Clyfford Still/Glenn Brown: Names and Value

The Twentieth Century Abstract Expressionist American painter, Clyfford Still, refused to name his paintings. He felt art should speak for itself. We saw some of Still’s work at The Denver Art Museum, and again included in The Anderson Collection at Stanford University. Most of Still’s work is identified only by a numerical label and date. But, I would never have recognized his painting on display at Stanford as a landscape had it not been labeled as one in the catalog. Without any horizon, the painting lacked recognizable indications about its intended subject matter. 1957-J No. 1 (PH-142) 1957.

But, apparently my son agrees with Clyfford Still. Zane’s comment when I was talking to him about this subject: “Yeah. Why does art have a title anyway?” I already wrote in the past about the entertainment value I find in the way some artists name their paintings. Glenn Brown’s painting at The Walker, for example: You Never Touch My Skin in the Way You Did and You’ve Even Changed the Way You Kiss Me.
Without that title, I would not have found the face, or recognized it for any intended humor.

It would be a much different art world if artists did not identify their work at all, not by name or number. For one thing, how would one reference art works in written material? What if artists didn’t mark their work in any personal way? A Marxist utopia?

As I already mentioned, people who dedicate themselves to their chosen skill will become identifiable in their work eventually. But, there would be more gray areas, works that didn’t fit an artist’s known scheme or theme. What if the value of individual pieces depended solely on the credibility of that one work? What would that do to the value of some of Picasso’s volumes of hastily scribbled work?

Something I’ve been thinking about since I quoted Byron a few months ago, when he claimed Andy Warhol as, “Largely considered the greatest Twentieth Century painter.” I refuse to accept Warhol. But, how does one choose The Greatest Twentieth Century Artist? What are some essential criteria?

Dark Traces: Rebecca Tolle at The Northfield Arts Guild Gallery

Dramatic contrast existed last Friday evening on Division Street in Northfield. Bitterly cold and bleak outside, a golden warm magnet pulling you into The Northfield Arts Guild Gallery where an Opening Reception was being held for their current installation: Dark Traces, recent paintings by Rebecca Tolle, pottery and sculpture by Elizabeth Pechacek.

During the course of the evening, several friends took me by the elbow and specifically wanted me to see Pechacek’s work, Anasazi Vase, pictured in the arts guild postcard. Her work is striking and much of it is dramatic. I enjoyed the wall hangings, particularly because of the way they were hung in order to cast dramatic shadows onto the wall behind them.

I’ve been a huge fan of Tolle and her work ever since I first saw her paintings displayed at Tandem Bagels last summer, when I wrote about her work the first time. Tolle enhanced her paintings’ powerful impact, the thump inside my chest, when I realized the striking beach painting that first caught my attention (gorgeous colors combined with interesting textures and flights of birds) was not the beach, at all, but the portrait of a landfill.

 

Seagulls on the Hill Rebecca K Tolle

Tolle explains herself well with a quote:

 I believe art has to take responsibility

but it should not give up being art.

Anselm Keifer

 Be sure and check out Rebecca Tolle’s website. She has exciting news about her paintings. http://rebeccatolle.com/gallery/

Painting in The New Year

I was talking to Zane recently about painting (which I’ve been doing almost every day). He suggested I write about my process, a thing which is very much in development. Usually, I just make little sketchy exercises. But, Byron complimented a painting I made in September when he was here at Thanksgiving. He said, “That’s great. It looks like you’re trying to do something serious. So, I’ve decided to, Up the Ante, and make real paintings.

So far in 2016 I’ve completed two paintings. The first one I drew directly on the paper from a still life I set up in my room, and painted it. The flower pot isn’t placed properly. It isn’t sitting squarely on the surface where I’ve placed it.

For the second painting, I started with the photograph below. New camera, flowers from the family, pottery from Russell and Katie for Christmas.

 

First, I painted a practice piece on sketch paper.

Then, I built up the greens and yellows in layers.

It’s possible I should have continued with this painting further. But generally, if not consistently, I go one step too far and regret it.