This Just Plain

drives me nuts . . . . . . .
as chance would have it, I come across this compelling image, "Untitled (abstract)" by Harry D. Bouras and want to see more of his work (especially like this), but then as I try to research him it's like pulling teeth from a frog.

Maria Chevska

First, let me say that I am really, REALLY drawn to these first three works. Somehow, writing just "does it" for me. Don't know why or how, but I'm just always drawn to works that incorporate writing.
The appeal of the blue one is that you can't read it, but only appreciate the activity of the letters.
And the white one is just a great example of how wonderful white on white can be. It gives the effect of being a special cloth or probably a relief carving on stone.


It's unfortunate that I can't find anything (at the moment) in English to explain how she made these first 3 or the thought process behind them. Most of the sites were non-English. For image results, Google was no help, use Yahoo.

And then she does this other thing with the disappearing(drowning) letters/words. You can only read so much - which makes it more about the letters; keeps the whole thing mysterious.

the following quote from the Andrew Mummery Gallery at www.art-online.org explains her work.

"For the last decade Chevska's paintings have employed language - its material and visual manifestation - to represent everyday emotional, spatial, and temporal actualities. On the surface of the paintings short fictional extracts, or single words, are poured in kaolin to form a raised text. These pourings, in effect, paint the words. The extracts are borrowed from the short stories of Raymond Carver and tend to describe, or list, commonplace objects and interiors. There is a doubling of representation here as we experience both the art object as material 'thing', and the connotative, representational content of words. The uneventfulness of these descriptions, however, both heighten and thwart the sense that we are about to be told a story, a narrative that we must decipher from the fragments of text poured across the surface of the paintings. Other shorter words are also used. These are the 'glue' or verbal lulls (eh, ah, mmm) that frequently occur throughout communication. Again, we have a sense of a narrative about to be told and yet deferred, the words ultimately becoming an end in themselves.The newer series of paintings, Why Don't You, have evolved from the earlier Mimic and Eyeballing series. Produced by pouring white kaolin on to canvas , these paintings also re-present words and phrases; however, unlike earlier work, paint is then repeatedly poured on to the canvas until the words and phrases are almost, but not quite, obliterated. The weight of the settled paint, in turn, indents and smooths the soft canvas at it’s centre, both negating the act of writing and yet focussing our attention on the remnants of text - still legible to the viewer as they shift their position around the painting - that remain at the edges of the canvas ."

Inside My Tent

I'm Curious

as to how the art market is going to sort itself out. Deep down in our hearts we all know that it's not just talent. It really is all about who you know, what country your a citizen of, your sex sometimes, your ethnicity, your personality - all this comes into play. Gee, just like in real life. Too bad I don't have the big bucks to vote on who I think should be considered modern masters.

With all due (and very much)respect to Sean Scully and Brice Marden and their very focused oeuvre, what about the "X man" Allen Maddox ? An Australian. Think about it - this guy spent his career working with the x and a grid. The story goes that it all started with his frustration over his earlier work and he x'd them out. Personally, I think he's over due for his due.

There's a book that came out a while back (conspiracy theory plot) about how the US government went about making American Modern Art the big-time thing it is today. If any of you know the title please let me know - been wanting to read it. It's really not that impossible. Big money makes the market . . . .

Please feel free to use the Search Tools to your left and remember that search engines gives different results. There are also some other real sweet works he did that you'll need to do a web search to find. (instead of an image search) (Go figure . . ) Type in Allen Maddox, paintings.

His life and work make for fascinating reading. You'll enjoy.

The Never Ending

reaches of the mind. what man won't do to be creative. Isn't it wonderful.

Always amazed to encounter people who are baffled by "modern" art. They want to know what it is - what it's supposed to mean. Why can't they just look and enjoy or appreciate . . . . ?





William Holton, "Swarm" charcoal fingerprints on paper

Nice Lookin' Dots

"Locus", 2006 oil and acrylic on panel 16x15"

Every once in a while I'll stumble across an artist who does dots (or pointillism) or a facsimile there of, and all over again will be amused and amazed. Who knew so many people could delve into this realm and make it so interesting.

this is William Holton

check out his site - williamholton.net

So Happy

Today ended up being clean-up, catch-up day. Totally cleaned up my desk and drawers and files and was well rewarded by finding the name of this artist. Will post more on her later.



Maria Chevska

Vacation

will be on vacation in Cape May, NJ till Aug, 20th. Thanks for your support.

Cy Twombly in Houston in front of his gallery's largest painting, "Say Goodbye, Catullus, to the Shores of Asia Minor."

Shinique Smith

. . . and then there's those bales of clothing she does . . . . . .

Dreams

You know how sometimes you'll have a really fascinating story dream and the next morning you wake up and review it and really appreciate certain parts ??

Well, the moment I saw this painting

by Philip Guston - instantly I was back in that moment of appreciating a very captivating detail of a particular dream I had at least 10 years ago.

Somehow this painting just triggered a memory of a dream and some details from it. The memory of that dream started getting stronger and fuller and it seemed that I might again be able to completely remember it, and then it all just started fading . . . . .