The Artist’s Mother ~ Haring, Hockney, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Picasso …
May 10, 2008
For this special day, honoring Motherhood, I thought to look at how some artists have depicted their own mother or an archetypal mother.
Who’s Mom?
The artists’ real mothers are displayed as persons with their own life. She is an individual with a personal life and character as is witnessed by her child, the artist.
By painting his/her mother, child – mother relationship is revealed by the fact that the artist paints his mother and how she is depicted.
In contrast, the ‘mother and child’ images are simpler and softer. They symbolize the child’s innocence, mother love and protection.
Finally, there is the mother as ultimate source.
Pablo Picasso
This difference can been quite clearly in two paintings by Picasso, that were made almost in the same year.
In 1922, Picasso painted this lovely symbolic painting of Mother and child. Mother with Divine light in her heart, and the baby painted in Divine & innocent blue. The whole painting is lovely, gentle, and nurturing. Displaying the delicate growth of nature.
In contrast, in 1923, Picasso painted his own ‘Mother’. She’s placed ‘backwards’, almost black and white, not facing the viewers, she is strong, dignified, emotionless.
The Mother as Birth-Giver & Nurturer
Paul Klee
1938, Paul Klee made his ‘Mother & Child’ in watercolors.
She tenderly cares for her baby.
Keith Haring
Social Activist, Keith Haring, painted ‘Mother Holding Baby’, in 1986. The child is colored innocent & Divine. The mother is the strong, happy protector.
The Mother as The Artist’s Mother
David Hockney
The photos here are a ‘before’ and ‘after’. The first image is a thumbnail of an early painting of David Hockney’s ‘My parents’ (1977).
Hockney usually gave hints to the sitter’s character by depicting them in their normal environments. In it, his devout mom in in Mother Mary’s holy blue. She’s smiling contently. Her husband is in the room with her. She’ll level-headed and has her two feet on the ground.
My Mother, Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire Nov. 82
In this photo collage of his mother in 1982, Hockney clad her head-toe in a bluish rain coat that resembled a bag for a corpse, and made her lean against a tomb stone on a graveyard. It’s dreary weather, and she looks away.
Actually, Hockney portrayed her on the day of her husband’s funeral. In doing so, he created an image of unveiled human suffering, a moving and outstanding testament to both of his parents.
In 1985, three years after her husband’s death, David Hockney made a still-scattered mom in his photo collage.
A few years later (1988-1989), David Hockney painted his ‘Mum’ again, now in a tender portrait. While she looks straight ahead, she is not really looking in your eyes. Her eyes look like two globes, who have seen it all. However, the pain of losing her husband has dulled. This painting is made with love.
Rembrandt
In 1629, Rembrandt painted his own mom with utmost detail.
He made this painting in the transition from religious-themed scenes towards portraits of the wealthy & the noblesse.
He painted her twice in the span of just a few years.
Van Gogh
In 1888, Van Gogh painted his happy, sweet mom to look like this (painted in oil on canvas).
Made in Arles.
The Mother as Omni-Presence
In my study of artists and their mothers, I discovered a third, interesting angle: the archetypal Mother as ultimate source and omni-presence.
Rauschenberg
Early in his career, in 1950 Rauschenberg created this conceptual ‘combine’ collage/painting called ‘The Mother of God’. Whether you take the title to be ‘the ultimate source of the Divine’ or an exclamation in the face of the extreme, the painting is great, strong and meaningful. The ‘negative’ space around the large disk (source / sun ) is made up of city maps. You can choose the painting to mean that the God-Mother’s saving white light is omnipresent, hanging over the cities and being right there for anyone who lives there, but many other readings are possible. For example, the circle could also be read to be the womb. And it could be seen as a void, representing the unknowable nature of God.
Dubuffet
Dubuffet choose to paint the symbol ‘The Mother Goddess’. To me, she is the Earth Mother, in her black and red tones. In this as in his other paintings, Dubuffet focused on the essential expressive factors of painting, gesture and color, and broke with aesthetic conventions. Interestingly, she is only painted till the waist, even though the womb and the lower chakras best relate to Mother Earth. The emphasis is on her mouth and eyes. She looks … amazed, shocked, violated ?! Certainly not a happy princess.
By Astrid Lee ~ copyright 2008
David Hockney – Art BMW – Video
March 12, 2008
By Astrid Lee
World-famous artist David Hockney was born in Bradford, UK. He lived in both London and Los Angeles.
As important contributor of the British Pop art movement of the ’60s, Hockney is one of the most influential, 20th century artists.
Despite his fame for Pop Art, David’s earlier works show Expressionist marks and reminds us of Francis Bacon. Hockney was also interested in Picasso & cubism. In California, Hockney is best known for his pool side series from the ’60s, which is a ‘high point’ on his varied artistic journey.
Besides painting and lithography, artist David Hockney has also worked with photography and photo-collage. David Hockney is represented by Galerie LeLong (fine art prints), amongst other galleries. Many of Hockney’s other works are on display in Salts Mill, Saltaire, in his home town of Bradford. Hockney’s work was recently displayed at Royal Academy and National Portrait Gallery in London.
David Hockney received an Order of the Companions of Honour in 1997. This is a British & Commonwealth Order which rewards outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry, or religion.
The video here (with German commentary) shows artist David Hockney working on & discussing an unusual art project: the 14th BMW Art Car painting project in 1995. Hockney painted the car, turning the car inside out, thus offering the viewers a look inside it on the outside.
copyright 2008.
About the Author
Astrid Lee is a fine art painter who creates spiritual art. View some of her works at http://www.astridlee.com
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 since the 1940s is arguably devoid of meaning. In fact many artists want it that way. They prefer to see purely compositional factors, the tenets of design as the measure of their works. Does this relegate them to the level of design, not truly “high art.”
Abstract paintings can do two things. 1) They can ascend to the highest level of design, and 2) they may transcend it to “high art.” Just as Kurt Schwitters paper snips transcend the craft of hobbyists cutting paper, and Joseph Cornell’s boxes transcend the craft of cabinet makers or box designers – so can an abstract paintings transcend design.
The criteria of meaning needs some discussion in my opinion. The “meanings” that some narrow-sighted critics refer to as being the paramount criterion of “high art” revolve around historic, philosophic, and religious dimensions. These meanings purportedly reflect the highest ideals and aspirations of man and god(God?).
I appreciate meanings as much as the next person. I like the classical, epic struggles of mythology, the ancient renditions of the history of the world, the religious icons of every century, the struggles of mankind and every individual in mankind. These are wonderful meanings and certainly worthy of artistic depiction.
Now consider the meaning of a man/woman who struggles to create pure beauty. The artist. The artist who wants to create not only “high art” but does so without the tools of religious thought, without the maps of cultural revolutions, without the applause of an informed and socially motivated political movement, without the traditions of a craftsmens guild. Consider this courageous individual.
These individuals not only attempt real, although only mortal, creation at its highest level – they do so in a unique and hardwon individual style. In addition, their work is meant to free, enhance and amplify your perception of art and beauty in all of its mysterious manifestations.
That “is” meaning. You can witness this meaning in its visual record of each abstract painting. No, not every painting is a masterpiece – and it can’t fall back on cliche’ or a social nomenclature. It stands as a testament to a real struggle to push something to the highest level of art with no help from all the other “manifold meaning packages” that were the reason for art in previous centuries.
By Tia Marks.
Contemporary Art Gallery
Tia Marks is the Executive-Editor of Contemporary Art Gallery – The Online magazine for Trends in the Visual Arts. CAG specializes in abstract painting, artist interviews, exhibitions, sculpture, collage, ceramics, prints, jewelry, essays, and art world announcments.
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