Mountains at Collioure is a painting by the Fauvist, Andre’ Derain created in 1905. Derain worked closely with another famous Fauvist, Henry Matisse. The “wild beasts”, which is the English translation of the French word, Fauves, was essentially a transitional movement that followed in the footsteps of the Post-Modernists and rejected the … Continue reading
Category Archives: essay
The Progression From Renaissance to Baroque in Three Examples
A Tale of Three Davids The stretch of art history from the Early Renaissance through the Baroque can be exemplified by selected works of major artists during these periods. Three works by Donatello, Michelangelo, and Bernini representing the biblical character of David are good examples of this stretch of art history. Donatello was born in … Continue reading
Judgmentalism in Art
After reading an article on http://www.spiked-online.com, the question of using the term judgmentalism when exploring art criticism piqued my interest. The article on this website, “Modern Art is Not Rubbish,” engaged in the typical tortured intellectual gymnastics that has been around since the Cubists, which I will examine a little later. Nevertheless, I have heard … Continue reading
Some Thoughts on Appian’s The Civil Wars
On Appian’s The Civil Wars. Continue reading
Notes on the Death of Andrew Wyeth
First of all, this is not an article on the history of the Wyeths, in particular, Andrew Wyeth, but a musing about the nature of art and art criticism. I have always found art critics a little hard to stomach. One would quickly say that is only natural coming from an artist. Yet I have … Continue reading
Ephemeral Design
I am usually spending my evenings doing something productive, but occasionally I do enjoy a good documentary or a video on art or design. Last night I watched “Ellen’s Design Challenge” on HGTV. Although I have a degree in fine art, design is a large part of any artistic endeavor and is quite fulfilling in … Continue reading
The Velazquez Prize Continued
To start this second part of the Velazquez Prize, a myth must be dispelled. Reference to Velazquez should not come as part of an examination of Impressionism. Artists, today, wrongly think they are Impressionists simply because they use a painterly or rough approach to brushstrokes on a canvas. The use of broad brushstrokes does not … Continue reading
A Note on Varieties of Modernism
I have read some of Varieties of Modernism, edited by Paul Wood. This is one of a series of four books primarily used at universities in teaching modern art history. Varieties of Modernism covers 20th century modernity in art and purports to be a book of art history. If one wonders why students these days … Continue reading
The Bailey House: Artistic Zen Architecture
The Bailey House or Case Study House #21 was the creation of architect Pierre Koenig and begun in 1958. Located near Fryman Canyon Park and the famous Mulholland Drive, the Bailey House is a tour de force of mid-century architecture, although Case Study House #22 is more well known. Koenig was renowned for his adherence … Continue reading
Modernism Exalted: The 1964 World’s Fair (With Videos)
I shall start from the end. I ask the question, “What still remains of the 1964 World’s Fair?” The location of both the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fair are presently occupied by Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. Indeed, two World’s Fairs were held at the same location. Previous to the 1939 occasion, a dump … Continue reading