Yoshimoto Nara, born in Japan in 1959, is best known for his paintings of children and animals that don both a tone of sweetness but also sinisterness. The influences of manga, anime, and popular culture are extremely prevalent in his works, however Nara himself has never actually drawn inspiration from manga. Rather, his influences are philosophical, being religion and spiritualism, not manga. He primarily uses elements like bold lines, primary colors, and empty backgrounds. The characters he paints are often pictured with text, knives, plants, or cardboard boxes. Nara is seen as one of the founding fathers of the Japanese Neo-Pop movement- where his works suggest an identity struggle caused by war and rapid modernization.
A Quick CV of Nara:
His Career Achievements:
The reason why I chose to delve deep into the life of Nara is because I think his art is reflective of my own in some ways. He focuses on one style- a sort of simplistic, doodle-esque style- that I think would lend itself particularly well to my work. His stylistic characters are something I'd love to explore, and his sculptural works are very intriguing as well (as I'm experimenting with sculpture for the first time, I figured it would be good to discover an artist well versed in paint and sculpture). Overall, while I'm not crazy about all of Nara's works, I think drawing inspiration from him isn't a bad idea for the sake of my own artistic future. Some of Nara's works (left to right): Aomori-ken Dog Piggy Bank (blue), c. 2016, PVC Cup Kid, c. 1998, Color xerox on paper Fuckin' Politics…, c. 2003, Offset print & paper Untitled (Portrait Drawing), c. 2000, colored pencil & paper
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Of course … I have chosen an abstract painter to dive deep into. American born Andrew Holmquist (b. 1985) creates works that teeter between both representation and abstraction in his portrayals of popular culture and everyday life. His paintings "take advantage of the viscosity of oil paint and play with the mercurial nature of a representational image essentially made out of colorful mud." His primary medium is oil paint, however Holmquist has managed to work an array of strange mediums into his works- one time a pizza crust! Holmquist's works are teeming with gestural brushstrokes contrasting with geometric forms, splatters contrasting with human figures, and sometimes just plain ole' blocks of color. In his world, figuration and abstraction become intertwined and simultaneously warped: figuration transforms into abstraction and vice versa.
Here is a link to Andrew Holmquist's full CV: img-cache.oppcdn.com/fixed/5518/assets/RYeKbI5DEPfgxdkC.pdf Some highlights of his CV are as follows: Education:
Here is a link to Holmquist's personal website: andrewholmquist.com/home.html There are absolutely aspects of Holmquist's works that I would love to incorporate into my own works. "Colorful mud"? Yes please! His combination of figures with abstraction lends itself well to my own works- it's a balance that I've been trying to achieve, and I think he has the aesthetic that would help me achieve what I want. The bright colors of his paintings also fall right into my own color scheme- i.e. bright colors- and I would love to sample some of Holmquist's color palettes and apply them to my own work. He also uses oil paint, a medium which I generally avoid. Maybe it would be a good change of pace to switch up mediums and toy with oil paint? I don't really know …. He also dabbles in sculpture, so maybe I could give that another try. Overall, I just really appreciate the aesthetic quality of (most of) Holmquist's works! From Left to Right: Super Power, c. 2016, oil, acrylic spray on canvas Shower Scene, c. 2016, oil and acrylic on canvas Nine Strong LQQks, c. 2017, 10 3-color lithographs Fuckboy, c. 2018, oil and acrylic on canvas Strong LQQks Dutch, c. 2018, colored pencil, gouache, spray paint and color film on paper Mecha, c. 2017, glazed ceramic Lola Donoghue, a contemporary abstract artist currently living in Galway, Ireland, primarily subjects her paintings to a palette of muted, pastel colors. With this white-on-white atmosphere she creates within her works, the bright, neon colors she uses imbues a modern, energetic feeling that sets an aura of freshness and excitement. Donoghue graduated from the Limerick School of Art and Design with a first class honors degree in Fine Art.
Currently, she has not had any exhibition of her art, so she primarily sells online. This fast-selling process allows her to avoid the hassle of exhibits, but also have a thriving, profitable career. Although, Donoghue did say, “I would hope to exhibit in the future once the timing and the fit is right.” The price of Donoghue’s works ranges from about €400 to €5k ($472 to $5,899), and she has sold four paintings to the world famous musician Sia. Donoghue’s paintings are primarily inspired by the outside world and what she observes in everyday life: “My paintings are personal reflections and interpretations, they are always in an emerging process, I like when I discover things by accident and I usually let this dictate the direction of the painting ….” Her works are generally formed through a subtractive process of painting. With a focus on negative space, Donoghue begins her paintings with an underpainting- full of bright and vigorous colors and strokes. From there she adds glazes, and thick layers of paint, all while making sure this underpainting is still visible in some aspect. Her work is a statement on today’s culture and social environment, and seeks to explore and interpret the nuances and popular trends in contemporary society. These works imbue the unseen emotion of the 21st century, without using blatant, kitschy imagery. Donoghue’s ethereal paintings seek to hint at “the unconscious, clashing narratives and the tension and balance that exists therein.” I personally think her pieces are very applicable to my own work, considering that I am getting back into my abstract groove again. Her clash of soft, fuzzy painting with harsh, geometric shapes lends itself particularly well to my own style- though I would love to explore this fuzziness some more. Her color palettes are also very welcoming to my own art, although a little subdued for my taste. She does utilize the bright greens, yellows, and blues that I am so fond of, but she juxtaposes them with very pastel colors. I quite like the effect that it has- again her work is very soft- so I wouldn't mind experimenting with the fuzzy quality of paint through texture and pastel colors. The link to her website: loladonoghue.com The (very interesting) article that I reference: www.amypuchaty.com/athomewithamy/world-renown-artist-lola-donoghue-spills-the-tea-and-we-are-soaking-up-every-drop From left to right: Panning for Gold, c. 2015, acrylic on canvas Lunula, c. 2015, acrylic on canvas French Fancy, c. 2014, acrylic on canvas Ragnar Kjartansson (b. 1976) is an Icelandic performative artist. Kjartansson works with both traditional methods- painting, drawing, sculpture- but he also incorporates less conventional methods into his work. He is also well versed in the art of digital installations and durational performances. I think this is one of the reasons why I admire him so much; the extent of his art mediums is phenomenal. Kjartansson focuses on the portrayal of emotions through his work, no matter the medium. He attempts to mirror the human condition through tragicomic performances. He once explained that his works are "always about a feeling, but there's no story." I find this very interesting because that is the direction I'm currently trying to take my art- emotions. The portrayal of motions in an arbitrary, meaningless manner is something I struggle with, but I think Kjartansson encapsulates that sentiment perfectly. But his works aren't completely arbitrary, they show careful thought processes and delicate finesse, no matter how bizarre they may be. Kjartansson also takes inspiration from feminist movements, which is something that I am heavily involved in, so that just furthers my love for his works. I think, I really aspire to create works as bizarre as him, and yet they don't seem so bizarre in context. I would also love to expand my medium to something akin to Kjartansson's- music, video, live performance, etc. Even though I'm unsure of how I would enjoy it, it is something that I've been wanting to try for sometime, and I think Kjartansson is the best place to draw inspiration from.
From Left to Right: Row One: Dope & Corruption, c. 2018, polished stainless steel, electrical components, LED light Seul celui qui connaît le désir, c. 2015, plywood, wood, paint Scandinavian Pain (twilight), c. 2006, C-print Row Two: God, c. 2007, single-channeled video, color, sound The Visitors, c. 2012, nine channel video projection, color, sound How could you do this to me, c. 2006, pencil and watercolor on paper Larry Rivers (1923-2002) has a realistic, yet abstracted and surrealistic style, in his works that I am currently trying to emulate in my home project (a probably self-portrait at the moment). Rivers' works give off a very loose style, and yet contain very realistic elements, most of the time being people. I'm trying to pull of the loose, vaguely collage-y, pop art-esque style in my works. At times Rivers has works that seem uncompleted, or sketchy in some places. Rivers also appropriates works by other artists, like Dubuffet and DeKooning, in his pieces. For this current project of mine, I was originally going to do a realistic portrait, but now that has evolved into something more along the lines of Rivers' and DeKooning's styles, loose, seemingly incomplete (in the best way), and overall extremely expressionistic. Using a collage-esque format for my piece, like Rivers, might also be in my best interest. I would love to be able to emulate such an expressive and unique style, alas, time will only be able to tell.
From Left to Right: Bill and Elaine de Kooning and 'Woman and I' , c. 1997, oil on canvas on sculpted foam board Diana Raised IV (Polish Vocabulary) , c. 1970-74, color lithograph Fashion and the Birds , c. 1996, oil on canvas mounted on sculpted foam board The Culture Box , c. 1992, screen prints on metal The Costume Institute Gala at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art originally started in 1948 to help raise the amount of donations from New York's high society for fashion fundraising. Currently, the Met Gala sees the top personas of art, fashion, film, music, and art all in concord under the prospect of raising money for the Met Costume Institute. Each year comes with an encompassing theme for the fashion designers, this years being Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination. The outfits themselves can range from relatively plain formal wear to complete avant-grade sculpture-esque costumes. The years gala showcases intricate pieces like a full-on set of angel wings (worn by Katy Perry, designed by Versace), or complete diamond-encrusted papal wear (worn by Rihanna, designed by Margiela). I chose to address this specific event because the aspect of sculptural fashion really intrigues me (similar to my intense interest in Lady Gaga's costumes), and I found some of the outfits, although religiously un-appealling to me, aesthetically pleasing to look at and appreciate from an artist/designer perspective. Not to mention how well some of the celebrities were rocking their new threads. Here are a few of my favorite outfits that were showcased at the Gala: From Left to Right: Chadwick Boseman in Versace and Bulgari Jewelry Rihanna in Maison Margiela Katy Perry in Versace Lily Collins in Givenchy Cara Delevigne in Dior Darren Criss in Dolce & Gabbana https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/was-claude-monet-the-grandfather-of-abstract-expressionism-1264778
How Impressionism Became Expressionism: A New Exhibition Traces Claude Monet’s Influence on the New York School I have studied the effect of foreign artists on the American art movement of Abstract Expressionism, but I thought this one was interesting in how it talks about the times that Monet has previously been credited with heavy influence on this particular branch of artists. " … many American art critics saw Monet as a bridge between Impressionism and the New York School." The article also gives a brief list of those who have credited Monet to his role in Abstract Expressionism and those who where heavily influenced by him during this time, like Clement Greenberg and Ellsworth Kelly. The article also gives specific details about the exhibition and its comparison between 10 Monet's and 20 American pieces. Recently I have become very interested in Keith Haring's work. Not only does the subject and intent behind it captivate me- his work with the support HIV/AIDs related organizations and such. But his thick, cartoonish lines and bright colors are amazing. The availability and accessibility of his art during its prime is also quite interesting (but that idea has been saved for a curiosity page). I absolutely love pop art, and this is just the perfect cup of tea for me. Haring's work, whether simplistic or highly detail, always seems to evoke some sense of emotion in me. I would be interested in working towards a more pop oriented style like his- especially with the bright, saturated colors.
From Left to Right: Untitled, c. 1982, acrylic on canvas Growing 4, c. 1988, silkscreen Birth, c. 1986, marker on paper www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/a-painting-of-the-sky-every-sunday-and-the-art-of-careful-attention
This article is inspiring in the sense of constantly and consistently creating art. Kim takes a simple task and manages to add meaning to it with his captions. The triviality of some of his captions are quite hilarious, but Kim also manages to express his emotions. This series of consistent paintings is something I would like to try- once a week, something simple with meaning. In this article, it's also addressed the Abstract Expressionist influence in his work, and how they correspond, which links back to class activities quite well. I love Gustav Klimt's work; I'm extremely partial to his figural works. The way Klimt portrays muscles is amazing to me, and how his people are vaguely elongated but still look highly realistic. I also love the patterns that he incorporates into his works. These patterns and "imperfections" of anatomy are something that I aspire to incorporate into my work. I think I'll need to focus more on getting accurate anatomy first though. I also adore the piece Head of a Woman in Three-Quarter Profile (Study for the Beethoven Frieze). The sketchy quality of it is so lose, and somehow Klimt manages to not make any distinct outlines, which adds a hazy quality to the piece. This feeling, tied with the sharpness of the woman's gaze is quite impressive.
From Left to Right: Head of a Woman in Three-Quarter Profile (Study for the Beethoven Frieze) c. 1901-1902, black chalk Le Tre Eta Della Donna c.1905, Oil Paint |
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