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Category Archives: Art


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Artwork by Mark Rothko

Happy Birthday Mark Rothko! The contemporary artist would have been 109 today, and so today I’ve decided to feature his art- and I’m surprised I haven’t already. He is one of my favorite artists.

I know a lot of people don’t appreciate many modern artists- especially Rothko. “It’s just colors” they say (!!!?#$%?!?) and I absolutely CRINGE when someone feels the need to throw out the “My 6 year old could do that” UMmmmm…NO THEY CAN’T!!!!!! Don’t get me wrong. I think there are plenty of artistic children out there. But I don’t see their work hanging on the walls of the MFA for a reason.

The typical artist plaque at a museum reads: Mark Rothko 1903-1970. And that is true, Marcus Rothkowitz was born in Russia in 1903, and committed suicide in 1970. But that is just the short of it. In those 67 years Rothko was one of the most influential American artists, and one of the leaders of the Abstract Expressionist movement.

Rothko and his family emigrated to Portland, Oregon in 1913. He was one of three immigrants to enroll in Yale the year he started, but later dropped out and began working odd jobs in New York. It was during this time that he began his life as an artist. Rothko’s early works would be barely recognizable to fans of his later masterpieces, but it is easy to see the foundations of his signature style.

At around 1950 Rothko was a member of “the Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors.” He was attempting to push the group to work only in abstract styles- but they rejected the idea as too extreme and Rothko left. He soon joined the New York School- which also included Jackson Pollack. It was at this time he began solidifying his signature style. Rothko began working only in oil, on large canvases, in vertical format.

While many people applaud Rothko for his use of color and scale- he felt his paintings emphasized spiritual themes. I won’t be able to sum it up as well as the artist did himself:

“What I find amazing … is how a painting which is two rectangles of different colors can somehow prompt thousands upon thousands of words on the human condition, Marxist dialectics, and social construction.”

“I’m not an abstractionist. I’m not interested in the relationship of color or form or anything else. I’m interested only in expressing basic human emotions: tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on.”

Rothko’s passion for the spiritual experience of his paintings soon led to the development of the Rothko Chapel, a place of pilgrimage for those seeking artful reflection. The design of the chapel was based on Roman Catholic architecture (although it is non-denominational), is in the shape of a Greek cross and has no windows. Philip Johnson was the original architect for the project but he soon walked off the job and Rothko continued working with Howard Barnstone and then Eugene Aubry. The chapel features 14 works by Rothko- all very dark and somber- almost completely black with slight changes in tone. It was probably a red flag that the artist was sinking into a deeper depression- and rather tragically, Rothko never saw the completed Chapel and never installed the paintings. He committed suicide as the project was coming to a close.

So, are you a fan of Rothko? Have you seen one in person? How did it make you feel? I can say that on my trip to SFMOMA the Rothko was one of my favorite pieces and the grandeur and emotion is something that cannot be felt by looking at a computer screen- it is easy to understand why the artist is greatly misunderstood.


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My Trip to SFMoMA

 

When Nick and I were staying at his house in California last week I INSISTED that we take a visit to one of my favorite museums in the world, SFMoMA. Every visit I find new favorite artists- and this excursion was no different.

The headline exhibit is currently Cindy Sherman, which, if I have to be honest, was a little off the deep end for me. Cindy Sherman is a notable portrait photographer- whose favorite subject is “herself”. However, this is not 500 photos of the same woman, in each, Cindy Sherman transforms herself with makeup, wigs and props to take on a new persona. There was one room of the exhibit I found especially bizarre where she photographed herself in the style of traditional portraiture as if from the 18th century, but with various grotesque anatomical exaggerations such as enlarged foreheads or giant prosthetic breasts. Like I said, bizarre- but interesting to see her skills of metamophosis.

My favorite exhibit at the museum was Naoya Hatakeyama, Natural Stories. Hatakeyama is a Japanese photographer, focused primarily on landscapes, and more specifically, ones that focus on the relationship between nature and humans. I found his images so peaceful and calming, which is interesting because some of them portray very jarring and violent images. On one hand there are many photos of landscapes that have been altered over time by human existence. For example he did an entire study of the controlled explosions of limestone inside a quarry. The other half of the exhibit is of man made landscapes that have been altered by natural forces- such as tsunami and earthquakes. At the end you wonder, which alters the other more?

And then of course, there is the amazing permanent collection at the museum. Organized by artistic movement, walking from room to room is like the greatest art history lesson you could have. I remember walking into the first room with several Matisse and Nick proclaims “wait- this isn’t Modern art” …my reply? “Well it was Modern when it first came out!” You have to know where you have been to see where you are going. I think that if certain artists didn’t pave the way, contemporary art could never be what it is now. Here are a few of my favorites, taken with my iPhone (shhh- don’t tell):

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Art Adventures on the Greenway

If there was one good thing to come out of the Big Dig in Boston, it was that all of the extra space once taken up by the elevated highways has now been turned into a beautiful park known as the Rose Kennedy Greenway. As I mentioned in my post yesterday, Nick and I took a trip there this past weekend to take in the new Os Gemeos Mural, and of course we also had time to enjoy the other public art installations. They are all definitely more subdue than the bold and colorful street art, but that doesn’t mean its not unique and creative! Here were a few of my favorites:

Boston has a great tradition of putting aside land for public parks. This started back in the 19th century with “the Emerald Necklace” and continues today in the creation of the greenway. Parks are so important for the city- they infuse the otherwise busy urban area with a healthy freshness for residents to enjoy- a health benefit. Parks also bring together so many different people from different backgrounds in the same place- an economic benefit. And of course they are filled with beautiful plantings and sculpture that inspire and educate its visitors- an artistic benefit. I hope we continue to fund and appreciate their importance. As a city dweller- the parks are so important for our sanity!


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Eye Opening Os Gemeos Mural in Boston

This past weekend I was mindlessly wandering around Facebook when I came across the “Boston, Massachusetts” page and noticed that someone had posted a picture of our city’s newest public art by the graffiti artists, Os Gemeos. I thought it was bright and colorful and was happy to see that we are starting to embrace street art in Boston. But I speak too soon- I was shocked to see the responses. There are currently 947 comments, and 623 more at Fox News- I won’t make you read through them all. They all fall into two categories:

The first half went something like this:  “Looks like a terrorists wife. It is a slap in the face to all those who lost someone on 9/11 & another slap in the face to our military who is over there risking there lives.”

The second half went something like this: “How does this represent Boston or the people that live and work here? I don’t like it. I don’t understand it.”

Firstly, in what sick world do we live in that anyone with a head covering is automatically a terrorist? Just because someone is muslim, doesn’t mean they are a terrorist. And just because someone drapes a shirt over their face CERTAINLY doesn’t mean they are Muslim. And while I know this wasn’t intended to be a Muslim- what would be so wrong if it was?

Secondly, where is the rule stated that everything in Boston must “fit in” with the rest of the city? I’m pretty sure the Prudential Center was revolutionary architecture at the time, and the Zakim Bridge certainly isn’t lined with cobblestone… We don’t live in the 17th century anymore, and not every sign in the city has to have a picture of Paul Revere and an American Flag on it. Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean its bad- maybe it means you should expand your horizons and learn something new!

Additionally, I don’t care how great of a picture you get on your computer screen -  it’s pretty hard to judge art until you see it. Think about someone trying to appreciate the colors of a Rothko, or the glow of a John Singer Sargent painting without standing in front of it…. Luckily, this is down the street from us, so Nick and I took a stroll to the Greenway, with cameras in hand, ready to take in our new mural.

Crouched between the skyscrapers..

I don’t know about you, but I really like it! Love the colors, love the scale and the creative use of the building. I have to be honest that it is a lot more bold than the rest of the buttoned up greenway, and I’m surprised they got the approval- but I’m all for it. Its unlike anything I’ve seen before in Boston (or anywhere for that matter) and this is a good thing! The definition of what makes good art is continually evolving- to me it certainly includes a well thought out piece that inspires creative thought and discussion.

love the little faces hidden throughout!

Os Gemeos, “the twins” in Portuguese, are actually Otávio and Gustavo Pandolfo, two street artists with a growing presence in the urban art world. Their yellow characters are a recurring theme in their work, as are the hats, hoods and scarves they are often depicted in. In the past, Os Gemeos has been quoted as saying they paint what they dream. I would really like to step into one of these dreams- they seem so colorful and fantastic! The mural is privately funded and has been put up in correlation with an exhibit at the ICA featuring the art of the duo. (Time for a field trip!)  I think that public art installations are a fabulous way to exhibit the work of street artists- obviously the work they are most known around the world for cannot usually fit inside a museum, so to also leave their mark in more “traditional” ways throughout the city offers greater exposure and understanding to what makes the artists great.

The detail and shading is spectacular!

I don’t think any picture I take could make you truly appreciate the size of this mural. It is 70′x70′ and it was impossible for me to get a close up shot of the entire piece.  It is crazy picturing them on cranes painting, not even being able to step back and view each addition of color, and yet at the same time they were able to fill in each nook and cranny with detail.

me putting the size in perspective…

With all of the controversy surrounding the mural, the hatred seems to be fueled by a limited few who hide behind the shield of their computer screens: as issued in a public statement- the ICA has only received one formal complaint. GOOD. I hope it is here to stay and this doesn’t become a “one step forward, two steps back” moment for our city.

What do you think of it?


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Art of the Olympics

Have you heard? The Olympics start on Friday!

Just kidding, but with that theme, I’d like to dedicate this weeks posts to the spirit of the games, and the abundance of enthusiasm and creativity that surround them. The olympics are one of the rare occasions where a country devotes millions of dollars to the showcasing of art, architecture, fashion and of course, sports. It is a great opportunity to introduce new artists and also encourage a dialogue on subjects that we probably don’t see in the everyday news.

The official posters of the Games are now themselves a special celebration of the meeting of art and sport over the last 100 years. This year, the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games commissioned twelve of the UK’s leading artists to create images to celebrate London hosting the 2012 Games. While the posters have been met with some criticisms, I find these so much more interesting than a generic image of the London Eye, or Olympics Rings. The first one, by Sarah Morris, is my absolute favorite:

In addition to the posters, the Olympic Park has been completely transformed into a sculpture park, with several large public art installments. The art ranges from bridges and tunnels, to enhanced utilities, to more traditional sculptures. Personally, I love the idea of turning infrastructure into an art form- but these are a bit stale- I wish they had gone even further at pushing the creative envelope.

Monica Bonvicini

Martin Richman

Clare Woods

I also encountered this amazing double-decker bus doing pushups. Yes. pushups.

And then for every “official” Olympics artist, there are a number of street artists with their own takes and unfiltered messages:

Mau Mau

Banksy

Criminal Chalkist

Have you seen any Olympic art that I missed? What is your favorite?

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