There must be an infinite number of possible thoughts on any one piece of art, but we will only cover seven, a weeks worth. For 52 weeks, through 2009, you will see a work of art from the Portland Art Museum* and a riff each day inspired by it – prose, poetry, photos, video, thoughts or ponderings.
Yes, if Vincent Van Gogh were still alive he'd be 157 years old. We featured Vincent during Week 38 here at Fifty Two Pieces. Going back and rereading the week, I was reminded of not only him but also a number of other artists, including Robert Colescott, Roy Lichtenstein and David Hockney.
Here's the reprised post for Tuesday of that week. Van Gogh ~ Appropriations by Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Colescott
At least two of the artists we have featured here in Fifty Two Pieces have painted appropriations of Van Gogh's work. Roy Lichtenstein from Week 37 made this print of Bedroom at Arles with Drawing on the verso in 1992. Evidently, Vogue Hommes, Paris, published a special hand signed catalogue, portfolio in a limited edition of 50. The illustration on the reverse (shown here on the left) was made when Roy Lichtenstein spilled coffee on the print during the signing. In addition to this print, Lichtenstein also painted an oil of Van Gogh's Bedroom at Arles. It is shown below on the left as well as Van Gogh's original version of his Bedroom at Arles.
Robert Colescott from Week 20 was another artist famous for his appropriations of work by fellow artists. His versions became riffs and parodies. One of his most famous was of Van Gogh's Potato Eaters. Both images are shown below and it's fairly clear which artist was responsible for which painting.
A number of people have asked about what's happening to Fifty Two Pieces, now that our original commitment of 52 pieces has been met. Reviewing the stats from our accumulator, Stat Counter, we've noticed that even the most loyal haven't seen all of our posts. Without further ado, we're reprising some of our own favorite posts, not on a regular basis but probably once a week, more or less. So check back in occasionally and you'll see some of our own personal favorites. And now for The Two Roys and Kris... WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 Roy Lichtenstein ~ Sweet Dreams Baby with Roy Orbison Earlier this week I mentioned Roy Lichtenstein's sense of humor and how it came into play with his choice of words for this image – Sweet Dreams Baby. Once I started to think of the usual endearing use of that phrase, it was extremely difficult not to hear Roy Orbison singing what some think of as his signature song, Sweet Dreams Baby. So although Roy Lichtenstein listened to classical music while painting in his studio, I'm certain he would enjoy the sight of Bruce Springsteen playing backup to Roy Orbison in the version of Sweet Dreams Baby posted below. More Words, Images and MusicBut wait, more music can be heard while looking at the prints in Word and Image/Word as Image. For example take a peek at William Hogarth's Marriage a la Mode. This engraving is from a set of four and concentrates on Squanderfield's bride. She's having her hair done while listening to the lawyer Silvertongue (you have to love the choice of names). Just in case there's any doubt about the affair between those two, Hogarth has placed a black servant boy playing with a broken horned statue in front of them – Squanderfield should know at this point that she's "fooling around". There's a great deal to see in this engraving, including Silvertongue's portrait on the far right wall. Hogarth did the faces and heads but had Simon Francois Ravanet complete the background because of its technical demands. While taking in Silvertongue and the rest of Squanderfield's friends, listen to Kris Kristofferson singing Silver Tongued Devil and I.
Here's our list of the top ten artists at Fifty Two Pieces and the pages that made them so popular. Like most popularity lists this one is skewed by length of time a page has been circulating on the internet. Although Raphael and La Donna Velata made the cut it was just barely. However, Raphael only first appeared during the last week of October. Part of the reason Josef Sudek is a front runner in popularity has to do with the world wide audience Fifty Two Pieces has. Visitors come from all over the world and make frequent revisits. Although most of the over 17,000 visitors are from the United States, Canada and Great Britain, people from over 100 countries have dropped in on Fifty Two Pieces.
Check out these artists and the other 42 that we have presented in the last year. For each one on the Top Ten List we've also included a link to all of their posts.
My personal favorite, the artist I most enjoyed learning about this year, is you LaValle. This project taught me so much about partnership in writing and learning. It has been invaluable for me. I have logged into Fifty Two Pieces for the last time and no new years resolution will ever be the same.
LaValle had this to say on this last day of 2009...
Starting tomorrow, I'll no longer be thinking about what I'll be writing about on Fifty Two Pieces, nor will I be researching what that writing will be about, nor will I be waking up early to actually write it. Not doing all of that in turn will be leaving hours of extra time every day. What is she going to do you might ask? Voice from the Couch is also waiting to hear and not too patiently for that answer.
Well, I'll be starting a photography blog Portland Through My Lens. I'm challenging myself to ride the Portland Streetcar every day of 2010 and take photographs and post at least one of those images. The restrictions I'm imposing on myself are that the photos must be either from the streetcar or within two blocks of the streetcar. And I should amend the challenge to everyday that I'm in Portland since I do hope to travel sometime during the year. I'll have to come up with a sub-challenge for those days.
2009 has been a fine year, full of lots of planning, website maintenance and many discoveries. Thank you Amy for a great year. And thank you to everyone, all 17,000+ visitors, who have helped to make the year as good as it was.
At least two of the artists we have featured here in Fifty Two Pieces have painted appropriations of Van Gogh's work. Roy Lichtenstein from Week 37 made this print of Bedroom at Arles with Drawing on the verso in 1992. Evidently, Vogue Hommes, Paris, published a special hand signed catalogue, portfolio in a limited edition of 50. The illustration on the reverse (shown here on the left) was made when Roy Lichtenstein spilled coffee on the print during the signing. In addition to this print, Lichtenstein also painted an oil of Van Gogh's Bedroom at Arles. It is shown below on the left as well as Van Gogh's original version of his Bedroom at Arles.
Robert Colescott from Week 20 was another artist famous for his appropriations of work by fellow artists. His versions became riffs and parodies. One of his most famous was of Van Gogh's Potato Eaters. Both images are shown below and it's fairly clear which artist was responsible for which painting.
Earlier this week I mentioned Roy Lichtenstein's sense of humor and how it came into play with his choice of words for this image – Sweet Dreams Baby. Once I started to think of the usual endearing use of that phrase, it was extremely difficult not to hear Roy Orbison singing what some think of as his signature song, Sweet Dreams Baby. So although Roy Lichtenstein listened to classical music while painting in his studio, I'm certain he would enjoy the sight of Bruce Springsteen playing backup to Roy Orbison in the version of Sweet Dreams Baby posted below.
More Words, Images and Music
But wait, more music can be heard while looking at the prints in Word and Image/Word as Image. For example take a peek at William Hogarth's Marriage a la Mode. This engraving is from a set of four and concentrates on Squanderfield's bride. She's having her hair done while listening to the lawyer Silvertongue (you have to love the choice of names). Just in case there's any doubt about the affair between those two, Hogarth has placed a black servant boy playing with a broken horned statue in front of them – Squanderfield should know at this point that she's "fooling around". There's a great deal to see in this engraving, including Silvertongue's portrait on the far right wall. Hogarth did the faces and heads but had Simon Francois Ravanet complete the background because of its technical demands. While taking in Silvertongue and the rest of Squanderfield's friends, listen to Kris Kristofferson singing Silver Tongued Devil and I.
Just in case I thought I had kissed a frog and he'd become a prince now I see he comes with a castle. The Lichtenstein Castle, whose name means "Gray Slate".
Sweet Dreams Baby, the piece of the week here at Fifty Two Pieces has been the impetus for me reading a great deal about Roy Lichtenstein. There are any number of biographies out there, both short and long. In addition, there are interviews with him. In the one linked here, Lichtenstein is speaking with Daniel Sylvester in April 1997. He talks about the development of his paintings and the influences of various artists, e.g. Picasso and of his art professor Hoyt Sherman. This passage about how he developed the Brush-strokes series made me chuckle.
I had trouble with the Brush-strokes too: they looked like slices of bacon or something, they didn't really look anything like brush-strokes when I started. And I got this idea that I would use India ink on acetate and make a brush-stroke, and it made a very interesting brush-stroke, because the acetate kind of repels the ink. And then I would copy, I would draw pictures of those and it was just a way of getting an idea for a brush-stroke. It had more interest than I could get by trying to dream one up.
In an earlier interview with Michael Kimmelman from the New York Times, Lichtenstein was quoted as saying "I wouldn't believe anything I tell you." The interview is quite extensive and includes Lichtenstein comments about paintings and works of art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the interview he talks of his appropriation of Cezanne and Picasso paintings and his development as an artist.
Wishing that Lichtenstein were still alive so that I could see and hear him in an interview, I went over to Youtube and found a series of videos from a 1970's recorded interview with Lichtenstein in his studios and in Paris as well as a sequence at the beach. Here are the interviews. Watch them individually at seven to ten minutes minutes or all six in a row for an insight into this remarkable artist.
In this first part of the video series, Roy Lichtenstein talks of his life from going to school on the upper west side of Manhattan through his moving to Ohio and his years in the service. He does this while you watch him work in his studio. At one point, he talks about how he chooses to work on his creations, his style and which tools he uses. You're right there with the artist as he thinks through his project.
This video has Lichtenstein talking of his art as we watch him wandering through an opening of his work at The Mayor Gallery in London. Also included is Lichtenstein's view of his early work beginning with Look Mickey as well as his later work of Look Mickey as part of his Artist's Studio series.
In part 3, watch Lichtenstein work on three paintings including his looking at his work upside down and in a mirror for different perspective on how the paintings are developing.
The fourth in the series of videos includes shots of Lichtenstein in Paris, at the beach and in his studio. There's also a portion where he talks about the Artist's Studio series again, this time focusing on his version of Matisse's Dance. Here's the link for the video.
At some point, Andy Warhol visited Roy Lichtenstein at his home on Long Island. Part 5 of this video series captures those moments in Lichtenstein's house and then his studio. You also get a glimpse of Warhol's puppy at the time. Lichtenstein later discusses his version of Matisse's Dance and how he creates lines.
In the last part of the video series, Lichtenstein discusses his work, his style and his lifestyle (the latter while playing chess). The video then shifts to a Pop Show at the Whitney with glimpses of Claes Oldenburg, Larry Rivers, James Rosenquist, Robert Rauschenberg – all looking so young!
Standing nearly thirty feet tall, Brushstrokes, 96 by Roy Lichtenstein has graced the plaza area of the Portland Art Museum since the Mark Building was opened in 2005. The Lichtenstein Foundation website describes the acquisition and has this to say about the sculpture.
Brushstrokes is one of a series of heroic-scaled sculptures that Roy Lichtenstein created in the last decades of his life. Conceptually a reinvention of the 2-D gestural brushstroke as a three-dimensional sculpture, Lichtenstein was working in response to his own early career as an Abstract Expressionist painter and the painterly brushwork of DeKooning. The brushwork-themed work can be seen as the artist's satirical assault on the conventions of Abstract Expressionism-with playful references to everything from Surrealism to the still life painting of Paul Cézanne.
Not everyone knows that before Roy Lichtenstein ventured into the world of Pop art, he had painted in an Abstract Expressionist style as mentioned in the quote above. Shown on the left is Variation #7 from 1959. This painting as well as Drowning Girl, 1986 and Figures in Landscape, 1985 below are indicative that Lichtenstein still had one foot in the abstract world as he explored Pop Art. These paintings as well as a number of others of his works are included in a Charlie Rose interview from 2002. Bonnie Clearwater, Dorothy Lichtenstein and Jeff Koons joined Rose on January 7, 2002 to discuss Lichtenstein's life and work – the fifteen minute video can be found here.
The use of Benday dots are one of Lichtenstein's signature references to commercial art. Benday dots have been likened to pointilism. It was a technique originally created by Benjamin Day, an American illustrator from the 19th century who published the original New York Sun- one of New York's primary newspapers from 1833 to 1950. Benday dots are always equal in size and distribution in certain areas- see the man in Sweet Dreams Baby. Benday dots were used in comic books to create optical illusions by using shades and tones of different colors layered on top of each other. Below is an image of the Cap of Barcelona, one of Lichtenstein's sculptures not unlike Brushstrokes, which belongs to the Portland Art Museum. In Cap of Barcelona Lichtenstein employs the Benday dots to create a sweeping motion across the sculpture. In Brushstrokes Lichtenstein uses another commercial art printing reference, regularized stripes. All of this awareness and suggestion of consumer culture puts Lichtenstein at the forefront of the pop art movement with Andy Warhol, whose Campbell soups are also in Word and Image.
Roy Lichenstein's Sweet Dreams Baby is currently on view at the Portland Art Museum as part of Word and Image/Word as Image. The exhibition is made up of nearly 70 works from the permanent collection of the Portland Art Museum and local private collections. Spend some time with these prints and you'll have a better understanding of the relationship between word and image in prints from the Renaissance through today.
Sweet Dreams Baby is from Jordan D. Schnitzer's collection. Originally created by Roy Lichtenstein as part of the portfolio 11 Pop Artists, it was one of three color screen prints Lichtenstein submitted for that compendium. Reverie and Moonscape shown below are the other two. Lichtenstein used bright canary yellow, intense red along with black and white to create Sweet Dreams Baby, one of his first Pop images. The scene is made up of two partial figures at a particularly violent moment. The punching hand from a person not shown arcs across the paper knocking the other man's head away with a dramatic "POW" in bright red caps. Characteristic of Lichtenstein's sense of humor, Sweet Dreams Baby has an interesting double meaning – usually an endearing phrase is here used as a farewell to the man who has just been hit.
On Writing: Shards and Scraps
-
STACKS OF NOTEBOOKS TEETERING a foot and a half high. Scraps of paper torn
from here and there, covered in cryptic and often indecipherable scrawls:
old ...
End of the Line
-
It's been a great year posting mostly photos along the route of the
Portland Streetcar. Thanks to everyone who has visited and seen photos from
Portland, S...
Tribute Update: Edward Henry Weston
-
I updated the Edward Henry Weston tribute site today. Weston is considered
by many to be one of the greatest 20th century photographers. I added many
ima...
.jpg)
Posts
