DAILY ART FIX: Video – Beyond the bounds of human limitation: Ron Mueck’s Mask II at the British Museum

Art world links which caught my eye…

Australian hyperrealist sculptor Ron Mueck started out working in puppetry and doll making before expanding into sometimes massive sculptures.

Ron Mueck “Big Man”

Ron Mueck, “In Bed”

In 2010, a Mueck work was placed next to an Easter Island sculpture as a wonderful example of the universal nature of art.

**************

RICHARD BLEDSOE is a visual story teller; a painter of fables and parables. He received his BFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. Richard has been an exhibiting artist for over 25 years, in both the United States and internationally. He lives and paints happily in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife Michele and cat Motorhead. He is the author of Remodern America: How the Renewal of the Arts Will Change the Course of Western Civilization:

“Remodernism is not a style of art, it is a form of motivation. We express the universal language of inspired humanity.

“We do not imitate what came before. We find in ourselves the same divine essence of love and excitement which has inspired masterpieces throughout history. We are strengthened by drawing on traditions thousands of years old.

“We integrate the bold, visionary efforts of the Modern era into a holistic, meaningful expression of contemporary life. Remodernism seeks a humble maturity which heals the fragmentation and contradictions of Modernism, and obliterates the narcissistic lies of Postmodernism.

“Remodernism is the return of art as a revelation.”

**************

I don’t fundraise off of my blog. I don’t ask for Patreon or Paypal donations. If you’d like to support the Remodern mission, buy a book. Or a painting. 

Learn more About My Art: Visionary Experience

My wife Michele Bledsoe has written her own inspirational book, Painting, Passion and the Art of Life.

Remodernism Video: BEFORE THERE WAS FAKE NEWS, THERE WAS FAKE ART

Visit other posts for more commentary on the state of the arts.

Please send any inquiries to info@remodernamerica.com. Thank you!

DAILY ART FIX: Heritage Auctions returns missing Margaret Keane painting stolen in 1972

Art world links which caught my eye…

Margaret Keane is notorious as the low brow “big eyes” painter. If you’ve ever seen an image of a cute/sad child with oversized eyes, it’s most likely either Keane or a knockoff. When I first heard about the source of these paintings years ago, her husband Walter Keane was still stealing the credit for the works, but that’s another story.

The value of Keane’s paintings have soared over time, even if it was driven by a sense of irony. Recently, an art theft of an original Keane work got resolved.

On Nov. 14, 1972, a painting by iconic artist Margaret Keane was stolen from a dentist’s office waiting room in Honolulu, and remained missing for nearly 50 years. On Wednesday, Heritage Auctions reunited the lost artwork with its original owners – among them, the woman depicted in the painting as a 7-year-old girl.

Read the full article here: ART DAILY – Heritage Auctions returns missing Margaret Keane painting stolen in 1972

*************

RICHARD BLEDSOE is a visual story teller; a painter of fables and parables. He received his BFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. Richard has been an exhibiting artist for over 25 years, in both the United States and internationally. He lives and paints happily in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife Michele and cat Motorhead. He is the author of Remodern America: How the Renewal of the Arts Will Change the Course of Western Civilization:

“Remodernism is not a style of art, it is a form of motivation. We express the universal language of inspired humanity.

“We do not imitate what came before. We find in ourselves the same divine essence of love and excitement which has inspired masterpieces throughout history. We are strengthened by drawing on traditions thousands of years old.

“We integrate the bold, visionary efforts of the Modern era into a holistic, meaningful expression of contemporary life. Remodernism seeks a humble maturity which heals the fragmentation and contradictions of Modernism, and obliterates the narcissistic lies of Postmodernism.

“Remodernism is the return of art as a revelation.”

**************

I don’t fundraise off of my blog. I don’t ask for Patreon or Paypal donations. If you’d like to support the Remodern mission, buy a book. Or a painting. 

Learn more About My Art: Visionary Experience

My wife Michele Bledsoe has written her own inspirational book, Painting, Passion and the Art of Life.

Remodernism Video: BEFORE THERE WAS FAKE NEWS, THERE WAS FAKE ART

Visit other posts for more commentary on the state of the arts.

Please send any inquiries to info@remodernamerica.com. Thank you!

DAILY ART FIX: New Play Will Bring Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks to Theatrical Life

Art world links which caught my eye…

Edward Hopper “Nighthawks” oil on canvas 33″ x 60″

At the time of its creation in 1942, realist works like Edward Hopper’s iconic Nighthawks painting were not trendy in the art world. As leading critic Clement Greenberg sneered in 1946: “[Hopper] is not a painter in the full sense; his means are second-hand, shabby, and impersonal.”

And yet Hopper’s work have stood the test of time much better than the abstract artists Greenberg and others championed at the time. Now the painting Nighthawks has inspired a new play. Nighthawks: A Theatrical Meditation on Solitude and Loneliness, is premiering in Chicago, the city where the painting is on display.

A little boy was trying energetically to climb atop one of the two lions that have long “guarded” the Art Institute as people poured through the doors on Saturday, becoming the latest of the millions of people who have gotten pleasure from the art inside.

Some of those creations have provided inspiration for artists in other realms — writers, musicians, playwrights — and the latest of these is June Sawyers, who has created a show titled “Nighthawks: A Theatrical Meditation on Solitude and Loneliness.”

“I call it a hybrid theater piece,” she says. “It is meant to establish a mood of loneliness and solitude. That for me is the essence of the painting.”

She does not remember the first time she saw Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks,” currently located in the Arts of the Americas-Gallery 262. But, she says, “It has always haunted me. It is my favorite American painting.”

Read the full article here: MSN – New play will bring Edward Hopper’s ‘Nighthawks,’ one of Art Institute’s most popular paintings, to theatrical life

**************

RICHARD BLEDSOE is a visual story teller; a painter of fables and parables. He received his BFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. Richard has been an exhibiting artist for over 25 years, in both the United States and internationally. He lives and paints happily in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife Michele and cat Motorhead. He is the author of Remodern America: How the Renewal of the Arts Will Change the Course of Western Civilization:

“Remodernism is not a style of art, it is a form of motivation. We express the universal language of inspired humanity.

“We do not imitate what came before. We find in ourselves the same divine essence of love and excitement which has inspired masterpieces throughout history. We are strengthened by drawing on traditions thousands of years old.

“We integrate the bold, visionary efforts of the Modern era into a holistic, meaningful expression of contemporary life. Remodernism seeks a humble maturity which heals the fragmentation and contradictions of Modernism, and obliterates the narcissistic lies of Postmodernism.

“Remodernism is the return of art as a revelation.”

**************

I don’t fundraise off of my blog. I don’t ask for Patreon or Paypal donations. If you’d like to support the Remodern mission, buy a book. Or a painting. 

Learn more About My Art: Visionary Experience

My wife Michele Bledsoe has written her own inspirational book, Painting, Passion and the Art of Life.

Remodernism Video: BEFORE THERE WAS FAKE NEWS, THERE WAS FAKE ART

Visit other posts for more commentary on the state of the arts.

Please send any inquiries to info@remodernamerica.com. Thank you!

DAILY ART FIX: Why the Iconic Athenaeum Portrait of Washington was Never Finished

Art world links which caught my eye…

Gilbert Stuart “George Washington (The Athenaeum Portrait)” April 12, 1796. Oil on canvas. 47.99 x 37 in.

The portrait is right on the money, as they say-literally. Gilbert Stuart’s painting of 65 year old George Washington is the basis of the dollar bill portrayal. As such it has become how we picture George Washington. It has been suggested the President was looking extra stern in it, perhaps due to problems with his dentures, or frustrations with the artist and the posing. Stuart did end up doing a tricky thing:

Washington agreed to sit for Stuart, however, the artist did not want to give up this new portrait because he knew that he could use it as a model for future commissions. Stuart purposely left the work unfinished and began to create and sell copies.

He reportedly called these copies his “hundred dollar bills” after the price he charged for them. It is believed that Stuart ultimately copied 130 portraits from the unfinished work commissioned by Martha Washington. Of those, around sixty survive today.

Read the full article here: ART & OBJECT – Why the Iconic Athenaeum Portrait of Washington was Never Finished

**************

RICHARD BLEDSOE is a visual story teller; a painter of fables and parables. He received his BFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. Richard has been an exhibiting artist for over 25 years, in both the United States and internationally. He lives and paints happily in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife Michele and cat Motorhead. He is the author of Remodern America: How the Renewal of the Arts Will Change the Course of Western Civilization:

“Remodernism is not a style of art, it is a form of motivation. We express the universal language of inspired humanity.

“We do not imitate what came before. We find in ourselves the same divine essence of love and excitement which has inspired masterpieces throughout history. We are strengthened by drawing on traditions thousands of years old.

“We integrate the bold, visionary efforts of the Modern era into a holistic, meaningful expression of contemporary life. Remodernism seeks a humble maturity which heals the fragmentation and contradictions of Modernism, and obliterates the narcissistic lies of Postmodernism.

“Remodernism is the return of art as a revelation.”

**************

I don’t fundraise off of my blog. I don’t ask for Patreon or Paypal donations. If you’d like to support the Remodern mission, buy a book. Or a painting. 

Learn more About My Art: Visionary Experience

My wife Michele Bledsoe has written her own inspirational book, Painting, Passion and the Art of Life.

Remodernism Video: BEFORE THERE WAS FAKE NEWS, THERE WAS FAKE ART

Visit other posts for more commentary on the state of the arts.

Please send any inquiries to info@remodernamerica.com. Thank you!

DAILY ART FIX: Edgar Degas and the Dancer – The Artist’s Most Beautiful Representations

Art world links which caught my eye…

Edgar Degas “The Dancers” 1899

An exhibit upcoming this fall highlights the ballet paintings of French Impressionist Edgar Degas.

From 1860 onwards, Degas frequented the backstage of the Paris Opera, which he was familiar with, being part of a family of music lovers. As a child he observed the dancers during their training with wide eyes and always with a pencil and paper at hand. The artist preferred to watch the dancers in moments of intimacy, for example when they were between routines, during conversations with each other, when they were tired and started to yawn and while they adjusted their corsets before performances. The foyer of the Palais Garnier was his playground; it is where he would spend hours observing the dancers and their teachers. He made this place, which was too often associated with meetings and social gatherings, his inspiration.

Read the full article here: VOGUE – Edgar Degas and the Dancer – The Artist’s Most Beautiful Representations

**************

RICHARD BLEDSOE is a visual story teller; a painter of fables and parables. He received his BFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. Richard has been an exhibiting artist for over 25 years, in both the United States and internationally. He lives and paints happily in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife Michele and cat Motorhead. He is the author of Remodern America: How the Renewal of the Arts Will Change the Course of Western Civilization:

“Remodernism is not a style of art, it is a form of motivation. We express the universal language of inspired humanity.

“We do not imitate what came before. We find in ourselves the same divine essence of love and excitement which has inspired masterpieces throughout history. We are strengthened by drawing on traditions thousands of years old.

“We integrate the bold, visionary efforts of the Modern era into a holistic, meaningful expression of contemporary life. Remodernism seeks a humble maturity which heals the fragmentation and contradictions of Modernism, and obliterates the narcissistic lies of Postmodernism.

“Remodernism is the return of art as a revelation.”

**************

I don’t fundraise off of my blog. I don’t ask for Patreon or Paypal donations. If you’d like to support the Remodern mission, buy a book. Or a painting. 

Learn more About My Art: Visionary Experience

My wife Michele Bledsoe has written her own inspirational book, Painting, Passion and the Art of Life.

Remodernism Video: BEFORE THERE WAS FAKE NEWS, THERE WAS FAKE ART

Visit other posts for more commentary on the state of the arts.

Please send any inquiries to info@remodernamerica.com. Thank you!

DAILY ART FIX: Before Roy Lichtenstein Went Pop

Art world links which caught my eye…

Roy Lichtenstein “Self Portrait with Easel” circa 1951-1952

Roy Lichtenstein is best known for his paintings that look like comic book panels. But before he hit on the formula that brought him fame and fortune, he experimented with a body of work which frankly seems a lot more interesting.

In fact, almost the whole of Lichtenstein’s pre-Pop œuvre consists of boyish renderings of boyish enthusiasms: battle scenes, mechanical devices, cowboys and Indians, medieval knights, pilots, deep-sea divers (probably inspired by magazine coverage of the scuba diver Jacques Cousteau). There is a brief stretch of pure abstraction late in the decade, although that work, too, seems like a pastiche or an imitation of abstract painting. By 1958, you start seeing the face of Mickey Mouse, and you sense that landfall is near.

An exhibit of these early works is currently on tour.

Read the full article here: THE NEW YORKER – Before Roy Lichtenstein Went Pop

**************

RICHARD BLEDSOE is a visual story teller; a painter of fables and parables. He received his BFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. Richard has been an exhibiting artist for over 25 years, in both the United States and internationally. He lives and paints happily in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife Michele and cat Motorhead. He is the author of Remodern America: How the Renewal of the Arts Will Change the Course of Western Civilization:

“Remodernism is not a style of art, it is a form of motivation. We express the universal language of inspired humanity.

“We do not imitate what came before. We find in ourselves the same divine essence of love and excitement which has inspired masterpieces throughout history. We are strengthened by drawing on traditions thousands of years old.

“We integrate the bold, visionary efforts of the Modern era into a holistic, meaningful expression of contemporary life. Remodernism seeks a humble maturity which heals the fragmentation and contradictions of Modernism, and obliterates the narcissistic lies of Postmodernism.

“Remodernism is the return of art as a revelation.”

**************

I don’t fundraise off of my blog. I don’t ask for Patreon or Paypal donations. If you’d like to support the Remodern mission, buy a book. Or a painting. 

Learn more About My Art: Visionary Experience

My wife Michele Bledsoe has written her own inspirational book, Painting, Passion and the Art of Life.

Remodernism Video: BEFORE THERE WAS FAKE NEWS, THERE WAS FAKE ART

Visit other posts for more commentary on the state of the arts.

Please send any inquiries to info@remodernamerica.com. Thank you!

DAILY ART FIX: New Painting “A Ghost from a Wishing Well”

Richard Bledsoe “A Ghost from a Wishing Well” acrylic on canvas 16″ x 12″

Since my youth I’ve been haunted by a mysterious and beautiful song. I put those feelings onto a canvas.

**************

RICHARD BLEDSOE is a visual story teller; a painter of fables and parables. He received his BFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. Richard has been an exhibiting artist for over 25 years, in both the United States and internationally. He lives and paints happily in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife Michele and cat Motorhead. He is the author of Remodern America: How the Renewal of the Arts Will Change the Course of Western Civilization:

“Remodernism is not a style of art, it is a form of motivation. We express the universal language of inspired humanity.

“We do not imitate what came before. We find in ourselves the same divine essence of love and excitement which has inspired masterpieces throughout history. We are strengthened by drawing on traditions thousands of years old.

“We integrate the bold, visionary efforts of the Modern era into a holistic, meaningful expression of contemporary life. Remodernism seeks a humble maturity which heals the fragmentation and contradictions of Modernism, and obliterates the narcissistic lies of Postmodernism.

“Remodernism is the return of art as a revelation.”

**************

I don’t fundraise off of my blog. I don’t ask for Patreon or Paypal donations. If you’d like to support the Remodern mission, buy a book. Or a painting. 

Learn more About My Art: Visionary Experience

My wife Michele Bledsoe has written her own inspirational book, Painting, Passion and the Art of Life.

Remodernism Video: BEFORE THERE WAS FAKE NEWS, THERE WAS FAKE ART

Visit other posts for more commentary on the state of the arts.

Please send any inquiries to info@remodernamerica.com. Thank you!

DAILY ART FIX: How Wielding Lamps and Torches Shed New Light on Stone Age Cave Art

Art world links which caught my eye…

It’s one of those observations that seems so obvious in retrospect.

All my life I’ve been fascinated by the magnificent cave paintings left behind by our prehistoric ancestors. Yet I never contemplated just how many different light sources the artists had available. The assorted kinds of light available to early humans would change how the works would have appeared to their creators and viewers. Now modern researchers are testing the various effects.

Torches are just one of several light sources Stone Age artists used to navigate caves. Intxaurbe and colleagues are wielding these fiery tools in dark, damp and often cramped caves in an effort to understand how and why humans journeyed beneath the earth and why they created art there…

In the wide chambers and narrow passageways of Isuntza I Cave in the Basque region of Spain, the researchers tested torches, stone lamps and fireplaces — nooks in cave walls. Juniper branches, animal fat and other materials that Stone Age humans would have had at hand fueled the light sources. The team measured flame intensity and duration, as well as how far away from the source light illuminated the walls.

Read the full article here: SCIENCE NEWS – How wielding lamps and torches shed new light on Stone Age cave art

**************

RICHARD BLEDSOE is a visual story teller; a painter of fables and parables. He received his BFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. Richard has been an exhibiting artist for over 25 years, in both the United States and internationally. He lives and paints happily in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife Michele and cat Motorhead. He is the author of Remodern America: How the Renewal of the Arts Will Change the Course of Western Civilization:

“Remodernism is not a style of art, it is a form of motivation. We express the universal language of inspired humanity.

“We do not imitate what came before. We find in ourselves the same divine essence of love and excitement which has inspired masterpieces throughout history. We are strengthened by drawing on traditions thousands of years old.

“We integrate the bold, visionary efforts of the Modern era into a holistic, meaningful expression of contemporary life. Remodernism seeks a humble maturity which heals the fragmentation and contradictions of Modernism, and obliterates the narcissistic lies of Postmodernism.

“Remodernism is the return of art as a revelation.”

**************

I don’t fundraise off of my blog. I don’t ask for Patreon or Paypal donations. If you’d like to support the Remodern mission, buy a book. Or a painting. 

Learn more About My Art: Visionary Experience

My wife Michele Bledsoe has written her own inspirational book, Painting, Passion and the Art of Life.

Remodernism Video: BEFORE THERE WAS FAKE NEWS, THERE WAS FAKE ART

Visit other posts for more commentary on the state of the arts.

Please send any inquiries to info@remodernamerica.com. Thank you!

DAILY ART FIX: Visions – A major retrospective of the mid-century British painter Victor Willing

Art world links which caught my eye…

Victor Willing “Swing” oil on canvas 1978

These days, British artist Victor Willing (January 15, 1928 – June 1, 1988) is more likely to be known as “Mr. Paula Rego.” Since his death from multiple sclerosis, Willing’s widow has endured to become one of the most renown painters working today, overshadowing her late husband’s reputation.

In 2019, Victor Willing received his first retrospective, which recalled his days as a promising young student, and the changes his work underwent through the ensuing decades.

During his time at the Slade, Willing came to know artist Francis Bacon and the renowned art critic David Sylvester who described him as “a sort of spokesman for his generation”. While still a student Willing’s work was included in two exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Art. He had his first solo show at the prestigious Hanover Gallery just one year after graduating.

In 1957, Willing moved to Ericeira, Portugal to be with Paula Rego and their family where theyremained until the Carnation Revolution in 1974. During these years, as their family grew, Willing’s work went through a profound change and the exhibition will feature key works produced in this period between 1957 and 1974.

Following the political revolution and economic crisis in Portugal in 1974, the family returned to London, and Willing created work with a renewed urgency until his untimely death in 1988.

Victor Willing “Standing Nude” oil on canvas 1955

**************

RICHARD BLEDSOE is a visual story teller; a painter of fables and parables. He received his BFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. Richard has been an exhibiting artist for over 25 years, in both the United States and internationally. He lives and paints happily in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife Michele and cat Motorhead. He is the author of Remodern America: How the Renewal of the Arts Will Change the Course of Western Civilization:

“Remodernism is not a style of art, it is a form of motivation. We express the universal language of inspired humanity.

“We do not imitate what came before. We find in ourselves the same divine essence of love and excitement which has inspired masterpieces throughout history. We are strengthened by drawing on traditions thousands of years old.

“We integrate the bold, visionary efforts of the Modern era into a holistic, meaningful expression of contemporary life. Remodernism seeks a humble maturity which heals the fragmentation and contradictions of Modernism, and obliterates the narcissistic lies of Postmodernism.

“Remodernism is the return of art as a revelation.”

**************

I don’t fundraise off of my blog. I don’t ask for Patreon or Paypal donations. If you’d like to support the Remodern mission, buy a book. Or a painting. 

Learn more About My Art: Visionary Experience

My wife Michele Bledsoe has written her own inspirational book, Painting, Passion and the Art of Life.

Remodernism Video: BEFORE THERE WAS FAKE NEWS, THERE WAS FAKE ART

Visit other posts for more commentary on the state of the arts.

Please send any inquiries to info@remodernamerica.com. Thank you!

DAILY ART FIX: Raw power – Why Iggy Pop posed naked for Jeremy Deller’s Life Class

Art world links which caught my eye…

Lust for Life Drawing! Iggy Pop Poses

In 2016, rock ‘n roll shaman Iggy Pop acted as a model for a special life drawing class and exhibit sponsored by the Brooklyn Museum.

Deller convinced the Brooklyn Museum, a group of local artists and Iggy himself to play along. The result, Iggy Pop Life Class, opens at the museum next month. The show involves 107 interpretations of the star’s nude physique by 22 artists, ranging in age from their teens to their 80s. The museum will pair their work with objects from its collection depicting the male figure over the last few centuries: sculptures from ancient Egypt, Africa and India; drawings by such artists as Egon Schiele and Max Beckmann; as well as photographs by Jim Steinhardt and Robert Mapplethorpe.

Deller, best known for creating vast imaginative works with a political theme, first approached Iggy 10 years ago, but the star demurred. “Ten years ago I was a little too young,” says Iggy, now 69, in the book that accompanies the show. “I thought I didn’t have the weight. Now I feel like a lot has happened with and to my body. For some reason, it felt important for me to just stand naked for a group of human beings and have an exchange.”

Read the full article here: THE GUARDIAN – Raw power – Why Iggy Pop posed naked for Jeremy Deller’s Life Class

**************

RICHARD BLEDSOE is a visual story teller; a painter of fables and parables. He received his BFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. Richard has been an exhibiting artist for over 25 years, in both the United States and internationally. He lives and paints happily in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife Michele and cat Motorhead. He is the author of Remodern America: How the Renewal of the Arts Will Change the Course of Western Civilization:

“Remodernism is not a style of art, it is a form of motivation. We express the universal language of inspired humanity.

“We do not imitate what came before. We find in ourselves the same divine essence of love and excitement which has inspired masterpieces throughout history. We are strengthened by drawing on traditions thousands of years old.

“We integrate the bold, visionary efforts of the Modern era into a holistic, meaningful expression of contemporary life. Remodernism seeks a humble maturity which heals the fragmentation and contradictions of Modernism, and obliterates the narcissistic lies of Postmodernism.

“Remodernism is the return of art as a revelation.”

**************

I don’t fundraise off of my blog. I don’t ask for Patreon or Paypal donations. If you’d like to support the Remodern mission, buy a book. Or a painting. 

Learn more About My Art: Visionary Experience

My wife Michele Bledsoe has written her own inspirational book, Painting, Passion and the Art of Life.

Remodernism Video: BEFORE THERE WAS FAKE NEWS, THERE WAS FAKE ART

Visit other posts for more commentary on the state of the arts.

Please send any inquiries to info@remodernamerica.com. Thank you!