at least in art school, since the majority of these painters were male). I think she does a great job here explaining her process of working, what painting means to her, and her painting:
Lynne Taetzsch on Understanding Abstract Art :
Abstract Art in the News:
- Art on displayThe Myrtle Beach Sun News10 hours ago
Silver Coast Winery hosts an exhibition of works by abstract expressionist Vittorio Santini, whose medium is oil on canvas. The work will be on display through Jan.15. Call 910-287-2800 for more information.
- Rose Principe: Cultivating art in the DesertLancaster Online7 hours ago
Rose Principe's secret ambition is to "live in Brooklyn and sell art in New York City."Principe, 24, instead sells art in Lancaster. But that doesn't mean she's given up her dream. She's learned to "be patient, because good things will come," she said.Along with two good friends, Pri...
- Prairie art on displayThe Galesburg Register-Mail8 hours ago
Art by George Olson of Woodhull, “Plains and Prairie,” is being shown at the Buchanan Center for the Arts in Monmouth through Dec. 31.
PrintShare it! — Rate it: up down flag this hub
Comments
Nice work! (the Hub and the paintings!)
Hey, comments from two of my favorite liberals...(lol, I mean people)!
Thanks for stopping by and for the comment, Ralph.
MM--oh, I hope you didn't see that latest mess on the forums written around this hub (literally). And, yes. I loved that Ed Harris movie, too...one of my favorites. I don't think it's necessary to have a technical eye to appreciate any art, just an open mind, ;). And I'm with you on the econ, lol! But I'm trying to catch up. Thanks, MM.
Very interesting Hub on one of my favorite artists...I was fortunate to observe a Rothko painting daily during my duties as protocol officer for the Annenbergs in Rancho Mirage...I was fascinated by the seemingly projection of shimmering rectangles out of the canvas Though the form was abstract, I was taken by the mysteriously concreteness of the rectangles that seemed from another world...
I also live in the Sedona area and would recommend to you a local artist, Mary Kuder, a friend from the Bay Area,, now settled in Sedona...Her work is abstract and in various mediums, including clay, silks, wood, and canvas...Larry
Hi, Maven! I know Mary Kuder's work! She is one of my favorite Sedona artists, in fact... Very fluid brush stroking and lovely colors. Paints on pillows; all sorts of things. How funny. Yeah, I used to work on the Sedona Art & Gallery Guide (graphic design & an article or two), so I know some about the art scene around the area. It's such a small world...you know Ron Montgomery is also from N. AZ (Flag), too.
Yeah, Rothko's are mysterious. I saw some in New York when I lived there. It's his method, I think. Color field painting is a slow build up of paint, layer after layer, so that there IS a shimmering effect.
Thank you for the comment, :).
Bravo! Great work Lita!!
Hey, RK. Thank you. Nice to see you around! It's been a while. :)
We have a Rothko Chapel in Houston with solely his work hung on the walls. Have also seen his work in the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and other places.
You live in a GREAT place.....Sedona! No wonder artists are drawn to working and creating art in such glorious surroundings.
Peggy... It is gorgeous. Oak Creek, which I'm writing about, has to be one of my favorite things on earth. And I didn't know Houston had Rothkos, or a chapel. How cool. I would love to see that and should plan on it sometime. Thanks for stopping by, and the comment!
Nice work, very interesting. I Love art, however I'm still trying to acquire a taste for abstract. Good info.
A wonderful hub. I totally enjoy abstracts, and Jackson Pollock is probably one of the most intriguing (copied but never imitated). My art teacher, Joe Dowson (realist-landscapist,86 yrs old) was amused when i told him i prefer to learn abstract using acrylic. He told me i must depend on my soul and keep the designing mind out.
Thanks, jiberish. Patterns are a good place to start, as far as acquiring a taste for abstract. William Morris, who was a textile designer, among other things. Really beautiful stuff, but not narrative 'pictures.' :) Appreciate the comment.
Island Voice-- I feel the same way! I can do realism, but I feel an affinity towards abstraction--somewhat for the freedom it allows. Also, something just lyrically beautiful in pure form. Your teacher was smart--real art is about soul, :).
I love this article. First, I was just thinking the other day (this is true) how much I love abstracts and prefer them to literal or realistic art. However, I could not put my finger on why. Also, I went to the University of Iowa and majored in English - I live near Iowa City--in Fairfield now. I will go back and look at the Pollack!
Hi, Kartika! How cool. We are having something of a reunion here, I guess... You don't happen to know a friend of mine, a Liz Carpenter, who went to UI for writing, do you? haha...you could. You know, I hear Fairfield is a nice place. And there is something special about Iowa, I've always thought it. No--abstract paintings don't scare people, usually, from Johnson County. Must be something in the water. Yeah, go back and look at the Pollack for me..and thank you for the comment. :)
Hi Lita! I don't know Liz - you know, I agree with you about something in the water - we are now a bluestate, as well - lol - I love it! - also, the writer's workshop is in I.C. and there is a such a great community of artists and activists there. I also left you a comment on my hub after the one you left me - just getting used to this hubbing thing! I am really a newbie at this! I'll visit again! You got me inspired to do an abstract painting...
:) If you stop by the UI library, you may meet her. She works there. Glad if I could inspire. I'll come visit your hubs again to get inspired, too! It has been a while since I've done much fine art. Thanks.
Excellent hub! Nice relief from the forums, too. :) I have to admit that I was a naysayer regarding abstract art for a long time. Over the last few years, however, I've begun to find an appreciation for it that could possibly even blossom into love. This is such a fantastic look at the genre, and I will definitely recommend this hub the next time I hear someone dog on Jackson Pollack! :) Sometimes we need to get out of the 'box' of realism to appreciate the raw feelings, the elusive undertones, and the real heart imbued into an art piece by its creator.
Thanks for this!!
Thanks, RooBee, for the comment, :) Yes, I think when you live around art, sometimes, or open your mind to it, there is a chance you end up 'loving' it. And that is also the sign of an excellent piece of art, also--if, when you live with it, or go back to it, you see more in it than you did the first time. Even if you didn't love it initially. I see you have been busy setting them right in the forums today...good for you. Wow, it is crazy out there these days. Its seriously been good for laughs, though, too. :)
Nice hub. It took me a long while to fully embrace abstract art, in part because it wasn't my own style of painting and partially because I believed for a long time that abstraction was an inherent contradiction--that we start with reality as a painter, and we search for reality in abstraction as a viewer. I may or may not be totally correct in those assertions, but they no longer interfere with my ability to appreciate abstraction. I enjoyed reading your views on the paintings shown here, and I appreciated your obvious love for abstract art. Thanks for sharing!
I guess what I like about it is the visual and mental 'ah ha!' element, and also the ability to look into how another sees something. ...That the mental experience of it. I also think it is possible to experience a work of art on an emotional and visual level without having to intellectualize it.
Also, the thing with abstraction is that it DOES exist in nature (if that is the definition of reality). It's just a question of micro and macro vision, often...ie, a close up of cells in the body is very much an 'abstract' composition...as is (in the macro sense) a collection of galaxies.
:) Thank you for coming by and reading. I appreciate it.
I enjoy art, but I struggle a bit. The paintings you highlight do elicit an emotional responses, but I struggle with the material value placed on them. Some modern art has sold for millions and I have a difficult time reconciling that with any notion of common sense, social justice and that kind of boring stuff. That doesn't detract from the paintings though, which are beautiful in a they-make-me-feel-something-but-I'm-not-sure-what kind of way.
Hi, Don- Well, there's that Institution Theory of Art that most art majors just detest. And isn't it interesting that most of the artists (or many) whose work is selling for millions are dead. Then there are the Jeff Koons/BT Barnums of the art world...whom I personally hate.
All of which, :), doesn't have anything to do really, with art, enjoying it, or making it whether it be realistic or abstract...but, sigh, career and investment-isms. And yes, artistic types struggle with all of that on an intimate basis.
Thanks very much for reading and for the comment.
Thank for this writing i love art of all kind.
Thank you, SwiftlyClean, :). Actually, me too.
Lita I used a combination of elmers glue acrylic paint and latex paint as well as some Golden heavy gel. i think built up the colors overtime. I am glad you like it i have more at michaelsartworks.blogspot.com
Hi, Michael- I used to use wax (encaustic) on my paintings - which were somewhat similar to yours, incidentally. I love the effects you get building up colors layer over layer. Thanks for the comment, and becoming a fan, :)
What most people have not stopped to realize that our eyes and senses are constantly painting a picture of the world. Perception itself is a crative process.
Primal perception starts with contrast, then proceeds to line, and where eveolution allows, next, to colors.
Contrast. Line. Color. Relationships. These are the basics of human perception, and abstract art merely works with these basics to reveal primal harmonies in them.
Abstract paintings, then, are BEYOND exact explanations -- they are intended for the enjoyment of the most basic human senses.
Robert
Yes. :) The only thing I'd add to your analysis is that sometimes that "being beyond an exact explanation" is possibly (not necessarily) beyond a basic realistic representation - delving into the spiritual and sensual. Or so felt the Modernists and Lyrical Abstractionists. And you are dead on about perception painting reality.
Thank you!
There are a couple comments here that mirror my own--that people who originally didn't like abstract art learned to appreciate it. It's likely that it took us all longer to find what we like in abstract art, only to discover that what we like is really there. It just took awhile to see it because it wasn't obvious. While I stated before that I wasn't originally a fan of abstract art, now I do indeed love and cherish it. We really do sometimes have to work to like it, or perhaps we work to articulate why we like it, but its acceptance and appreciation indicate that what's beneath the surface truly does rise.
Thanks again for your thought-provoking hub.
Well, they say that the best art isn't always the most pleasing when you first look at it. It's the most interesting. And if you can live with a piece of art on your walls and always find something interesting when you see it--THAT'S the definition of good art.
Thanks for stopping back, Mike, :).
Mighty Mom says:
3 months ago
Oh goody! I saw you'd published a new hub when I logged onto my computer a few mins ago. What a trip to be the first to comment. So, I obviously can't resist the cliche: I don't know anything about art but I know what I like.
My biggest regret in college was not taking Art History (well, that and an Econ class). I wish I had more of a technical eye. But I do enjoy the colors, shapes and lines of modern art. So glad you included Pollack here! He is my Hubby's fave. We recently saw (again) the movie about him with Ed Harris and Marsha Gay Harden. FABULOUS!
You know so much about art, Lita. I hope you will write several followups to this hub! It's a refreshing break from defending Liberals from being called "mentally ill." (Don't ask if you haven't found this hub on your own). Cheers, MM