Gerhard Richter / Ellsworth Kelly

[Pilan]

I went to San Francisco Museum of Modern Art today. I saw Gerhard Richters work and Ellsworth Kellys. Somehow, I could not grasp or get cozy with Richters abstracts. I only related to them as they look like my throwaways only bigger.

Ellsworth Kelly had a few very interesting pieces. Saw miro, Klee, Kandisky ( yahooo! love his work) dali, Matisse.

Still thinking about it and learning from what I saw today.



Pilan


Happy Thanksgiving to ALL!

[Jetsam]

Was this the retrospective that was at NY's MOMA a while back? I didn't see it in the flesh but have the book that came out of that. I prefer Richters's figurative work, but I also enjoy the abstracts he's been experimenting with these past few years. To me, they convey quick motion, sudden change, etc. But again, I haven't had the ability to see them 'live' like you have. I would love to see some of Richter's earlier works up close as well.

If I remember right (I don't have my book handy) the abstracts were a lot larger than some of the figurative work R has done. Was it the colors that you didn't care for, or the style, or something else? Curious to know your thoughts.

[Pilan]

Originally posted by finemist
Was this the retrospective that was at NY's MOMA a while back? I didn't see it in the flesh but have the book that came out of that. I prefer Richters's figurative work, but I also enjoy the abstracts he's been experimenting with these past few years. To me, they convey quick motion, sudden change, etc. But again, I haven't had the ability to see them 'live' like you have. I would love to see some of Richter's earlier works up close as well.

If I remember right (I don't have my book handy) the abstracts were a lot larger than some of the figurative work R has done. Was it the colors that you didn't care for, or the style, or something else? Curious to know your thoughts.

His abstracts looked like where he had loaded up a large paint scaper and just dragged it from one side of the canvas to the other. The colors were most it seemed to be 2 colors in his abstracts maybe 3 colors. I only realized that it was just a dragging pattern and the canvas was extremely large. So those did not rate much with me. However, the manipultated photographs done in oils were extremely interesting and those caught my attention. I even hung around looking at them they were blurred and mystified by the way the artist laid the paint down. He had an idea on what he wanted and seemed to achieve it in this exhibit. It took me 3 days to sit down and read the exhibit sheet on Gerhard Richter. After reading it, I have come to admire the way Richter thought. I think he was brilliant and so my admiration for the photographed oil pictures and Richter as an artist has soared.

So, I think if anyone has a chance to go see his work its a good experience to behold.
Thanks for asking because it really does help understanding others art when you have to think it through and type it down.

Pilan

[Pilan]

Originally posted by Pilan


His abstracts looked like where he had loaded up a large paint scaper and just dragged it from one side of the canvas to the other. The colors were most it seemed to be 2 colors in his abstracts maybe 3 colors. I only realized that it was just a dragging pattern and the canvas was extremely large. So those did not rate much with me. However, the manipultated photographs done in oils were extremely interesting and those caught my attention. I even hung around looking at them they were blurred and mystified by the way the artist laid the paint down. He had an idea on what he wanted and seemed to achieve it in this exhibit. It took me 3 days to sit down and read the exhibit sheet on Gerhard Richter. After reading it, I have come to admire the way Richter thought. I think he was brilliant and so my admiration for the photographed oil pictures and Richter as an artist has soared.

So, I think if anyone has a chance to go see his work its a good experience to behold.
Thanks for asking because it really does help understanding others art when you have to think it through and type it down.

Pilan

also Richter is supposed to have some published letters or notes about the way he thought about art etc. Maybe something like Vicents letters to Theo. I will find out and post later with my findings.
P

[Jetsam]

Originally posted by Pilan


also Richter is supposed to have some published letters or notes about the way he thought about art etc. Maybe something like Vicents letters to Theo. I will find out and post later with my findings.
P

You might be talking about "Gerhard Richter: The Daily Practice of Painting". It is a collection of notes, interviews, and photos. I bought that book while browsing through the art section at the bookstore this past spring. Richter clearly believes that an artist must find his own way, and find his own voice, steering clear of trying to fit into a defined school of thought. I'll give you a sample of some of R's notes:

" Picturing things, taking a view, is what makes us human; art is making sense and giving shape to that sense. It is like the religious search for God. We are well aware that making sense and picturing is artificial, like illulsion; but we can never give them up. For belief (thinking and interpreting the present and the future) is our most important characteristic......

As soon as artistic activity turns into an 'ism', it ceases to be artistic activity. To be alive is to engage in a daily struggle for form and for survival.

Painting has nothing to do with thinking, because in painting thinking is painting. Thinking is language - record keeping - and has to take place before and after. Einstein did not think when he was calculating; he calculated - producing the next equation in reaction to the one that went before - just as in painting one form is a response to another, as so on.

Strange though it may sound, not knowing where one is going - being lost, being a loser - reveals the greatest possible faith and optimism, as against collective security and collective significance. To believe, one must have lost God; to paint, one must have lost art."
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If you get a chance, check it out of your local library. I found many things in that book that resonated with me.

If you're thinking of a different Richter book, let me know if you've found out the title - I'd love to find a copy for myself.

[Pilan]

Originally posted by finemist


You might be talking about "Gerhard Richter: The Daily Practice of Painting". It is a collection of notes, interviews, and photos. I bought that book while browsing through the art section at the bookstore this past spring. Richter clearly believes that an artist must find his own way, and find his own voice, steering clear of trying to fit into a defined school of thought. I'll give you a sample of some of R's notes:

-------------------------------------------------
If you get a chance, check it out of your local library. I found many things in that book that resonated with me.

If you're thinking of a different Richter book, let me know if you've found out the title - I'd love to find a copy for myself.

Thanks finemist I will try and find it. I do want to read his book. I feel its important for artists to read about others and also it helps to know we aren't alone even though we feel alone most of the time.

Pilan

[Jetsam]

I very much agree. There was much that I could relate to in his description of how he approaches art. Enjoy, and thanks for the post!

[kimba]

I often find that I like the words of an artist better than the artwork of the same person.

I went to see the exhibition on Thursday and although I was captivated while I was walking around looking at things, after I left the show I felt 'ho-hum'.

The one thing I really liked about the exhibition was that it showed all flavors of his work. I thought it would have been a stronger exhibit if the figurative work would have been shown together and the abstract together. But as someone who works in both mindless abstraction and sometimes figurative work, it was great to see that someone who did this could have the body of their work taken seriously.

I only liked two of his abstracts: the big orange series that was shown out in the entryway and the one called (I think) 'red blue green'. The rest were, well, blechy.

I liked a lot of the figurative work. Especially the two paintings used to advertise the exhibition: '804 Lesende' and the one of his daughter looking backwards. But also the series of his third wife with the baby was good too.

I also walked around First Thursaday afterwards and saw a lot of OK work...