Wassily Kandinsky: "The more frightening the world becomes ... the more art becomes abstract." Transverse Line 1923 Oil on canvas 55.1 × 78.7" (140.0 × 200.0 cm) Dusseldorf. Germany. Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
You're getting into a world I seem to struggle a bit with Swanny. I have to admit though, Transverse Line unnerves me a bit.
You know, Cyc, this Kandinsky fellow is a real hit with the Germans, especially, lived in Munich for a time apparently. A year or two ago there was a big Kandinsky exhibition in a huge gallery on Königsplatz here, and, I kid you not, there were long queues every single day to get in, and this was for two or three months. One day, I could not take it any more and I joined the queue. Fascinating, I just don't know how much stuff he produced during his life, but the output was massive. I much preferred his abstract art to the 'straight' paintings, so to speak. At the end of the visit, three or four floors, I was totally exhausted but very happy I joined the line into the gallery. He seemed to like 'quoting' on art, here's three more of his better known ones: Colour is a means of exerting direct influence on the soul. The artist must train not only his eye but also his soul. There is no must in art because art is free. http://www.wassilykandinsky.net/painting1896-1944.php .......and from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wassily_Kandinsky
Thank you, Cyc, noticed no Picasso's so far on here, so went through dozens of his paintings and it was so hard to choose one. Went for this because of its simplicity (just black on white) and, well, pure genius. My imagination ran wild too. I thought of some young kid in an art class at school, messing around with pens and black ink and whatnot, and coming up with this. His teacher looks at it, roars off to the staff room at tea-break time, and exclaims, "We've got a bloody genius in the school!" Forgive an old man his fantasies!
If it's any school I went to Swanny, they'd spot the the pic and head off to the lunch room and say. "Get a load of this ****. This ****er will never amount to anything."
Yes, my school too, but our art teacher, an Irish lady by the name of Miss Coughlan (taught chemistry also, clever lass) would have gone bananas, for sure! I was useless at both her subjects, and she naturally viewed me with disdain. Little did she know that I was already quite adapt at drawing, if only 'pints' at my dad's pub. please log in to view this image
I recall an attempt in Arts class at about age fourteen. Everybody knew there were three/four brilliant 'drawers' in the class of thirty. We had to imagine standing at the head of a street lined by tall buildings of various heights and colours. As usual my attempt was in my judgement crap, possibly even worse than usual. The master however seemed to be very interested and remarked that I had an eye for this type of 'work'. Sarcastic c..t thought I however continued encouragement meant improvement. Still dropped the subject a year later! Maybe the guy was just a good teacher!
Fascinating thread, I'd love to make contribution but am unable to put up images. My favourite painter is sir Alfred munnings, after George Stubbs the finest horse painter we've seen.my favourite piece is called at the start, it's a picture depicting the start of a race at Newmarket. It captures all the action of the start with a backdrop of a typical Newmarket sky. If you ever get the chance to go to Newmarket take detour of the a12 at Dedham to marvel at one of britains least known artists works.
Yes that's the one cyclonic that's the one. A beautiful painting from an underrated British artist, that's my selection at the back missing the break again lol. He was also an accomplished impressionist artist also and could sculpture also, although he was no Henry Moore or Barbara Hepworth. Thanks for that.
Another for you Florida. Horse frightened by Lion. By George Stubbs. please log in to view this image
Katsushika Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as The Great Wave, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei), c. 1830-32, polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper, 10 1/8 x 14 15 /16 inches; 25.7 x 37.9 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York):
Johannes Vermeer "The Girl With A Glass Of Wine" ("Lady And Two Men") (Dame en twee heren) c. 1659-1660 Oil on canvas 78 x 67 cm. (30 3/4 x 26 3/8 in.) Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Braunschweig
