The History of Airbrushing
June 18, 2008
Since World War I, many artists and painters have implemented modern technology into their art form. Airbrushes and the development of their use began its popularity almost literally at the same time in Europe and the United States. These movements were started by both Man Ray (New York City) and Wassily Kandinsky at the Bauhaus School in Germany. Airbrushes were initially used by Man Ray in New York to develop paintings in the year 1917. However, in 1933 in Europe, the fear of Communism was emerging. Because of this fear, the Bauhaus school was closed down by the Nazis. At this time, most of... Read more »
Pop Artist Peter Max
June 14, 2008
Pop Artist Peter Max, like his contemporary Andy Warhol, had his artistic way with iconic figures: while Warhol captured Marilyn and Liz in Day-Glo glory, Max caught the visages of the Statue of Liberty, the Mona Lisa and George Washington in vibrant Technicolor (they both took a turn with Mick Jagger). But Max is the softer character in both art and life: his canvases are happier, swirlier, and he’s a lot less hip. Perhaps it’s his unabashed patriotism and his thorough endorsement by the establishment (though not necessarily the art world establishment). Today, Peter Max has had many... Read more »
Pop Art Forerunner Robert Rauschenberg died at 82
May 18, 2008
The American artist Robert Rauschenberg passed away May 13 at age 82. Rauschenberg gained fame in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. Several of his works — including “Canyon,” which featured a stuffed bald eagle affixed to a canvas; “Monogram,” a stuffed Angora goat on top of a painted panel; and “Bed,” a quilt, sheet and pillow slathered with paint and framed on a wall — became icons of postwar modernism. Born Milton Ernest Rauschenberg, he briefly attended the University of Texas at Austin in 1943 and served in the U.S.... Read more »
Abstract Painting - Art Without Meaning ?
March 6, 2008
This article might be a tat controversial. Perhaps that’s why I include it: to offer you a wide range of perspective on abstract art. “Can art be of importance without meaning? Must “good” art convey the zeitgeist of the times in which it was created? Does “depth of meaning” correlate directly to “goodness” of art? A definition of terms here would be of value but the terms in question are so based on individual and subjective opinion that the defintions would be questioned. Abstract painting, particulary the nonobjective painting of many artists... Read more »
Outsider Art - Is It Really Art? - part 2
February 29, 2008
Continuation of part 1 of the article: Naive and Primitive Artists Dubuffet was working with the mentally ill artists, while “Outsider Art” outside of France was known to be a much more general term. It included not just the psychotic art, but also naive, self-taught, and primitive art as well. On the American scene in the early to mid twentieth century we had Grandma Moses, the renowned folk artist painting such countryside favorites as “This Old Checkered House in Winter” which was the subject of many paintings, one of which was appraised on “Antiques Roadshow”... Read more »
Paint Brushes are an Investment
February 18, 2008
Paint brushes are the most important painter’s tools. Buying paint brushes is not just a random decision, but one that should be made carefully. Selection of brushes is personal and is based upon needs and level of investment desired. Because a paint brush will only last as well as it is cared for, proper cleaning and storage of brushes is probably even more important than the decision of what brush to buy. Because no matter how wonderful a brush is, if it is abused it will quickly be discarded. Types of Paint Brushes The hair of the brush is what primarily denotes what type of brush it... Read more »
The Life of Joan Miro
February 14, 2008
By Mike McDougall Joan Miró, the legendary Spanish painter, sculptor and ceramist, was born in Barcelona in 1893. Miró’s early life was nothing out of the ordinary, at age 14 he enrolled in the “Escuela Superior de Artes Industriales y Bellas Artes” where he studied for three years. After this he took on a job as a clerk In Barcelona but after suffering a nervous breakdown Miró decided that this wasn’t the career for him so he returned to his studies, this time at Francesc Gali’s “Escuela d’Art” where he studied for a further 3 years up until 1915. Miró’s first real breakthrough... Read more »
