Morris Graves: Mysticism & Asian Aesthetics

 

It was an assignment in an art class to report on a dead 20th century Northwest artist who was accomplished enough to have a body of work and have been known in their lifetime. That's how I came to find out about Morris Graves (1910-2001).

He was native Northwesterner (Fox Valley, Oregon) and a born artist. His parents had no idea what to do with the little artist. They were sure his fate was to be penniless.

 

Lacking guidance, Graves wasn't sure of his direction either, so at age 18 he joined the Merchant Marines. A voyage through the Orient would prove to be one of the most profound influences on his art.

In spite of being largely self taught, at age 23 he won first prize at the NW Annual Show held at the Seattle Art Museum. (By age 26, Morris had his first one-person show at that museum.)

 

 From 1935 to 1954, Seattle had an informal art community. The artists group included Graves, Mark Tobey (who influenced Pollock), Kenneth Callahan and Guy Anderson. Together, these four artists heavily influenced each other, so that they were referred to as the "Northwest School of Masters." During this time, Life magazine placed the four on the cover of an issue with the title: "The Mystic Painters of the Northwest." 

 

They were called mystic painters because they all sought understanding of themselves and their relation to the cosmos including Eastern concepts of consciousness and creation. Graves studied and used Taoist, Buddhist and East Indian symbolism in his paintings.

Throughout his lifetime, Morris would produce art that was sparse and beautifully illuminated. This is where viewing his art provides so much more than a photo.  (Quite a few pieces of his art are in the collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art located on the University of Oregon campus and the Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka, CA)

 

 

 

At the end of this life, he requested a painting titled, "Triumph" be brought to him. He looked at it and saw not tulips, but angels rising to the heavens and so he, too, departed. To the end of life, Morris saw and created mystic symbolism.  

 

 

Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer: Exceptional Colorist

Nothing prepared me for the exhibit at the Musee d' Orsay of the pastels of artists known to me and unknown. The museum has almost 500 of 19th century pastel paintings! They are rarely on display given the fragility of the papers and the special lighting required to keep the colors from fading. 

There was one pastel that spoke to me so much I had to write down the name of the artist so I could research him. His name was Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer (1865 - 1953) and the gorgeous pastel was his most famous La Femme à la Médaille ou Mystère (1896). I could not get over my awe for the way he understood color with the pale skin-tones and the background in tones that reflected the colors of her bonnet. Then, there was the complete control of fine detail including her fingers and eyelashes.

 

When I arrived back home, I did research Lévy-Dhurmer. He was known as an expert in painting - (especially as a colorist), drawing, drafting and ceramics. He is considered to be a Symbolist - artists of the late 19th century who find inspiration in mythology, poetry and music using metaphorical images. They might use women, animals, heroes or landscapes as representative.

 

Lévy-Dhurmer was so talented that I'm including some of this works that represent Symbolism, but also ones that represent a wider example of his skills, including his exceptional color knowledge. He frequently created an entire painting using a single color changed tonally showing prime examples of his understanding of color. 

The one to the left is "Silence." Such a mysterious and muted pastel.

Maxfield Parrish: Inspiring Illustrator

 

 

It was such a pleasure to grow up when book and magazine illustrations were so beautifully detailed. One of the best and best known of all the illustrators was Maxfield Parrish (1870-1996) We young un's  and many adults looked forward to his works. He created a world as we'd like to believe is possible. 

It's interesting to note that he was a very popular artist working in illustration detail in a time when the Impressionist evolution was running parallel. Yet, his painting titled "Daybreak," is considered the most successful art print of the 20th Century and is still in print. (An interesting fact about this piece is that Parrish's prints have outsold Warhol's "Campbell Soup Cans" and even Da Vinci's "Last Supper!") 

 

 

As an illustrator, Parrish designed for the business world, too. Some of his notable clients were: Colgate, Edison and General Electric. His income from all of these successful illustrations gave him the opportunity and reputation to move away from illustration and onto painting, which he continued to do in his 90s. 

His inspiration reaches into today's art in such as: Elton John's album,  "Caribou," Enya's "The Memory of Trees," and  Moody Blues' "Present."

Below are samples of Parrish's beautiful outdoor scenes. 

Suzanne Crane: From Professor to Artisan

 

 

 Born into a family of birders and botanist, it was the most natural thing for Suzanne Crane to find her inspiration for her beautiful and elegant vessels in nature. As she writes, "Each of my botanical pieces begins with a walk in the mountains and woods of Central Virginia where I gather my wild plant specimens."

 

 

From these specimens, Crane incorporates the leaves, birds, berries and even the occasional frog into her works. 

 

 

 

 

As with many artists and musicians, she covered her need to earn a living by getting a Master's degree in English. With her degree in hand, she worked as an English professor at community colleges for 13 years. During this time, she was taking classes in pottery making. 

 

 

 

It was after the purchase of a 19th century house and barn that the opportunity came for her to have her own studio. It was this transitional three years, that lead to enough pottery sales for her to quit teaching and focus on her love of nature and the feel of the earth in clay.

 

Crane is a prolific potter and here are more examples of her graceful works: 

Jacob Hendrik Pierneef: Father of South African Style

There was a painter born in Pretoria, South Africa of whom most of us know very little. Yet his paintings are auctioned at very high values by those familiar with his works. His name? Jacob Hendrik Pierneef (1886-1957) 

 

He came to my attention when the collection of Microsoft's co-founder, Paul G. Allen, was being auctioned after his death. The painting that Allen had was a stunner in the breadth, coloration, and drama of the landscape.

 

Pierneef was of Dutch ancestry. In the 1900s, with the Boer vs. English war, his family decided to return to their roots in the Netherlands. It was there that he took art classes and by the time he returned to Pretoria at 18, was an established artist in painting, linocuts, and etching.

 

In the years that followed, Pierneff studied South African art and evolved his own style. With the failing health of his wife, he applied himself even more to lecturing and exhibiting for the sake of providing. His efforts paid off handsomely. 

 

 

He was commissioned for a 3-year contract to paint the 28 panels of the Johannesburg Train Station, followed by 7 murals in the South African House in London and successful exhibits in several cities and countries.

 

 

Oh, and Christie's auction sale price for the one Paul G. Allen owned? Almost $300,000!