Archive for May, 2013

Artist of the moment…photographer Laurie Simmons….

{ May 30, 2013 @ 4:36 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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One of my favorite photographers is Laurie Simmons. Simmons was born in 1949 in Long Island, New York.

For her collegiate studies she attended the Tyler School of Art located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Early works were similar to her photographic works now as she focused on the interiors of houses.

I love her creative ideas that blend the super creative child in all of us with her creative genius. Her series of items with legs attached includes model houses, guns, and cameras.

Has won a fellowship from the Guggenheim and also the National Endowment for the Arts.

Listed in the Internet Movie Data Base as an actress, producer, and director.

price range information; Many works are priced between $2,000 to $10,000. Some cibachrome works reaching in the $60,000 range. A unique gelatin silver print can reach the low six figures.

Simmons is also renown for working with dolls.

A clip from the PBS series often recommended on this site, the Art21 series.

A great interview with a curator.

Having only seen the artist’s work via computer screen, I imagined the works to be photoshopped but they are in fact small replica doll houses. In this clip we visit Laurie Simmons as she creates some very small furniture sure to be called art!

Based out of New York city.

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Artist of the moment….Candido Portinari

{ May 30, 2013 @ 4:02 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Candido Portinari was a famous Brazilian painter who had one work sell for more than one million dollars at auction earlier this year. Portinari was born in 1903 in an area near Sao Paulo, Brazil. The painting breaking the one million dollar barrier appears in the gallery above, its the last picture.

In this clip we see a great montage of works by Portinari. Notice how expressive the arms and the feet of the laborers appear. Not weak by any means, rather a strong a powerful force.

He attended the national art school for his native country of Brasil doing very well and earning a scholarship to further his studies overseas in Paris, France.

Briefly entered politics in his home country but had to flee as his Communist party felt the wrath of losing power.

Portinari passed away in 1962 at the age of 58 years old.

In 2007  Sao Paulo Musuem of Art had a theft and one of Portinari’s works and also one of Pablo Picasso’s work’s were stolen. Both were returned undamaged the following year.

 

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Artist family of the moment…….Davidialuk Amittu and family

{ May 30, 2013 @ 3:16 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Davidialuk Amittu was a very talented Inuit artists working in many mediums. Born in 1910 in the area of Puvirnituq, Quebec, Canada.

Price range information: Very prolific artist in many mediums. Stone works range $1,000 to $12,000.

Our dear friends from Waddingtons of Canada bring us this wonderful bird sculpture by Amittu.

In this clip we see a basket by the Davidialuk Amittu.

Amittu also was well known in his local community as a great storyteller. In days before Ipads and even books, his stories amused many children throughout the his lifetime.

Has two children that are renown artisans named Johnny Amituk and Aisa Amittu, both men. Below is an example of Aisa’s style of art, who producing masterworks at the age of 12 and was seen as an art prodigy. As a child he was of course heavily influenced by his father. Aisa Amittu was born in 1951. His favorite themes are Inuit legends.

Another child was Alasua Amittu. One example below.

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His wife was also an artist named Maina Assappa.

Davidialuk Amittu passed away in 1976.

Gotta love these artistic families. Multiple generations producing art for the world to enjoy for centuries to come. Thanks Canada!

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Artist of the moment……Thomas Sivuraq

{ May 29, 2013 @ 12:23 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Thomas Sivuraq is yet another fantastic modern artist from the Baker Lake, Nunavet Territory area of Canada. Born in 1941. Sivuraq is among the best Inuit sculptors at showing movement in his figures.

Price range information:  Thomas Sivuraq works mainly with stone and works range $1,000 to $15,000.

In this clip we see a wonderful sculpture of  a mother and child. I immediately thought of the great Mary Cassatt her portrayals of the same genre.

Thomas Sivuraq is married to another artist, five years his senior, Nancy Kangeryuaq. Over her lifetime she has worked a great deal with printmaking. Below some examples of Kangeryuaq’s work.

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Artist of the moment…Master Carver Paa Joe

{ May 29, 2013 @ 2:51 am } · { Uncategorized }
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Paa Joe is very unusual for what happens to much of his art work, his artwork ends up being looked down on by many people and covered with dirt.  Paa Joe gained a reputation for building hand carved coffins out of wood for his clients. For instance a man that worked as a vendor in his own country of Ghana, requested a large coffin carved to look like a coca cola can. I find his work very exciting and unique.

Paa, Joe was born in 1945 in the city of Akwapim, Ghana.

His work is similar to American artist Jeff Koons in the manner that both artists enjoying portraying items larger than normal.

Paa Joe is just starting to make his approach onto the international art scene and here we see a trailer for a documentary featuring the artist.

A brief documentary done by the BBC featuring the artist.

Artist of the moment…….Peter McIntyre…

{ May 28, 2013 @ 10:37 am } · { Uncategorized }
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Peter McIntyre was a wonder painter of people and landscapes born in Dunedin, New Zealand in in 1910. McIntyre was renown for his paintings of war scenes.

His father was also an artist and was renown for his printmaking work.

In this clip a great montage of works,especially war images, of Peter McIntyre.

For his artistic education the artist attended Otago University in New Zealand and then the Slade School of Art in London, England.

Worked as in the commercial art field in Britain for many years.

Served in World War II.

Publisher of many books over his life time.

Passed away in 1995 at the age of 85 years old.

price range information:  McIntytre worked with oils priced $3,000 to $40,000. Watercolours priced $3,000 to $20,000.

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Artist of the moment…..Jaune Quick-to-See Smith

{ May 27, 2013 @ 11:00 am } · { Uncategorized }
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Jaune Quick-to-See Smith was born in 1940 on the Salish and Kootenai Indian Reservation in Montana. She is renown for her work with prints and printmaking.

For her collegiate studies the artist attended Framingham State College in Massachusetts. She would go on to earn an masters degree, also in art, at the University of New Mexico.

Her style is a blend of realism and she enjoys creating different surface textures for the viewer.

price range information: Sorry, none available.

Included in many prominent collections including the Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Musuem of ARt, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In the clip below a great interview with Jaune Quick to See Smith.

Another short story about the biography of Jaune Quick-to-See Smith.

Has one son that is renown for his printmaking and painting skills. His name is Neal Ambrose Smith and below are some examples of style.

The artist works with pastels and lithographs frequently.

Artist of the moment……Dora Gordine

{ May 26, 2013 @ 5:13 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Dora Gordine is among the best females sculptors in art history. Born in 1895 in Liepaja, Latvia, in the Russian Empire. In some articles it gives another birth date as 1906. One of four children.

in this clip we visit a museum show given for the artist.

Part two about the show featuring the artist.

Not much is known of her youth days Gordine moved to Paris and met artist Aristide Maillol, a famous French artist, and become intrigued by the world of art. Aristide was more than 30 years her senior and was able to impart his wealth of knowledge as a teacher to many art enthusiasts. Below an example of his work.

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In 1936 she married a wealthy man who was the son of the 4th Earl of Listower. The house they lived in was called Dorich House, perhaps a precursor to Dowton Abbey!

Fellow of Royal British Society of Sculptors.

After her husband died unexpectedly from heart failure in 1966, she lived alone until her death in 1991 at the age of 96 years old. She quit producing art work in the 1970s.

Price range information: Most bronzes are priced between $5,000 and $25,000.

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Artist of the moment………Lisa Yuskavage

{ May 26, 2013 @ 1:01 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Lisa Yuskavage is wonderful artist from the United States specializing in the female figure. Yuskavage was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  in 1962. The artist is renown for her curvy female figures done in a sketchy and loose style.

For her collegiate studies Yuskavage attended the Tyler School of Art located also in Philadelphia earning a bachelors degree. She went on to earn her master’s degree from Yale University.

In this clip we view a great montage of the artist’s work.

In this clip from our beloved art enthusiast James Kalm, we visit a show featuring Lisa Yuskavage.

Part of museum collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Whitney Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Walker Art Center.

Yuskavage is based out of New York city.

price range information:  Yuskavage has had many paintings break the one million dollar barrier. Works in gouache range $8,000 to $80,000. Etchings range $1,000 to $3,000.

Artist of the moment………Latcholassie Akesuk

{ May 25, 2013 @ 8:12 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Latcholassie Akesuk was yet another great Inuit carver. Latcholassie Akesuk was born in 1919 in Cape Dorset, Nunavet Territory, Canada and was the son of a well known carver named Tidlik who was born in 1890 and lived until 1966.

Price range information: Stone works range $1,000 to $20,000.

Latcholassie’s favorite subject was birds and the medium he used the most was stone.

The artist passed away in 2000.

His wife,  Simaiyok Akesuk,  is also a well renown artist. Some children are well known artists and I will follow up on them for Memorial Day.

In this clip from Waddington’s auction house of Canada we see a work by Latcholassie Akesuk up for auction.

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