for the first time in a long time...
a group of 14 paintings for the rag-picker exhibitions currently up in LA and NY - each painting is 11" x 14", oil on linen, and each based on an image of the church in sienna pictured below. there was one postcard image of this church in walter benjamin's postcard collection, the other views (i found 12 on ebay!) were from the same time period. each image generated the striped columns in a painting. this little group of little paintings was the first time in nearly 20 years that i painted from a photograph...
4 Comments:
Hi
I think that these Sienna paintings are amazing - they are in themselves beautiful; they have something of a totemic quality; and they just make me laugh. The extraction of these from the overthetop appearance of the cathedral is just so perfect and light. The pillars can be seen - you can align card and painting - but the creation is pure roden.
I also like the fact that the cards can present subtly different edits of probably what is the same photo.
wonderful
yes, the cards were fascinating. there is one view in the benjamin archives, and i thought it would be easy to find on ebay, but in fact i never saw that exact card anywhere else. i did manage to find 12 views from the same time period, mostly from two different publishers and that was quite interesting to discover and to "archive"...
It is most likely me reading something that isn't there into your surprise at finding yourself using photography to paint, but I find it a little surprising. I know many representational artists are adamant against using photographs. They have their reasons (as do we all) for doing things the way they do. I wonder if the practice of drawing from photography wasn't (unfairly) stigmatized. Your photograph collection suggests you draw some inspiration from them, if not directly visual. As a non-objective painter you've commented on so many other personal stimuli (music or esoteric systems of categorization to name just a couple). Do you consider using photography in such a direct way a conceptual failing? The paintings are gorgeous regardless.
I have fallen behind on blogs I love, and this is a good indication of how I miss them. LOVELY paintings. Jim Linderman
Post a Comment
<< Home