Do You Have A Favourite Artist From Your Country?

I have many favourites, but the top two are:

1. Albert Namatjira – a brilliant Indigenous artist – just love his works: https://nga.gov.au/namatjira/

He inspired many Indigenous to tell their individual tribe’s story and culture through art, proudly displayed in galleries and art shops.​

2. Norman Lindsay https://au.pinterest.com/explore/norman-lindsay/

Sculptor, etcher, artist, writer, publisher, cartoonist, scale modeller, you either love or hate his works, which can be serious, playful, often erotic and uninhibited. A lover of cats reflected in his artworks, their descendants still roam around his gallery’s ground.

Years back I bought a few limited edition facsimile reproductions of his etchings which I treasure. These are all of his Facsimile Etchings published to date: https://www.odana.com.au/category_s/299.htm

Like I said, you either love or hate his works.​

I’m looking forward to a new exhibition a friend and I are going to see in the Blue Mountains: http://www.normanlindsay.com.au/events/for-the-love-of-music-exhibition.php
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Here’s a popular poster on his cats that tells a story which I’ve often spotted in Veterinarians’ receptions:

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Andrew Wyeth, who would have been 100 on July 12th of this year.
The postal department issued a sheet of stamps to commemorate the event.

Norman Rockwell who was a prolific illustrator for The Saturday Evening Post magazine.

 

I'd have to say Norman Rockwell as well. His are the only yearly calendars I get. I love the realism of his illustrations.

 

Thanks for those two insights. Really like the work of both those artists, the details and the way they tell a story in a picture.

Andrew Wyeth’s treatment of the subject is wonderful. Here are two of his I recognize:


Christina’s World: I’ve seen this one is at our NSW Art Gallery in Sydney . The actress Jennifer Jones’ portrayal of St Bernadette I remember seeing when that film was advertised.



Norman Rockwell - Love the way he’s captured moments in time that tell a story the detail in his works:

This one of JFK I recognize; and I just love the detail in his pencil works:



http://mfpa.com.au/ are a bunch of unknown (Foot and Mouth disabled) artists whose Calendars and Christmas Cards I buy each year…their disabilities come in different forms and from different circumstances. Wish I had their talent!

 

Last week I attended 2017 yearly exhibition of Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes. Couple of my favourites:


The inner stillness of Eileen Kramer - At 102yrs, she is the world’s oldest working dancer, choreographer, poet, artist and costume designer.

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JC - Subject is Jack Charles Australian Aboriginal (actor) and Aboriginal Elder

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…and the winners are:

Archibald winner 2017


Wynne Winner 2017


Sulman Winner 2017


Personally, not my choice, but then I’m not an Arts’ Expert…just an art lover with different tastes!​

 

Hey David,

Glad you like the Thread. With all the dramas going on in the world, I felt it would be nice for some distraction.

I note David Hockney is a pop artist and traditionalist – and had an exhibition at our National Gallery Victoria (in our southern State of Victoria), which included a portrait of our Australian comedian, actor, satirist, artist, and author.

Barry Humphries, 26th, 27th, 28th March 2015

https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/david-hockney/​

Some of his works were also exhibited at our NSW Art Gallery in Sydney:

David HockneyRue de Seine (1972)


A Closer Winter Tunnel February – March (2006)


The Diploma (1962)
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I'm comfortable enough to enjoy this type of art, but in honesty, those winners of the 2017 exhibition of Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes tend to leave me scratching my head.

I was once given as a gift, a piece of art done for me by an American artist I met during my travels. Thrilled to receive the artwork, I held it up to view. He gently removed it from my hands, turned it upside down then handing it back smiled, "That's the right way up."

Embarrassed I re-rolled it after viewing, thanked him profusely before replacing it into its tube. Wish I had taken note at the time of right way up...to this day I still don't know!

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Like you, if I can't tell which way is up or even if it is sideways and it looks like something I could do, then I don't classify it as art.

 

Yeah…we’re both on the same page…confused when it comes to that sort of art, and I’ve often thought that.

Though one thing I find interesting is how some artists evolve. Pablo Picasso being a typical example. When we had a Pablo Picasso exhibit in Sydney, I went along anyway and joined a Tour Guide. I love his early works, for example:

Pablo Picasso, Portrait of Artist’s Mother, 1896
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Then when he began to travel and gain new experiences, he started to change, as when he moved in different circles, his art evolved, shown when he started visiting taverns and brothels. The difference in his art became more evident with the different Periods. Like the Blue Period, not so detailed, but flowed more shown with:

Woman with a Blue Hat – 1901

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Which changed again in the Rose Period with early sign of geometrics, moving into his Cubism Period, followed by:

the “African” Period - Three Women – 1908

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His Classicism Period, like Portrait of Paul Picasso as a Child – 1923 was a comeback to Realism. Picasso, always searching, continued to evolve…

the Surrealism Period – Woman with a Flower 1932
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Then his later works like this below takes some looking at for me…seems easier to grasp when guided on an Art Tour. But looking at it cold without understanding what Picasso was trying to convey I found most difficult.

Nude II – 1972




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See more on Picasso's different Periods:
http://www.pablo-ruiz-picasso.net/periods.php

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Always would have liked to do art studies…at our NSW Art Gallery in the city, they have different types of classes for members which are great fun and from what I’ve seen quite productive. I keep promising myself once I get this type of leisure time, I’ll grab a study class for a bit of fun and R&R.

Same here and the yearly Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes pretty much displays many of our Australian artists.

I only have two modern art works, one by an American friend (mentioned earlier – still don’t know which way is up); and another painted by a dolphin at Water World in our Queensland State…which is quiet colourful! Bought years ago, money for paintings went towards marine research.

“…stack of my own…” your own works or bought modern art work?

I do have some beautiful artworks collected over the years, some by an unknown artist in water colours, Indian Ink, crayons, pencil, charcoal and oils in classical style of portraits, scenes in Europe, England, Italy, the East and scenes around here which I treasure; along with some limited edition Japanese Kabuki Etchings (love them); and of course, some of those limited edition facsimile reproductions of Norman Lindsay’s etchings. Quite a mixed bag of tastes.

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