November / December 2016

Self Portrait: Woman before a painting of a Woman before a Mirror – D. Nelson

Artists and the Theatre: Picasso and Hockney

A California girl, new to the University of Michigan in the mild early fall of 1974 I was still wearing summer clothes. My first class was the history of modern art. I knew no one. Every time I walked in the room a small cluster of older women stared at me and started whispering. This continued for weeks and feeling fresh off the boat from out west I was intimidated. Finally, one of them asked the professor if I didn’t remind him of someone. He was as perplexed as was I. Apparently they had been in his class about Picasso the previous summer. Picasso had many mistresses but only one was blonde, as I was, so they decided I looked like Marie Therese Walter. Years later when I was asked to do a self-portrait I remembered that incident and so my painting is of me looking at the famous painting he did of her…Woman before a Mirror. My ode to the master.

In 1917 Picasso made his first foray into theatre by teaming with Jean Cocteau, Erik Satie and Leonide Massine on a ballet for Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe. Picasso designed the sets and costumes for the ballet while Cocteau wrote a one act scenario,Satie did the music and Massine choreographed the work. The ballet was Parade, which in French means sideshow. It was supposed to depict the life of the common man. The music was dissonant, the dance modern and the sets and costumes designed by Picasso reflected his experiment with Cubism. The costumes were cumbersome as some were made from cardboard which made movement for the dancers difficult and many were massive…as tall as nine feet. Robert Joffrey, director of the Joffrey Ballet, was a fan of Massine and wanted to produce Parade in the United States. By 1973 he was successful in getting permission. The ballet had only been seen nine or ten times in the intervening years and never in the United States. It debuted in New York in March. I was taking classes at the University of Michigan and Joffrey brought it to Detroit so I was lucky enough to be in the audience. My friend Maria and I got there early but by the time curtain call came there were only a few of us in our seats…maybe fifteen people. Mr. Joffrey came out on stage, sat on the edge, legs dangling and told us all to move closer to him. I remember him speaking to us for about fifteen minutes about the ballet. He got up, the doors were opened and the rest of the audience streamed in. It was a wonderful night because even all those years later it was still apparent how ground breaking the ballet…its music, the movement, the story as well as the sets and costumes still were. In 1981 the Metropolitan Opera decided to do a version of Parade and hired David Hockney to update the costumes and sets. So the two artist share an interesting connection. Mr. Hockney has worked in theatre many times. What could have been a daunting task turned into a triumph as Mr. Hockney did not change a lot of what Picasso had done originally. He merely incorporated some of the harlequins, tumblers and acrobats that Picasso depicted in his family of Saltimbanques series of paintings. Hockney’s poster for the event is iconic…a wonderful acrobat in keeping with Picasso’s work.

Highlights

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York is one of my favorite places. A wonderful exhibit is about to open there. Picasso: The Artist and His Models is set to run November 5, 2016 – February 19, 2017. It includes works from 1906 – 1960 and is accented and put in perspective by the art of some of his contemporaries such as Matisse, Georgia O’Keefe, Juan Gris, Stuart Davis and many others. Included are paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints which show the artist’s versatility. His contribution to the development of modern art is exemplified by the trajectory of the works on display. If you are in the area be sure and check it out. All the details are at the website www.albrightknox.org so be sure and take a peek.

Where you can see my artwork

My artwork is available at Rons. For further information call the shop at 805.489.4747.  Rons is located at 850 W. Grand in Grover Beach a few blocks from the train station, a golf course and the beautiful Pacific Ocean. For more information go to Rons website at www.ronsingroverbeach.com or find him on facebook.

Not To Be Missed – Museum Exhibits

A Passionate Eye: The Weiner Family Collection is at The Palm Springs Museum through December 11, 2016. Featured are over 60 sculptures, paintings and prints by an impressive array of artists including Picasso, Moore, Marini and Lipchitz. The list continues with works by Arp, Modigliani and Isamu Noguchi making this a must see installation. The museum also has a subsidiary museum in Palm Desert known as the Galen. It is surrounded by the four acre Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden that features over ten significant sculptures surrounded by landscaped gardens. A visit to these two venues make it worth the drive. Google the museum or go to www.psmuseum.org for current information.

Currently at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana is California Bounty: Image and Identity, 1850-1930 which consists of paintings from the museum’s collection representing a visual history of California. The exhibit explores its mixture of Mexican and Anglo traditions as well as California’s position on the Pacific Rim. Many paintings from the state’s Mission and Rancho periods are part of the mix. Those who love art and California history will not want to miss this so go to www.bowers.org for all the pertinent information.

Highlights of the Permanent Collection celebrates the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s 75^th anniversary. The exhibit features some of the museum's most well-known pieces. The Armand Hammer Foundation has loaned some amazing Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art as well for an ongoing exhibit. British Art from Whistler to WWII opened September 18 and runs through January of next year. The fifty artworks represent an overview of British art from the end of the 19^th Century through World War II. Adjacent to this exhibit is a collection of photographs by Sir Cecil Beaton. Cecil Beaton’s “London’s Honorable Scars”: Photographs of the Blitz is a series of dramatic photographs by the famous photographer. Of course, Portrait of Mexico Today, painted by David Alfaro Siquerios while living in political exile in Los Angeles in 1932 has a home in the front façade of the museum. It is intact and is in a protected spot. We are so lucky to have it. Check online at www.sbmuseart.org/ for more details.

Alternative Dreams: 17^th- Century Chinese Paintings from the Tsao Family Collection is currently at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art until December 4, 2016. The collection took over fifty years to assemble and is one of the finest collections of Chinese Art of this period in the United States. The collection contains works by some of China’s most well-known artists. The 17^th century in China was one of turmoil and saw the end of the Ming dynasty and the transformation to the Ching dynasty. It was a period of creativity and eccentricity in art. More information is at www.lacma.org on this exhibit.

Wow! States of Mind: Picasso Lithographs 1945 – 1960 opened October 14 and is on display through February 13, 2017. The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena has one of the most extensive collections of Picasso prints anywhere. Toward the end of WWII the artist became more interested in the movement of his thoughts than of the thoughts themselves. Due to the nature of paint and its density the process is often covered up. Prints on the other hand offer an easier way to see the process as a series of prints is easier and quicker to do so the artist can change, add and subtract from print to print. I personally love to see the evolution of an image. More information is available at www.nortonsimon.org so be sure to take a look.

Frank Stella: A Retrospective opens at the de Young in San Francisco on November 5 and continues through February 26, 2017. The exhibit follows his fifty plus year career and features fifty works by the artist. This exhibit is the first comprehensive U.S. show of Stella’s work since 1970 and includes paintings, reliefs, sculptures and maquettes. Check www.deyoung.famsf.org which will have all pertinent information and includes some notes by the artist about color, shape and volume which are very interesting. The de Young prides itself in making its exhibits accessible and has instituted a plan for people who are unable to come to the museum whether for medical reasons, distance or finances.  They have two robots that will take visitors on a tour via the internet. Rebecca Bradley is the Accessibility Curator. You can email her office at access@famsf.org if this great idea is of interest.

Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style opened October 11 at the Seattle Art Museum and goes through January 8, 2017. One of my favorites, this promises to be an incredible show as it not only includes garments and accessories,  it also documents the process that the designer went through to arrive at the end product. Included are drawings, films and photographs from Saint Laurent’s 44 year career. This is a must see. Go to www.seattleartmuseum.org to obtain more information.

Now at the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver through January 15, 2017 is Clyfford Still: The Works on Paper. This is a unique exhibit in that with few exceptions, paintings, for which he is most known, will not be on view during this exhibition. Many think of abstract expressionism as a New York City art movement. Still was a westerner so his role in the movement is sometimes diminished. Abstract expressionism is also thought to be impulsive and spontaneous. Still did over two thousand drawings many of which led to his larger paintings. Like many artists, Picasso for example, these drawings served as a kind of diary and a way to experiment before working on the final piece. This project offers a broader view of Still’s place in art history as visitors can visit a hands-on gallery featuring drawing activities and demonstrations and a community-created art installation. Check out www.clyffordstillmuseum.org for all the details.

Make Room for Color Field includes paintings by three of the foremost color field painters, Helen Frankenthaler, Jules Olitski and Morris Louis. There is still ongoing discussions on just how Louis created his paintings and how he got the look he did. The exhibit is on view at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in St. Louis through November 27. The museum’s website at www.nelson-atkins.org will provide more information.

The Chicago Arts Institute is hosting Maholy-Nagy: Future Present through January 3, 2017. The artist, who became prominent as a professor at Germany’s Bauhaus School of Design and eventually resided in Chicago, was always ahead of his time. This exhibit includes over three hundred works that define his career. More details are at www.artic.edu for this fascinating exhibit.

Stuart Davis: In Full Swing opened in June at the Whitney in New York. One of my favorite modernists, his work is so colorful and whimsical. In this exhibit his early works will hang next to later works as they made reference to each other throughout his career. On September 16 Carmen Herrera debuted. The Cuban–American artist is still working in her 100^th year. A contemporary of Ellsworth Kelly and Barnett Newman, her hard edged style continues intact. The exhibit will contain work from her years in Paris as well as selections from her Blanco y Verde series, current work and some rare three dimensional pieces. The exhibit runs through January. Be sure to check www.whitney.org for all the details. You will be delighted.

Francis Picabia: Our Heads Are Round so Our Thoughts Can Change Direction opens at the Museum of Modern Art in New York on November 21, 2016 and goes through March 19 of next year. Picabia is best known as a leader of the Dada movement but he was extremely versatile and refused to settle into one particular style. This is the first exhibit in the United States to focus on his entire career. The show includes paintings, periodicals, printed matter, illustrated letters and a film. It should be very interesting. Also coming up on November 23, 2016 at MoMa is One and One is Four: The Bauhaus Photocollages of Josef Albers. Known primarily for his Homage to a Square paintings, the artist taught at the Bauhaus and later at Black Mountain College and Yale University. His photocollages were only discovered after his death and many are seen here for the first time. This exhibit goes through April 2, 2017 so go to www.moma.org for more information.

        

Max Beckmann in New York is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and will be there through February 20, 2017. The artist was popular in his native Germany and in the late 1920s was at the height of his career. That is until the government labeled his art as degenerate. He moved to Holland and later took a teaching position in St. Louis. In 1949 he moved to New York where he painted several very powerful paintings. In December 1950 he left his apartment to go see one of his paintings being shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He never made it, suffering a fatal heart attack. This is the inspiration for this exhibit which features 14 paintings created during his year in New York as well as 25 earlier works from New York collections. More on his story can be found at www.metmuseum.org as well at dates and times.

        

Although the exhibit has closed, there is a wonderful video that came out of this show, Monet and the Post Impressionists. So many artists found inspiration in their gardens. Now there is a video available, Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse. Find out more by visiting www.royalacademy.org.uk and get the whole scoop.

Currently at the Victoria and Albert is You Say You Want a Revolution? Records & Rebels 1966-70. Examining the upheaval in all areas of society, the exhibit will bring together objects relating to music, fashion, film, design and politics. Sex, drugs and rock and roll will be the mantra of this major exhibition which runs from September 10, 2016-February 26, 2017. For more information on both exhibits www.vam.ac.uk will have everything you need to know.

Right now at the National Portrait Gallery in London, PicassoPortraits holds center stage. The exhibit of over eighty works by the artist runs through February 5, 2017.This major exhibition emphasizes his work inspired by family, friends and lovers examining his creative process along the way. Black Chronicles: Photographic Portraits 1862 – 1948 is also at the National Portrait Gallery, London through December 11, 2016. This interesting exhibit which intends to comment on Pre-World War II life in Britain taps its own resources as well as those of Les Ballets Negres. The portraits all have interesting stories associated with them. For example there is a portrait of Sarah Forbes Bonetta who was born into a Yoruba royal family but was captured in a slave hunt where her parents were murdered. A Royal Naval Captain named Forbes convinced her captors to gift her to Queen Victoria. Sarah was fostered and the Queen payed for her education. She later married a wealthy merchant and lived in Laos. Her eldest daughter became Victoria’s god-child. Information on these exhibits can be found at www.npg.org.uk so you can plan your trip.

Simply the Best:

The best place to find books on the arts, Arcana, is a very special book store located in the Helms Bakery complex in Los Angeles…it’s wonderful! I have known owner Lee Kaplan for decades and his selection of books is as superb as his taste is impeccable. Arcana: Books on the Arts is at 8675 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232. For information go to  http://www.arcanabooks.com  or call 310.458.1499.

Michiko Jewelry Design is an incredible jewelry store in downtown Seal Beach, CA, featuring excellent one-of-a-kind gifts. The shop owner and artist, Carol Matsumoto, custom designs beautiful pieces. Michiko is at 228 Main Street. Call 563.431.3237 for more information or check www.michikojewelrydesign.com.

Places to Go, People to See

Batchelder: Tilemaker will be at the Pasadena History Museum through February 12, 2017. The exhibit celebrates one of the leaders of the Arts and Crafts movement in Southern California. Batchelder started with a kiln in 1910 in Arroyo Seco. His tiles are highly prized and some of you may be lucky enough to have some in your home. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the man and the process. Check out www.pasadenahistory.org for more information.

The Laguna Sawdust Festival has been a tradition for 50 years. Although a more recent incarnation, the winter version has been going strong for over half that time. This year it will take place for five consecutive weekends from November 19 through December 18. The festival showcases original art such as photography, paintings, ceramics, textiles, jewelry etc. and features craft making classes. Information is available at www.sawdustartfestival.org or by calling 949.494.3030.

One of the special places to visit in California during the holidays is Hearst Castle in San Simeon. Starting in mid-November and continuing through January 2 the decorated castle is stunning and Twilight Tours are available. While you are in the area there is plenty to see. Morro Bay has a lighted boat parade and lovely Cambria shares its art market. Find tours for the castle at www.hearstcastle.org and Morro Bay and Cambria have websites that have info on their events.

Addendum:

I am often asked how to teach kids to paint. This article by the wonderful artist and teacher, Bob Burridge is apropos for both kids and adults and the timing is great for the holidays so I am sharing. Creativity rules!

Robert Burridge’s

All Children are Born Natural Artists.... and Painters!

All children make the most amazing art! Picasso has often confessed that he borrowed freely from the creations of children and always had their artwork hanging in his studios! While I was a child, my parents had set up an “art table” for me and for each of my four brothers. My “creative arena” was always setup and ready for me to play, build things, break things, make things and create endlessly.

Art Making Table includes: 1)  Large white paper pads suitable for paint (will not curl) 2)  Large wide mouthed jars of primary colors, plus white and black 3)  Large brushes - never small brushes 4)  Large 1 gallon buckets of water 5)  Use real artists’ materials - shows our confidence that their work matters

Emphasize “Express Yourself”: •Young artists tend to paint what they feel is beautiful... often mandalas, saints in sacred places and shapes that have a center, such as a sun or the planet. This is the time to encourage them to paint wild and wacky colors, such as green sky, yellow grass and pink water, etc. •Stress that this painting time is not an art lesson. Rather, emphasize they are here to be and act as artists (remember, children are already artists)

Studio Painting Time •Teacher/Artist to paint and demonstrate 10” x 10” warm-up exercises and to utilize everything in front of them... paint, tissue paper, pencils, glue, string, etc. •Then introduce a subject such as a bird.  Have the children discuss and give their impression of what a bird does and is; not how to draw a bird… but instead, your interpretation of a bird for me! Make it silly! •Show painting reproductions of Miró, Klee, Kandinski, late-period Picasso and late-period Matisse (the Jazz series).

Teaching Points and Additional Ideas: 1) Have the children talk about their creations, not explain their creations. Never ask, “What is it?” Never correct or assign a grade for their paintings. The child is the authority; the art teacher would be advised to refrain from judging or comparing. 2) Keep your negative opinions about a particular art style to yourself. They may shut down the children’s open-minded curiosity. 3) Call the children “artists.” 4) Encourage risk-taking, not imitation. 5) Keep adult expectations out of the children’s time for creating.

6) Wild and wacky and unreal should be the norm. 7) Teenagers will want to conform and add detail. This is a good time to begin teaching and demonstrating proper academic drawing techniques; stressing however, individuality and nonconformity. 8) Never expect a “pretty picture” and never suggest it. 9) Focus on the process and not the end result. 10) Play more with intentions and have the children write down their goals before painting. 11) If possible, do not “reward” or give grades for doing “correct” art; rather encourage individuality. 12) Have a Dress-Like-an-Artist Day (not good clothes) with painting aprons, etc. 13) Near the end of the class calendar, have all students carry their own materials, easels, etc. outside and paint landscapes on location after a talk about Van Gogh. 14) Always do a demonstration (visual learning) and explain what you are doing (audible learning) and a written handout explaining what you are doing... more papers for the inquisitive parents who need to know. 15) Music is essential! A small FM radio near the art table is ideal. “My mother listened to opera on Saturday mornings while baking. I didn’t understand the stories then and I still don’t, but the same music is a comforting ritual I listen to when painting today. I feel safe creating in unknown territories and paint with no fear.”

When You Are Teaching Your Children... •Discard everything that is unnecessary. •Aim to be simple. •Relax, abandon yourself. Fear nothing. •Compress time. Aim at succeeding, don’t waste an instant. •Don’t take yourself seriously. •Don’t hurry, don’t rest. •Use self-humor. •Don’t be afraid to be a little foolish. •Have endless patience. •If faced with overwhelming odds, occupy time with something else. •Have endless capacity to improvise. •Bring abstract ideas to concrete form. •Assume that students enjoy learning. •Believe that children are perfect, and we’re just building on their strengths. •Support everything with a visual aid. •Insure no possible way to fail. •A teacher must be upbeat and positive. •If the goal is only to learn facts, then we lose the chance to know that learning is exciting.

©Robert Burridge 2007 www.RobertBurridge.com

WISHING YOU HAPPY HOLIDAYS: LOVE, PEACE & HAPPINESS IN THE COMING YEAR

My website, Nelson Fine Art Studio, was designed and created by Sandy Crespo. You can see her multimedia art on Facebook.

Continue to check back as we will be posting upcoming shows here and on the exhibits page of my website…and again, there is always Facebook.