Detail from: Sutterman’s Lament, No. 6
Interesting Links:
SPECIAL NOTE: The following link could be on a page by itself. The Google Art Project lets you virtually walk through some of the world’s greatest art museums. In fact, this may be the only opportunity many of us will ever have to “walk” the halls of the Hermitage, Uffizi, or many others. In addition to being able to tour these museums you may view their greatest works in the privacy of your home. You can even view the work very close up which you often can’t do on location.
http://www.googleartproject.com/
Robert Frank is one of my greatest influences. His work, particularly The Americans, was powerful in its day and has become even more so with the patina of time. He achieves that by juxtaposing striking elements within his photographs making for brilliant compositions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Frank
Francis Bacon, who “Margaret Thatcher famously described (him) as, that man who paints those dreadful pictures" [1], painted with pigment mixed with his soul. I feel if art is successful you can have a visceral connection with the artist just by experiencing their work. That connection can feel like as a good conversation, even if that person lived hundreds of years ago. Bacon’s paintings are of that ilk.
http://www.francis-bacon.com/
Romare Bearden’s name is perhaps less familiar than the artists listed above. To my eye his collages are the visual manifestation of jazz. The colors and picture elements blend in parallel play creating powerful compositions.
http://www.beardenfoundation.org/index2.shtml
Pedro Meyer’s work runs the gamut from documentary to the surreal. His website alone is an adventure in photography.
http://www.pedromeyer.com/galleries/galleries.html
Arthur Rothstein, one of the FSA photographers did a book with William Saroyan in the sixties called Look at US. This is a book that I’ve enjoyed looking at for decades. This is a great, and rare, collaboration between an important photographer and writer of their day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Rothstein
The Daguerreian Society seems like something from the old English TV show, The Avengers. They are as they state on their website, “Dedicated to the history, science, and art of the daguerreotype”.[2] Daguerreotypes are fascinating for so many reasons. They were generally produced between 1840 and 1855. Since they were one of a kind and mirrored each, literally, reflects a little piece of history. Daguerreotype landscapes look barren and foreboding due to the long exposures that were required. Portraits, the most common use of Daguerreotypes, appear as ghosts in your hand as the image flips from positive to negative with the slightest movement. Perhaps the best thing about Daguerreotypes was their exquisite detail and tonal range, especially for their day. Unfortunately Daguerreotypes lost the technology battle to the more utilitarian system of positives made from negatives.
http://www.daguerre.org
Why would I suggest a poem on a site dedicated to a visual art form? Because Howl, by Allen Ginsberg, is the spiritual counterpart to Robert Frank’s, The Americans. The imagery it produces is every bit as strong without the G.U.I. of photography.
http://www.wussu.com/poems/agh.htm
Vik Muniz’s work gives irony a good name. He sly combines such disparate materials such as dirt, diamonds, and chocolate (to name just a few), into portraits that echo the materials they made with. Examples include; movie stars painted in diamonds, the Mona Lisa in jam, and giant tableaus of masterpieces made with garbage.
The link to his site is currently unavailable, but there’s a lot of information about his work on-line.
A number of years ago I was in an exhibit called; Fused: Art, Science, and Industry. One of the other artists exhibiting was Arthur Ganson. This was my first introduction into this man’s fascinating work. His piece, which is best described by looking at it, called Machine with Oil was at once both sensual and mechanical. Those aren’t characteristics usually associated with one another. If you have an opportunity to go to MIT’s museum you could see a number of his pieces on display. You may also get an overview of his work on his website.
http://www.arthurganson.com/
Golan Levin is an academic and artist. He combines technology and art in a way that blurs their definitions. However, his work resonates with viewers in a way more familiar forms of art can only hope to do.
http://www.ted.com/talks/golan_levin_ted2009.html
Collageart.org is an incredibly diverse resource on the subjects of photomontage and collage. Jonathan Talbot, himself an acclaimed artist working in collage, has assembled links to various artist’s websites. What’s most enjoyable about the site is that it runs the gamut from the classical Hannah Hoch, to the jazzy Romare Bearden (listed above as well), to lesser-known artists, from around the world. Talbot’s selections seem to be based more on substance and diversity rather then an aesthetic agenda. This site is one stop shopping for scholarly pursuits as well as those simply interested in the power of juxtaposition.
http://www.collageart.org/photomontage/