At the end of January, I attended the last weekend of the exhibit Faces of Impressionism at the renown Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. As an impressionist follower early in my career as a sports artist, I thought I would share my review and take. For those curious, I still create sports art in a more modern interpretation of the early masters. You can visit my sister site http://customsportsart.com. Below is one of my paintings:
So let's move on with the exhibit thoughts and how these artists influence me, even doing my abstract works today...
The exhibit was in the new addition hall of the Kimbell museum. The space is beautifully designed and in keeping with the world class collection in the other building. The exhibition was centered on portraiture while being reinterpreted by the impressionist painters of the day. It comprised 74 paintings from Paris's Musée d’Orsay. The exhibit featured many well known masterpieces that rarely leave the museum, so this was a treat for us on the other side of the pond.
The artists represented were diverse but well known. They included many pieces by Renior, a focus of his work throughout his career. Other "master's" included Degas, Manet, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Seurat, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cezanne and many others. Any art history buff will immediately be impressed with the scale and ambition of this exhibit. Below are a few works, many people will recognize:
Renior Portrait of Alphonsine Fournaise (At the Grenouillère), 1879
Van Gogh Self portrait
Edgar Degas (1834-1917) Dans un café, dit aussi L'absinthe
The diversity of work from portraits to everyday scenes of people showed the reinterpretation of the classic portrait genre. Prior paintings were focused on the subject while more often capturing the reality of the subject. Important benefactors and commissions were often meant to reflect the posterity of stature and position. So, the classic portrait genre was similar to what we see, say of the line of presidential portraits or a key benefactor hanging in the entrance of a civic building today.
The impressionists looked at this differently. First, the subject was often integrated into their surroundings. Their aim was to capture everyday life as one experienced it. Second, the impressionist use of color, light and brushstroke were utilized in diverse ways to make a statement about their subject, their personality and mood. Finally, the impressionists were concerned on achieving the essence of the scene. Their works reflected an immediacy of the moment.
To me, in this day in age of snapshot cellphone pics, there is something unique that we don't get in our digital realities. Back in the late 1800's, THEY were in a sense capturing scenes like we do. However, their lens was wider to interpretation where the viewer participates at a subconscious level. After all, this is what makes a good book enjoyable or even a movie; where we immerse ourselves into a new reality. Take a look at your own pics; they are important to you but would anyone else identify with them? I think impressionism is as popular today as back 100 years ago because they effectively condensed & summarized a scene with a sense of atmosphere that we are allowed to interpret.
Also, there is nothing like seeing these paintings in person. Too often, we see pictures of masterpieces and they appear blended in appearance and often shot in a soft light. They look great but detached in a distance sort of way.
Seeing art "live" is an all-together different experience. In this case, you can walk up to paintings and see the brushstrokes, the spontaneity and the power of suggestion. You also see the imperfections that give the work character and a unique signature. Finally, you can approach the painting from different points of view and see how light provides depth, texture and luminosity that is absent otherwise.
For example, the exhibit had a pointillism piece by Seurat. I was taken aback when I actually saw it in person. First, it was huge and taking it in visually underscored the detail underlying the painting. When one gets closer, the dots of paint that comprise the image appear. Walking further within a few feet, you could see the dots of different color and how they played against each other in both subtle light and contrast parts of the painting. For me, this elevated his work that I could only grasp in text book photos of art history class.
The impressionists have clearly influenced my own work. Obviously, in my sports art I borrow a lot of their visual elements and carry them to more dramatic extremes. But even in my abstract work, the influence is there. There is a certain spontaneous impression of creation that is apparent to the viewer. Yet, there is an element of control in color, texture and balance. As I have described, my "glass" paintings are created by layers of translucent paint that coalesce into a fused image. While there is a deliberation in the process, the creation of each layer is based upon a loose style where I manipulate the paint in a spontaneous, subconscious way. My aim on each layer is to work quickly and not think too much...that can come later after it dries. My failures and junked pieces come about when I try to be too cute and over-think. I can see this creative element being practiced in many of the impressionist art at the exhibit.
Next time you admire some artwork that is being presented/advertised at a gallery or museum, take the time to visit and experience the nuances of seeing it in person. The Faces of Impressionism was a great experience. Hopefully, you gleam how their style and approach extend to influence how artist's today view art and their willingness to experiment...to push into new areas. Art is about evolution which makes it so interpretive... enjoy it and broaden your imagination!