6 posts tagged “art”
For a study break treat I spent some time looking at The Art of the Photogravure. I had learned a bit about it before dropping my preservation class (and yes, I will be taking it again) and really loved going through the image database and learning more about the process.
Here are a couple of images, courtesy of the site. The first is from 1868 by Thomas Annan:
Next is an example from 2002 by ParkeHarrison, Robert and Shana:
Wednesday in Paris was Louvre Day! We learned early that going during the day sucks bad. Too many people. It was absolute chaos but for some reason we did not turn back. I was horrified at the lack of manners shown by visitors to this museum. People were touching art, sculpture and it was all I could do not to smack them. Who touches that stuff? Ack. Ack again.
We decided to start with Italian paintings. One of my favorites was the painting below by Andrea Mantegna. Titled "Minerve chassant les vices du jardin de la vertu", it is just a demented painting. Even if you enlarge you may not be able to see the detail. There vices are depicted as mutilated, dark and miserable. There is a weird semi-evolved monkey person wreaking havoc. There is gold leaf. I love it.
After making our way through this area, we could stand the crowds no more and fled for a bit. We headed across the Seine where I found Patrick Roger, MOF Chocolatier. As soon as I saw those three precious letters (MOF), I knew I had to go in. I was extremely fortunate to study chocolates with an MOF and I knew these would be lovely.
After this, we wandered around some more and headed back to the Louvre for round 2. Everyone, the Louvre after 5 p.m. is great. It's nearly empty save for groups sketching. It is open until 10. Repeat after me, visit the Louvre in the evening. This time we picked the Flemish and Dutch painters. The painting that struck me most my entire visit was Vermeer's L'Astronome. The photo I am showing you does not do it justice. I saw some wonderful art that day, art that made me feel very lucky to be alive and looking at it and that people who can make art exist. But the Vermeer! He painted his astronomer in such a way that daylight looked like daylight. I am no artist and can think of no other way to say it. I just know that in my life I will never achieve anything as this.
When you think of Martin Mull (if you think of him), his gay fussy character on Roseanne is probably one of the first things that come to mind. What a lot of people don't know is that he's a pretty prolific artist. I purchased this etching a couple years back at a charity event. I was drawn to its bleak quality right away and was pretty shocked that it was a piece by Roseanne's Loose Meat restaurant manager.
I still can't decide if it is a deathbed or exorcism scene. Interpretations?
Mitchell Wiebe was the first "real" artist whose work I purchased. He's also a really nice man who would blush a wee bit if you were to mention that most of the women in Halifax's art and music scene find him to be pretty dreamy. Mitchell's art has a cartoon-like quality. I like his paintings that are softer in focus with one or two really clear parts, kind of like the one below. He describes them as "portal shifters".
Wiebe was artist-in residence at the Capital Health Memory Clinic in Halifax. He interacted with patients and started looking at neurons through a microscope, which has influenced his other works. He was featured in an issue of The Lancet medical journal for his art related to this and I regret not having a copy.
I like his art. It reminds me of having a very pretty yet vivid fever dream and I think anyone who's imagined Snuggles the Bear chasing after them with a butcher knife would appreciate his work. We have a print of the Angel of Meat in our living room.
I don't think I'd like to wake up to find myself living in one of his paintings but I really do enjoy looking at them.
My Groups
-
Chicago Updated: A moment ago
-
Movies Updated: Yesterday
-
Social Justice (host) Updated: Yesterday
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
