Archive for January 5, 2014

Artist of the moment…..Gary Simmons

Gary Simmons is an American artist working in a variety of mediums including oils, chalk, and acrylics. For his artistic education Simmons attended the School of Visual Arts located in New York City. He also attended the California Institute for the Arts located in Valencia, California for his masters studies. Simmons works in small sizes up to mural and installation size. Simmons is a painter, printmaker, and sculptor.

Simmons uses many symbols from current pop culture. In addition some recurring themes are race and class. In some works some racially significant items are used including nooses and the symbol of the Ku Klux Klan.

Simmons has regular shows in Europe and New York City.

The artist was included in the Whitney Biennial that took place in 1993.

In this clip Simmons talks about a very large mural and how he went about getting the motion and energy of his smaller drawings into the large sized mural.

Here we view the artist at an exhibition that took place in 2013:

Price range information: Non sculpture works range from $5,000 to $60,000.

The “ghostly drawings” of this artist impress the most of his repertoire. What a unique effect and even something as still as a chandelier seems to have a wonderful movement.

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Artist of the moment……Eliot Hodgkin

Eliot Hodgkin was a cousin to British abstract painter Howard Hodgkin. Eliot Hodgkin was born in the year 1905 in Purley on Thames in the United Kingdom. Hodgkin was renown for his paintings of still lifes. His family were strict Quakers.

Hodgkin began to work with tempera and enjoyed working with the medium as it dried much quicker than oils. It allowed him to express how he felt about the objects he portrayed.

For his artistic education Eliot Hodgkin attended the Byam Shaw School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools.

He first worked in oils and then became intrigued by the detail he could add by using egg tempera.

Eliot Hodgkin passed away in 1987 at the age of 81 years old.

Price range information: Works range from $5,000 to $50,000.

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Artist of the moment……Howard Hodgkin

Sir Howard Hodgkin was born in the year 1932. For his artistic education Hodgkin attended Eton College and also Bryanston School. In addition Hodgkin studied at the Camberwell Art School and the Bath Academy of Art. Hodgkin works in an abstract manner. He produces paintings and prints.

First solo show in 1962.

Hodgkin burst upon the international art scene in the 1980s after representing the U.K. at the Venice Biennale. He also won the prestigious Turner Award.

Howard Hodgkin became Sir Howard Hodgkin as he was knighted in 1992.

He is the cousin of famed British still life painter Eliot Hodgkin. Below are some examples of Eliot Hodgkin and his still life paintings.

In this clip a short interview with Howard Hodgkin:

Price range information: Etchings and lithographs range from $4,000 to $25,000. Original oils can reach $400,000.