Raymond Wintz: The Light of Brittany

 Raymond Wintz (1884-1956) was one of those "in-between" painters. His style was described as being between what was known as "realism" in those times with a touch of "impressionism." It could've been because that although he was Parisian-born and trained in art, he chose to live in another part of France.

 

 

 

Wintz decided to settle in Brittany. Perhaps it was for the quality of the light. After all, he was known as the "painter of light." Whatever else, the combination of the light and the closeness to the sea from his windows proved very inspiring.

 

 

 

His most famous painting from his time in Brittany is titled, "The Blue Door."

 

It's still available in prints and there's no wonder. Who wouldn't love to go on vacation to the seashore and open the door of a rented villa to such a scene? Imagine stepping out in the morning with your coffee and croissant to such a view!

 

 

 

 

With all of his paintings of Brittany, not only do you feel the wind and the sea, but the lives of the Bretons and their distinct Celtic culture having more in common with the Welsh, Irish and Scottish, who have all retained their language into modern times.

Here's more of the people and the land that inspired Wintz to produce some of this most well-known works:

A Story of Near Tragedy, Courage and Gratitude

Often we remember the worst of the news. Stories of greed, malice, deception and all manner of cruelty that frightens us and keeps us from trusting and hoping. Then, along comes a story of such bravery, courage and gratitude that we are uplifted.

I received an email about a 50-ton female humpback whale who became unmercifully entwined in long, heavy crab pot lines in San Francisco bay. She could barely keep her blowhole above the water line. A fishing boat captain saw her plight and called for a rescue team.

The rescuers could tell that the ropes were cutting in so deeply there was blubber in the water. The divers held out little hope for her survival. However, that little spark of hope was just enough for them to risk getting in the water with her.

They knew full well the damage she could do to the divers if she became frightened by their actions. The divers needed time to cut through heavy ropes entangling her dorsal and tail fins and to remove the ropes from her mouth and baleen. (Being near her mouth involved working right in front of her fist-sized eye.) She watched and stayed calm. She knew. She understood.

I can't say how she knew given the history of hunting the humpbacks to near extinction, but she did. Perhaps it was the way the divers approached her. They entered her realm with kindness and compassion - wishing only to help. Maybe she sensed their meaning.

When free, she circled and approached each diver gently nudging them. Yes, she knew.

What if we approached life with kindness and compassion towards all beings? And what if we remembered to show sincere gratitude for who and/or what we've been given?

May every day be a day of Thanksgiving!

(This is a reprint from 2011. I thought of this article as I read about several friends who have posted their stories of what looked like certain tragedy. Given time and reflection, they realized how very grateful they were. How their life direction changed- ultimately for the better. Also, I want to give a shout out to everyone who has gone out of their way to help the Veteran's homeless camp. Deepest gratitude!)

Ursula von Rydingsvard: from Childhood Planks...

In this time where news reports about war uprooting families to "refugee" status, I think about the artist Ursula von Rydingsvard (1942-). She was born during the time the Nazis controlled the area of Germany where she was born. Her father was conscripted into forced labor and her family lived in one refugee camp after another.

In 1950 at age 8, her family settled in the United States. However, she remembered her early years as a displaced person sleeping on planks in camps. As she stated, "It wasn't even a lumber construction. It was plank construction that wasn’t very warm in the winters because there was no insulation. It was just me, sleeping against a plank, and on the other side of the plank was the outdoors."

Von Rydingsvard would go on to graduate with an MFA from Columbia University Her works are on display at MOMA, Whitney Museum, National Gallery of Art, and many other most prestigious galleries and museums. She is also the recipient of many grants and fellowships.

Her sculptural works are monumental in size, scope and are mainly created from cedar planks glued into designs. Below are a few examples that barely reflect a 40-year career in the arts - all reflecting those memorable planks from her childhood. How can we ever know what experiences will inform the artist?

Von Rydingsvard was featured on PBS' wonderful series "Art 21." You can view it at:
http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/ursula-von-rydingsvard

Defining the Art of Valeri Tsenov

You may have noticed that recent blogs have been more about contemporary artists. This blog is to introduce  Valeri Tsenov (1961-).

Tsenov is a Bulgarian artist who studied painting, illustration, book design and graphics in his native country. His art reflects the influence of his homeland and his art education.

As I thought about Tsenov's work, I was struck with how many ways I could describe his style and his technique. Yes, there are the details of an illustrator and a certain classicism. Yet, his subjects reflect an inner world that at times can be surreal or iconic, mythic or modern, and symbolic or literal. How to define Tsenov?

You be the judge. What do you notice when you look at his works?

Édouard Cortès:The Parisian Poet of Painting

Édouard Cortès (1882-1969) was a post-Impressionist painter. Exhibiting just after the Impressionists, the public and art critics were more accepting of this form of painting. After his graduation from the École des Beaux-Artsin Paris, Cortès received recognition at his first exhibition. However, that's not to say that life was  a series of artistic accolades for Cortès.

You see, Cortès' was a pacifist. As with the Impressionist who went to jail or fled for their criticism of the industrial system, Cortès felt the cold grasp of World War I. Even though he was 32 years old and had a family, he was compelled to fight in the infantry. He was injured in battle, but refused the highest French recognition -

Légion d'Honneur.

This man of peace wanted nothing more than to paint the beautiful scenes around him. His most famous and desirable paintings are of Paris. He painted Paris in all seasons. With the exception of the transportation and the fashion, these still show Paris in all its glory. Enjoy this exceptional painter and Paris. (click on image to enlarge)

Michal Trpák and The Human Condition

Recently, I came upon a young Czech artist who is creating very original art. His name is Michal Trpák (1982-). His academic credentials are impeccable. He studied under Master sculptors and graduated from the Academy of Art, Architecture and Design. His internships were in such far flung parts of the world as Korea, Finland and Canada.

Through all his studies, he has distilled an original style of art works mainly depicting the human form and cultural conditions in a surrealistic manner. This is the first of his works that introduced me to his art:

"Escape into Reality" (2008)

Trpák's sculptural commentaries on the human condition were featured in an exhibit at a civic building in the Czech Republic. "Slightly Uncertain" (2012)


"Stage of Fascination" (2009)


"On the Waves of DNA" (2012)

"Thinkers" (2010)


You can see more of his works at: www.michaltrak.com.  Be sure to watch the opening intro. It's fun and worth it!

Liu Bolin: Hiding Everywhere

Why is it governments feel threatened by artists? I ask because history is rife with stories of artists being jailed, their art destroyed and their studios demolished. In modern times, the dubious distinction seems to belong to the Chinese government. (Remember my blog on Ai Wei-Wei? Archive: May, 2012)

In 2005, the Beijing artist village with about 100 studios was razed by the government. Among the artists who suffered the loss was Liu Bolin (1973-) - an internationally recognized artist who has exhibited his photography and sculpture all over the world.

Bolin understood that the government regarded art as unimportant and artists as being without social status. With that in mind, Bolin created the series "Hiding in the City." It was a silent protest to the role of artists in the culture.

He photographed himself in scenes of soldiers, temples, "Made in China" toy stores, and all sorts of scenes. He had himself painted to match the scene as the "Invisible Artist." (The painting of his body can take as long as 10 hours!)

Below are some of Bolin "hiding." (Click on image to enlarge)







What do you think of his silent protest?

Maya Lin: What's She Been Doing?

Maya Lin was a young student at Yale when she won the competition for the Viet Nam Memorial in 1981. She received lots of accolades. She was even the subject of an award-winning documentary.

Hard to believe, but it's been 31 years since Lin, as an undergraduate, created the memorial. She is now a 52 year-old wife and mother.

What's she been designing since the Viet Nam Memorial? Short answer: "a lot!" Below are just a few of the highlights. (click on images to enlarge)

Besides the well-known Viet Nam Memorial, Lin created the Civil Rights Memorial in tribute to those who put their courage (and lives)  up for what they believed.

Lin also designed the wonderful timepiece at the Penn Station's ceiling in New York City titled "Eclipsed Time."

Over the years, Lin has created more and more environmental art. Sometimes her creations involved changing the landscape such as "Storm King Wave Field" for  the Storm King Art Center, New York, which had been an open gravel pit.

Lin not only formed outdoors environmental art, but also a traveling museum exhibit titled, "Systematic Landscapes," tracing the wave lengths of the ocean and topography of Earth in undulating shapes.  Quoting from "Boundaries," her autobiographical book, "My affinity has always been toward sculpting the earth. This impulse has shaped my entire body of work."

Today, Lin's latest oeuvre is titled, "What is Missing?" The subject is conservation about those beings who are at risk of extinction.  There's a website http://whatismissing.net/#/home , (maybe slow to load, but very well done)

 a traveling exhibit,

a sculpture at the California Academy of Sciences titled, "Listening Cone," which houses a 20-miute video,

And that, Dear Reader,  is a brief look at what Maya Lin has been doing over these 31 years. Pretty impressive, yes?