Posts Tagged ‘art’
Fashionista
The horror, the horror
Zdzisław Beksiński (24 February 1929 – 21 February 2005) was a renowned Polish painter, photographer, and sculptor who is best known as a fantasy artist. Beksiński executed his paintings and drawings either in what he called a ‘Baroque’ or a ‘Gothic’ manner. The first style is dominated by representation, with the best-known examples coming from his ‘fantastic realism’ period when he painted disturbing images of a surrealistic, post-apocalyptic environment. The second style is more abstract, being dominated by form, and is typified by Beksiński’s later paintings. Beksiński was murdered in 2005.
(Source: Wikipedia)
His art is very powerful. It speaks of post-apocalyptic dystopia and especially resonates for people with an interest in fantasy and science fiction – like myself. His work reminds me of, among other things, Salvador Dali, the director Ridley Scott (I’m thinking of Alien, of course), of author Raymond E Feist’s Magician, and of author David Gemmell, among others. In contemporary times this kind of ‘dark art’ finds its natural home in the online fantasy worlds of games such as Guild Wars, World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online (all 3 of which I’ve been addicted to at one time or other!) and a whole load of others.
Sadly, he was murdered in 2005. More about him on Wikipedia and more of his art here.
Other artists I like:
My dishonest heart
Keep Britain Tidy
(via Tom Eckersley, Keep Britain Tidy on Flickr)
Tom studied commercial art at Salford School of Art. During the 1930’s he was amongst the foremost poster artists of the period, producing much work for Shell-Mex and London Transport. His relationship with London Transport lasted over 50 years.
During WW2 he drew maps for the RAF and after the war continued to design posters, in 1954 he joined the teaching staff at the London College of Printing, later to become Head of Department. He helped to establish the first undergraduate courses in graphic design in Britain. Tom Eckersely was elected Royal Designer to Industry in 1961.
More from Tom Eckerlsey.
Call centre
City boy
Moonseed
‘Moonseed’
‘Absinthe Attended by Wormwood & Anise’
‘Into the Real’
‘Paper Valentine’
‘Patience’
(via Krista Huot)
Love this artist’s work!
It’s all about David – day 4
A busy day today and I’m now just back from dinner. Another steak (Bistecca alla Fiorentina). The steak was great, though the accompaniments of last night’s meal were better. Still enjoyed it. Also had a bottle of something Tuscan and red, I forget what it was (not Chianti). Was lovely though.
We saw a lot today. But the highlight could only ever be Michelangelo’s statue of David. Universally acknowledged to be the single most important sculpture ever to exist in Western art, he came into being 505 years ago, taking several years to carve. And he is breathtaking. In his beauty. In the attention to detail that he exhibits. In his representation as the absolute and total elevation of the male body to the highest art form imaginable. He is devastating to experience and to witness.
Art Deco Playgirl
‘La Belle Rafaelo’
The works of Polish Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka have always attracted me. She was a 1920s socialite and the most fashionable portrait painter of her generation. I have always really loved the Art Deco movement which probably explains why I like her work so much.
She was also, like rather many of us, profoundly drawn to same-sex relationships (even though she was married). In her lifetime she had a large number of affairs with both men and women. Even back then, taboos and social mores were thrown aside in pursuit of intense personal connection, irrespective of gender. Of course, being an upper-class bohemian artist gave her a license which the ordinary person would not have had.
Born in 1898 in Poland, she fled the Russian revolution, moving to Paris where her career would take off and her heyday would soon begin. In 1939, with war looming in Europe, she moved to America where, over time, her career began to tail off; she died in 1980. In the last few decades her work has really caught the imagination again – her pictures recalling those halcyon days of the 1920s/30s, of cruise ships, luxury, sex and sensuality.
I like her depiction of women. There are no ’size zeros’ – the women are voluptuous and ample which, to my mind, is so much more attractive then the skinny look that so many seem to covet these days.
Her life is really quite interesting and can be read about in more detail on Wikipedia which has a good overview.
The debasement of Eve
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the late Beryl Cook and how much I love her art.
Another British artist – Jenny Saville, I think to be amazingly gifted though I wouldn’t necessarily want her art hanging in my home. Not that it would ever fit – her canvases are huge - that’s part of her signature style.
The motif for which she is most well known is her depiction of the female form at its most gargantuan and grotesque. She is likened to Lucien Freud for her traditional, painterly style and she is also a key figure of the YBO (Young British Artists) movement, as were, back in the 1990s. She continues to be one of the most high profile artists we have.
Her work assaults the senses. I can just imagine walking into a huge gallery hall and seeing these pictures (several meters high) and feeling quite gob smacked. I haven’t seen her work, but would like to. I despise her depiction of women, like corpulent pig flesh, and yet she has the power to captivate and hold the attention that can’t be overstated; the image stays on in your mind.
I also like that she eschews the ‘cleverness’ of so much (modern) art. Like the Tracy Emins and Damien Hirsts. They have interesting ideas but her innate ability to paint hugely powerful art – trumps the new-fangled stuff for me.
Some of her most well known work is below. They all shock, and these are less shocking than some of her others.
“Branded”
“Prop”
“Propped”
“Passage”
“Torso 2″
“Self-Portrait”
Scale of her pictures (that is not her in the picture).
An interview she gave in The Guardian.
Unofficial homepage.
