Daniel Arsham is a contemporary American sculptor. Daniel Arsham was born in Cleveland, Ohio in the year 1980. The artist attended Cooper College located in New York City.
The artist even captured the singer Pharrell Williams in a large body cast.
In this clip an interview; and sample of work by Daniel Arsham:
Arsham finds inspiration from architecture. Arsham makes inanimate architecture come to life by making in appear to be blowing in the wind.
Françoise Gilot is a contemporary French painter renown for her work with the female face and figure. Gilot is also known for being the lover and model of Pablo Picasso in the 1940s and 1950s.
Françoise Gilot was born in Neuilly-Sur Seine, France in the year 1921. Her mother was a watercolor painter and Gilot took classes from her mother’s teacher that began when Gilot was six years of age.
Gilot’s mother wouldn’t teach her to draw, but only to paint. Her mother believed if you made a mistake in the painting, to incorporate the mistake into your art.
In this clip we view a painting by Gilot featured on the Antiques Roadshow:
Gilot attended the Cambridge University located on London, England where she earned a degree in English. She also earned a B.F.A. from the Sorbonne located in Paris, France.
Gilot had two children with Picasso. The artist went on to marry a scientist who helped to produce vaccines in the United States.
Over her career she has worked as theater set coordinator and costume designer.
Price range information: Works range from $10,000 to $750,000. Gilot has worked in watercolors, oils, gouache, and pastel. The artist is also an outstanding printmaker.
In this clip from the Tate Museum of London we see some works and learn more about Françoise Gilot:
What a wonderful style she has developed. From her mom’s idea to incorporate mistakes into paintings to the advice she received from Picasso, Françoise Gilot is a remarkable artist who is finally getting her praise and fame long overdue.
Amedeo Modgiliani was an Italian artist renown for his Modernist style of portraying human faces. Amedeo Modigliani was born in Livorno, Tuscany, Italy in the year 1884. He worked as a painter and sculptor having modest success whilst he was alive. Modigliani’s work became highly sought after upon his death.
His family was Jewish and his great grandmother had moved to Italy as a refugee. The artist family owned many businesses over the years including lending money, education centers of learning, and mining.
The artist’s mother predicted he would become an artist when Modigliani was 11 years of age. During his childhood and teenage years he was often sick with diseases including pleurisy (the inflammation of the lining of the lungs) , typhoid fever, and tuberculosis(which would take his life before the age of 40.)
Modigliani attended the Academia de Belle Arts located in Florence, Italy. He also attended the Instituto di Belle Arti also located in Florence.
A few years after finishing college Modigliani relocated in Paris, France.
In this clip a great montage of works that show Modigliani’s style of elongating the face and figure:
Amedeo Modigliani passed away in 1920 at the age of 35 years of age from tuberculosis meningitis. The artist enjoyed drinking as well as recreational narcotics.
The artist was renown for his work with the nude female figure. Here one of his most famous nude works is discussed:
Price range information: Works range from pencil works at $40,000 to original oils such as Reclining Nude on a Blue Cushion which sold for $112 million dollars in 2012.
Modigliani’s style was often imitated but never duplicated. He was a fantastic style of painting and sculpting the female figure.
Guillaume Bottazzi is a French artist renown for his large scale abstract murals which are located on many industrial buildings throughout the city of Paris, France.
Guillaume Bottazzi was born in the year 1971.
Below a brief glimpse of the artist at work in his studio followed by a gallery show and images from a show:
The artist has completed more than 40 public works over his brief career. He has completed many works in Europe and Japan.
Below a link to the website of Guillaume Bottazzi:
Guillaume Bottazzi is a an amazing artist whose work is based on the layering of paint, wonderful organic shapes, and wide variety of color and patterns. With such unique shapes and brilliant color Bottazzi is a true master of abstract art.
John Cecil Stephenson was a British painter who was among the first to work in a Modernist style. John Cecil Stephenson was born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England in the year 1899. The city is in the north east part of the country.
Stephenson attended the Leeds School of Art and the Royal College of Art located in London, England.
The artist was a friend of many of the most renown modernist painters including Piet Mondrian and Henry Moore.
John Cecil Stephenson passed away in 1965.
Price range information: Sorry none available. The artist worked in oils, gouache, inks, and watercolors.
Stephenson reminds me of the American painter now living in France, Shirley Jaffe.
Aaron Douglas was an African- American artist associated with the Harlem Renaissance who painted in a Modernist style. Aaron Douglas was born in Topeka, Kansas in the year 1899.
Douglas attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln earning a B.F.A. A year later he added a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Kansas.
A few years after earning his second degree the artist relocated to Harlem, New York.
Douglas was one of the most sought after illustrators of the leading African- American magazines. He even tried to start his own magazine that was to showcase the up and coming younger artists.
He spent part of 1931 in Paris, France studying art as a grant award recipient.
In this clip we find Aaron Douglas at the Nebraska Museum of Art:
Douglas started the art department at Fisk University located in Nashville, Tennessee.
In this clip we get a peak at Aaron Douglas at the easel. Some jazz music is played and I must pass on the sad news that American Jazz legend B.B. King passed away at the age of 89:
Aaron Douglas passed away in 1979 at the age of 79.
Price range information: Works range from $20,000 to $500,000. Douglas worked in oils, watercolors, and gouache.
Douglas was of the first African American artists to earn a degree, and surely one of the first to earn two degrees. Yet, I feel as he is under appreciated for his contributions to the art world.
Umberto Boccioni was an Italian artist associated with the Futurist movement. Umberto Boccioni was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy in the year 1882.
His father was a low level government official.
The artist attended the Academy of Fine Arts located in Rome. Giocoma Balla was a major influence.
Boccioni was a painter and sculptor who was very prolific in his output.
In this clip one of the artist’s most famous sculptures:
Below a selection of paintings by the artist:
In the year 1916 he was drafted to fight in World War One. During a training exercise he was thrown from his horse and trampled. He died the next day from the injuries he sustained. Umberto Boccioni passed away in 1916 when he was only 33 years of age.
Price range information: Works range from $10,000 to $900,000. The artist worked in charcoal, watercolors, and oils. He was also a printmaker.
The artist was truly a young master and its too bad he passed away at such a young age. Though he had a short career, he was an outstanding painter in a representational style, as well as his chosen style of Futurism.
Francis Newton Souza, also known as F.N. Souza, was an Indian painter. Francis Newton Souza was born in Saligao, Gao, India in the year 1924.
Souza reminds me of the artist Munch, both artists did a fantastic job at capturing the mood. Souza often depicted pain and suffering. Souza also reminds of German master Käthe Kollwitz.
The artist attended college first at St. Xavier’s College located in Bombay at the time, but was expelled for writing graffiti in a restroom. Souza also attended the Sir J.J. School of Art located in Bombay, India. The artist was kicked out of school for supporting the Quit India movement.
After leaving school he found employment as a journalist writing about art for such periodicals as ArtNews and Review.
A short selection of works by F.N. Souza:
The artist was associated with the Progressive Painting Group of which he was a founding member. Souza was a leader and helped to organize events and exhibitions that would make Indian painters and artists better known among European collectors.
Francis Souza passed away in 2002.
The artist was highly productive over his lengthy career producing many paintings and drawings.
Price range information: Works in ink and drawings start at the $20,000 up to original oils which can reach $2.5 million dollars.
Leon Underwood was a British painter and sculptor. Leon Underwood was born in Shepherds Bush, London, England in the year 1890. Much of the artist’s body of work explored the figure.
Underwood attended the Royal College of Art located in London, England. In addition he attended the Regent Street Polytechnic, and the Slade School of Art.
One of the artist’s first jobs was to design and hide observation points, during times of war, in camouflage.
Here is a clip featuring some sculptures and paintings by Underwood. What a keen eye he had for finding fluid shapes in his figure work:
Leon Underwood passed away in 1975.
Underwood also made furniture.
Price range information: Prints are the cheapest starting around $2,000. Underwood was a prolific engraver. Bronzes can reach as high as $50,000.
What a great artist who never tired of experimenting with a new medium.
Xul Solar was from Argentina and renown for his highly stylized landscape paintings. Xul Solar was born in San Fernando, Buenos Aires, Argentina in the year 1887. Solar was a Modernist painter, sculptor, and writer.
The artist’s full name was Oscar Alejandro Schultz Solari. He officially changed his name to Xul Solar somewhere between in 1916 and 1917.
He enjoyed exploring such ideas as religion and astrology in his work. His first major exhibition was in 1920.
The artist studied music and architecture.
Over his career his preferred medium of choice was watercolor.
Xul Solar passed away in 1963.
Below a montage of works by Xul Solar:
Price range information: Works range from $20,000 to $100,000. Solar painted in watercolor, tempera, and oils.
Solar was always creating and invented his own languages. The artist also devised newer versions of classic items such as a piano that featured three rows of keys.
What a fascinating artist. He reminds me of Dali for his unrelenting creativity and mastery of multiple mediums.
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