A legacy . . .

To leave a legacy for future generations.

Today we celebrate the birth of Bernardo Bellotto (January 30, 1720 – October 17, 1780), a famous vedutista.  Bernardo Bellotto's paintings of Warsaw are so topographically accurate that more than a century later they were used as drafts for rebuilding the city after its devastation in the Second World War (that was a legacy for Warsaw).

Do you think Bernardo Bellotto may have used the camera obscura in order to achieve the superior precision of urban views in his painting?  The role of the camera obscura, sometimes referred to as The Magic Mirror of Life, has always fascinated me.  There is a theory that a type of camera obscura technique was used in the early cave drawings.  The camera obscura is still in use today, check out Charles Schwartz's photographs.

Abstract Expressionism . . .

“Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is.” - Jackson Pollock

Today the birthday salute is for Paul Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956), an American painter and major figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement.


"The modern artist... is working and expressing an inner world - in other words - expressing the energy, the motion, and other inner forces." - Jackson Pollock

Experience  Jackson Pollock  for yourself.

Why, why, why . . .

Is Music an Art form?

Today we celebrate the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ( January 25, 1756 – December 5, 1791), an Austrian composer and child prodigy.  Mozart was definitely a genius and an artist, not with paints but sounds.  During his brief life, Wolfgang Mozart composed over 600 pieces of music (most of them were not published until after his death).  So, Why Study Art? - maybe, for the Mozart Effect . . . or just simple pleasure.

A birthday salute to Samuel Palmer (January 27, 1805 – May 24, 1881), English landscape painter, etcher and printmaker.

Samuel Palmer is the best known of a group of 19th century artists who referred to themselves as The Ancients.

He exhibited at the Royal Academy at age 14, and some considered Samuel Palmer a prodigy. He was a self-taught artist, having hardly any formal training and no formal schooling.  His visionary experiences as a child and association with the poet/painter, William Blake influenced his greatest works.  So, Why Study Art? . . . how else do we deal with the visions?

Unfortunately, the Special Exhibit Samuel Palmer: Vision and Landscape at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has moved on . . . perhaps, we will enjoy 'In a Shoreham Garden' at the Victoria & Albert Museum one day.

Realism to Impressionism . . .

Today we celebrate the birthday of Édouard Manet (January 23, 1832 – April 30, 1883), a French painter.  An important contributor to modern art, especially in the artistic transition from Realism to Impressionism.

I have been interrupted - will continue post later.

Friends that inspire . . .

January 19th is A Friend Raises Your Spirits Day. I have such a friend and recently received this invitation to see her paintings exhibited in Chicago.

The Human Landscape series

will be featured in the group show entitled

Places - From Arcadia to Urban Landscape

January 24 - February 28, 2009

at the
Murphy Hill Gallery in Pilsen

Opening Reception:

January 24, 2009 from 6 to 10 pm

The Murphy Hill Gallery is located in the historic

Sears and Roebuck building

3333 West Arthington Street

3rd Floor

Chicago, IL 60624

www.murphyhillgallery.com

To preview some of the paintings visit:
http://www.jylbonaguro.com/

Questions ??

jyl@jylbonaguro.com

If you are in the Chicago area stop by the gallery to see her work.

Happy Birthday to Paul Cézanne ( January 19, 1839 – October 22, 1906) a French painter known for his Post-Impressionist works. Friendship took an interesting turn in the lives of Paul Cézanne and Émile Zola . They were close friends from childhood and in youth; nevertheless, their friendship fell apart in later life over Zola's novel L'Œuvre (The Masterpiece, 1886). We cannot deny the artistic passion in their friendship and passion does swing in many directions. Tis a bit ironic.

Oh, yes, Art Critics . . .

Today we salute the art critic, author, painter and collector,  Clement Greenberg (January 16, 1909 - May 7, 1994), the well known champion of Abstract Expressionism.

 

Art criticism involves learning how to "look" at art and think about what one "sees" -  one might say, a critical study for artists.

Clement Greenberg was one of the first to champion the artists, Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, and David Smith.  Artists tend to find the art critics wearisome, a love/hate relationship sometimes; nevertheless, we must admit that we are all art critics at times.

"Art criticism, I would say, is about the most ungrateful form of "elevated" writing I know of. It may also be one of the most challenging . . ." - Clement Greenberg

Please take a moment to enjoy one of the benefits of the web and view this out of print book Matisse by Clement Greenberg.

Make a note that today is Do Nothing Day, so it is only appropriate to include Oscar Wilde's essay The Critic as Artist: With Some Remarks On The Importance Of Doing Nothing.

Now, I'm off to celebrate the day and DO NOTHING - now that is quite a meditation . . .

What's outside?

As you may be aware from my blog Shall We Meander On, I love libraries and birthdays. Recently while visiting a local library, I lucked upon an art/art history print file collection being "de-accessioned" as part of their future move into the digital realm.  I was delighted in my find, hurried to box up the files and now, plan to share my discoveries in this blog.  It should be fun.

I have a special love for Impressionism and that particular time period of change. Thinking of my mother, en plein air, she was/is always telling me to go outside in the open air.  It is a real punishment for her to be indoors away from nature.  

On that note, today we celebrate Berthe Morisot (January 14, 1841 - March 2, 1895), a French impressionist painter and print maker.  She was the first woman to join the circle of the French impressionist painters and is considered one of the most important women painters of the 19th century. Happy Birthday!

If you are in New York City January 17th, 2009, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has scheduled a Gallery Talk at 11 am entitled, Women Artists and Their Mentors: Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt, and Édouard Manet and Edgar Degas. It is free with museum admission.  

Enjoy her paintings online at Artilim.

Here are a few reasons . . .

Why Study Art?

Friedrich Nietzsche said: "Art is the proper task of life."

Claudia Lady Bird Johnson said: “Art is the window to man's soul. Without it, he would never be able to see beyond his immediate world; nor could the world see the man within.”

Art is a universal language.

Art allows us to express ourselves. In that expression, we communicate our emotions, thoughts and experiences by creating art.

When you view art, you see the world through the eyes of another. When you create, you're letting the world see you through your art.

The Importance of Art.

What do you think?  Be an artist, experience it now with artpad.

Celebrating the quest . . .

I begin this new journey/blog celebrating the birthday of artist John Singer Sargent (January 12, 1856 - April 14, 1925).  See my other blog for more info, entry date January 12, 2009.

Why study art? My mother studied art in college. The image to the left is the two of us.  I love her dearly.

As a child, my grandmother told me my mother majored in art at college (my parents met, romanced, wed and started a family in college). It seemed strange to me, for my mother was not an "artist". She did not draw, she did not paint, no easels, no brushes, no sketchbooks - she gardened. Granny added this tidbit of information: "Your mother stopped when she became pregnant with you - she changed her major to business". What is this I say, what have you done, what is this little mustard seed you have planted in my youthful brain? Am I the reason why?

I have never really had the nerve to ask my mother, WHY? We have danced around the subject and in the past few years she gave me a fleeting glance of some sketches from college hidden away in her attic.  Am I the reason why? How do you stop? How do you turn it off? Why wasn't I her muse? 

In this strange way, I have been fascinated with art, artists and art history. So let us celebrate the quest, tip our brushes to John Singer Sargent (Happy Birthday!), the journey has begun . . . Why Study Art?