insideART

Van Gogh: An Eye for Detail

An exhibition currently on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, entitled “Van Gogh Up Close” offers a new way of looking at this artist’s revolutionary work. The forty-five works in this exhibition portray his ability—or more accurately his need—to focus closely on details in nature and find ways to replicate them on canvas. For him, it was a kind of centering, a way of calming some of his more explosive moods. The works on view show Van Gogh using a wide variety of styles, using long quick brush strokes in all directions, creating a feeling of fluidity, and often referencing the Japanese prints that he loved and collected. Click here for a slide show of some of the paintings in this exhibition.

Studio Talk: Painting Trees

Trees, like people, are individuals. A maple is different from an elm. A cottonwood is different from an oak. And no two trees of the same species look exactly alike. In painting them, much of your success depends on how carefully you observe. You can always change the shapes and values to suit your own purpose, but a first-hand study of real trees will result in a more convincing painting.

When painting a tree, try to visualize the complete trunk and main branches, even though they may be hidden by foliage. This will help you establish the correct placement for any branches that might show through the leaves.

Distant trees can be painted flat or in detail, depending on their importance or the effect you’re after. But those in the foreground should appear to have depth as well as height and width. This can be done by using light and dark values to represent light and shade.

Foliage is never a solid mass. It should look as though a bird could fly through it. Leave some “sky holes” to achieve this effect—big ones for the big birds, little ones for the little birds!

One way to handle painting foliage is to use the “dry brush” technique, which produces simultaneously the effect of large masses and individual leaves. It’s accomplished by applying the color with the side of a fairly dry brush. The paint is deposited on the ridges of the paper and skips over the depressions. This effect is achieved most easily with a flat watercolor brush.

For a group of distant trees, you can keep them quite simple and yet avoid a flat appearance by giving each tree a slightly different value and color.

From Murder and Mayhem to Art

A new era of photojournalism was spawned in the late 1930’s when one photographer saw crime scenes a little differently. Arthur Fellig - known famously as “Weegee” - developed his own brand of noir-style photography that is still celebrated and studied today. A recent New York Times article details the extensive collection donated posthumously and subsequent exhibitions of Weegee’s photographic works at the International Center of Photography. During his time Weegee’s work was entwined in his exuberant persona. He often reached crime scenes before his competitors, sometimes before even the police. This speaks to the connections he forged in the neighborhoods long before the era of texting. The most poignant description of Weegee’s work in the Times article, which elevates it above simple, shocking exploitation is this: “Tellingly, one of his first acts of genius was not to focus only the events themselves — although his images are certainly strewn with bodies, crushed automobiles and the like — but on the people hanging out of windows or peering over rooftops for a better look, who mirror and encourage our own undisguised interest.” In capturing the most gruesome parts of life, Weegee managed to point a finger at humanity.

Brain teasers for the eyes: the art of Jesus Soto

Jesus Soto, a Venezuelan artist who was active in Paris from 1950 on, was fascinated by the ways in which truth depends on perspective. Although he worked in an era when Abstract Expressionists were all about painting from their inner beings, Soto was more interested in heightening viewers’ awareness of the roles that eyes and bodies play in experiencing everything—not just art, but the world around us. That is, objects change radically depending on the viewer’s position, and another viewer’s perspective will be different again—producing layers upon layers of visions of reality. For example, Soto (1923-2005) created three-dimensional constructions consisting of compositions of stripes and geometric forms painted on sheets of plexiglass. These painted sheets were attached to similarly painted panels, leaving as much as ten inches of space between. The resulting visual experience changes as you shift back and forth to see the relationships from different angles.

Click here for more background information and examples of Soto’s work, which is currently on display at the Grey Art Gallery of New York University.

A year-end look at favorite objects in NY museums

In the December 30, 2011, edition of the New York Times, there’s a wonderful exploration of a selection of objects found in various New York museums. Three art critics chose their favorites and present them for our delight. Click here for the section, which also features a slide show of the objects, descriptions of what makes them attractive and interesting, and links to more information.

Enjoy—and happy new year!

Studio Talk: Learning to Draw, part 2

While drawing, don’t focus your attention on a single part of your subject at a time, but look at each part in relation to the whole. This helps avoid unwanted distortion.

If you can capture the character of the object in a convincing way, it is not important that it be realistically accurate. Drawing is not simply copying an object; it is expressing your own personal observations.

The three important characteristics to look for in every object are shape, value, and texture. Shape refers to the proportions: width in relation to height, the size of one part compared to another, and whether the surface is flat or curved. Value refers to the lightness or darkness of its surroundings. Texture refers to the appearance of the surface: is it rough, smooth, hard, soft, shiny, dull…?

All of these things can be learned by observing and drawing—continually and repeatedly. Skill does not come overnight, any more than you can learn to play a musical instrument masterfully in a day. But the results of practice and study are rewarding—to you and to those who see your work. Art is a creative venture, offering an artist’s insight to the world for the pleasure and inspiration of viewers.

Studio Talk: Learning to Draw, part 1

The old cliche—“I can’t even draw a straight line”—overlooks the fact that artists use rulers for this purpose. But great drawing seldom relies on straight lines, anyway. It combines free-flowing lines to weave magic tapestries, and is a skill that anyone can master.

The tools for drawing are simple ones: a pencil, pen, or a piece of charcoal make wonderful drawing mediums. And any paper you have available will do.

Learning to draw is a matter of learning to see. When you look at an object, are you really aware of it? Think about it. What is it made of? What does it do? Is it wider than it is tall? Is one part larger than another? A tree has a distinctive shape, but not all trees have the same shape. A tall pine is cone-shaped; a maple may be fat and rounded; an old apple tree in winter is gnarled and angular. Be alert to these descriptive differences.

Practice drawing what you see by making many sketches of objects around you. Sketch commonplace things: a chair, table, fire hydrant, your house. In all your sketching, try to find the expressive characteristics that make the object unique. In addition, try to make the function of the object clear to anyone looking at your drawing. Let’s say, for example, that you’re drawing a pencil sharpener. Notice the size of the handle in comparison to the overall size. Where does it attach to the back of the sharpener—near the bottom or near the top? When you’ve trained your eye to see proportions and construction in this way, you’ll draw convincingly.

Watch for Part 2 of this Studio Talk on learning to draw!

Murals by Diego Rivera reunited at MoMA

The Museum of Modern Art in New York is about to open an exhibition of five murals created by Diego Rivera in 1931, reuniting these panels for the first time in 80 years. This link to the exhibition includes a very informative multimedia tour, complete with audio, of the paintings as well as background information on Rivera’s legendary mural for Rockefeller Center.

Rivera actually worked on the murals in an empty gallery at the museum; he kept the heat off because he didn’t want the paint to dry too quickly. Five of the murals he created depict events in Mexican history; three more captured scenes of Depression-era New York. In the years since their creation, the murals have scattered to private collections and other museums; only one remained at MoMA. One of the New York scenes is very relevant to today’s world: its three tiers show, from top, a skyline of skyscrapers, a pier sheltering the unemployed, and a bank vault where the wealthy count their money. Its title: “Frozen Assets.”

Marianne and Skip—FAS students, 50 years apart

Skip Shelton (FAS alumnus of the 1950s) and Marianne Lenti (FAS current student) in front of Skip’s painting of WWII bombers. Lenti studied with Shelton, retired pilot and art instructor at the Arts Center of Greenwood (SC), who began his art career during WWII painting women on noses of bombers. (click image to enlarge)

We just got a letter from Marianne Lenti, who is currently enrolled in the FAS Oil & Watercolor Painting Course. She described the experience she’s having with the Course, and included a tale of a wonderful coincidence.

I am currently enrolled in the Oil & Watercolor Painting Course, and am enjoying each and every lesson. The feedback has been very fruitful, especially the personal letter, which is the next best thing to being right there with the teacher. Having recommendations, corrections, comments of the teacher in writing may well be BETTER than some “workshops” I have attended. The attention is much more personal than a class could ever be.

Here in South Carolina I study art with Luther (Skip) Shelton. He started his artwork painting bomber nose art on planes during WWII. He also took the Famous Artists School lessons IN THE FIFTIES. I just happened to choose the same school over 50 years later. He has spoken of this experience as “life changing.” He was a commercial pilot for many years, before becoming an art teacher/illustrator/muralist here in Greenwood, SC. I thought you’d like to know he was still recalling his lessons with you.

It’s always such fun to hear about our alumni, especially those who are passing on their knowledge and skills to a whole new generation of students. Thanks so much, Marianne and Skip!

Satire at the MOMA

An exhibition currently up at the MOMA, Infinite Jest: Caricature and Satire from Leonardo to Levine, showcases the artists’ use of satire over the centuries. While the exhibition does include 20th century artists, it appears the majority of the works are older, some dating back to the 17th century. The writer of the NY Times review argues that satirical works do not hold up to history since the potency of the subject matter is diminished to the audience. What do you think, are the artworks still relevant in their own right or should they have curated a more contemporary show?