Paging Ivan Reid

I won. Me.

 

Would you have thought of it? And why do you think the artist did
that?

 

It might have none. It might be an attenpt to cash in on the gullibility of
art collectors. It might be anything. Still art though.

If someone buys a painting by a master to hang on their bedroom wall because
it is beautiful to their eyes, the light playing on the master's brush
strokes and changing depending on the time of day, etc, and then finds out
it's a fake, does that mean it's not art? If it is still art how much less
is it art than the original? And if it isn't art then why is the original;
since the end result is the same? Or do we have to include the process,
background and pain that was undergone to evaluate it?

 

What?

Were you a fly on the wall during the creation of the piece?

" "

 

I love Rothko. They're simply amazing. There's whole room devoted to
him at SFMOMA. Well worth a visit.

Let's not concern ourselves with what the philistines think.

 

Right. I'm attempting to open my mind here. I've had a look at the
site above, and I see some (presumably shrunk) reproductions of his
work. Are the triangle and squiggle on some of them part of the work,
or just an electronic watermark? Nothing like anything I would expect
from a child; children don't tend to stick to simple rectilinear
designs. Or are they simple? I see colours; I've tried to see more
than that, but I just can't. Is there any way someone can explain to
me, in a manner I can understand, how these images have any meaning
whatsoever beyond possibly someone experimenting with colour
combinations? I can't attach any emotional significance to them at all.

 

When you see them in real life they are amazingly effective. Despite
being basically blocks of colour, there are shapes and impressions and
/almost/ images shimmering and hovering. As you stand some distance
away, and then gradually approach the canvas there's subtle changes in
inflection and feeling.

But it's so much easier for geoff and lozzo to say that it's shit than
to think about it.

Have a look at:
http://www.artcritical.com/DavidCohen/SUN39.htm

 

If I have my way my study will be devoted to him. But my current
faves are Steve Johnston and Debra Stroud:

http://www.collect-art.com/images.asp?cno=8&ast=1777

http://www.collect-art.com/images.asp?cno=8&ast=2249

I think a couple of Strouds for the living room[1] and a Johnston in
the bedroom[2].

Problem I have at the moment choosing paintings is that both those
rooms are big as I need large imposing paintings. I'll be moving next
year and the chances are the new house won't have rooms as big.

[1] White walls
[2] Dark maroon red walls.

 

Yes. Most are around 2 foot by 3 foot.

Yeah, I think it's to stop you taking images from that site.

That's the 65 million dollar question. Someone else can't tell you
what to think of them. All you can do is look at them and examine
what feelings they evoke in you. Some Rothko's, the darker ones in
blues and similar colours I find incredibly relaxing. The more
vibrant colours I find wake me up or make me more emotional.

 

It's been a passion of some artists over the years to experiment with colour
and try to bring it alive on the canvas, to create an impression of energy,
translucency or conflict for instance. Look at those pictures, let your eyes
relax until you can forget your looking at a flat picture. If it still means
nothing try having one off the wrist in consolation.

 

If everything is blue then nothing is blue because there is nothing else to
differentiate it. Any help?

Consider the Lily...

 

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the

Most of them don't do anything for me at all; but one or two do. Having
said that, most of what appeals to me about conventional
(representational) art is the fact that I can't do it myself (ok, I can
draw a bit), but what I'm left feeling about Rothko's stuff is that I
could do any of them easily enough.
Now that may or may not turn out to be true should I attempt it, but I
don't feel there's anything special about them that would prompt me to
risk burns by running into a burning warehouse to rescue them.

--

Dave

GS 850 x2 / SE 6a
SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#6 FUB#3
FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19 COSOC#10

 

I'm really going to have to take your word for it. I perused the
article you referenced; I have perhaps expanded my personal vocabulary,
but that's about it. I can see the variations in shade within the
blocks of colour, the colours merging at the boundaries. There's a very
deliberate look about them, no doubt the artist wanted them to look as
they do, but I still can't ascribe any feeling to it. I can only assume
I'm missing the point, or it just doesn't translate to the cathode ray
tube. It's just doing nothing for me, and I mean nothing. It elicits
no emotional reaction whatsoever. Is that bad?

 

Very altruistic of them. However, there's a lot of art I wouldn't want in my
living room especially if it's taken out of context.

 

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the

Hmm... personally I like forgers. They give so many people the chance to
think they own something wonderful.

I'd quite happily pay someone to knock me out an old master. Normal
hourly rates of course.

--

Dave

GS 850 x2 / SE 6a
SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#6 FUB#3
FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19 COSOC#10

 

No, it just means they mean nothing to you. It might also possibly mean
you're a robot with no emotion chips. How fast can you calculate the square
root of 43?

 

Ben wrote:

I like those.

Not so keen on those, but it's hard to say from a screen, of course.
Northern Lights, I suppose I'd like

I'm particularly fond of this Vermeer:
http://www.ballandclaw.com/vermeer/lek.html

I once thought it would be a good idea to try to see all the Vermeers
on public display. In the midst of that, my Mum got an MBE, so I
wondered if I'd be able to see the one at Buckingham Palace, as a
bonus. Anyway, it wasn't in any of the rooms that the plebs are
allowed in, so I gave up on the whole idea.

In fact, that's one of the things that really riles me about the
fucking monarchy. They've got all this good stuff - palaces, and
castles, and works of art and stuff, and it's all for them, and not
for us.

I'm trying to find a print of "Le Violon Rouge" by Raoul Dufy, but I
can't find one anywhere.

You want a touch of light blue in there, son, for a classy feel. best
colour combination in the world. [0]

[0] http://www.whufc.com/index.asp

 

I don't do mental arithmetic, since my numeric co-processor burnt out
following the power surge of 1987.

-syntax error
-divide by zero
-rebooting...

 

On Thu, 03 Jun 2004 21:41:39 +0100, Darren Robinson

[lots of talk about art]

Well I've followed the thread and can sort of see both viewpoints. I can
understand why people scoff at the more abstract and challenging aspects
of modern art. I also understand why others leap to its defence.

One thing that being exposed to the variety of people that is ukrm has
taught me is that I actually know very little about art, music and
literature. I really struggle to know what I like and why I like it so I
do really understand your remarks above - I often feel like that when I
read posts where people are in raptures over a book or a sculpture. I
have less trouble with music but then it is easier to access music than
say modern art.

I don't think there is anything bad about having no reaction to a
picture although I did like some of Rothko stuff and the links from Ben
Sales were also intriguing. I think I may have found something to spend
some money on. The things I liked about them were the use of colour, the
vibrancy of some of the contrasts and I guess the link to nature's moods
and colours. The thing is that I would never have found them without
Ben's post because I don't have any natural curiosity about those things
- I think this is something that you either have nurtured in you by your
parents or else an interest is triggered by an event or somesuch and you
go from there. I think it is very difficult to "self start" an
appreciation of art - you really need a friend to drag you along and get
you interested.

By way of contrast I spent a day at Kew Gardens earlier this week. Not
my usual sort of thing at all but I enjoyed it immensely looking at the
amazing variety of plants and just appreciating a fantastic resource
that I've never been to despite living in London for eek years. Perhaps
a trip to a museum or three might be your way of building an
appreciation?

 

Excellent! I remember well the MTCP program on this.