ArtExpertOnLine

    I thought I would bring you a lot of color this week and an image that is almost symmetrical.  This is another new artist to me, and one worth getting to know. She was Pacita Abad (1946-2004).      This is not a "painting" in the usual sense, but a multi layered quilted canvas work.  Abad combined multi cultural traditions from Asia, Africa, Latin America and her native Philippines to design and create her art. Besides stitched fabric she also painted on the canvas, plus adds such things as buttons, beads, shells, and mirror pieces.  So, the resulting artwork is an almost three dimensional design to delight the eye.      Our image for today is one of 3 of a series which she began in the 1970's and completed this one in 1986.  I have not been able to discover what "Bacongo" means, but I will venture a guess that maybe it is this person's name.  This work is so much more than an image of a person.  It is almost like the figure was simply a starting point

  I consider myself reasonably educated in Art of Western culture, but I find it interesting that in slowly attaining that education this week's artist was completely missed.  And, he was a huge heavy-weight.  I picked this image out after scanning the collection at the Nelson Atkins Art Museum in Kansas City, MO. I selected it not for the subject matter, but for the amazing composition which immediately drew me in.  I now have done minor research into Aaron Douglas (1899-1979) and here is a little of what I have found.    He was born in Kansas and moved about the middle of our country working at various labor jobs to attain an education.  He even attended the University of Minnesota for a short time.  He did make the "required" trip to Paris for a short time, but it was in Harlem, New York City where he first made his major impact.   Here he was a leader in the Harlem Renaissance and the Harlem Artist's Guild, and by this time had several college degrees.   Eventuall

       I have always been attracted to the work of this week's artist, Odilon Redon, (1840-1916).   Maybe it's the colors, maybe the simple composition, but I think most likely I am attracted to the way he balances his uncanny skills while creating almost child-like imagery.  Here we have a portrait of a beautiful young woman while dancing all around her are these fun and imaginative shapes looking somewhat like flowers, organic greenery.    It is a puzzle to me why he did her in profile.  Maybe it was her preference, maybe not.  But the work tells us less about her and more about Redon and his style of art.  She looks pleasant, but otherwise provides little expression, and the shapes around her bounce away from her face and body almost like they are in motion.   It is almost a dreamlike setting.     Odilon Redon was one of those independent artists whose work didn't nicely fall into early modern movements.  He did become leader of a small group tagged the symbolism movemen

      This is one of those paintings I was attracted to the minute I saw it.  Let me tell you why.   The artist is Robert Delaunay (1885-1941) and this is a late work of his, painted in 1934.  If you have any knowledge of modern art, you may know there was a movement in the 1960's called Op Art where artists attempted to create optical illusions with dramatic graphic designs.  This painting is not one of those, but almost a step before it.  I find the design amazing.  Notice how the line dividing the circles is skewed to the left side of the canvas, starting below the frame but ending top right just before the end is reached.  This gives the feeling this row of circular shapes is a long series, much larger below us and we only see the very top.     I have found painting color outside the confines of realism difficult.  Discovering and creating shades that compliment or create the desired objective is achieved by long study and experimentation.  Delaunay built his career on it.   No

    I find this week's painting interesting for a lot of reasons.   A couple of artists, many years before, had selected this subject before Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) took it on in 1890.  But Cezanne, now referred to as the Father of Modern Art, was to make his own, unique versions.  He did five, plus many sketches and small studies of a couple of these men.  This painting is the second in the series.        I think it is interesting to see what is NOT in the work:  no females; no cups, glasses, bottles of drink; and no gambling money.   Each character has his head down, so no verbal communication between them, as they wait for the next move.  Although there are tobacco pipes available, only one is smoking, but no sign of puffs of smoke.      Cezanne did this painting between 1890 and 92.  The structure of a painting was of prime importance so time was taken to arrange and position each object.  Nothing was left to chance.  The angle or tilt of everything has a purpose, and most esp