Imogen Cunningman: Photographer par excellence

Recently I was asked who taught me about shadows, tones, and textures for my art. I answered,"A big source was making studies from Imogen Cunningham's book titled, Flora, which I had found in a used book store." I thought the photography was wonderful and I wanted to know more about the artist.

Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976)was born in Portland, Oregon. (Her father named her Imogen after the heroine in Shakespeare's Cymbeline.) Growing up, she took art lessons every summer. She found her medium in photography and bought her first camera at 18.

Her further education in photography was at the UW in Seattle where she studied chemistry in order to learn more about photo lab techniques. After graduation, she worked for the famed photographer, Edward Curtis.

Cunningham was about 26 years old when she received a grant to go to Germany for further study of photographic chemistry. She returned to Seattle and opened a portrait studio. (She was the only photographer who was a charter member of the Society of Seattle Artists. )

Her stunning work gained international recognition and exhibitions - Fellow of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and collected by the Smithsonian Institute.

Although it was her plant photos that caught my attention, she was also known for her nudes and industrial landscapes.

Were you familiar with her work? What do you think of her photography?

The Sphinx of Delft

The artist, Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), left no evidence of his biography except for a few legal documents. No confirmed images. No information about his art training. No evidence of having served an apprenticeship. Yet, he is in full bloom as a master painter in 1653 when he joined the Guild of Saint Luke - meaning he had completed an apprenticeship with someone, somewhere.

In fact, on three occasions, he served as head of the guild. So, why is there so little mention of him in the notes of other artists in the guild?

Vermeer needed money to support his wife and 11 surviving children, but it appears that he only produced 3 paintings a year and never took on apprentices. How did he manage?

All the questions led Théophile Thoré-Bürger, the 19th century art critic, to refer to Vermeer as the "Sphinx of Delft."

All the gaps in his background and his artworks have provided authors with a wonderful opportunity to make stuff up. There are many books of fiction about his subjects, his works and his life. If we can't know who was his master, at least we can know something about who influenced him - and that will be the subject of next week's blog.

Van Gogh: In the Eyes of the Beholder

This last weekend on NPR, I listened to an interview of a Dutch musician and artist by the name of Van Eck. He was describing and promoting his album titled, "Van Gogh by Van Eck."

Personally, I have always felt that Van Gogh's painting "The Potato Eaters" was a sad comment on the daily lives of farm peasants in those days. The people in the painting are gathered around a single light, a plate of potatoes and what looks like a tea drink. The conversation between the subjects seems intense. The first time I saw this painting, I felt a sadness for what seemed like a harsh life.

Van Eck saw something quite different. In the interview, he stated that upon his examination of Van Gogh's life, he observed that Van Gogh had a difficult relationship with his father. Therefore, Van Eck felt that based on Van Gogh's family yearnings, the artist wanted to portray a poor family sharing a meal and the happenings of the day with the pleasure of being in the bosom of the family. That is the basis for an upbeat mood in Van Eck's musical piece titled, "One of the Family." (You can listen to a sampling by clicking here and scrolling down to song)

What do you feel when you look at " The Potato Eaters?" If you listened to the music sampling, did you find your opinion of the painting shift?

A Most Irascible Art Collector

Albert C. Barnes (1872-1951) was an American chemist who made his fortune by the development of a pharmaceutical; which he sold for 6 million dollars. This fortune enabled him to indulge his passion for buying art.

He had a keen eye for art and business. It was the Depression and many a failed businessman had to sell his art collection. As Barnes said, "...my specialty was robbing the suckers who had invested all their money in flimsy securities and then had to sell their priceless paintings to keep a roof over their heads."

In time, Barnes would own 69 Cezannes, 60 Matisses, 141 Renoirs and 44 Picassos. In all, he would amass some 2500 paintings! His collection included artists such as: Degas, Van Gogh, Modigliani, Seurat, and Rousseau.

Barnes had a particular disdain for art historians. He felt that they "stifled self-expression and art appreciation." As a result, in 1923 he opened his home for public viewing of the collection. The public had little understanding of the avant garde art and the critics gave the collection unfavorable reviews.

After that experience, Barnes allowed only limited access to the collection; which resided in his Pennsylvania home. He alone could grant access and he had no qualms about turning down requests from people such as T. S. Eliot and James A. Michener. (and, of course, any art historians or critics).

Before his death, he set up a foundation for his collection. Given his irascible nature, the terms of the Barnes Foundation would prove controversial and even make the news in 2011!

Next Week: The Barnes Foundation Turmoil (and the most beautiful art images.)

Beautiful Auto Sculptures: The Hood Ornaments

The other night I was watching "Antique Road Show." The show featured a collection of car hood ornaments. Some were really beautiful sculptures made by famous artists such as crystal ones designed by Rene Lalique.

There was a time in manufacturing when something so utilitarian as a hood ornament (They were originally thermometers to track radiator temperatures.)was embellished as part of the culture of beauty.

Here are a few designs from the cars of 1920-30s art deco era with animals and figures of Greek gods and goddesses:








In the 1940-50s, interest was in aviation as shown in these images:




Today, there are still a few luxury cars with hood ornaments, but most cars display only the logo of the manufacturer. Should you decide to have a special hood ornament designed for your car, there is one surviving design company - Louis Lejeune Ltd, England, established 1910.

I imagine it would cost more to make a custom hood ornament than most of today's cars are worth. You could look at it as an investment in the future. After all, some day that ornament may show up on a collectible show and astonish your heirs with its value. While you're thinking that prospect over, here are a few other beautiful hood ornaments:

Opening Night Par-tee!

Arriving before the crowd, we watched as the catering company set up the delicious food (including some sensational toffee cookies - yum!) and the wine bar. Two early arrivals - Jan and Jessica - presented a lovely card and a pot of gorgeous yellow daisy. (Click on images to enlarge)




The walls of the stately gallery were dotted with all these bright, colorful paintings. The lighting was just perfect. Each piece was highlighted like an aura with soft cast shadows beyond the frame.



So many friends showed up. Most had made a 2.5-3 hour round trip to help me celebrate. For friends Mike and Karen, it was a 6-hour round car ride. (They tried to claim a phantom prize for having made the longest trip. They had to capitulate as it was Birdie from Vermont who planned her vacation around the event.) A shout out to the ladies who designated the exhibit as a "road trip" as soon as I announced that I was having a showing.



Finally, to those who came to help mark this event and those who wished they could, YOU are my inspiration.

It's Almost Show Time!

It'd be difficult to write about other art or artists on this blog when I'm a few days from my first solo exhibit and that's occupying my thoughts. (Above image is the front of the Umpqua Valley Art Gallery, Roseburg, Oregon where I'll be exhibiting.)



Last Friday, my friend and I delivered 26 triptychs for the "Progressions" series to the gallery. After unwrapping them, the gallery director and I arranged them against the walls to figure out the best way to display the work. It's an interesting process - trying to imagine how they will look once they're suspended.



Arranging the setting for art is an art in itself. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and learned more about the discerning eye of a gallery director. There are many considerations with regards to the placement of the art... height for viewing, lighting without glare, logical placement of surrounding art by colors, subject and size. Wonderful lesson.



Below is the info on the opening. (Click to enlarge) For those of you who cannot make the opening, the exhibit will be up until Sept. 5th.





Next week's blog: Posting of Opening and Photos.

Before Buffalo Bill

Long before "Buffalo Bill" Cody took his Wild West show to Europe, there was a man - an artist - who brought Native Americans to Europe. His name was George Catlin. (1796-1872)

Catlin was born in the Pennsylvania. As a young person, Catlin was fascinated by the Native American artifacts he found. Although Catlin would train as a lawyer, he had drawn and etched since childhood. It would be the combination of painting and curiosity that lead to the passion of his life - chronicling the lives of Native Americans. In 1823, he closed his law practice to make a career in painting.

He traveled all the way to the North Dakota/Montana border visiting and painting 18 tribes along the way. When Catlin returned to the East, he had a gallery of 500 paintings of Native American portraits and culture.

Catlin toured with his gallery and collection of artifact. By 1842, he was exhibiting in England and then in the Louvre in Paris. Catlin was accompanied by members of the Ojibbeways and later the Ioways tribes.

As a viewer, not only could you see the portraiture, but also you could interview the native people through an interpreter. Can you imagine the sensational stir this group created some 30 years before Buffalo Bill?

Toilers of the Sea

It's officially summer and my thoughts wandered to sunny days on the beach. As thoughts will go, my mind then remembered a summer of travel and a trip to a maritime museum.

The museum was a wonderful experience. I learned so much. One thing I recalled was the beautiful crafts that the sailors made while at sea. Using available materials, intricate and imaginative crafts were made from shells, whalebone, rope and canvas.

Most of these objects were of small size in order to store them in a cramped space on board. Some items were made to give to loved ones. Others were made to sell to visitors on excursions. Whatever the purpose, the sailors used crafts to fill the time.

These sailors were mostly self-taught. They sewed torn sails, knotted rope cables worked yarn they bought in ports or observed natives. The crafts are extensive - inlaid boxes, rope mats, ships in bottles - and so the list continues. Below are images of some of the works.

These are embroidery examples of "sailors woolies" made in the 19th century by English sailors:



The hexagons below were made mostly from shells and were known as "Sailor Valentines:"



Possibly the best known sailors' art was scrimshaw. Although they etched mainly on the bones or ivory of mammals, on the right is an image of scrimshaw made from sword bill fish.



Do you have a fond memory of a summer trip to a museum?