The above is a landscape by Fairfield Porter. I'm not sure of the title, or if there even is one. It's a very interesting piece, though. You can tell it's in a rural location. The single story white building marks something close to a halfway point. It, the car, and the red house (and most brightly colored object) dominate the right side. The left is ruled by fields, hills, one side of a barn or shed. So the presence of unseen people is much more apparent on one side.
Porter was a twentieth century American artist. He was a contemporary of Abstract Expressionists like Pollock and Rothko. He was a representational artist himself, in some ways a traditionalist. Still, he could work in elements of abstraction.
2 comments:
It occurred to me this evening that you've done more to teach me about modern art than I ever knew previously. Since my preference is for paintings by the Old Masters I don't always go looking for what more contemporary artists have accomplished and, although I understand there are good examples of abstract expressionism, I find most of it too self indulgent to be interesting. Subjective point of view, I admit.
It's interesting you chose a painting by Fairfield Porter for today's post because his work really does have a lot of value. I prefer his landscapes and still lifes to the portraits he painted (that question of when one is finished or abandoned comes to mind). The latter two really often do appear to be very representational whereas his images of people are just realistic enough to be worth examining more closely. One would never guess from looking at the image you chose that it bears much resemblance to abstraction - unlike a number of others.
In The Collector article there's a picture
called Flowers by the Sea that I like a lot.
I find that what I appreciate most in art are dramatic plays of light and shadow. Strong shapes. Occasional bursts of color. All ways of making things--and people--look like themselves. This is certainly present in the Old Masters, although some were more focused on it than others. It can be found in modern and contemporary art as well, although not always. I'm sort of with you on abstract expressionism. I've read that Jackson Pollock's paintings weren't solely abstracts, that he depicted places and still life in his own way. I can appreciate that, but I don't often go back to him.
Porter cited French painter Edouard Vuillard, one of Les Nabis, as a prime influence. I can sort of see it, and one of these days I might have to do a post on Vuillard as well. I think it's probably necessary for an artist to abandon the work at some point. If they keep tinkering until they're happy with it, nothing will ever come out. As for this painting I think he was interested in getting at some of the qualities of abstract art, but in the framework of a realistic landscape.
Nice Porter quote in that article about essential mystery. I quite like "Girl and Geranium."
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