Jules Olitski

He is an abstract painter as well as a print maker and sculptor. His paintings are about color, and texture. His radically innovative technique, of laying down an atmospheric like blanket of color, somewhat like a spray on the canvas then he changes the edge of the picture by dragging the paint along sections of the edge. These are a couple of his works I liked. You'd think that these are just grounds for a new painting, but these are his actual paintings, and thats what I like about them. Simple, but abstract, colorful..

Morris Louis

"Alpha-Pi" (1960) 102.5 x 177 inches, acrylic

The idea of separation in this painting is wonderful. One canvas, but it seems like it could be two. There also seems to be some tension, but because of the organic painterly lines, its more easygoing, than I thought it would be at first.

Morris Louis

I like his idea of solid colors, and simple shapes, the basic idea of color field painting. He uses a lot of bright colors and his palette isn't necessarily limited, which in my own work, I think my palette is too much and should limit it to 2 or 3 colors, and vary with lighter/darker. I like the tranquility in his work, and would like to be more successful in my own work, making it seem effortless, but well thought out. These are some of his paintings I enjoy, and they describe a bit of what i am searching for in my own work.

Ian Davenport Thesis Research

Ian Davenport
(Puddle Painting: Prime II, acrylic on aluminum, 2008)

He uses drips of paint to create a painting, using gravity, rotating the canvas (whatever material) and is interested in what the drips create, as he manipulates them. This is basically what I do, just a lot messier, and muddier.I would like to recreate my own paintings, but more neater, and more precise. Maybe its the pace I work, because I work quickly, and in a sense almost randomly. I would say I paint with uncertainty, but I like that aspect of not knowing exactly what will happen in my work, however I would like to become neater, and have the colors stay more separate, or more opaque, so that they wont blend together.

Hannah paintings-suggestions?

Hey Gerry/Megan, I haven't had any individual commentary, or input on my own work, or any reach out by you guys, to help me with my thesis research. I would appreciate if you guys took the time, to make some suggestions of artists or galleries I should be looking into, for my thesis. Here are some images of my own paintings, the most recent from late summer, to the present. I really need some input and some guidance. I most recently have been looking at Wendy White (Hanneline's suggestion) and love her work.

wendy white/thesis proposal research

"Post Rap" acrylic 60x96 inches


"Back to Scrape" acrylic 82.5x115x44 inches
I found this painting interesting because of the several panels in which its made up of, and also the placement of it, in the corner. Seeing this, I want to create this, it has given me many new ideas, and things I'd like to test out in my own art work, and hopefully for thesis, you will see multiple panels in my artwork.


"Hot Topic" acrylic 60x72 inches
The idea of using mainly black and white or a monochromatic style painting is a great thought. Sometimes I get carried away with the amount of colors I use, and the amount of paint I use. This painting reminds me, that you don't need a thousand colors to make it interesting or "colorful," and that by using less, you get more. Also, the black paint is quite overwhelming in this painting, which is something I tend to do if I find myself struggling with a painting, I like to rely on obscene amounts of black paint, and cover it up, then start again. But, after covering up most of it, maybe leaving it would look even better than starting something new.


"Korner" acrylic 42x120 inches
Now, when I buy canvases, I tend to get the larger rectangular ones, or the square ones, because they give more space, or its a subconscious thing I do, because of right angles and shape, I want it to be evenly spaced? I don't know. However, I really love the idea of extending your canvas, and especially not so evenly, but like the 2 left canvases in this painting, are uneven and don't line up on the bottom, but they do on the top. This is also a new idea that has struck my interest, and I would like to explore these thoughts more so, in my own work, creating a sculptural sense to the painting.


"Freshkills" acrylic 92x160 inches

Thesis/wendy white

okay, so I just realised what the date is, and that our thesis proposals are due very soon. anyway, i have been spending sometime checking out this artist Wendy white, her shit is really good. she uses a lot of bright iridescent colors, and neons. also she uses black, you may think too much, too dramatic, but it works for me. also she uses text in some of her work, which also intrigued me, cause I've been interested in the idea of text in painting. i tired a bit last semester and failed miserably, but we do seem to have a similar color theme. I've been a little lost in my paintings, not a good lost, and someone suggested multiple panels, and ironically enough, Wendy white uses multiple panels. she also seems to have a modern, spray paint thing going on, very euro, japan, whatever. i have been trying to reach this aesthetic, and lo and behold, Wendy white has been doing it all along. so for my thesis, this artist has been someone whose work i will continue to look at and use ideas from. this is some of her work, but this blog shit is so retarded, I'm sure ill have to post each image separately.

The Zim

For my exhibit of choice I went to the Zim Museum on the Rutgers campus which has "BLOCKS OF COLOR, American Woodcuts from the 1890's to the Present" exhibit going on. I've taken several printmaking classes before, and I enjoy the processes and decisions used when making woodcuts, and prints. It can be a tedious process but there are many options, and so many colors, and overlaying, positives and negatives, I was interested in seeing this show. I first walked in, showed my ID, etc, got down the stairs, and wasn't too impressed. In the second room however, I immediately was drawn to the 3 colorful prints by Karen KUNC. Shes an American born artist, and she describes her prints as "nature based abstraction." The colors, and over lapping of her prints creates a 'reductive process which allows her composition to evolve over the course of its printing, as well as creating depth through the intricate layering of color.' The bright yellows, reds, green, purples, and blues, together create an atmosphere of tranquility and happiness, you get a positive vibe from these prints, and I really enjoyed the choices of color she used.
However, after seeing the OGV series prints by Dan Walsh, I was even more intrigued. I felt his work related to my own, more so than Karen's. I am very into horizontal and vertical motion in my own art work, maybe not as defined and linear as a print could make it, but more organic and abstract, more flowing. Walsh's OGV, Orange, Green, and Violet prints were amazing, his minimalist style and horizontal stripes fused with vivid contrasting colors was extraordinary and eye catching. He used soft layers of alternating color rather than hard-edged outlines, that cause a slight pulsing effect that enlivens each image. Somewhat similar to the "vibration" created by Seurat's pointillist approach to painting.
Last but not least, I found the Donald Judd prints more towards the back, similar with the horizontal and verticals that Walsh created in his prints, Judd's work captured my full attention. I don't know if it was the solid cadmium red he used, against the white paper, but the simplicity behind those prints was wonderful. He shows his exploration between 'geometric form, scale, space, and the rhythm of repeated shapes and voids in boxlike sculptures, as well as in series of prints. The vertical/horizontal bands of the red are interrupted by the same number of horizontal/vertical lines. The parallel white lines are unprinted, exposed white paper underneath, which alternate with (or appear to penetrate) the solid color. These prints visualize the concepts of partition and inversion a central idea in his later works.'
I was particularly excited to see that, a painting I am currently working on, looks much like the "Untitled" 1994 series of four prints by Judd, just red paint, on a white background, and having the untouched white exposed and showing through. My own painting has the paint scrapped away, to see the white canvas underneath. I definitely think that the work I saw today, relates to my own style, and what i am currently exploring with painting.

MFA

1) Yale (MFA)
2) Columbia (MFA)
3) Pratt (MFA/Art Therapy)
4) MICA (MFA in studio arts)
5) Penn (MFA)
6) UNC Chapel Hill (MFA)
all roughly 25,000 to 30,000 tuition

The Fair

-One of their artists used to call them "Double or Nothing," referring to their symbiotic relationship and the confused setup of the gallery's early days. When I told Blum, a Catholic boy from Orange County, that a rival dealer had complained that there was "way too much dude" in their gallery, he shrugged and said, "I guess they mean we're macho, testosterone-driven, hard drinkin'. Yeah, well, we're raw. We're very West Coast. So our success freaks some people out. We've played it the way we wanted. That's why we are doing well for our artists. We believe in them and we work like motherfuckrs."
-In the art world, gossip is never idle. It is a vital form of market intelligence.
-"If you go after art and quality, the money will come later...We have to make the same decisions as the artists. Do they create great art or art that sells well? with the galleries, it's the same, Are they commercial or do they believe in something? We're in a similar situation." (What do you do?!)
- In her gallery, Gladstone enjoys having in-depth discussions about artists' work, but here at the fair..."It is like being a whore in Amsterdam," she says. "You're trapped in these little rooms and there is no privacy whatsoever."
-Occasionally meeting an artist destroys the art. You almost don't trust it." Then Don wrapped it up: "What we're looking for is integrity."
-As he tells his students when they're going through hard times, "You have to make the new work to sell the old work."
-"Then you've got to stick with your artists," continues Poe. "Look to the horizon, point at the genius, and get everyone behind you to nod in agreement."
-My 'new money' is now 'old money,' which nowadays means 'less money.'

Artist's Gallery in Lambertville NJ

Instead of spending $25 today I just drove 20 minutes down 29 to Lambertville to check out the local galleries. Most of the galleries around Lambertville and New Hope (PA) show art work that is of the area, like landscapes and buildings, etc. I wasn't planning on finding any cool galleries with stuff I'd like, so I was prepared to write about an exhibit I didnt like, but instead I found a gallery that had some really cool abstract art work, that happens to be of a simillar style to my own style of painting. The Artist's Gallery, located near the corner of Union and Coryell Street, is a small little white house that on the first floor is a gallery space. There are 3 rooms, up a couple steps you walk into the main room where new exhibits are usually shown, a middle, with a desk and information about the gallery and a third room in the back. Each room has artwork, but the front room is for new shows. The exhibit going on is called, "Innovations,"which is showing two artists, Florence Moonan and Carol Sanzalone. Carol Sanzalone's work involved waterccolors and acrylic paintings which didnt really catch my attention, but Florence Moonan's work was awesome. Her paintings were abstarct and colorful, and the women at the desk told us that she pours the paint onto the canvases. And the opening recption is tomorow, but I have work and won't be able to go. I would liked to have met the artist and talked to her about the work she did for this show, and find out more about the style she paints, and when and where her next show would be. Anyway, here are some photos of her work that I really liked:
The triptych to the above is titled, "Deconstructing Jane Avril," poured oil on canvas, the three together is $575, and a single pannel is $200

Above, this is a close up image of the 3rd pannel on the far right

The painting below is titled "Womb"

and is acrylic on canvas, priced at $875

The painting above is titled, "Red Interrupted," it is acrylic on canvas, and is priced at $875

Above, the painting is titled, "Yellow Ox," also acrylic on canvas, and also priced at $875.

work from the summer and now

these arent very good images of my work, but it's the best I can do for now. Come to my studio and you can see them much better!

The Studio Visit

The Studio Visit wasn't as interesting as The Crit, I guess, or maybe the same. I thought The Crit was amusing somewhat and The Studio Visit wasn't necessarily entertaining as it was informative. It was interesting to read about Murakami Takashi's work, maybe because I recognize his name and his work, especially after realising he DID do the album cover for Kayne West's Graduation. I have it in my car and listen to it frequently, and have always like the cover. Seems frustrating, tedious, repetitive, and all together a headache to do the work he does, but in the end I suppose it all pans out. Anyway, here are some interesting points I found while reading, just some quotes and random blurbs here and there that made me think, some laugh, and some made me appreciate the process much more.

• the taxi driver had a sign on the back of his seat that informed them that his hobbies were, 1) baseball, 2) fishing, and 3) driving..
• While Blum may be a generic leading man, Poe resembles the Dude as played by Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski.
• A living artist's first major retrospective is a time of reckoning, not just for critics, curators, and collectors but for the artist himself and his dealers.
• "Japan is a homogeneous culture. They don't like it when someone sticks out too much. they want to pound 'em back in."
• (Japan) The status of creativity is much lower here,"he continues. "The art market is weak, and there isn't a well-established museum for contemporary art. Dissemination us difficult."
• "Among the art historians at UCLA, I'm like the Antichrist. I lure their best students to the dark side!"
• "I used to think that my staff were motivated by money, but the most important thing for creative people is the sense that they are learning. It's like video game. They have frustration with my high expectations, so when they get my 'yes' for their work, they feel like they've won a level."
• "An artist is someone who understands the border between this world and that one...or someone who makes an effort to know it."
• "being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art...making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art, that is a fantasy!"
• "I've never found choosing a controversial artist to be anything but the right choice. If there is already absolute consensus, if there is nothing you can do in terms of illumination, why do it?"
• "This work is a tour de force."

just some examples of Marteha's artwork..