Camille Pissaro (1873)
Mention impressionism and usually the first name that comes to mind is Claude Monet. Yes Monet was the giant of impressionism and he was faithful to the idea for his entire career. Who else can compare to Monet? To my mind the next name should be Camille Pissaro. Pissaro was the epitomy of steady progress through the impressionist period and beyond. Wise beyond his years and always willing to pass on his thoughts . Many famous artists of the late 1800’s sought advice from Pissaro. Most famous of his collaborators was Paul Cezanne to whom Pissaro provided much moral support. “Precise drawing is dry and hampers the impression of the whole. It is the brushstroke of the right value and color which should produce the drawings.” (Pissaro) Pissaro sought truth in nature. He was passionate about painting from real life. The rural scenes, common folk and hardships of everyday life were typical subjects. Pissaro was influenced by artists like Corot and Courbet who started painting from real rural scenes. However Pissaro went further and followed the entire progression of impressionism until the movement began to give way to new directions in the early twentieth century. Despite the appearance of a conservative patriach Pissaro was very much left leaning in his beliefs. He had no time for the aristocracy and elite classes. Yet his dedication and work ethic was unquestioned. In his later years, despite an eye infection and old age, Pissaro continued to work outdoors or from hotel windows when necessary to express himself through the natural world. Pissaro left a major contribution to the art world for others to learn from and enjoy. Do not be timid in the presence of nature; one must be bold at the risk of being deceived and making mistakes. One must have only one teacher – nature. She is the one always to be consulted. The past long weekend gave me the opportunity to take some time a get out along some familiar backroads to relax with my family. These moments remind me that there is so much nearby that I tend to take for granted. If I spent a fortune to visit far away lands with closed eyes I would be wasting my time and money. By being aware of what is here I can see all there is in the world. It is what it is. Zest Cafe One of our stops was at the Pig and Whistle Inn in Bathurst to drop off some paintings that will be on display at the Inn. Speaking to Gavin, the owner, I was struck by his enthusiasm for the Inn. It happens to be oldest licensed pub in South Africa. The inn dates back to 1832 and was founded by Thomas Hartley, an 1820 settler himself. Another famous settler who owned the Inn was Jeremiah Goldswain. I may mention my own family connection with an uncle who owned the Inn for some twenty-four years. It is a beautiful old building and a real treasure inside too. Stop by the next time you venture through Bathurst. Enthusiasm and attention to what is really important are the essential ingredients for enjoying your work. I could see this in the way the Pig and Whistle is run. Later on as we ventured to Port Alfred to deliver more paintings at Zest Cafe in Van Der Riet street. The idea loving what you do in the moment was also apparent at Zest Cafe. This busy little courtyard cafe never fails to satisfy my family. It is clear from the number of visitors on Saturday that we are not the only ones who love the cafe. Go along there and enjoy a great lunch and check out the art too. After a day of travelling and making stops here and there it was welcome relief to spend some time in the afternoon and watch the sun setting over the eastern cape hills. As the sun went down with the sky turning orange the winter chill suddenly came back. It was time to light a fire and watch the first stars come out. Moments to savour. I wonder how often I have missed the glory of the present moment by trying to look into the future or churning over something that happened in the past. Far too many! The beauty of art is that it captures my attention fully for however long I paint. Soon after I stop, if I am not aware, the thinking starts again to fill in the silence with chatter. That is what we should guard against - idle thoughts. Stay in the moment. Enjoy the fine work of others and contribute with your own work from time to time. There is a universe on our doorstep. Recently I was delving through old photographs probably looking for ideas, but with no particular goal. I came across a series of photos of the Owl House in Nieu Bethesda. If you have been visiting this site for some time you will have noted my fondness for this tiny karoo village. In particular the owl house, famous today for the cement sculptures by Helen Martins and her assistant Koos Malgas. Helen Martins was viewed with suspicion in her time and she must have lived a lonely and desperate life until her passing by suicide in 1976. The label of eccentric seems to follow her, but in truth she was one of our greatest artists. Looking through the photos of her home's interior leaves no doubt about Helen Martin's vision and desire to capture the sunlight as it arced its way across the karoo sky. Crushed glass is pasted onto walls and ceilings to sparkle throughout the day. Sculptures of many figures including the ever present owls keep watch over the warm interior. Some visitors today are disturbed by the spectacle and even feel spooked. What is a fact however is that Helen Martins was a determined and highly creative person. She followed her own path even though it was against popular views of the time. A contrarian. Sadly she paid the price for it by being ostracised in the little town. Ironically her legacy continues to benefit the village to this day. It reminds me of that other artist who followed the harsh sunlight of southern France trying to capture the essence of the landscape in thick, bright and expressive brushstrokes. Van Gogh was misunderstood and regarded as an eccentric, but his undeniable talent was fully recognised after his death. Not every artist needs to live with extreme views or obsessive lifestyles. The lesson I think is that every artist must express themselves truthfully. Finding that truth may be difficult until the artist stops seeking and then discovers it was always there to begin with. Do not follow the path of others, learn from others where necessary, but unless we walk our own path we will always be unsatisfied. Be contrary, when needed, to stay on your unique path. The Grahamstown National Arts festival starts on 27 June 2013. It is one of the highlights of the year for arts fans - and my personal favorite place to be.
Please assist if you can. I am testing a new app from www.walnut.com. The app is for iphone and ipad users and is available free from the appstore. If you scan the code below you will be able to place the painting, to scale, on a wall in your home to assess.
I would appreciate your comments. Do you find the app useful or not? Thank you What do you think of when you hear the words "Russian art". To the uninformed images of propaganda posters and giant politburo faces on buildings may come to mind. Perhaps the opulent splendour of Tsarist Russia? Yes all of those stereotypes can be found, but that would be a disservice to the tremendous contribution Russian artists have made to impressionist and realist art. Freedom to Express Since the fall of Soviet Russia the world has been able to re-access this trove of art. Impressionism in particular was well represented in Russia. Artists in the 19th and early 20th centuries studied the art movements in Europe. The thread of impressionism, namely to depict real life, nature and light was an important form of expression in Russia. One can easily imagine the sense of freedom artists felt being able to depict their friends and neighbours going about real life activities. No more restrictive academic traditions and formulas. Not to mention the political throttle that Stalinist era had brought to art. It must be kept in mind that Russian artists in the late 1800's and early 1900's were well traveled and influenced by Impressionists in Europe too. However once the Iron curtain clanged shut after 1945 Russia and Europe were kept apart. Did the following decades preserve impressionism longer than it lasted in Europe? Russian Pride Life was hard and remained a struggle for most. However when you look at paintings of rural folk depicted by Russian artists during the Soviet period you get a sense of life depicted somewhat through rose tinted glasses. Yes the artists would have been mindful of depicting Russians negatively, but there was perhaps also a sense of pride in being Russian. You may find parallels with American artists like Norman Rockwell for instance. Restructuring Life and Art Once the Soviet Union collapsed in the nineties the world began to see more Russian art. The beauty of this realist painting was apparent. It was also accessible at a time when Western art was for many too modern, facile or simply weird. Yes there was the whiff of Socialist propaganda buried beneath Russian art. For the most part though collectors and fans found a trove of impressionist treasure. A re-connection with the impressionists likeMonet and Pissaro that the West loves. The Real Russian Russian impressionist paintings have a distinctive feel and there is a sense of the Russian culture and heritage - both joyful and tragic - that radiates from some of the paintings. Artists like Ilya Repin believed that the Russian people wanted artists to depict the real Russian life. Artists who did this successfully became famous - national treasures. Valentin Serov's painting Girl with Peaches for instance was a sensation. Russia is a huge country and of course the land, nature and the harsh elements were part of survival. Depicting Russian country life was important culturally and emotionally to the Russian psyche. Artists live Isaac Levitan did this wonderfully as can be seen in Golden Autumn below. 20th Century Impressionists Looking to modern impressionists in the 20th century the famous brothers Alexei and Sergei Tkachev have produced stunning works. Their painting above (Children) seems to evoke so much about the fragility of life together with the universal joy of nature. Who can look at this painting and not be moved? Bold, energetic colour with contrasting lights and darks together with the emotional content makes for a powerful painting. Not to mention the genius composition and spacing of the figures, colour choices and gestures. My Favorite Contemporary Russian Impressionists A few of the contemporary artists that inspire me are Bato Dugarzaphov. His thick and juicy brushwork is a wonder to behold. The light in his almost abstract paintings is almost searing at times. Another artist is Peter Bezrukov who has a similar passionate approach to paint, light and brushwork. It is these artist who, for me, link directly back to the original impressionists that I love so much. Take some time and look up more Russian Impressionists - it is well worth it. For more about modern Russian art and its resurgent popularity read this article from Fine Art Connoisseur
Finally there is now an official World Art Day! 15 April 2013 will be the first world art day. Appropriately 15 April is also Leonardo da Vinci's birthday. Let us all get our art kit together and do something creative this weekend as a reminder that we are part of a long journey of artists. Long may the journey continue. To quote from the official website: Many persons could be tempted to start their first art collections and many artists young and old would stand more chances to be remembered and commemorated on such a day when the whole World would be thinking and breathing art. We envision a day in which every museum and gallery of the World with open-night events that would last till midnight… Besides the economic boost it would provoke, special affection and respect to the art world. Art and Artists would become dominant on that day and wrong doings of censorship and other even greater evils would be much harder to defend with the weight created with the “World Art Day”… About time too! What artist would you commemorate as the greatest? This is an interesting photo retouch of Van Gogh's famous self-portrait by Lithuanian artist Tadao Cern. The process seems to reveal the sitter himself. Revealing The Truth from Tadao Cern on Vimeo. Something different this year? How about a painting or the gift of art lessons. 14% for the 14th offer on Paintings for Sale and a special offer on my art workshop for newsletter subcribers.
To mark the launch of my Facebook page I have put a painting up as a prize. All you need to do to take part is visit the page and Like something. Easy! There will also be three vouchers for participation on my online art workshop free of charge. Closing date is 28 February 2013. The winners will be announced by 07 March 2013. |
AuthorMalcolm Dewey: Artist. Country: South Africa Archives
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