Competition in Art

I've been intrigued by the competition between Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse for a long time. There are several articles on the subject, a film and some exhibits that have taken place, exposing the relationship between the two artists. This article is interesting, because it states that one is forced to choose sides. In reality, I don't know that I could.  I don't think I'm alone in this either. There are pieces by Picasso that resonate deeply with me, but there are works by Matisse that do the same. I suppose if I were forced to pick one over the other, I would be on team Picasso, as I tend to be more drawn to the fiery and intense over the cool and calm. Sometimes "capricious and unpredictable"aren't necessarily bad things. Fortunately, there's no need to take sides, and one can appreciate both Picasso's impassioned works and the more serene pieces done by Matisse.

Matisse

Picasso

Matisse

Picasso

Matisse

Picasso

Note that these pairs of artists and various things are different from rivalries, which would probably include Salieri instead of Haydn and the Dead Kennedys in place of the Clash, though in some cases rivals are also competitors. The list below actually splits artists and items into two categories: Apollonian, which is defined by reason, precision and control; and the Dionysian, which is defined by emotion, recklessness and abandon. Picasso would fall into the latter category, of course.

Apollonian                  Dionysian

Matisse                       Picasso
Jane Austen Charlotte Brontë Eliot Yeats Freud Jung Superman Batman Left brain Right brain New York City Los Angeles Pope Swift Puccini Verdi Johns Rauschenberg Bush Reagan Ego Id Stravinsky Schoenberg Windows Macintosh Hillary Bill Wordsworth Shelley David Remnick Tina Brown England France Madison Jefferson Mort Zuckerman Donald Trump Hetero Homo Army Navy Heaven Hell Shaw Wilde White wine Red wine Aristotle Plato Slate Salon Bonds Stocks Leviticus Genesis Felix Oscar North Korea South Korea Classical Romantic Cocaine Heroin Mies Le Corbusier The Clash The Sex Pistols Irving Kristol Norman Podhoretz Protestantism Catholicism Kant Rousseau Mozart Haydn Empire State Building Chrysler Building Magritte Dalí Mickey Mouse Donald Duck
If I were to put some of our artists in these two categories, I would say Sergey Cherep and Lyudmila Agrich would fall into the Dionysian category, while Jessica Garrett and Erin Dertner would be considered Apollonian. Dionysian Sergey Cherep Lyudmila Agrich Apollonian Jessica Garrett
Erin Dertner

Sandy Graves - Bronze Artist

SmithKlein Gallery is proud to present bronze artist Sandy Graves to the gallery!

Sandy Graves

Sandy Graves was born in Colorado. She began her art career at a very young age, showing her work at county fairs as a 4-H member. While versed in many mediums, Sandy eventually focused sculpture.

She states, “I see bronze sculpture as being a friendly and beautiful medium.  I enjoy watching the public interact with art.  In sculpture, viewers can walk around it, touch it, and become part of the artistic expression in a very personal way.” 

Originally Sandy focused on the figure as her main subject. She considers the figure to be special, because people react to it in such an instantaneous and personal way. Through her sculpting, she attempts to capture moments and memories of the human experience. Lately, Sandy has been working in the abstract with horses as her subject.  It is a familiar subject for her, having grown up both owning and riding horses as a young girl.

Eventually Sandy started casting bronze pieces, and that has been her passion since 1999. 

Storm Cloud by Sandy Graves

Carrots by Sandy Graves

Kiss by Sandy Graves

If You've Got an Itch by Sandy Graves

Coco Point 1 by Sandy Graves

Art Galleries and the Economy

There's no doubt that tough economic times are having a detrimental effect on art galleries. In fact, another well known gallery, Studio Arts Gallery in Laguna Beach, is one more gallery that will be closing its doors at the end of this month. The owners said that decreased sales made it too difficult to keep their doors open. However, many gallery owners are trying to stay positive, knowing that art is something that will always draw people in and generate interest. As Horace put it, "A picture is a poem without words. " While art may not be a necessity, it is something that strikes people on a deeper level. It can challenge people to think, open people's eyes and make a statement- political, social or in general. As times get harder, it's important to be reminded of something that Stella Adler once said: "Life beats down and crushes the soul, and art reminds you that you have one."


It's hard to believe, but a Paul Cezanne painting was rumored to have sold for over $250 million in early 2011.

The Card Players by Paul Cezanne

In 2006, a Jackson Pollock painting sold for $140 million.

No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock

Of course, paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh and Gustav Klimt have all been record sellers in the past as well.

Many times, people come into SmithKlein Gallery and ask what makes a piece of art valuable. "Is it the name?" they might ask. The truth is that there are many factors that contribute to a piece having more value. A renowned name can help, but there's more to it than that. There is a somewhat small community in the art world that tends to make decisions about the value of art. These decisions are not set in stone, of course. It also doesn't mean that exceptions aren't found. In terms of pieces that are not being considered for auction though, it comes down to the cost of the materials, time put into the work and how much the artist feels the piece is worth. Sometimes an artist will have an attachment to a favorite piece, so he or she might ask a higher price for it. Keep in mind, with art, the materials are generally not cheap. One large tube of colbalt blue oil paint can cost $75.00! While most art will appreciate over time if kept in good condition, we feel that it's better to buy what you love rather than worry about the resale value.

This article is rather amusing. I'm not sure I agree with everything, but I suppose many of the "rules" might be applicable to art in a broad sense. However, in contrast to what was stated, we have an artist who creates lovely cow paintings, and she seems to sell her work quite well.

Daisy Daze by Linda Elliott

I guess it's a matter of taking suggestions around art with a grain of salt or two. In fact, that whole part about how paintings about death don't sell can be tossed, as Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens sold for a whopping 76 million in 2002.

Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens

I would not hesitate to buy this painting by Picasso (if I had wads of extra cash lying about and it were for sale), despite the fact that is goes against quite a few of the rules in the article. True, it's dark and it's about death and violence, but it is one of my absolute favorite paintings. The painting has spent time in many art museums around the world.

Guernica by Pablo Picasso

Getting back to the original topic, these are, indeed, difficult times for galleries. Most people don't have millions of dollars to spend on paintings or sculptures. On the other hand, most galleries are not selling works by the old masters either. Gallery owners are hanging on in this difficult time and are doing all they can to make ends meet. A few things that have helped many galleries include adding events, reaching out to the community more and working with artists to bring in more variety. Mark Steven Greenfield, director of the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery states, “What I see happening is a return to work that has a basis in skill and craft.” He remains positive, and thinks that people will respond when artists are somewhat forced to focus on quality work. We are incredibly grateful to have artists who aim for excellence at SmithKlein Gallery. We also appreciate so much the support of our clients and friends, and we hope that people will continue to support the arts in general, even during economic hard times.

Humane Society Donation Week Sept 9th-15th

Just a reminder that SmithKlein Gallery will donate 10% of sales from certain artists to the Humane Society of Boulder. Artists include: D.D. LaRue Bryce Widom Louise Pererson Jessica Garrett Sergey Cherep Sydney Lynch and Matt Abraxas A purchase of any art by one of the artists listed will result in 10 % of the sale going to the Humane Society. Donations will continue for one week: September 9-15th. Please join SmithKlein in helping the Humane Society of Boulder!

Art Movements- Graffiti

I'm always amazed at how many art movements there are. It shouldn't be such a surprise given the broad definition of art, which can include nearly anything that affects the senses or thoughts, or anything that evokes an emotional response. Is gluing several doll parts to a canvas and hanging it art? By definition, yes it is art. Even if it creates disgust, confusion or frustration in the viewer, or makes people ask why, that is art. I actually saw an exhibit of plastic doll parts on canvas once, so I'm not stretching my example here. While it did spark debate and evoke emotion, I tend to put that kind of art more in the craft category than the fine art category, though I acknowledge that it is, indeed, art- as much as I may or may not like it.

It might surprise some people to know that one of my favorite genres of art is graffiti, a form of art that dates back as far as the Roman Empire and even before if one considers cave drawings. Of course today's graffiti is often associated with a whole culture of music and style, especially hip hop that began to emerge in the 70's in mostly African-American and Latino communities. Graffiti has moved far beyond mere "tags" (names or words) and "bombing" (bombarding public areas with massive amounts of paint, usually delivered from a fire extinguisher with less concern about artistry and precision) and into true art forms. In fact, both in the United States and in other countries, some graffiti is more like elaborate murals than spray painted block letters. Though many graffiti artists will use their art to thrust political, social and economic issues into the spotlight, the creators tend to remain anonymous, and while graffiti has the reputation of being controversial, people of many diverse backgrounds have learned to see beauty in this expressive art.

A few stand out graffiti artists today include:

Banksy 

Banksy- Change

JR

JR- Son

And the team Cyclops and Sweet Toof

Cyclops & Sweet Toof- Pure Evil

One of our artists in the gallery, D. D. LaRue, did some graffiti art. However, long ago she gave that up to focus on sculpture:

D.D. LaRue's Dog in Red VW Door

More about D.D. LaRue:

D.D. LaRue is a visionary, self-taught, mixed media artist whose work has been featured in galleries, publications and on television. Using a combination of sturdy, lightweight material, including wire, wood, paper mache, gypsum, fiberglass, and air brushed enamel, Dede creates striking free-standing interior and wall sculptures which explore the complex relationships between animals, humankind and their environments.. Sometimes whimsical and sometimes challenging, D.D’s eye- catching animals combine a fearless point of view with a respect for the dignity inherent in all animal species.

She states, “As the human race’s relationship to the world becomes ever more complex and technological, I feel it becomes increasingly important to attune our emotional and spiritual connections to nature.”

Dog in Front of Fan by D.D. LaRue

Little Snarley by D.D. LaRue

 

Poker Party by D.D. LaRue

In the last few years, an extension of graffiti has emerged, and it's called Yarn Bombing. Instead of paint, yarn is used to make a statement on public structures. 

Yarn Bombing

Art Movements

A friend of mine who is an artist and I often get into discussions about whether or not any new movements in art can really emerge after what was termed Modern Art. He is convinced it's impossible- that any new movement will largely be based on old ones or perhaps a combination of several past movements. I'm not so sure. While I see his point, I look to music as my guide. Is taking something old and making it new (remixing, borrowing or stealing ideas) really creating something new? I think so. There are times when the cover is better than the original, and the cover is, indeed, something new. Sure, there are elements of the past, but in the end it's something different.

By the way, if anyone hasn't seen the film Rip, I highly recommend it.

Let's actually talk about Girl Talk, AKA Greg Michael Gillis, the one who brought mash-ups into the spotlight. He basically takes pieces or samples of older songs and uses them to create new songs. Of course this stirs up controversy both in terms of ethics and actual lawsuits. Gillis believes that mainstream media wants to create controversy where none actually exists though. However, he admits to getting people a little riled up too. He states, "The name Girl Talk is a reference to many things -- products, magazines, books. It’s a pop culture phrase. The whole point of choosing the name early on was basically to just stir things up a little within the small scene I was operating from. I came from a more experimental background and there were some very overly serious, borderline academic type electronic musicians. I wanted to pick a name that they would be embarrassed to play with. You know Girl Talk sounded exactly the opposite of a man playing a laptop, so that’s what I chose." Most people would agree that remixes and mash-ups are different enough that they deserve a title that goes beyond merely stealing someone's idea. The reality is that remixes and mash-ups are now considered a new genre of music.

Girl Talk

In terms of art, the same thing is happening. Artists are creating new genres that combine old styles or take an old style one step further- Impressionistic Realism, Abstract Impressionism, Hyperrealism and Geometric Abstract Art are just a few examples.

At SmithKlein Gallery, we carry an exceptional cityscape artist who uses a technique that is unique, yet is still based off of older styles. Though there is no real term for it, we have started calling it Mosaic Impressionism.

 

London Night by Mark Lague

San Francisco Bus by Mark Lague

Up close, one can appreciate Mark's technique. The paintings look almost like something done in pointillism, but with cubes or blocks of paint instead of dots.

More about Mark Lague:


Inspired by the urban life, Mark Lague passionately paints visually intriguing cityscapes that exude a palpable energy.  From New York to Rome, he has the extraordinary ability to capture the very heart and soul of each and every city that he visits. Mark’s highly collectable oil paintings are a sharp contrast to the meticulous and detailed photo realist renderings he once did in pencil when he was starting his artistic career, but his hard work gave him a solid foundation in art technique.  His fresh new approach to painting takes a great deal of planning.  However, he is less concerned with fine detail and focuses more on capturing the energy and movement of his subjects, be it a lively city or quiet rainy street.  In fact, eliminating some of the detail in his work allows the viewer to become more engaged with the piece. 

Mark begins every painting with a value study in pencil.  He generally paints “alla prima” or all in one session, but in order to do so, he must first plan and sketch out his piece in pencil to establish the value pattern and to work out the format of the finished work.  “Painting directly and spontaneously, while maintaining control and accuracy,” is Mark’s basic philosophy when it comes to Plein Air painting.  Captivating and raw, Mark’s paintings show dazzling reflection and striking design like no other.  Mark Lague has been recognized and accepted into many prestigious juried exhibitions in both the United States and in Canada. He is considered one of the top cityscape artists of our time.

Hotel In Rome by Mark Lague

Erin Dertner

SmithKlein Gallery is presenting a show featuring new works by renowned oil painter, Erin Dertner.

Stop in at 1116 Pearl Street to see the display. The show will continue through the end of the month.

Symphony of Spring by Erin Dertner

More about the artist:      

Erin Dertner

     

At the age of nine, Erin Dertner knew she wanted to be an artist. Inspired by the beautiful California sunlight and nearby bodies of water, she began learning to paint. Her mother was her first teacher, but Erin soon received extensive training from renowned teachers including Marlin Simandle, Edward Betts, Kim English, Ovanes Berberian, La Vere Hutchings, Gail Chase-Bien, Ted Goerschner, Hope Stevenson, and others. As Erin’s career evolved, she began teaching and is now known for her extraordinary use of light on canvas. Teaching workshops allows Erin to share her zeal for painting.

Though she is accomplished in watercolor, acrylic and dry pastel, Erin is currently focused primarily on oil. She works with both a brush and a palette knife, but she has been working more and more with the latter, creating rich vibrant images reminiscent of the great impressionists. Encouraged by SmithKlein Gallery to continue her palette knife technique, Erin has matured into a skilled artist. Erin’s work is honest and deliberate. By building her work in many layers of paint, she achieves depth and a deep perspective unlike any other. Erin paints with passion, capturing the essence of a location by painting en plein air. Texture, mood, color and light are translated into a harmonious creation that allows the viewer to be transported directly to the scene. Erin’s travels provide her with ample opportunity to learn and grow as an artist as she explores other environments and climates in France, Italy, Greece and choice locations in the United States.

Erin has been painting for over forty years. She is featured in several prestigious galleries and has sold many paintings over the years. She and her husband currently own a gallery on the West Coast. They have two grown sons who follow in their mother’s footsteps by being both artistic and adventurous. According to Erin, “There is no better life than to study the world with paintbrush in hand and a heart full of love and gratitude.”

Napa Valley Majesty by Erin Dertner

Crimson and Coral by Erin Dertner