Artwork of the month: Grant Wood.

This is one of the paintings on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts that I simply enjoy.  It is humorous and although lewd, the painting retains its importance historically.  Do you see what I see?

Grant Wood

American, 1892-1942

"The Birthplace of Herbert Hoover, West Branch Iowa"

1931, oil on masonite

"I had to go to France to appreciate Iowa."

-Grant Wood

I got a Job at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts!!!

I was finally hired on as a Gallery Guard at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts after three years of applying.  

I have spent the last ten years living in areas where I was close enough to walk to the museum under five minutes.  I truly love this building and its collection of art.  Its better than the walker anyway.  I was told that it took me three years to be employed at the MIA because it is a seniority based job where people rarely leave.  The health and dental benefits are crazy good, and crazy cheap (less than you pay anywhere, I swear).

My goal.  

To truly familiarize myself with the permanent collection and convert what I see into my own works of art.  I have been doing that for ten years, but its not the same.  Now I will be surrounded by works of art for 40 hours a week.  With the nature of the job I wont be able to just pick where I am posted so I will be forced to look at works of art I have never considered.  

I announce now that I will complete my study of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in under 6 years.  So lets say that my employment has a shelf life of 5 to 7 years.  That is a good projection, hoping that everything goes according to my plans for my work in the future.  No expectations, no worries, here we go for another major life change.  

I might be fairly busy this first year, so the posts will come...

...maybe not as often as I would like, but they will come.

Composition studies

I have been working to complete my series of oil paintings based on color.  I finally completed the final composition studies for Rabbititus #11 Secondary Colors.

These are simple abstracts, but the final oil painting will be the three secondary colors, orange, green, and violet.  

I will pick up the canvas for the painting this week and get started painting it as soon as I get home with my new blank canvas.

Artwork of the month: Cubist village.

I simply love this oil painting.  Cubism had its moments that is for sure.  Albert Gleizes is considered a founding father of cubism.  He has an overwhelming amount of good paintings in his portfolio, but what he lacks is self control, as his work is rarely edited.  This painting is one of my favorite works on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Albert Gleizes

French, 1881-1953

"The Village"

1913, oil on canvas

Thanks for reading even though this post is a little slack...
...more to come soon.

Hand study in pencil and poetry.

Falling back into poetry again.  I was working on my book "Iodized Salt" and i just wandered off and came up with this quick study.  

Hand study

pencil on paper

2006

Iodized Salt will eventually be completed...

...as soon as my composition is chosen.

Artwork of the month: A Naughty Satyr.

I love the cheesy rococo art movement.  It just sings about over the top taboo desires.  One of my favorites is this marble sculpture at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Jean-baptise Aguste Cleainger

French, 1814-1883

"Bacchante and Satyr"

1869, marble

I find this sculpture to be sexually charged with mischief and intent; just look at the expressions on their faces. The Bacchante is a party girl.  She drinks, fucks, and has a good time all the time in the naked name of a mystery religion. Her facial expression is one of intoxication as her body language is inviting the faun to play.  The faun is posed just as provocatively, just look at his left leg.  He knows what to expect and has no shame to it.

All this sexual desire bottled up in the virtue of good taste and opulent decoration.  Bravo rococo!

Everyone likes sex...

...everyone like art about sex.

Eye studies from 1998

In 1998 I went through a short lived phase of placing eye's in my work.  Here are some of the studies that I did back then.  keep in mind, there are about 100 images I have lost.

These are kinda silly...

...I was really into it at the time.

BitTorrent study drawing.

Looking for ideas I came up with this composition, and awkward as it is, I dig it.

5 prominently crafted motifs in Agnes Martins work.

5 prominently crafted motifs in Agnes Martins work.

1. Pencil lines that aren't as straight as they were intended to be.

2. White acrylic paint washed over the entire surface.

3. The unusual perspective of her compositions offers a mysterious view.

4. She was obviously pleased with the results of her sense of identity.

5. Her faithlessness to formal concerns with elements of self importance.

okay, slightly less cynical...

Her painting "Untitled #7" is a perfect example of how truly simple and honest Agnes Martins work is.  I applaud her for following her generations practices of traditional craftsmanship. She performed the challenging task of successfully painting allegories, best know as naturalistic portraits of ideas.

And although I am having a little fun here at her expense, I have always enjoyed the minimal expressionless work of Agnes Martin.  This painting is part of the permanent collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Agnes Martin

American, 1912-2004

"Untitled #7"

1984, acrylic and pencil on canvas

"My paintings are not about what is seen.  They are about what is known forever in the mind."

-Agnes Martin

Pointillism is the result of boredom.

So I was a bit bored the other day.  After a few rounds of Halo multiplayer I came up with this study of a famous work of art.  Do you know the original title?

Pointillism study

ink on paper

2006

I am still bored...

...and oddly, I do not feel like painting.