Humor In Art?

[rroberts]

Hello:
I posted this here because this is the forum I come to most often. I believe a forum should explore more than just technique - it should help us all look at how and why we do what we do, and in the process we - hopefully - all grow as artists. Anyway ...

As I go through "art" books, visit galleries or spend time rummaging online art sites, I notice that humor is a strangely absent commodity. I wonder why.

What humorous works I do see are from the golden age of magazine illustration, for example in works by J.C. Leyendecker and Norman Rockwell. Furthermore, the way that these artists in particular used humor showed us moments of the human condition that are around us all the time - moments that aren't easily captured in any other way. We seldom think of humor, kindness or pathos as peas in the same pod, but these guys managed to accomplish just that. And at a time when we as a nation were involved in a real war, these works helped relieve the tedium of worry and stress. Everybody smiled at Rosie the Riveter, but she came to symbolize the unsung war roles of thousands of women.

Now you may say, "But that's Illustration". It would be a great mistake to assume that illustration isn't the same as "fine" art. This seems to be a distinction peculiar to the USA - not so in Europe.

I don't have any answers, nor is this any kind of indictment about artists in general. It's just an observation. But I do wonder why serious artists are so ... well, serious. Maybe I simply haven't seen examples of humor in contemporary fine art, and that there really are more than I think.

I suppose there are times when humor isn't always the best pursuit, like a Presidential Portrait commission. But if I had a daughter, I could be just as enchanted with a painting of the look on her face when she spills ice cream at her birthday party. And why can't a still life offer some humor instead of the same old formulas of fruit, basket, vase, flowers? Are we as a society so stuck on what a still life should be? You get the idea.

If nothing else, I've resolved to start looking a little deeper when it comes to subject matter. Maybe I'm overlooking a world of possibilities.

By the way ... Nathan's thread on narrative oil painting, and his examples, are really interesting, and perhaps humor could be thought of as narrative. Certainly, as art, his roller coaster has more interesting things going on and presents more artistic challanges than hundreds of examples from online galleries. This is just my opinion, of course. See: http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215670

Online Examples of JC Leyendecker and Norman Rockwell:
http://www.curtispublishing.com/images/NonRockwell/9160930.jpg
http://www.curtispublishing.com/images/NonRockwell/9110701.jpg
http://www.curtispublishing.com/images/NonRockwell/9240920.jpg
http://www.artrenewal.org/images/artists/r/Rockwell_Norman/large/The_Runaway.jpg
http://www.artrenewal.org/images/artists/r/Rockwell_Norman/large/New_Television_Antenna.jpg

cheers to all ...

[DLGardner]

I so agree with you rroberts! I just love art with humor.

It takes a very talented person to pull off the humorous painting, I believe. We have a fellow in our art association that paints humorous paintings sometimes and I just love them.

Its been my experience,unfortunately, these sorts of paintings don't do well in shows, and I'm not sure if most galleries are willing to include them for exhibition, unless of course they are done by well known artists. Do correct me if I am wrong-but that's been my observation here in the Pacific Northwest.

I like Nathan's work. Thanks for sharing the link.

Dianne

[Jaysen]

I think that humor... or humorous situations are very hard to capture, whether in a photograph or by a model. I don't know how Norman did it, unless he was a master of the human condition and studied a lot of funny people. Maybe he had some talented models?

I was blessed to get a photo of my son and daughter both with genuine, not posed, smiles a few weeks ago and have started a WIP for a close-up portrait. Does this count as humor?

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=212464&page=1

[china doll]

You have a great point. When I think of my favorite photos of my kids, they are usually humorous moments -- a face covered with chocolate ice cream, bending over to look at a hedgehog eye to eye. Is it perhaps because they have a tendency to look like greeting cards when they are finished? I know for my own personal portraits I would like these moments captured but whether or not I could do so is another matter.

On a related note, the absolutely best family portrait I ever saw (photo) was of five elderly sisters who must have shared a joke and the photographer caught them all howling, giggling or whatever. It was priceless!

Jill

[CaishaRose]

Some of you might categorize this as illustration, but this guy paints in oils and acrylics on canvas, so I consider it art and darn funny (if not strange) art at that. (e.g. Rod Stewart in a Stormtrooper outfit; Abraham Lincoln in a cage fight; etc.)

Here's a link:
www.brandonbird.com (http://www.brandonbird.com) (It's not as serious as the website may appear. ;) )

[Enchanted]

Its been my experience,unfortunately, these sorts of paintings don't do well in shows, and I'm not sure if most galleries are willing to include them for exhibition, unless of course they are done by well known artists. Do correct me if I am wrong-but that's been my observation here in the Pacific Northwest.

I agree! And it's easy to generalize in this regard. I think, depending on the subject matter, that it's very hard to sell any painting that is either narrative of illustrative in content - "GENERALLY speaking." Once an artist steps away from the norm, the generally appreciated and the traditional subject matter, it's a big risk if selling the art work is the prime motivation for creating it.

Thinking of the example of the cute kid with an ice cream smeared face - if it's not my kid, why would I want to buy it? Another side of that coin, thinking of Red Skelton's famous "clown" paintings, his subject matter is more universally acceptable and has the bonus of having his famous name attached, so thereby more readily saleable.

One other example I can think of. I used to go into a particular gallery in Taos that represented a west coast landscape painter who did outstanding beach scenes. Then one day I visited the gallery to find nary a beach scene but plenty of religious iconographic art works. When I asked the gallery owner about the seascape painter, she told me I was looking at his latest. Seems he had become a re-born Christian, or whatever, and the gallery owner told me that they were giving him his last show since there was no interest in his new religious subject matter. To me it was a case of going from uplifting seascapes that most people could enjoy to somber religious art that has just the opposite effect.

[colin]

I dont know how many paintings that have survived " the test of time " are out and out humorous exactly, but theres certainly very many that have that are light hearted or whimsical . Bosch springs to mind for sure and the Dada guys of course . Chagall, Picasso ... they didnt take themselves so deadly serious all the time ...

Heres a link to some of my friend Judiths stuff - you maybe have to be a bit warped to find em funny though ! :evil:

Some of these are nudes by the way
http://www.missioncreep.com/schaechter/lucifer.html

[rroberts]

You all make interesting points so far. I recall seeing a painting by famed cowboy artist George Phippen, based on a 1917 Gail Gardner poem, about a cowboy tying a knot in the devil's tail. I was a kid at the time.

Colin makes an interesting distinction : "lighthearted or whimsical" as opposed to Humor with a capital H, and this is more what I think I was trying to get at. For one thing, specific humor really is tied to a group of people with a shared base of experience to draw upon. The exception to that would probably be slapstick because it's so universal.

Maybe it's what we have been taught to expect of "Art" ...
--- it's "nice" and people stick it on the wall, but seldom really look at it
--- it can often be a status symbol; owning a work is by so-and-so becomes more important than what the work is about.
--- it doesn't challenge us morally or intellectually, and if it does, it belongs in a museum.
--- the pretty colors go with a decorating scheme.

Oh well ... time to stop thinking for now and get back to painting.
Cheers!

[clothespinreferee]

I have gotten away from Oils and gone to Oil pastels as the medium that I am currently working with, but the subject matter of my art revolves in large part around humor. It is "the thing" about my art and I have been getting a fantastic response with it at Festivals and in galleries recently. That wasn't always the case.

Art News had and article this month about the emergence of humor in art and how collectors are taking it seriously.

[kayemme]

i work with humor in a lot of the stuff i've been doing lately. it's subtle, though. i was talking with some people in chat lastnight about it. when i'm finished with a few more pieces i'll show them to you.

i like to make fun of myself, and then other people. or make fun of other people using myself is really more like it.

people are funny. it doesn't make a piece less worthy just because it's poking fun at a situation ... i use oil on canvas on stretcher bars i make myself (to control the size and depth) and every aspect of them are formal, but i like to play with subject matter.

it's not all humorous... but a chunk of it is. on purpose.

k

[piper2]

Colin makes an interesting distinction : "lighthearted or whimsical" as opposed to Humor with a capital H, and this is more what I think I was trying to get at. For one thing, specific humor really is tied to a group of people with a shared base of experience to draw upon. The exception to that would probably be slapstick because it's so universal.


I think a major part of this is skill level and another part is cartoons. Cartoons, which are supposed to be out and out funny, are considered a really "low" form of art. Only quirky people frame cartoons and stick them on the wall.

As far as skill goes, I think some artists are so eager to get a humorous point across that they thwart their artistic intentions. Norman Rockwell's humor was successful because each humorous piece was exquisitely well done from an artistic point of view.

Hmm, it's funny how a point which seems clear in your head gets muddy written down, isn't it?

[Biki]

what about our own TeAnne, with her big bosomed/bottomed beach babes. I find them humourous. they never ceace to make me smile.

Also, we have a neighbour who is a cartoonist. His stuff is pretty funny.
But serious realism as humourous.? - this is a good question - i don't think i have seen any. Humour has a tendency to be flamboyant & spontanious - realism is hard work ( for the likes of me at least) - sensitive, time consuming - who can joke around for that long? ;)

[Rosic]

I should work humor more into my art... I love it in everything else! :evil: :D
Rosic

[WFMartin]

I love seeing humor in art. I have tried a bit, myself, and actually sold one of them. (See my web site, under "oils, animals", and "oils, landscapes": "Pound Cake" and "Hare Dryer". I sold the "Pound Cake" painting.

My idea of humorous art is to produce art that is technically well executed, but of a humorous nature. I mildly disagree with the assessment of Picasso's art not being done seriously by him. I believe he was as serious as a heart attack about his art. The only problem is that it appears ridiculous enough to many viewers that we often find it difficult to believe that art which appears so off the wall, so to speak, could have been done by anyone with serious thoughts in his head. I don't believe he had a humorous bone in his body; he was dead serious about his art, and was not attempting to make his art appear humorous. The fact that his art is, interestingly, humorous to many because of his techniques, was not part of his agenda, I believe. His subjects weren't humorous; they were simply "humorously" executed, in my opinion.

I agree, there should be more humor in well-executed fine art. Norman Rockwell knew how to do it! He had great, subtle humor, and with all the techniques and skill of Rembrandt, to boot! Studying a Rockwell up close will prove that point regarding Rembrandt. I was impressed when I viewed several Rockwell oils up close.

Bill

[colin]

I mildly disagree with the assessment of Picasso's art not being done seriously by him. I believe he was as serious as a heart attack about his art.

I certainly wasnt saying Picasso was flippant or didnt care about his art . What I was saying is that he was able to incorporate irony and subtle humour in his art . Nobody can look at that bicycle seat bull without being struck by the humour in it, I dont think . What is humour but being surprised by the unexpected twist ? Of course its serious art, but that doesnt make it dour or humourless. Humour is a part of being human - thus it makes sense for a great artist to be able to capture and portray it .

Heres a Daumier as another ( famous ) example of humour in serious art

[kayemme]

i would like to mention a couple things..

there's a lot of humor in art.. in fact, the granddaddy of all contemporary art (marcel duchamp) was nothing short of a prankster gone awry.

almost everything he did was a pun, a joke or a laugh.

even more recently (i forget his name) there was a guy who won (i think the turner?) who built a whole house documenting a man who catapulted himself into space.

i wanted to say this before i forgot.. now i'll go back and read the earlier posts :)

k

[kayemme]

But serious realism as humourous.? - this is a good question - i don't think i have seen any. Humour has a tendency to be flamboyant & spontanious - realism is hard work ( for the likes of me at least) - sensitive, time consuming - who can joke around for that long? ;)

or maybe, possibly, that the humourous work that you're refering to as beign flamboyant and spontaneous only APPEARS to be flamboyant and spontaneous.. a very difficult skill to acquire.

just a thought..

k

[colin]

Hey KM,
I like the one with you balancing a brush on yer nose like a trained
seal !

[kayemme]

heh! yeah.. it was fun..

you're quick!

i posted those, then i changed my mind and decided to make it less about "me" ... i hate it when i get all in my head about eveyrhting.. aaargh!

anyway.. thanks for the complement!!

k

[kayemme]

it's true! it's all true!

http://www.artnews.com/currentarticle.cfm?type=feature&art_id=1590

heee hee.

k