Celebrate America's rich artistic heritage with
ARTinaClick.com.
We feature over two centuries of artists and major art movements which influenced
the history of art throughout the world, from the Hudson River School of
Impressionism,
Illustration and the decorative arts, American
folk art, Abstract Expressionism and
Pop Art.
Thomas Cole was the founder of the Hudson River School which adopted
the English landscape painters emphasis on nature and infused it with local
American color. Other artists in the movement include
Albert Bierstadt and
Frederic Church. The American Impressionists, which include, among
others,
Childe Hassam,
Mary Cassatt and
William Merritt Chase, were inspired by nature and light as were
the French Impressionists,
Claude Monet and
Pierre Auguste Renoir.William Merritt Chase, an American painter and influential
teacher, inspired generations of artists such as
Georgia O'Keeffe. Louis Comfort Tiffany created an empire in the decorative arts with
his famous studio that produced stained glass lamps, vases and windows in techniques
that cannot be imitated. In the 1950's, a new generation of painters were giving
birth to a new art, which shifted the emphasis of the art world from Paris to
New York.
Abstract Expressionist artist
Jackson Pollock's drip paintings liberated future generations of
artists and encouraged the viewer to have a purely emotional response to an
image. Pop Art of the 1960's was a direct reaction to Abstract Expressionism.
Artist involved with this movement sought to create more concrete images and
to respond to the social condition.
Andy Warhol,
Roy Lichtenstein and
Jasper Johns produced images that bridged the gap between low art
and high art with their paintings of commercial images such as soup cans, comic
strips, flags and targets
All pieces of art are constructed using several formal elements,
or tools of creation, whether a painting, sculpture, or graphic medium. The
following is a brief discussion on how these elements may be used in a particular
piece with work examples sited.
Line: a drawn line is a creative device used to define a particular form
in space. There are no lines in nature so they become expressive gestures in
painting, drawing and sculpture, when describing line of movement, and in some
cases, architecture- particularly
Frank Lloyd Wright whose designs are characteristically linear. Twentieth
Century artist
Paul Klee described drawing as "taking a line for a walk". Renaissance
artist
Sandro Botticelli illustrated form primarily by line in paintings
such as
La Primavera. In this instance, line is used to define form but also
as a compositional device to carry the viewer's eyes fluidly across the canvas.
In
Dove of Peace by
Picasso the artist uses virtually a single line to express the dove.
Notice the area where the line stops. This is known as the Gestalt theory of
closer, which states the mind will fill in the missing pieces if given enough
information. This technique adds interest and mystery to a work of art, which
allows the viewer the joy of discovery.
Tone: Another way to define form is through tonal values. Artists use
the gradual tonal range from white to black to describe light as it forms an
object. This is most obvious in photography. Shades and tints of color also
have a specific value. The most dramatic effects of light are used in the Renaissance
technique called chiaruscuro, most notably by Caravaggio.
Color: Of all the formal elements of art we respond to color with the
greatest emotion. With this in mind, the Fauves, in the beginning of the 20th
century, started to use color to convey emotion rather than giving an object
its local, or natural color. This is evident in Femme au Chapeau by
Matisse where the planes of the woman's face are delineated by pure
hues of green and red rather than traditional cool and warm flesh tones. The
color field paintings of
Mark Rothko evoke purely emotional responses. Color also has symbolic
meaning. For example yellow in medieval times symbolized evil. Judas was often
portrayed in yellow robes.
Shape: This refers to specific forms identified by color, line, gesture
or negative space (areas of the composition not occupied by formal elements).
In sculpture, mass and volume relates to the surrounding space and may establish
special relationships outside the confines of the particular work.
Texture:
John Singer Sargent is known for his ability to compare the textures
of different fabrics, the sheen of satin versus the intricate texture of lace.
Impasto techniques explore actual textured surfaces. Tactile texture is an important
characteristic in the work of
Jasper Johns who uses encaustic (hot wax) techniques to develop tantalizing
surface in his signature flag and target paintings. An artist may also go to
painstaking lengths to eliminate brushstrokes from the paintings to create smooth
glass-like surfaces.
Composition: The organization, or statement, of the proceeding elements
comes under the heading of composition and this can be achieved in various ways.
There is a proportion known as the Golden Section that applies to a line so
that when divided, the ratio of its shorter part to the longer is equal to the
longer to the whole. When this proportion is realized it is, theoretically,
the most pleasing to the eye. Perspective is the technique of drawing a scene
in three-dimensional reality. The triangle, an expansion of this principle is
a device used to compose objects in a two- dimensional space. It produces a
dramatic effect while simultaneously creating balance in the composition. In
the 20th century artist began to emphasize the canvas as a two-dimensional object.
One way to achieve this compositionally is to push the focal point of the work
to the edges of the canvas thereby establishing tension in the work. In the
western world, we have a tendency to read from left to right. Color can also
function as a tool to move the viewer's eyes around the canvas. Movement, or
rhythm, in a work can also be gestural and comes directly from the artist's
energy in the making of a particular mark. An example of this is the German
Expressionists, Kandinsky, Kokoshka, Emile Nolde, and Egon Schiele among them.
Repetition of a particular element can organize a work into a unified whole.
Andy Warhol used this compositional device to make a statement about pop culture.
Subjects: Historically, the subjects of art have included religion, politics
and propaganda, preoccupation with nature, symbolism and art for art's sake.
An artist will deliberately oppose and sometimes ignore these rules to evoke
a particular response from the viewer. As an individual's body of work progresses
he begins to develop new methods of expression. At no other time has the subject
matter and range of creativity been so diverse as it is today.
From political cartoons and magazine illustrations to the animation classics of the Walt Disney Studios, humor has played an important role in art. ARTinaClick.com celebrates humorous subjects as we offer some of the best in the genre. Belgian Surrealist artist, Rene Magritte's paintings are enjoyed today for their irrational and dreamlike qualities. In the early 20th Century art was to undergo profound ideological and stylistic changes. Dada, an early movement adapted in the visual arts by Marcel Duchamp around 1915, challenged and made fun of the idea of art. By painting a mustache on the famous Mona Lisa it becomes a new object of art. Pop Art of the 1960's expanded on this idea. Contemporary artists use humor to convey ideas about the world and the human condition. At ARTinaClick.com you will find French artist Guy Buffet. Inspired by his family's restaurant business, Buffet paints joyful images of chefs and cafe interiors popular because they invite the viewer to participate in the scene. A painter and illustrator of children's images, Mackenzie Thorpe's compositions are serious and heartwarming depictions of animals and children while at the same time they maintain a sense of humor. It is this rare combination that has made this British artist appeal to a world-wide audience. Golf lovers will enjoy Golf with your Friends. In this image your friends are The Three Stooges.
Music has been an important theme in art for many centuries. Egyptian kings had musical themed images painted on the walls in their tombs to accompany them through eternity. Today the visual and performing arts remain closely linked. The emotional impact and cultural significance of music and the visual interest of instruments and sheet music have made musical themes a popular vehicle for artistic expression. At ARTinaClick.com we feature artists in a diverse range of media and styles for whom music has been an inspiration. Lena Liu was born in Taiwan and came to the United States in 1970 to study architecture before beginning a career in painting in 1977. Musical themes are evident in much of her work, which includes a range of mediums. ARTinaClick.com offers limited edition prints by this artist. Marsha Hammel's jazz musicians are sure to please the music lover. Sultry portraits of drummers, pianists and string ensembles are created with the spontaneity and urgency inspired by the subject and developed by filling many sketchbooks with drawings. Israeli born Nissan Engel describes his own work as "abstract lyricism". Taking full advantage of the aesthetic beauty and elegance of old sheet music, he creates his visually tantalizing images in a multitude of media. Also included in ArtinaClick.com's roster of fine artist is Charlotte, NC native Romare Bearden. Jazz, blues, and European painting inspire his compositions. His mature collage style, characterized by compositions of movement enhanced by the juxtaposition of color and layered shapes, lends itself to his musical subjects. Musical instruments were frequently included in the development of Cubism. Pablo Picasso and George Braque began to collage printed material, including sheet music, and textured surfaces to the paintings. By combining the layering of actual objects with painted objects and text, the artist challenged the viewer to decipher diverse means of representation. This established a new visual language to interpret the changing modern world in the first half of the 20th Century.
Before the advent of the camera, portraits were created to have an historic record of a person or event. A portrait is usually a pictorial representation of an individual. In the hands of a gifted artist it becomes a means to convey something about the person through objects and ideas. At ARTinaClick.com we feature many important portrait artists. Rembrandt was one of the first artist's to capture the inner essence of the sitter. It is in these psychological profiles, particularly his self-portraits, that we begin to understand the artist. Primitive portraits give us a glimpse of life in the early 19th Century. Although we do not know who painted the portraits there is often a record of the date and the sitters. Unlike the traditional portraiture of the day these folk art paintings are of ordinary people. The compositions, most often of children, include favorite objects, costumes of the day and detailed backgrounds. When the camera was invented to record the likeness of an individual, artists sought to use portraiture as a vehicle for expression. French painter Henri Matisse's portraits of his wife are experiments in Fauve. Pablo Picasso's cubist inventions had experiments in portraiture as well. In Girl Before a Mirror, Seated Woman and The Dream we understand the flattening of cubist space as all of the facial features are visible simultaneously. Perhaps one of the best known portrait is Van Gogh Self-Portrait with Bandaged ear. In this painting and in the portait of his friend the postman Roulin, Van Gogh achieves the ultimate goal of portraiture, to teach us about the artist and the sitter and most importantly about ourselves. Today our fascination with celebrities has made images of Elvis, Marilyn and The Beatles icons of popular culture.
Do you ever look at a painting or sculpture and declare,
"My five year old can do that!" Or "What is it supposed to be?"
Art is a truly personal experience. At its best it is meant to provoke thought
and discussion and sometimes controversy. Most art, which endures today, was
ahead of its time. From an historical perspective the natural progression toward
abstract art was a gradual accomplishment. As a tribute to the much-
revered human form,
ancient Western civilizations created art in their ideal likeness.
In the middle-ages pagan images were forbidden, therefore, human likenesses
were abstracted to the simplest shapes. During the
Renaissance there was a spirit of competition even though an artist's
subject matter was limited to that which was required by their patrons. When
the camera was invented the artist was free to challenge what art meant and
to ponder the logical step forward. The answer was art for its own sake. Every
element: line, space, color, shape, etc. which has always made a work of art,
a work of art, now becomes the subject.
Wassily Kandinsky is arguably credited with the first purely abstract
images. Would
Jackson Pollock have been able to drip paint on his canvases without
these discoveries? Art is reactionary and nothing can be created in a vacuum.
An artist's own personal development is a progressive one. Jackson Pollock studied
with
Thomas Hart Benton and the latter's regionalist works influenced
Pollock tremendously in the beginning of his career. He was soon to discover
that the New York art world was rapidly changing and he became a leader in those
discoveries. We experience images and objects with virtually more than one of
our senses simultaneously. First, accept it as an object and then begin to wonder
about it, criticize and even, finally, reject it. When we view anything, a house
a car or a work of art we bring our experiences into the fold. This is a good
thing. Use that to enhance your experience of the object in front of you. Be
aware of what you are thinking and feeling. Most importantly look at many different
styles and periods. The subtitle of the painting Whistler's Mother is Composition in Black and White. The portrait is actually secondary to the primary
abstract study.
Today even the formal elements of art are challenged in the most controversial
art ever created. Artists continue to investigate new ways of seeing the world
and of expressing their views. Some view these pieces as a cop out for so called
artists who can't draw, paint or sculpt in the conventional methods. Others
respond to the challenge before them. Is it art? To ponder the question is,
itself, part of the experience.
An artist's biography will inform the reader about the artist's life and accomplishments in their career. However, to better understand the creative process scholars turn to artists' drawings and sketchbooks. The preparatory drawings of the Belgian-American artist Christo not only give incite to the finished artwork but are essential because the sales from these drawings are used to finance the monumental environmental projects for which Christo is known. When these works are seen they have such impact that the experience stays with the viewer long after the project is over. These detailed drawings such as, Wrapped Reichstag II, show the building before and after wrapping plus notes by the artists Christo and his wife, Jean-Claude, who is actively involved in the conception and creation of all of the artwork. Another artist working on environmental sculpture is Dale Chihuly. Born in Tacoma Washington in 1941, Chihuly was introduced to glass when studying interior design at the University of Washington. Chihuly is perhaps best known for his chandelier constructions made of individually blown shapes of glass and assembled on site in such locations as Venice Italy, Waterford Ireland, and the Sydney Opera House. He also has a series of small-scale sculpture inspired by the art of Japanese flower arranging called, Ikebana and a series of glass baskets. The spontaneity achieved in, Boathouse Ikebana Drawing and Burned Baskets Drawing is translated to the large-scale installations. In actuality it takes much preparation to make the work feel like it was always meant to be in a certain location. Renaissance artist Michelangelo was an accomplished draftsman. In Madonna and Child c. 1512, the artist has modeled the baby as he will be modeled in stone, although, in a reverse process. In drawing the artist plans movement, composition, color and special relationships to be translated in the finished product. Alexander Calder, an American artist best known for his mobiles, has done countless drawings and models. In this case drawing is not only preliminary but becomes part of the piece. For example, in the "Circus" series a piece of wire is "drawn" into a line and forms the finished sculpture. In Hovering Bowies, 1963, he achieves the essence of the mobiles wind blown movement, special relationships and interaction of color
Hey, sports fans! At ARTinaClick.com you will not only find images of your favorite stars and sports but autographed, photos, balls, bats, helmets and jerseys, signed by Joe Namath, Joe DiMaggio, Derek Jeter and Mark McGuire to name a few. Each comes with a certificate of authenticity. World- renowned sports artist Leroy Neiman is featured in our Collector's Gallery. Here you will find original pencil signed serigraphs by the artist who has been the official artist for major sporting events such as the Olympics in 1972 and 1976 and the 1978 Super Bowl. His universal subject matter is in museum as well as corporate and private collections around the world. Artist Dave Faville brings a sense of humor to his sporting animals. His graphic designs are produced on t-shirts, mugs, and hand signed limited edition prints. Find his hand signed prints at ARTinaClick.com. Celebrated American illustrator Norman Rockwell included sports themes in his views of American life. His series Sporting Boys is four pieces depicting baseball, basketball, golf and football with the nostalgia and humor found in all of his art. His work is so detailed it resembles photographs. However, the linear quality of his compositions makes the viewer aware that they are indeed paintings.
Come travel around the world with us. ARTinaClick.com has your favorite destination in mind with vintage travel posters and photos of major cities around the world. Return to Paris everyday as you look at your new black and white photograph of the Eiffel Tower or L'Arche de Triomphe. Travel back in time with an antique image of the Chamonix hotel. Ski down slopes of France and Switzerland. Artist Howard Behrens paints views of Amalfi, Sausalito and Lake Como. The bright sunlit days depicted in his vivid images will brighten these winter mornings ahead. Your tropical paradise is a click away. ARTinaClick.com has the crystal blue water and swaying palms of the islands. Select a photographic image by Murison. Roger Broders was hired by the French Railway Company, Paris-Lyon Mediterranee to promote tourism. Between 1920-1931 he created masterful compositions of simplified line and flat areas of color to entice viewers to such exotic locations as Antibes, Marseilles, and Monte Carlo to name a few. ARTinaClick.com offers reproductions of these wonderful images.