An Artist in the Making

I had the opportunity to volunteer at a museum on MLK day. I worked in the the arts and crafts area where we invited guest to create a legacy timeline that would be presented on a gallery wall. Using 3 x 5 cards, visitors were instructed to add something memorable either in words or picture dating from the 1990's to the future.

Many of the young people were of course thinking about the future. Many of this age group submitted cards reflecting this time period. I was amazed by one young boy's work. This young boy sat down and after listening to the instructions began to quickly draw on his card with a blue colored pencil. He drew with a lot of detail what looked like two tall structures. Later he added red lines to fill in some of the spaces.

I asked him what he was drawing and he said it was the Twin Towers in New York. I learned from his mother that he loved art and had demonstrated this by unfortunately painting his bedroom walls . After the drawing was completed the boy took a pair of scissors and began to cut the card. His mother and I were able to stop the young man from destroying his work. We taped what remained on another 3 x 5 card and it was added to the legacy timeline on the museum's wall.

This reminds me of the stories I have read about the lives of some of the great artists of the past. I wonder how much art work could have been saved if a mother had stepped in?

Visit Nella's Books and Collectibles and discover the art of reading.

http://www.nellasbooksandcollectibles.ecrater.com/

Dismantling the Past

It has been said that Ettore Sottsass, architect/designer, devoted his life and work to dismantling the past. Recently some of Sottsass' work was exhibited in New York. Sottsass' career spanned over 60 years and produced work in the fields of architecture, furniture, and industrial design, glass, ceramics, painting and photography. He spent much of his career designing landmark products.

Sottsass experimented with many artistic materials but had a great fascination with ceramics. His first ceramics were made in 1956. Although the ceramics were not popular early on some believe this was his framework for developing the radical design group, Memphis.

In the 1980’s breaking the rules began along with experimenting with the unconventional. Sottsass has been credited with being a major contributor of the postmodern design movement.

You can find some of the work of the design collective, Memphis in a Sotheby’s catalog, Memphis, La Collection Karl Lagerfeld , at Nella’s Books and Collections.

www.nellasbooksandcollectibles.ecrater.com

Finding Dali

I recently read that Salvador Dali’s 1942 painting on a stage curtain was discovered at the Carnegie Museum of Art. This stage curtain was painted by Dali for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. It appears that the curtain was lost after it was transported in 1976. Surprisingly this huge oil-on-canvas painting was discovered in the storage area of the museum.


Dali of course is the Spanish Surrealist known for using realistic techniques to present hallucinatory scenes. Dali was said to have been inspired by his dreams. The artist would place a canvas beside his bed and gaze at it before sleeping. He recorded what he believed were his dreams when he woke up. I can imagine that when this work was rediscovered, many may have thought they were dreaming.

You can find books on Salvador Dali along with other art books and catalogs at Nella’s Books and Collectibles.


www.nellasbooksandcollectibles.ecrater.com

A New Theory on Van Gogh

For many of us Vincent Van Gogh will always be a fascinating figure and a mystery. Much has been written about this sensitive and passionate artists and his self-mutilation. A recent article states that a clue has been discovered as to the reason why Van Gogh cut off his ear. This information comes from the latest discovery and publications of the new edition of Vincent Van Gogh’s letters. The letters were published this past October.

According to the article Vincent learned of his brother’s engagement to a young lady and this was probably the trigger for cutting off his ear. His devoted brother, Theo, provided friendship as well as money for years. Van Gogh may have been concerned that this would all come to an end. Van Gogh eventually discovered that his brother’s loyalty was not affected because of the engagement.

Van Gogh will always be of interest to many of us and there will probably be new theories in the future. Undoubtedly we will learn more of Van Gogh’s life through the many letters that have surfaced.

You can find books on Vincent Van Gogh, other art books and magazines at Nella’s Books and Collectibles.



www.nellasbooksandcollectibles.ecrater.com