Artists Who Have Influenced My Work
I am usually a very private person. I keep quiet and don’t talk very much. It’s not because I don’t have anything to say, it’s more that I’m no sure if anybody cares.
So, as I continue on this journey of sharing my life as an artist and what influences have shaped me as such, I hope you enjoy learning as much as I, quite honestly have enjoyed sharing.
Last month I wrote about the art genres I love and shared how interesting it was that although I love them, they really don’t seem to have an influence on my work. Well, I have some favorite artists too, and just maybe they are a little more influential.
I have four artists that really stand out for me. I don’t necessarily love every one of their works, but they have one or two (sometimes three) pieces that every time I see them in person, and I have seen most of them in person, I get that “vibe”.
One artist I love is sculptor, Constantin Brâncuși. Brâncuși was a Romanian sculptor, painter and photographer who was considered a pioneer of modernism, and one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th-century. I love one of his most famous sculptures, The Kiss. I am attracted to the simplicity of the rounded shape and the abstract, stylistic way he has preprinted two people in an embrace. The arms flow around the two people. He sculpted this in 1912, and I appreciate, although not knowing his intention, that the two figures embracing he has created are open to interpretation. There is now definition of the gender of either figure, allowing the viewer to authentically interpret his work through their own perspective. What I like about Brâncuși’s work is the smooth lines and simple shapes he creates. White Negress II combines a contrast of textures and shapes, while the main subject is the sculpture on top, which reminds me of a fish (and I have thing for fish as well, but that’s a whole other post), but how he has placed on the juxtaposition of shapes for the stand.
The Kiss by Constantin Brancusi
Pablo Picasso is probably the most important figure of 20th century, in terms of art, and art movements that occurred over this period. He created an enormous body of work over his lifetime, but I am most attracted to his cubist face. The Three Musicians is a perfect example of Picasso's Cubist style. In Cubism, the subject of the artwork is transformed into a sequence of planes, lines, and arcs. Cubism has been described as an intellectual style because the artists analyzed the shapes of their subjects and reinvented them on the canvas. And, that’s what I love about it. The contrast of shapes and patterns and colors has me stopping every time. And it is enormous. I also like that fact, that the colors are subdued.
Three Musicians by Pablo Picasso
In contrast, I love the work of Henri Matisse for his use of bright colors, and I do think he influences my work in that way. One of the undisputed masters of 20th century art, he was known for his use of color and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. One of my favorite Matisse paintings is The Goldfish. (there’s that fish theme again). The Goldfish immediately attract our attention due to their color. The bright orange strongly contrasts with the more subtle pinks and greens that surround the fish bowl and the blue-green background. Blue and orange, as well as green and red, are complementary colors and, when placed next to one another, appear even brighter.
Goldfish by Henri Matisse
Finally, I think one of the biggest influences on my personal work, although a sleeper influence at that, is Georgia O’Keefe. If you are familiar with her work, than you are probably thinking to yourself, well duh, Jessica, I could have told you that. When I am creating, I don’t actually channel her, which is why I refer to her as a sleeper influence. While her work varied between the literal portraits, abstractions and landscapes, O'Keeffe's work is still most identified by her iconic flower paintings. In 2014 the Georgia O'Keefe Museum sold a floral painting for $44 million dollars at auction setting the record for artwork sold by a female artist. The piece, titled Jimson Weed/White Flower No.1 was painted in 1932 and is an iconic representation of a large-scale flower.
I know I am forgetting many other artists whose work I admire, or at least a piece here and there: Paul Cezanne, Salvador Dali, and Claude Monet. Pablo Picasso was quoted as saying, “Bad artists copy. Good artist steal.”
Well, I haven’t straight up copied anyone yet.
Jessica
PS-Artist do different things to get creative juices going. This is one from my Jackson Pollack period. Never before seen until now! :)
