Discovering George Grosz

The newly discovered artist I am writing about today is George Grosz. As I have mentioned in previous writings these are not necessarily new artist but are individuals previously unknown to me.  Grosz a German born artist but was also a teacher and lived during the time artists expressed their political feelings through their work.  He taught at the Art Students League in New York.

Because he disliked all forms of dictatorial authority, George Grosz left Germany in 1932 before Hitler took over.  Grosz’s work, Ecce Home, a collection of drawings created in 1923 reflected his responses during World War I.  Some would say that some of his work, although political and satirical, was often demeaning.

George Grosz was influenced by Expressionism and Futurism.  Grosz later changed his style of art and subject matter when he came to America.  After 1933, the styles of his artwork seem to soften.  He mostly painted landscapes and traditional nudes. He exhibited often and opened a studio in his home. 

Jean Simeon Chardin

As I continue to write about new artist I have recently discovered, I decided I would report on a artist that lived many years ago.   Today’s artist is Jean Simeon Chardin.  This great master of still-life painting was born at the start of the 18th century in Paris.   His work was widely distributed and he experienced success due to his work.  He has been influential on several later artists.  

What makes Chardin so interesting is that he was very elusive.   It appears he was well known for his art work but not much was known about his personal life.  Chardin had three biographers following his death but none knew much about the painter’s personality.  He was described as simple, straightforward and hardworking.

It could be said that much of Chardin’s paintings were a lot like his life was described.  His paintings were simple domestic interiors with naturalistic renderings of everyday objects.  Late in life Chardin abandoned paintings and created portraits with pastels. Some believe the self-portraits produced by Chardin before his death provided more insight into the man than all of his biographies combined.

Charles Biederman

I recently read an article about abstract painter that was probably ahead of his time.  As I continue to discover new artists (artist not previously known to me) I have chosen to write about Charles Biederman. Biederman was born in Cleveland in 1906.  This American artist originally wanted to study in Paris and to connect with the leading modern artists of his time, Picassso and Braque.  He later became one of the most well known painters of abstraction.

Charles Biederman began as a painter of figurative works in Chicago. He studied in Paris and occasionally worked with abstract art. When he arrived in New York he became friends with Matisse and other leading figures of modern art in America.  Soon after coming to New York his career took off.


You could say that Beiderman was ahead of his time. Some of his work used techniques that were more prevalent in the 1970’s. An example of this is his work, Untitled Wall Construction. Biederman died in 2004.

You can find his work today in several galleries and museums.

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The Quiet Paintings of E.I. Couse

While looking through an exhibition catalog, I found the work of Eanger Irving Couse.  As I continue to to discover unfamiliar artist this year, I was pleased to find the article about E.I. Couse.    This American artist is known for his wonderful Indian portraits painted in Taos, New Mexico.

This Michigan artist lived from 1866 to 1936. His early work included landscapes. He was drawn to the art of the Southwest and visited Taos every year from 1902 until his death.  Unlike most painters of the Southwest who painted images of the action of Cowboys and Indians, Couse studied and painted mostly quiet and serene scenes.

You can find Couse’s art work today in many museums and institutions.  The Image I had the opportunity to view is Firelight, oil on canvas done in 1902.   This is a close-up portrait of two Native Americans in front of a fire smoking a pipe.

Eanger Irving Couse is my second artist I have discovered of the New Year enjoy the work of this artist. I will look forward to perhaps viewing more of his images in the future.

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A Simple View of Nature

A few weeks ago, I was looking for a new wall calendar for my office.    I usually try to find something art-related and something I will enjoy year-round.  There were only a few 2013 calendars left in the store that appealed to me.  I was just about to give up when I spotted a Charley Harper 2013 calendar.  I was not familiar with this artist.

I was impressed with the front cover.    There was a red bird along with other wildlife creatures on the cover.  The calendar of course was sealed so I could not see all the pages but the back cover provided a sampling of what was inside. The drawings were bright and colorful, simplified but yet interesting.

I decided to purchase the calendar.   I did some research on this artist when I got home.  I learned that Charley Harper is famous for his nature paintings.  He has created prints, posters, and illustrated books and magazines. Charley Harper died in 2007.   His limited edition serigraphs and signed prints are sold today and some are very expensive. 

I love my new wall calendar.  I have discovered a new artist.    The artwork is uplifting and cheerful.  I anticipate going through the year enjoying Mr. Harper’s wildlife illustrations. 

 




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Discovering Bill Traylor

I recently had an opportunity to view some work of a talented artist, Bill Traylor.  Traylor, a Black American folk artist is mostly known for his drawings.   He created many drawings containing a variety of subject matter.    Bill Traylor was a Southern artist that created work depicting mostly the activities of animals and people.

What is fascinating about these artists is that a lot of his early work was created while he was homeless.  He began with pencil drawings and eventually moved to painting.  He did not begin his artistic career until the age 85.  The work of this self-taught artist did not become widely known until the art exhibit in 1981 of Black Folk Art in America.

If you like storytelling combined with art, you will enjoy Traylor’s work.  Most would agree that Bill Traylor’s work tells us a story.   A great deal of his work can be found in both private and public collections. 

Art and Beauty

I recently had an opportunity to view a very exciting exhibit of Islamic art.  I did not anticipate enjoying this exhibit as much as I did.  My goal is to learn about all art and to increase my knowledge of various forms of art.  I decided to take a tour of the exhibit guided by a docent at the museum.  I was pleasantly surprised.

The exhibit, Beauty and Belief, was much more than I had anticipated.  Just listening to the docent discussing some of the objects in the exhibit was an education in itself.  The exhibit featured more than 250 objects dating from the 7^th century through the present day.  The items displayed in the exhibit were taken from various public and private collections in the U.S. and around the world.  This was not an exhibit about religion.  What I learned is that there is some commonality to art and beauty in the world.

Although there was not a lot of metal or jewelry on display, there were plenty of items that interested me.  The exhibition begins with an introduction on the history and geographical background of Islamic art.  Many items included have a direct or indirect connection with nature.  Some of the objects were items used in everyday life. The ceramic pieces, the carpets and the tiles were beautiful. 

This exhibit was educational as well as inspiring.  If you have an opportunity to see the exhibit, Beauty and Belief – Crossing Bridges with the Arts of Islamic Culture, you will not be disappointed.