Chapel of Art

As you study art, artists and their paintings, inevitably you have a desire to visit their studios; the environment in which those works came into being. It's a chance to see the bigger personality between the person and the picture (painting).

This evening I came across a site called TENWORDSANDONESHOT - it's exactly that; one shot of the artist's studio, their answers to ten, one-word questions and a link to their site. It's quite addicting to be able to peek into all these diverse personalities and oeuvres. Of all the possibilities for an image to share, I chose this one of Christopher St.Leger (from page 40) because he's looking out the window (?) and it just struck a chord with me.

Enjoy. 

Shiny Square Dots

Amazing how some things just grab you: I would really like to have this. Somehow it hovers between object and painting; medallion and rough sketch. This feels homemade and elegant at the same time and it looks like the raised squares are reflective, which adds yet another layer of intrigue and interaction.

 But alas, this beauty by Michiel Ceulers is a one-off. Don't even bother to Google him; it's a tremendous disappointment. To add insult to injury, his Website only has b&w images of his work . . . . .

This image is from the white hotel, where you can get lost perusing all the amazing artwork from different artists,  genres and time periods.

The Language Of Painting

Language-based painting can mean different things and there are many trains of thought about how one could incorporate words/language into a painting. I've always found it fascinating that lines can bring to mind an image (of a person or thing) and just as easily cause us to try to read (when we perceive words). Either way it's wonderful to see how differently artists build their compositions.

Anne-Marie Cosgrove chooses to use language itself as the basis for her abstractions. The effect is tantalizing as we try to read the work. She speaks about her style in this video and you'll find more paintings at her Website.

Image is from Center On Contemporary Art Blog.

Postmodernizing, Pointillism

This may not be the most beautiful example of Jennifer Bartlett's work, but it gives you a good introduction to how she thinks. We have an image broken down into individual dots and then it's then further reduced with a negative grid. Jennifer takes the whole notion of pointillism and turns it inside out and then revisits it from several different angles; even using short lines to the same effect. If this is not making any sense, simply click on this Google Image Search link and as you slowly scroll down you'll see how she goes from realism to pointillist strokes to dots, dots with words and beyond; the variations are a bit mind numbing and she has my utmost respect for pursuing these trains of thought.

Locks Gallery has a nice overview of her work.

Image is from bombsite.

Intellectual Scribbles

Jonathan Lasker in his studio in New York from Lars Bohman Gallery on Vimeo.


   I won't say that the paintings of Jonathan Lasker are an acquired taste, it's just that they seem so simple, even cute at first.  It takes a little while to fully appreciate what's happening on the canvas and in his head. If you'll watch the video, it's time well spent and you'll come to understand and appreciate his interesting and thoughtful oeuvre. Notice how even his small sketches are thoroughly well done and could be immediately framed for show.

He's well represented by several galleries and some Google Image Searching will show you the breadth of his career.

Please click on the Lars Bohman Link under the video to see works from the 80's which will just blow your mind.

Autism Speaks

Reporting on the Art Fairs in NYC this week is finally winding down and I came across this gem by Dan Miller. To be sure, there was a lot of great art to be seen, and an even greater amount of ridiculous junk with high price tags. But knowing that this particular piece was made by someone with Autism makes you rethink a whole lot of  things. He's "represented" by Creative Growth, where you'll find some answers to your questions.

Much more of his work HERE.


Image from Art Critical.

Artchitectural Drawing

Lebbeus Woods loves to draw and his drawings are real works of art that focus on architecture. This statement seems rather inane until you see his body of work and feel the power of the stories they tell. This piece is my favorite because it not only has the architectural flavor, but brings to mind crop circles and modern art.

This image is from a good Post about him (with images) at Hyperallergic.

To see the show and more images, go Here.