“Simplicity” or “How Another Artist Inspired Me to Give My Oils a Rest & Pick Up Some Crayons”

“Simplicity” or “How Another Artist Inspired Me to Give My Oils a Rest & Pick Up Some Crayons”

falling.gif
(Above: “Falling down stairs saves time”)

Last night, I was googling for images regarding “falling down” and accidentally came across this artist’s site called Exploding Dog. I loved it. I loved his images. They are so simple yet convey so much. I suppose it could be easy to dismiss them for their simplicity. Many of us artists have that insecurity/drive to prove in every single painting that we indeed know how to draw, use color theory etc. Just look at the popularity of Dad’s post on “Learning How To Resolve a Painting”. On a similar note, I finally saw the “Glitter and Doom” exhibit at the Met. Its a very full exhibit on German portraits in the 1920s (Otto Dix, Max Beckmann etc). The paintings are phenomenal and many border on caricatures (so simple yet convey so much.)

 

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(Post first appeared in 2011)

Modern Japanese Portraits at AIC

“The 1940s and 1950s were a pivotal time for sōsaku hanga, the “creative prints” movement in Japan. Artists who had been trained primarily as oil painters turned to traditional woodblock printing to give full expression to their often somber images. Some of the most haunting portraits produced in Japan were created in this era, and they speak to the effort these artists made to imbue their subjects with a depth and psychological nuance entirely new to the medium.

This exhibition features the work of two such artists, Onchi Kōshirō (1891–1955) and Saitō Kiyoshi (1907–1997).”

Modern Japanese Portraits – Until July 1, 2018

AIC / The Art Institute of Chicago

111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Il

 

 

Klimt and Schiele Together at Boston MFA

“To mark the centenary of the deaths of Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) and Egon Schiele (1890–1918), the MFA presents an exhibition of rarely seen drawings by the Austrian artists…”

“Klimt and Schiele: Drawn examines both the divergences and compelling parallels between the two artists—particularly in their provocative depictions of the human body.”

Klimt and Schiele: Drawn

Until May 28, 2018

Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Avenue of the Arts
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts

(Image: Egon Schiele, The Artist’s Mother, Sleeping, 1911)

“Leon Golub: Raw Nerve” at the MET Breuer

American artist Leon Golub (1922–2004) “occupies a singular position in the history of mid- to late 20th-century art. His devotion to the figure, his embrace of expressionism, his fusion of modern and classical sources, and his commitment to social justice distinguish his practice as an artist.

“The artist’s work has much to teach us in the 21st century, as does his belief in the ethical responsibility of artists.”

Leon Golub: Raw Nerve

The Met Breuer

Until May 27, 2018

(Image: Gigantomachy II, 1966)

Jasper Johns Retrospective in LA

There is a huge Jasper Johns exhibition at The Broad, a contemporary art museum in Los Angeles, until May 13, 2018. On display are more than “120 extraordinary paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings by one of America’s greatest artists.”

 “One hopes for something resembling truth, some sense of life, even of grace, to flicker, at least, in the work”  Jasper Johns, 2006

 Jasper Johns: ‘Something Resembling Truth’ 

The Broad

221 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA

(Image: Cicada II, 1981)

 

 

Images From The Struggle At The High!

The High Museum in Atlanta presents civil rights photographs from 1956–1967. “This installation of over forty photographs examines the history and legacy of the civil rights movement. Iconic prints drawn from the High Museum’s celebrated collection demonstrate the power and potency of photography during that significant era, while contemporary works point to the ongoing struggle for equal rights.”

 

 “A Fire That No Water Could Put Out”: Civil Rights Photography

Until April 29, 2018

High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, GA

(Image: “Grass Roots Organizer”, 1968)