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Jean Hélion, 1904 – 1987

April 21, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

Born in Normandy, France on April 21, 1904, Jean Hélion is recognized as one of the leading abstract painters in Europe during the 1930’s. Hélion moved to Paris in 1921 where he worked as an architectural apprentice until deciding to become a painter in 1925. He became a member of the Groupe Art Concret in 1929 and co-founded Abstraction Creation in 1931 – an international association of artists who advocated pure abstration.

Hélion moved to the United States (New York, and Virginia) in 1936 and continued his abstract work until 1939 when (much to his admirer’s disappointment) he began to paint in a figurative style.

Hélion returned to Paris in 1940 to serve with the Armed Forces.  During this time, he was taken prisoner and help captive until 1942 when he managed to escape.  He published a book on his WWII experiences called “They Shall Not Have Me” in 1943.

Hélion returned to America for a short period but then went back to Paris in 1946 where he continued his work painting scenes of everyday life.  When asked by a journalist about his abandonment of abstract art, he said the war was an influence on his return to figurative painting. And that “A man who has been locked up for a few years knows the value of reality”. ⑴

Jean Hélion made Paris his home until his death on October 27, 1987.  Today, his works can be seen at the MOMA and other galleries in the US, as well as the Tate Gallery in London and many Museums in France.

Sources: Wikipedia, New York Times 1981, 1989, Centre Pompidou

Filed Under: ART, Art History, Painting Tagged With: abstract-art, Abstraction Creation, French Painters, Groupe ARt Concret, Jean Helion

On-line Picasso Project

April 20, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

Pablo Picasso is one of my favourite artists and I plan to do a more in-depth profile of him in a later post.  But if you’re a Picasso fan, the On-line Picasso Project is a website you shouldn’t miss.

The On-line Picasso Project is non-profit project that catalogues an amazingly large number of Picasso’s works and a timeline of the artist’s life. It was created in 1997 by Dr. Enrique Mallén from Sam Houston State University. The website contains over 16,000 catalogued artworks, over 6,000 notes, and thousands of commentaries, biographical entries, and archived news articles.

The interface allows the user to easily browse through images and files according to date.  Clicking on an image from the summary page will bring up a small window – a sort of mini web page that details the artwork being viewed. Clicking on the image in the mini page enlarges the work so the viewer can see the finer details.

You can literally spend hours on this site (I have), and the chronological organization of the project allows you to witness Picasso’s development as an artist over the course of his life. The sheer volume of his work is staggering and this database represents about only a third of his estimated 50,000 works. The Guinness Book of Records actually named Picasso as the most prolific painter in history. So set some time aside and check out the On-line Picasso Project, you won’t be disappointed.

Filed Under: ART, Art History, E-Learning Tagged With: On-Line PIcasso Project, Pablo Picasso

Interlude – Fabio Hurtado

April 19, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

I’ve decided to take Sundays off. In honour of this, each Sunday, I’ll post an image that represents rest, relaxation, a little time off. This week – Interlude by Fabio Hurtado. Hurtado was born in Madrid, Spain in 1960 and is considered a modern master of Spanish Art. I won’t say much more about him (it is my day off after all), but if you’d like to learn more, you can read his biography at MarkPeetvisser.com.

Filed Under: ART Tagged With: Fabio Hurtado, Spanish Artists

Ken Wong: Illustration

April 16, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

The Mock Turtle's Story © Ken WongOne of my favourite ways to find new and interesting things on the web is with StumbleUpon. Using either their website or toolbar, StumbleUpon lets you “discover and share great websites…matched to your personal preferences”.  I personally like the Stumble toolbar – you never know what you’re going to get and it might be something you may not have normally found through a search engine.

Today I StumbledUpon Australian illustrator Ken Wong.  Ken studied multimedia at the University of South Australia but says “I learned most of what I know about art from reading books and involving myself in online art communities. The internet is a great environment for digital artists to learn from each other and advance their skills.”(1)

Ken works as an art director for the computer game studio Spicy Horse in Shanghai.  His work has also appeared in the Spectrum and Exposé art annuals and a few other magazines. You can view more of Ken’s work and artistic process (from pencil sketch to finished Photoshop image), by visiting his website at Kenart.net.

Filed Under: ART, Illustration Tagged With: Australian artists, Ken Wong

Happy Birthday Da Vinci!

April 15, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

One of the most famous artists of all time, Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, was born on April 15, 1452 at Vinci in the region of Florence.  While he is perhaps most famous as a painter, Da Vinci was known to have an unyielding curiosity that persisted up until the end of his life in 1519.  Da Vinci was a polymath and  besides his career as an artist, he was also an inventor, mathematician, architect, musician,  engineer, botanist, writer, and an anatomist.(1)

At the age of 14, Da Vinci was apprenticed to successful artist Andrea di Cione (aka Verrocchio) where he learned a large variety of skills as well as drawing, painting, sculpting, and modeling. During his professional life, Da Vinci worked in Florence, Milan, Rome, and in 1516 – 1519 in France under the service of Francis I.  Leonardo Da Vinci died on May 2, 1519 at Clos Lucé in France.(1)

The Mona Lisa (La Gioconda , La Jaconde, 1503-1506) is a small painting (2’6” x 1’8”) that continues to be a source of fascination and debate.  The dark and wild landscape brought together with the serene beauty, smile and liveliness of the sitter creates a sense of mystery and an improbable merging of two opposing worlds.(2)

The Mona Lisa is on display at the Louvre and around 6 million people view the painting ever year. I saw her last summer while in Paris and have to admit my disappointment.  The huge crowd of visitors meant that one could only stop briefly to examine it, through a bullet-proof glass enclosure, from a distance as we were herded quickly through the line.  Next time, I’ll go in winter.

To view more paintings by Da Vinci check out the Web Gallery of Art.  The Notebooks of Leonardo Davinci can be downloaded free from Project Gutenberg.

Filed Under: ART, Art History, Painting Tagged With: Italian Artists, Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa

hotburrito2: Photography

April 14, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

Scandanavian Summer Blues - © hotburrito2

There’s an Australian photographer I’ve been following on Deviant Art for about a year named hotburrito2, (mrs miggins) and I’m excited to share his work with you today.

Many of hotburrito2’s photos feature water and the beach.  Many include animals, mainly dogs, birds, and the occasional kangaroo.  Other photos (my favourites), are composed with random objects one wouldn’t expect to see at the beach – kitchen chairs, road signs, vinyl LP’s, broken violins, Kermit the Frog.

The photo you see below is titled Scandinavian Summer Blues.  I love the composition of this photo and the crisp and vibrant colours that make you wish you were there.   To see more of hotburrito2’s photography, check out his profile on Deviant Art.

Filed Under: ART, Deviant Art, Photography Tagged With: Australia, hotburrito2

Album Cover Art: Pink Floyd – Division Bell

April 13, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

Artwork for CD’s, books, magazines, product packages, etc.  have their basic functions for use in promotional materials and advertisements, and as simple protection for the materials contained inside.

The first 78rpm records in the early 1900’s were sold with plain brown paper or cardboard sleeves and it wasn’t until the late 1930’s that the idea of album art was conceived by Alex Steinweiss of Columbia Records. Within ten years, the idea had caught on and most record companies were distributing albums with unique cover art.

As a teenager, I remember anticipating the release of a new album, not just for the music, but what the cover would look like – the story it would tell. It was a part of our teen culture and was the topic of many late night house parties.

The artwork featured today is from the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1994 Division Bell album. I was never a big Floyd fan, but I love this piece. The cover was designed by renowned graphic designer Storm Thorgerson and at first glance, looks like a painting. It is, in fact, a photograph taken of two sculptures by John Robertson. The sculptures currently make their home in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Since the introduction of downloadable, digital music, some artists like Peter Saville say that the importance and popularity of album cover art is dead. Famed cover artist Ioannis believes however, that album imagery is even more important as graphics for touring and merchandising become crucial parts of money-making in the music industry.

While the purpose of creating art for music albums may have shifted, the artistic endeavor persists.  Whatever the reason, the benefits to music and art enthusiasts and designers and artists remains – and that’s a great thing.

Filed Under: ART, Cover Art, Design Tagged With: Alex Steinweiss, Division Bell, Pink Floyd

The Last Supper

April 13, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

Well it’s Easter so what better day to post representations of the Last Supper in art.  I am too full of Easter chocolate to provide any coherent, meaningful comparison or analysis, so here simply, are three images depicting the last meal of Jesus and his Apostles.  The first, probably the most famous by Leonardo da Vinci; the second, Salvador Dali’s The Sacrement of the Last Supper; and third, an artist I like, known only as Arum1966 or Mark from Deviant Art.  Enjoy and Happy Easter!

Leonardo da Vinci - The Last Supper

Leonardo da Vinci - The Last Supper


The Sacrament of the Last Supper - Salvador Dali

The Sacrament of the Last Supper - Salvador Dali


The Last Supper - Arum1966 (Mark)

The Last Supper - Arum1966 (Mark)

Filed Under: ART, Art History, Deviant Art Tagged With: Leonardo da Vinci, Salvador Dali, The Last Supper

Pocket Art

April 12, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

I happened upon a great commentary from Walter Mosely on NPR a little while ago about the idea of creating your own personal pocket art collection so that you become “the curator, the critic, as well as the patron” of your own pocket art gallery.

Pocket art is not a new idea.  Miniature portraits were popular from the 16th  to the early 19th centuries where small paintings were carried as remembrances of loved ones, and paintings on personal items such as jewelry and snuff box covers. With the invention of early photography in the 19th century, however, miniature paintings fell out of popularity.

Purchasing larger works of original art is out of reach for many people and over the last several years, the pocket art movement has been making a comeback.  It has taken the form of ATC’s (Artist Trading Cards) ACEO’s (Art Cards Editions and Originals) and sculptures small enough to fit in your pocket.  Art galleries have conducted “mini-art” shows and there are even vending machines converted from retired cigarette machines that dispense small pieces of original art.

Pocket art need not be a purchased item that fits neatly into a specific genre. The choice is yours, it could be a stone that catches your eye, a leaf or flower you carry around for the day, a favourite poem – something that is meaningful to you. Whether purchased or found, pocket art is a great idea to carry as a reminder that beauty and art is present in whatever we may be doing and wherever we may go.


Nexus by Bathsheba Grossman

Nexus by Bathsheba Grossman

Filed Under: ART, Sculpture Tagged With: Bathsheba Grossman, pocket art

Sakura – Art in Nature

April 10, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

Sakura © Wendy Campbell

Sakura © Wendy Campbell

Many believe (myself included), that nature is the ultimate form of art. It is in nature that we find an infinite array of colours, shapes, patterns, and motion, giving any artist an endless choice of subject matter.

I have been gratefully reminded of this as the Japanese sakura (cherry blossom) trees have come into bloom.  Cherry blossom festivals are popular all over Japan and people gather in parks and other tree lined areas to participate in the custom of Hanami (flower viewing).

Witnessing the blossoming of the sakura over the last few weeks has been like walking through a work in progress, a living painting that evolves from a very basic outline sketch into a most colourful and rich in detail work of art.

 

Filed Under: ART, Nature, Photography Tagged With: 'photoblog'

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