Maple Composition sculptures.

In 1999 I had a momentary desire to work with maple wood.  My grandfather had a huge amount of wood that we had chopped worn, milled and dried in the basement.  It is some of the best maple I have ever seen.  I still have a about 5 cords of it and I intend to make more art out of it as I feel the need.

There is one missing from this set and I doubt that I will ever be able to get pictures of it.

 Composition 1

Maple, polyurethane 

1999

 Composition 2

Maple, enamel 

1999

 Composition 4

maple, polyurethane

1999

Composition 5

Maple, polyurethane

1999

These are very old...

...my compositional choices are mature now.

Artwork of the month: Egon Schiele.

Egon Schiele was an expressionist during a time when expressionism was new and innovative. For the most part expressionist works today are worthless decoration.  I explored the ideas of expressionistic oil painting early in my career and eventually rejected it.  Expressionism is an ism that I grew to detest, then appreciate, then pass off as a phase, then start to enjoy again.  Nonetheless, Schiele was clearly an innovative artist with uninhibited erotic desires.  The majority of his subject matter are erotic nudes.

Egon Schiele

Austrian, 1890-1918

"Portrait of Paris von Gütersloh"

1918, oil on canvas

Egon Schiele died from influenza in 1918 before completing this painting.  Regardless, this unfinished painting is a masterpiece.  The subject, Paris von Gütersloh, a painter, writer, actor, producer, etc, was a friend Schiele admired for his prolific and expansive career in the arts.  This being the last painting Schiele worked on is a treat to look at because we have a chance to see the process of his work.  It is display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

"I do not deny that I have made drawings and watercolors of an erotic nature. But they are always works of art. Are there no artists who have done erotic pictures?"

-Egon Schiele

My studio environments.

As an artist in Minneapolis, I have built or converted 7 spaces into live-in art studios.  I refuse to waste money and pay for a rental studio surrounded by an undisclosed number of other studios with other artists energy and work habits.  If I wanted that boxed life I would have become a graphic designer and worked in a cubical.  The money saved on studio rental, is money that I have used on needed and expensive professional grade supplies instead. 

I have always obligated to be moments away from my work.  I used to keep an easel by my bedside, so when I would wake my current work I was contemplating would be right there, my first thought, and imprinted into my mind for the rest of the day.  I was then able to keep my paintings in my mind, making compositional choices as I went about my day.  When I returned home to the studio, my contemplation was over and I immediately could start working. 

I have always constructed my studios toward my needs as a painter. Which are truly the needs of my relationship with my chosen medium - oil paint.  All relationships demand a certain level of yearning obligation, and oil painting is the most demanding mistress.  Per her request, I prefer to have the walls of my studio painted to be the bluest white possible.  Cold, malleable, and unnatural so I can set the tones with filters on lighting.  I use cheap unnatural florescent lighting and have always needed to balance out the yellow quality of that lighting.  Studios are what they are: work spaces, and each artist will know what they need.  What I use is vastly different than what another will.  Working with oils paints require a certain kind of studio.  If my current series of oil paintings is about contrast, my studio reflects that; if my work is about calm, my studio is calm.  

     

I keep my working environment just as a stage in theater, a set up conceptually.  That way I can have the total experience of my concepts.  Sounds silly, fake, or just too much?  Maybe, but it is how I do it and it works for me.  I can be playful, but when it comes to my work, which I consider my life's work, I am serious.

Over the course of 9 or so posts I am going to tell the stories of my 7 past studio spaces, most of which are interesting tales.  The Studios of my past have always been exactly what I need.  

Check back soon...
...something interesting is coming. 

Form studies from 1998

1998 was a year of exploration and experimentation for me.  I was developing my current compositional philosophy, and trying everything I thought of regardless of how strong or weak each concept was.

These are all Cray-Pas oil pastels improvisations that I am sure were completed in an evening. 

Thanks for reading...

...more nonsense from my past to come soon.

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.