Birds of the Caves II

Birds of the Caves II  (1971)  Joan Miro

notable works by Joan Miro

Birds of the Caves stands out from most of the well known works of Joan Miro. There is not as much of the characteristic simple geometric blobs mixed about on a stained a surface. In this piece the background is a bright pristine white contrasted by large sweeps of pure black in the foreground. The smeared dirty stains that make Miro's work familiar are absent.

This scene seems to represents a large structure built by a colony of tiny intelligent but disturbed creatures. The fine but somewhat schizophrenic scaffolding represents an effort to control and contain the large swaths of black. Little blips of color in the scaffolding represent necessary nodes that the community of builders use to gather their tools and take care of daily ancillary tasks. The builders are a nervous frenetic lot, not taking enough time to properly lay out clean straight lines of support. The work needs to be done fast because nothing last long in their stark world. 

For the most part the builders reside in the red and black hut on the lower right, gathering there to rest after long periods of work. A large chimney bends upward from the hut to disperse the noxious gas they produce. A large black pole running down the center of the piece allows the busy workers to climb up the canyon and lay out their lattice work. To celebrate the build they have created a large bulbous edifice in the upper left inscribed with their indecipherable motto. This is where the have their rare celebrations.

Kneeling Female in Orange Dress

Kneeling Female in Orange Dress (c. 1910) by Egon Schiele

notable works by Egon Schiele

In 1911 Schiele dreamed of leaving the constrictions of the staid Viennese art society, and he set his sights on the village of Český Krumlov in southern Bohemia. Krumau was where his mother was born and today has a  museum celebrating Schiele. Even with family connections in Krumau, he and his lover were chased out of the village by locals who were appalled at their lifestyle which included his acquisition of the villages's teenage girls as nude models.

Yemen

Yemen (2010) by Aaron Rands

notable works by Aaron Rands

The title Yemen suggest that this painting is a representation of the wilderness in the nation of the same name, however it is readily apparent that the depiction is of some alien and surreal landscape. Perhaps this is a view from the planet Yemen instead. If so, this strange world doesn't adhere to the normal rules of spatial dimension. In some cases object are presented in two dimensions and layered on to one another while in other places an almost realistic three dimensional view is utilized.

The most striking of these spatial abnormalities is the leafy section of the tree. Each section of leaves are shown as the same triangular shape but of varying sizes, sometimes flipped in orientation.Why wasn't this technique used throughout the piece? so that the mountains are also represented by stacked identical triangles. Instead the jagged peaks could almost be a realistic version of some extreme desert crags as seen from a distance. The two spatial methods stand at opposition, one on the left the other used as a counterpoint far in the distance.

There are other oddities too. The tree is trunk and branches are made up of what appear to be dissociated plates clinging together as if they are doing their best to mimic the framework of a tree. Although still two dimensional, each piece is differently shaped and colored. The thorny scrub beneath the tree separates itself from the trunk by twisting about in a threatening and familiar way. The stone blocks that make up the platform the tree sprouts from are shown as simplified isometric blocks, three dimensional but not like true earthly stones.

The vast plain lacks any detail until the distant mountains crop up and as it fades into the distance it meets the perfectly straight horizon. Instead of marking a transition to  expected contrasting sky it meekly sits between an atmosphere that is nearly the same shade as the earth. This makes the bulk of the background almost almost uniform in a yellow tan hue. Offering  some form of respite from the desert like oppression are highly abstracted waves of blue representing clouds or some ethereal vaporized elixir. These waves of blue offer a sense of calm reassurance that not everything is bleak. But there also lies the suspicion that perhaps the clouds are not as soothing as they appear. In this cruel other-world the waves of vapor are probably toxic and waiting, hoping to touch the ground and scour it of life.

The tree in the end, with its unreal plates of foliage is the only true safe spot in this piece. The mountains too dry, and the sky filled with a deceptive poisonous cloud. The inhabitant of this surreal land can only hope some form of nourishing fruit grows from the tree while they await a rescue, a rescue that will arrive.

Heroin and Cocaine

Drugs and art have been intertwined throughout history but do drugs facilitate art or they simply an parasite to the creative mind. Herion and Cocaine are two drugs that have intertwined their tendrils into the arts and created a mythology about their benefits. Opium and later Heroin have been present in western culture for eons, finding willing users in all branches of art. In the last couple centuries cocaine became available and for most of that time was praised as a cure for mental ailments and tool for the inquisitive artist. I believe that neither drug is a benefit to the artist. Highly creative people are unusual, their thinking is unusual, and often times that unusual mind is plagued with problems as a result. The use of drugs is usually an attempt to escapee pain or unhappiness. So many artist have used drugs not because it benefits them but because they are troubled to start with.

Heroin usage during the last half of the 20th century plagued the arts community - William Burroughs in literature, Kurt Cobain and Janis Joplin in music , and  Jean-Michael Basquiat in visual arts, just a small sampling of artists that have had a run-ins with Heroin. There has developed a mythology that Heroin was responsible for their art. I contend that this is nonsense. Their usage of heroin was because their creative mind tormented them and they turned to Heroin to calm their demons. Heroin is insidious, while it initialy calms, once the addiction takes hold it causes great angst, requiring even more heroin. These artists made great art despite their Heroin addiction, not because of it. During the strongest clutch of Heroin the art produced is usually muted and drab. An example of this is Kurt Cobain's last album with Nirvana, In Utero. it lacks the edge and vibrancy of his early works and foretells his ultimate downfall and death.

It is clear that Heroin can coexist with great art creation though. Many renowned artist have put out some of their best works during periods of heavy Heroin usage. It's not until it completely consumes does it destroy the artist's abilities. Cocaine on the other hand has a detrimental effect on art at all stages of its usage. Initially Cocaine was praised as a wonder drug that would lift the wworn-down and conflicted mind. Sigmund Freud used cocaine heavily and urged his patients to experiment with it. It was often the main ingredient in elixirs that spread throughout the western world.

Cocaine has a distinct problem of artificially boosting the users ego and inflating perception of talents. This artificial boost is actually detrimental when it comes to art. Great
art usually requires contemplation and doubt followed by refinements. If an artist believes at first pass they have created something brilliant their work ultimately suffers. Cocaine had a strangle hold on the music industry in the late 70's and throughout the 80's. I believe the explosion of musical ideas during the 60's was stifled in the following two decades by cocaine. As an example many of the hard rock groups of the 80's look at their cocaine addled works with disdain. Instead of refining their work they would do a first pass in the studio and immediately fall in love with it.  One example is the Gallagher brothers of Oasis who  in retrospect despise their cocaine effected work. Referring to the Oasis album Be Here Now Irish Times journalist Brian Boyd wrote: "Bloated and over-heated (much like the band themselves at the time), the album has all that dreadful braggadocio that is so characteristic of a cocaine user. Reflecting in 2007, Garry Mulholland admitted, "the fact that nothing could have lived up to the fevered expectations that surrounded its release doesn't change the facts. The third Oasis album is a loud, lumbering noise signifying nothing.

Even though I believe that Cocaine and Heroin have not helped art, that doesn't mean that all drugs are detrimental. Marijuana is frequently been used to open up new angles of thought, usually in silly ways, but sometimes the result is brilliant. Jazz musician of the past and present have opened up new horizons in music by using Pot. Visual artists also often report that marijuana has spurred new directions for their work. It is possible that stronger psychedelics may aid in creativity but I can't by any means say I'm certain of that.

It Doesn't Get Better than This

This short sleeve jumpsuit looks practical for San Diego weather, plus it comes with a hood and smart belt buckle. However, it is disappointing that the guy's girlfriend wasn't willing to wear a matching color, kind of ruins the jumpsuit effect. Still though, I think I need this outfit.

John Altoon

Untitled (1957) by John Altoon  

notable works by John Altoon

John Altoon was a major figure at the notorious Los Angeles Ferus gallery during the 1950's and 1960's. His untimely death of a heart attack in 1969 robbed art enthusiasts of his instinctive expressionism.  A man with an out-sized personality and wild imposing intensity, the influence of John Altoon reigned large over the L.A. art scene during his short lifetime. His Personality drove much of his fame and without that presence overshadowing everything else his artwork slid into obscurity until recent years. Solo exhibitions of his art were not done again until 1988. Many of his friends also proved to be notable figures in art history, including Ed Kienholz, Robert Irwin, Billy Al Bengston and Ed Rusha. 

Altoon was known as a charismatic and emotionally troubled man that lived passionately and created art that delved into the beauty and strain of life. He is primarily known for his abstract drawings and paintings. These abstract works have been described as a grab bag of vaguely figurative, botanical and biological form, but he was also praised for some of his lesser-known figurative drawings from his Advertising Parodies and large-scale pastels of 1962 and 1963. He is also recognized for his Animal series of 1966-68, and his Cowboys and Indians series and Object series both of 1968. 

The Advertising Parodies and large pastels that Altoon completed between 1962 and 1963 explore the human figure in media and pop culture. In these Parodies, Altoon pulls imagery and text from contemporary commercial advertisements. These pieces are not only proof of his illustrative skills they also show his distaste for America’s greed and the use of the sexual form in advertisements. One example of this distaste is a satire of a Colgate toothpaste advertisement.  In this piece a man opens a door exposing a half-naked woman.  in the background, behind this female figure, a crucifix hangs on the wall but instead of Jesus Christ a nude woman is crucified. 
 
In the Animal series, Altoon’s comical and sexually explicit intentions are completely exposed. The absurdity of the imagery is sometimes comical but often with a disturbing aspect. These pieces also exhibit a change in his drawing style, showing a looser line that makes certain parts of the image indiscernible. The subject matter of these pieces seems to allow Altoon not only to explore his own personal sexual interests but also to expose Western society’s insecurities.  
 
Altoon was diagnosed as schizophrenic in his late 30's. He was unable to work due to intense depression and and paranoia during the late 1950's and early 60's. He then became a patient of Dr. Milton Wexler a prominent psychoanalyst who was able to restore his ability to work. From that time until his death he became the most productive and stable.

I Like Squirrels

when I retire I want to feed squirrels with a puppet of myself

Running with the Bulls

Recently a good friend of mine went on vacation to Spain. While there he decided it would be a good idea to run with the Bulls in Pamplona. He then proudly posted pictures of himself on Facebook adorned in the special tourist costume that paid organizers supply. It's a silly red and white outfit with a handkerchief tied around the neck, a quirky yet cheaply made ensemble. The post garnered a lot of likes and comments about how awesome this act was or about how crazy he is. I could tell when he got back that he was proud of the strong positive response that he got. What he failed to realize is that people were responding to how unusual of the post was rather conveying true admiration. It breaks up the banal cat, children, or political memes that get posted.

I believe that most of the people that liked his post actual had a somewhat lesser view of him afterwards. The hidden disapproval was not analysed or really acknowledged by the post-likers, they just went on with their lives with this new vague feeling that there was some amount of hollowness and lack of self awareness in their bull runner friend. Then there are the friends that didn't like the post. Most of them didn't approve of, or respect, the runner's actions and were cognizant of this disapproval. You don't get dislikes on Facebook posts and culturally people most don't express disapproval in this format. Because of this the bull runner friend only sees the superficial likes and is unaware that he has overall damaged his brand.

Much of the romanticism and fame attributed to running with the bulls comes from Earnest Hemming who famously documented his participation. Hemingway was a deeply troubled man constantly battling depression by throwing himself into dangerous situations and by drinking himself into oblivion. He fought in the Spanish civil war just for the excitement. By risking his life he thought that he would be able to feel more alive. This may have worked, but the relief would have been only temporary. After battling depression for most of his life he finally killed himself. If this is the reason a modern bull runner is participating it is nothing to congratulate, it is a sign of deep sorrow and sign that bad things are on the horizon.

Fortunately my friend did not run with the bulls to feel alive. His reason is why the vast majority of people participate, to prove to others how interesting and adventurous they are. The goal is to be seen participating but to expose yourself to the smallest risk possible. This is where the paid organizers come in. They know the patterns and psychology of the bulls, where and how the tourists should stand. They don't want you to get hurt, it would be bad for business. The safest thing is to post the customers in a large corners off from the typical bull path yet still very close and at a point where the bulls are already fatigued. The people should form a wall, the bulls are not really malicious, more frustrated and anxious. The wont plow into a wall of people that are not impeding there escape. they will attack the fools that get out in the stream driven by agitation and frustration. So really for these people its all for show. You could run out into the street for a bit when it looks safe just to prove to yourself that you're leading a rich life but you probably won't. People that are true adrenaline junkies tend to do activities for themselves and worry little about it being documented for their friend's approval. Mountain bike a difficult trail, rock climb, swim in the ocean, and don't worry about it getting photographed.

Then of course there is the moral issue involved in the tormenting and frightening the bulls. You say to yourself that they are just running through the streets, no harm right? Even if you believe the bulls don't mind stumbling and sliding around as hordes of primates taunt them, you should at least consider the ultimate fate of these creatures in the ring and what event this charade is really promoting.

The Herd

About a year ago I saw a couple articles in the news about an artist that was making waves with their portraits of people with two sets of eyes and lips but ones nose. I wish I could remember the name of the artist ( let me know if you know). The effect plays with the human mind and how it processes faces. It is disorienting and a little unsettling. Art writers praised the artist with claims that it provoked thought of mans interpretation of himself and the fragility of our reality. The praise was over the top. The paintings were just really another type of countless optical illusions that confuses the mind, not a great new form of art that explores the human condition.

So the over the top praise was mildly annoying and insincere, there is a lot of that regarding art critique so I didn't dwell on it much. Then I started seeing knock-offs showing up in my art feeds in Tumblr and Twitter. At first they were direct translations of the original art executed with varying degrees of skill. The amateur artist would sometimes refer to how unusual their thinking was and implied the  perception that they were exploring new territories and periodically their social media followers would praise the novel style. Of course, in reality they were just copying an exiting art meme and hoping to gather attention by jumping on the trend. Their work actually sends the opposite impression they are seeking. It's a statement of their own lack of creativity.

After a couple months a new phase for this trend emerged. artists began altering the technique. Why not 3 sets of eyes and no lips? So then there was an even greater stream of variations. The new wave a practitioners no doubt thought they were exploring new territories and establishing their fringy creativity. Then someone started posting pet animals with three eyes, the extra eye between the normal two. The optical confusion effect was completely absent in this case. for some reason the human brain doesn't struggle with that configuration. Around that time the craze died abruptly and its been a few months since I've seen any multiple eyes art in my feed. Now I wait for the next fad.

The Dali Scam

Often times people that don't really like art will want to create the image for themselves of a cultured, mysterious, unorthodox thinker. What they usually turn to is Salvador Dali. Hang a few pictures Salvador looking cross eyed with his silly waxed mustache twisted in strange directions and people in your life will get the impression you are complex. It is also important to hang a couple of his famous paintings with melting watches or elephants with spindly legs. This will prove that you have the taste to show his most iconic works.

Dali was only able to foist his art on the world because of the unique time period when he was a young man. Art had been moving away from realism starting with the impressionists. A large part of this was spurred on by photography. Why paint a meticulous representation of the real world when photography will always be more accurate? The lack of color photography helped slow the transition away from realism, while oddly the non-realists used the newly available vivid paints to create striking compositions.

Dali was able to exploit this transitional time period. Many people at that time despised abstract art as deviant. But Dali was able to use realistic painting style to pull in people that wanted something different but couldn't handle abstraction. His strategy was to combine objects that were not normally not associated or warp the appearance of real world items. The problem is, by and large the items combined were purely nonsensical, like boats with butterflies as sails. On top of the arbitrary nature of the compositions the execution was usually somewhat amateurish are cartoonish. Paintings were typically quite drab and lacking any real vibrancy.

Dali peddled his fame as a product unto itself, constantly mugging for the cameras, crossing his eyes and meeting any celebrity as long as the encounter was photographed. Its interesting that a google image search on Salvador Dali yields very little of his actual artwork but instead the results are image after image of Dali hamming it up. He got to the point where he stopped paying restaurant tabs and instead would just doodle on the check as his form of payment. The last decades of his life he would sign blank canvases and other impoverished artist would paint their art resembling Dali's style but making sure his signature remained  untouched. Now most paintings from this period are looked at suspiciously by art dealers for likely being fake and are valued far less than earlier paintings. On top his lack of ethics regarding his art, when he was younger he aligned himself with Fascists in Spain who persecuted many of the talented abstract artist of the era.

I sometimes meet someone and they tell me they like Dali and they hesitate so the can appreciate how edgy I must think they are. Then when I visit their home the only Dali related object they have is one of those framed infernal photos of Dali twisting his mustache. They don't really like Dali they just like the impression Dali appreciation will make on others.

Sonia Delaunay

When I think of the artworks of Sonia Delaunay I can almost believe that I had been delivered to an alternate universe where household art and museum art actually co-exist, having equal relevance, rather than separated into exclusive camps. As a painter of the modern life Delaunay was mesmerized by the effects of incandescent lighting, especially the electric spheres or miniature suns that lit the trendy Parisian venues she often visited like the Bal Bullier dance hall, and Magic City. the electric lights became abstracted interior circles, dividing white light into its component colors, rather like a crude version of Chevreul’s color wheels, where complementary colors opposed one another.

Nothing is regular in her exploration; rather it is instinctive and even haphazard except for her use of simultaneous color contrasts which was meant to mimic the musicality of the spoken word and as a result we get simultaneity in pieces but never in the whole. She was however, acutely aware of limits to the simultaneous and she delighted in making paintings that were impossible to take in one sitting. This daydream painting of virtual music can never really control the content of a mind in turmoil, though it is surely influenced by it.

My Garage is where I Find Peace

Pat Passlof

Pat Passlof was born in Brunswick Georgia in 1928, she idolized and studied with Willem de Kooning at the infamous Black Mountain College. Later, she took his advice and relocated to New York City, beginning a painter’s life. In Manhattan, Passlof continued to get painting lessons from de Kooning and became familiar with the characters infesting the 10th Street artists’ community. With these connections Passlof met the painter Milton Resnick, who she later wed. Resnick then introduced the youthful Passlof to the painting theory of Hans Hofmann, whose ideas, gathered in The Search for the Real influenced an entire generation of painters. The New York art scene of the early 50’s was rife with conflict, power, and personality. And it seems the Passlof was for a time caught in the tsunami, producing lean and ambitious, although somewhat derivative art.

Ionian (1956)

In an example of this early youthful work, Ionian, the upper right corner diminishes into a blue expanse, but this perception is quickly degraded by some form of object, laid flat by a pattern, that appears to enter the space from afar but spins the traditional perspective by bringing any reading to a stop as it is gouged by a thick black line. This line causes a sudden sharp change in the interpretation of the space by pulling the yellow and red striped object into the inner space and hammering it flat. De Kooning often created similar obstructions when he used collage to disrupt any fluid spatial view. something akin to a tabletop rises from the bottom of the canvas into the center of the image plane. This gives the viewer something stable to hold onto before the left side dissolves into a field of spotted, wild brush strokes that seem combine with and float above the virtual table. The rough strokes dissolve on the right into one of the two honest uninterpreted portions within in the work. The thick, white smear, in the lower right combines with crumpled and stained edges whose grimy greens and yellows holding the paintings corner one second and seem to slide under its phantom neighbor the next. The second subjective element locks into the surfaces far corner at the bottom right of the top left quadrant. This white form is surrounded and given heft by thick dark outlines. The shape itself, the paint layers, and the black, white and gray color palette would feel comfortable in one of de Kooning’s black and white paintings from the late 40’s. All of these parts; inside and out, natural and imaginary, pattern and undiluted expanse, all come together to shake a simple interpretation of space or to combine that reading with plastic interests to blast the viewer from a state of peace.

Sutbury 2  (1957)

Some paintings push the observer harder and deeper into the pool of abstraction. Sutbury 2 (1957) is a beautiful plane crash of a painting. But even the dappled and dirty grays that border the work on both sides before shooting into the middle contain enough deft to separate form and distance to create enough surface and emptiness in what would otherwise be a train wreck. On areas the surface paint is scraped away so the underbelly becomes an object. While in others object and weight are pulled apart when an upper layer is painted over a surface so carefully that the foundation becomes a structure and an integral part of the artwork. Rapidly applied strokes add to the urgency of the piece, as does the artist’s signature quickly scribbled across the bottom. These final elements borrow heavily from de Kooning, while the color combinations can be found in the important abstractions of Alfred Leslie.

Portrait and a Dream

Portrait and a Dream  (1953) by Jackson Pollock

notable works by Jackson Pollock

"I don’t paint nature, I am nature" is only a few rungs up the art historical ladder from ‘It’s art because I say it is’ and only a few more rungs down from ‘Pollock Sucks!'. But what if we get away from of art-speak cliches? We are used to those over repetitive narratives of brave creativity leading to the isolating bubble of celebrity, crippling self doubt and full-blown self destruction. 

But there are far more delicate contradictions that forever bounce round this black echo chamber of art history and bounce off ever diminishing barriers. On one hand we have this notion of Pollock providing something akin to Greenberg’s vision of a truly modern painting that has finally abandoned all literary, unnecessary content inherited from European modernism. On the other, we have this notion of visual art as primarily a record of a thing in time, becoming the factual membrane and documentation of a performance and movement. But this gives us a method to extract more difficult and demanding aspect of Pollock’s art, lying under this chaos of myth.

And so it appears that Portrait and a Dream, 1953, is a final self-reflexive musing on the opposing yet rotten center of Pollock’s later art. The left hand tangle has been likened to a woman during child birth, a nocturnal orgasm, and a mother decapitating children. The fat, bruised and mangled face on the right takes a long look back at failures. Like us, it can only see the hypnotic dancing tumble of lines as they untangle, erupt, and bleed their way across the image. They simultaneously belie some kind of ecstatic sensation of a dark nightmare mixed with ecstasy, but then it all dissipates back into the canvas,  that unforgiving fabric of the canvas.

Hyper-Realism, The Worship of a False Idol

Until the mid 19th Century by and large artists strove to create painting that represented reality as closely as possible. Great efforts were put into hiding brushstrokes and getting lighting and spatial elements to appear real. Towards the end of the 18th Century two important developments came into play; commercial paints in vibrant colors and the new technology of photography. These development shaped the direction of art away from realism.

Once photography arrived many artist began to realize that capturing reality as closely as possible and hiding any evidence of brush strokes was a pointless venture. Since they could only hope to approach the accuracy of an actual photograph why even bother. Instead the daring artist drifted in the other direction and sought to create an unreal representation of the everyday day world that could never be photographed. The brushstrokes themselves became a form of artistic expression and were intentionally coarse, distinctive, and out front. Lighting and spatial perception were subjective which opened up whole new ways of engaging the viewer.

Around the time photography came into use the chemistry of paint also made huge advances. Before this paints were often mixed by the artist themselves using techniques and material recipes that had been passed from one artist the other and often held in secrecy. These home brewed paints often lacked vibrancy which over-all meant that even though the artist was striving to match reality the results were often muted and dull. Once new types of paints created on an industrial scale came on the scene they allowed for striking color vibrancy. This allowed a more accurate depiction of reality but surprisingly this new vibrancy had a bigger impact in moving art into new non-real frontiers. colors were used as a form of expression and exaggerated and substituted in striking ways.

The en devour to create accurate realism in paintings did not go away however. The new colorful paints and the obvious competition of photography allowed many painter to get get recognized for their real world accuracy, Often these artist implemented romantic scenic elements that captivated wealthy art patrons but which ultimately received poor critical review do to the sometimes tacky appearance. Meanwhile the practitioners of the non-reality art camp pushed further outward and developed art that was purely abstract. The man on the street often disdained this new art but many including art intellectuals appreciated this new direction.

Today there has been a renewed interest in Realism. Practitioners have pushed the boundary of technique to the point were some paintings are indistinguishable from photographs. Often time the tools of choice for this Hyper-Realism is a digital tablet combined with computer software. This allows the artist to zoom in for detailed work, undo mistakes, and to run sophisticated filters. A surprising number of people are enthralled with Hyper-Realism and the skill it takes to pull it off, but this is really an appreciation of the process rather than of the end result. Many critics wonder why spend countless hours creating something that could have just been done with a camera? There are of course practical benefits of such skills in creating alternate realities in film CGI, computer gaming and the photoshopping of existing images. As far as value in collectible fine art goes Hyper-Realism will always remain of limited worth. Since it doesn't really expand expressive creativity it lacks many of the qualities of Fine Art. For the most part this current fad really just represents the worship of an impressive stunt, like a daredevil jumping a canyon, but the end result has does really added to human culture.

Seated Figure

Seated Figure  (1939) by Willem de Kooning

notable works by Willem de Kooning

Born in the Netherlands, into an abusive and destitute family, the young Willem de Kooning shows an exceptional knack for art. At the age of 12 he is hired to work in the renowned decorating company Gidding & Son where he is trained in the arts of  mural painting, stained glass and other commercial art specialties. He then studied at the competitive Rotterdam Academy of Fine Arts and Techniques From 1917 to 1921. The school eventually took his name as their own to recognize it's most famous student. In 1920, he dropped out, left his employer. and relocated to Amsterdam, where he thought he had a reasonable chances of becoming a self sufficient artist. After failing at this dream and close to starvation he returns to his hometown of Rotterdam, continues his education, and lands a job as a sign painter, although he still dreams of becoming a successful recognized painter

In 1926 de Kooning left Europe and arranged for hidden illegal passage on the cargo ship SS Shelley destined for America. The trip is hard, lurking in the hot, dark spaces of the engine room. After docking in Virginia, he is secreted onto a small ship headed for Boston, from there he makes his way to New York. In the final leg of the journey he takes a ferry from Manhattan to Hoboken, where he takes a bed at the Dutch Seaman's Home. The  residential house is a safe haven for Dutch sailors and gives de Kooning time to recuperate. Unable to speak English, he becomes a house painter which he thoroughly enjoys as an chance to hone his painting skills. 

Study for Portrait

Study for Portrait (1971) by Francis Bacon

notable works by Francis Bacon

Bacon’s romantic involvement with George Dyer, the focus of many of his artworks, was volatile and its eventual outcome tragic. Just a couple days before the first showing of the 1971 Francis Bacon Retrospective in Paris , Dyer died from an alcohol overdose in the bathroom of a Parisian  hotel. Bacon produced portraits of Dyer with feverish regularity even after Dyer's death. Most famously, Triptych (May 1973) documents the painful events of  his death. 

They'll Make a Comeback

In the 70's we were told that everyone was going to wear jumpsuits in the future so you might as well get yours now. Man, I wish I hadn't bought into the hype.

The Belted Sweater

So, you've got the right facial hair, you've got a cool fedora, and you've got the required "ironic" vintage clothes from prior fashion eras, but you still can't get into the best hipster bars. Well, Iv'e got the answer to your dilemma, something guaranteed to get you to the front of the line... the Belted Sweater. 

The stuff was gold in the early 70's before the leisure suit took hold, no disco would turn you away. Wearing one of these striking pieces today will put you far out in front of the other hipsters, so powerful it should probably be illegal. You need to act fast though because fashion is fickle. You can thank me later.

Schizoid Man

Schizoid Man by Barry Godber (1946–1970)

artwork at Catmota.com

Album  art for the record In the Court of the Crimson King by the rock group King Crimson. It was created by Barry Godber, a software engineer, shortly before he passed away from a heart attack in 1970, only a week after the album went on sale. This is the only artwork he is known for, and is now owned by the group's guitarist Robert Fripp after he rescued it from the record company's lobby where it was getting damaged by direct sunlight.

Blue Dancers

Blue Dancers by Edgar Degas

notable works by Edgar Degas

Mlle. Fiocre in the Ballet La Source was first shown in the Salon of 1868. It was the first time Degas used dancers as a subject, something he would later become very well known for. He increasingly utilized ballet dancers in his works as the years wore on, mostly because they were popular and demanded a high price, which gave him much needed cash after his brother's debts led the family to bankruptcy. 

Pablo Now

When I was younger, especially during the 70's Picasso was often held up as the greatest living artist. Even people that didn't enjoy his work held this belief. They would point out that in his early years he was a highly proficient artist that could produce portraits and landscapes on par with the greats such as Rafael. Because of his established traditional ability haters of modern art would often  acknowledge his importance even though they hated his contemporary works. I heard the following comment quite often " I hate modern art, don't get it, but Picasso must be great at it because he was a talented tradition painter".

When looking back at Picasso's work today, the vast majority of his later work is garish and slapdash. He fell back on his fame and would just churn out childish paintings that people would eat it up just because of his name. I've noticed that current artists hardly ever tout Picasso as an artist they admire and want to emulate. Picasso will always feature prominent in art history because of his early cubist works and his huge popularity during a seismic shift in art style but his influence and relevance will continue to decline.

"He was a great traditional painter" argument for his importance in modern art is silly. This was more a reflection of his technical skill rather than his creative powers. There are huge aesthetic choices artists need to make involving composition, themes, colors, etc. that have nothing to do with technical skills. A great general does not need to be a great marksman. RIP Picasso, I hope you continua to fade away, likewise the piles of through-away art you produced during the last half of your life.

Nude Descending a Staircase

Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 (1912) by Marcel Duchamp

notable works by Marcel Duchamp

This work is commonly regarded as one of the most influential pieces of modern art, and has become a celebrated work from it’s era. It was initially rejected by the Cubist art community as too Futuristic yet managed to be exhibited at Galeries J. Dalmau, Cubist Exposition of 1912 in Barcelona. Later it caused such a frenzy while exhibited at the 1913 Armory Show in New York that lines stretched for blocks with people waiting to see it.

Yulin Festival

Please people stop the cruelty, get a bed that is big enough for your pet so they don't have to suffer like this poor little guy in his undersized bed.

On a serious note, I've been reading about the upcoming dog eating festival in the Chinese city of Yulin. The really bad part is that some of the dogs are boiled alive. Don't google it for images or videos, it's pretty rough stuff. I personally don't think dogs should be eaten. We've formed a special friendship/contract with them over many thousands of years, but if you do feel the need to eat them at least have the decency to kill them humanely.

Finding My Religion

My requirements for a religion:

- no special hats required, I look bad in a hat.

- no requirements to hate certain groups of people, I already hate enough people as it is.

- no requirement that the clergy remains celebrate, seems to bring in a weird crowd.

- heaven sounds nice but entrance requirements should be easy.

- free will, god doesn't predetermine day to day affairs. He doesn't intervene in football games and determine who wins based on prayers. Now if something really bad is about to happen, like a comet hitting the earth, yeah, please give us a helping hand.

- pork is allowed because bacon is delicious.

- acceptance of scientific theories and facts like evolution, gravity, spherical earth, and planetary orbits. Intolerance for Einstein's theory of relativity is OK since I think it would be cool to travel faster than light.

- a religion that is mostly tolerated by the rest of society. I don't want to be persecuted if times get tough.

- no requirement to read translations of poorly written iron age texts.

- mammals (maybe birds too) should be allowed in heaven, it would be nice to see my childhood pet dog.

- minimal number of meetings.

- no beard required, I have these bare patches that just won't grow hair, makes me look mangy when I try to grow one.

- no genocidal floods, famines, plagues, fires, etc. because humans are misbehaving or not showing god enough respect.

- no requirement to indoctrinate others in my belief.

- gift giving holiday is nice, kids really like it.

- god doesn't ask a parents to kill their children.

- caffeine, marijuana, and alcohol consumption is allowed.

- women are allowed to drive cars, vote, go to college, and wear whatever they want.

- limited number of stunt miracles. Turning bread into fish is cool and a useful source of protein, but walking on water is just too showoffy.

Branches of an Almond Tree

Branches of an Almond Tree in Blossom, Interpretation in Red  (1890) by Vincent van Gogh

notable works by Vincent Van Gogh

Blossoming Almond Tree is clearly inspired by Van Gogh's love of Japanese prints. In addition to his many emulations of Japanese paintings he also collected works by Japanese artists and used concepts such as striking color, morose outlines, and the fragility of the natural world in his work. Much like prints by the Japanese artist Hiroshige, Almond Tree sprawls the branches of a lonely tree against the background of a red imperial sky. This cultural appropriation creates a moving and contemporary piece while still being an obvious Van Gogh painting. 

Green-eyed Children

Imagine there was a religion where the founding Prophet declared that all green-eyed children should be killed. The religion’s Prophet also declared that his teachings could not be altered or added to in the future because they were given to him directly by God and there would be no further Prophets. As a side note, the Prophet was a pedophile, rapist, and mass murderer that personally tortured and mutilated countless victims.

The Prophet’s religion grew at an astounding rate and over the centuries came to dominate large regions of the world. The followers were by that time mostly good and decent people that chose to overlook the requirement to kill green-eyed children, but there remained a minority that still believed in the holiness of those killings because, after all, God had commanded it.

Then as the world modernized and people could freely gather electronically at any distance a strange thing began to happen. Followers who insisted that the Prophets scripture be strictly adhered to began connecting, getting agitated and demanding a return to the true religion. Some of these zealots went out as individuals and killed green-eyed children while even more gathered, started armed revolutions, and created regions where the green-eyed children could be killed en masse.

The rest of the world reacted in horror and wondered how and why this could be happening. Compassionate leaders urged the population not to blame the religion for the killings, saying that it was a great and peaceful religion with hundreds of millions of civilized followers. They stressed that just a small number of psychopaths were responsible and that questioning the religion was prejudiced and a form of discrimination that would just lead to more killing. Others argued that the only real hope of solving the situation required an honest discussion about the religion itself. These questioners of the religion were mostly mocked and ridiculed as backward bigots by those that saw themselves as more enlightened.

…a work in progress

Dark Claustrophobia

Untitled by Zdzisław Beksiński (1929 - 2005)

notable works by Zdzisław Beksiński

Although Beksiński's art was extremely dark, in person he was known as pleasant, taking pleasure from conversation and many friends enjoyed his quick wit. The final few years of his life were bleak for Beksiński, his wife died after a long painful battle with cancer and his son, Tomasz, committed suicide. In 2005 the son of Beksiński's assistant hacked him to death because he wouldn't lend him the money for a rock concert.

Marché aux Puces

Marché aux Puces  (1950) by Tsuguharu Foujita

artwork at Catmota.com

In 1933. after residing in South and Central America for decades Foujita returned to his homeland Japan where he was greeted as a major figure in the art world. While in Japan, during World War 2, he was a notorious creator of nationalistic propaganda. In 1938 the Japanese Navy's propaganda department encouraged his relocation to China as a war artist. After the war he left Japan and roamed the world but he was often despised for his former militaristic work. Painter Yasuo Kuniyoshi virulently opposed Foujita's exibition at the Kennedy Galleries because he considered Foujita  to be a fascist and a racist.

Iron Man

Iron Man  (2013) by George Condo

notable works by George Condo

Prior to becoming a visual artist George Condo was a reluctant but inspired member of the punk rock synthesizer group known as the The Girls. The group also consisted of modernist painter Mark Dagley, noise musician Dave Hild and underground writer Robin Amos. Only one single was ever released, Jeffrey I Hear You/Elephant Man. It was produced by Dave Thomas from the nascent band Pere Ubu. Immediately following the release Condo met Jean-Michel Basquiat when the Girls opened for Basquiat’s disassembled rock group Gray. After this encounter Condo immediately relocated to Ludlow Street in New York City to begin his career as an abstract painter.

A Boy with Pipe

A Boy with Pipe  (1905) by Pablo Picasso

notable works by Pablo Picasso

During his Rose Period (1904–1906) Picasso’s art had a whimsical cheerful style with orange and pink hues, often including many circus acts, acrobats and clowns. The generally positive mood of paintings in this period is similar of his youthful works before the Blue Period.

Invention, Composition 31

Invention, Composition 31  (1933) by Rudolf Bauer

notable works by Rudolph Bauer

In 1938, after returning from a showing of his work in Paris, the Nazis arrested Bauer for his "diseased" art. A year before this his art had been part of the infamous Degenerate Art show in Munich, put on by the Nazis to show subversive abstract art. Even after this, Bauer had declined to leave Germany. After his arrest Bauer was kept in a Gestapo prison for close to a year, as his influential friends Rebay and Guggenheim labored to get him set free. After several failed efforts, he was finally released without condition in August 1938. While he was imprisoned Bauer created scores of drawings on scraps of salvaged paper. He then made the difficult decision to leave Germany and spent the following months organizing his paperwork. He arrived in the United States in July 1939, just months before the start of World War II. 

Black Sunshine

Black sunshine by Aaron Rands  (2010)

notable works by Aaron Rands

Even though the colors should make this artwork ominous, the uniformity of the black swirls and lack of any obvious danger present something that is superficially non-threatening. There is something of an odd calm quality, despite the obvious turbulence. But why is the orange/red globe emitting twisted black rays? ... maybe it isn't and maybe things are not as benign as they first appear.

Contemplation will reveal the rays are not emanating from the globe, but rather that the globe is hiding the twisted and hideous inception of it's spreading wrath. For if the black rays are the actual central character, the globe then becomes only a protrusion that covers the ominous birth occurring beneath. They have sprouted the orb to deceive viewers, hiding the ugliness that awaits them if they don't quickly turn away. The rays scour everything they touch, stripping them to bleached uniformity. When the rays reach the unseen surface of their world, they undoubtedly dissolve their land into bleak uniformity. It is because of this infecting darkness that this artwork should not be placed in a space for contemplation, it should only be seen in passing.