Artist of the Week: Ryan McGinness

No Sin/No Future, 2008

This week I chose to go with someone who I have been watching for the past couple years: Ryan McGinness. I feel that he has definitely blown up and I really admire him for his work. He has several books out. His latest Ryan McGinness Works: Paintings, Sculptures, Sketches, Drawings, Installations, Editions and Other Stuff, has definitely been my favorite so far, can be bought here. I find his work to be somewhat like a nouveau pop art. His overlapping images and designs are precisely placed and I thoroughly enjoy his use of color. In contrast to the the intricate works he also has done simplistic pop art as well.

Inhaler, 1999

Untitled (Sculpture Study 5), 2009

New Horizons..

So on September 4, 2009 I quit my job as an assistant in the finance industry to pursue my dreams of going to grad school for museum studies or art history. I, a level-headed 26 years old woman with a decent paying job, quit for an unpaid internship at a local museum. Crazy to some, I know, but after one week of interning and volunteering, I know in my heart it was for the best. :)

Taking a risk is very daunting, but when it is the right one, it all makes sense.

Now I just hope I get into grad school?....

Andreas Gursky - Artist of the Week

Andreas Gursky - May Day V - 2006

After viewing the Andreas Gursky Exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery a few weeks ago, I came to the decision to make him this week's Artist of the Week. I am absolutely smitten with his work! Please note his works are a MILLION times better in person. I feel that his artwork is somewhat of an experience in the sense that you are engulfed and overwhelmed by his art. Andreas Gursky - Kamiokande - 2007

Andreas Gursky - Chicago Board of Trade - 1999



Andreas Gursky - Copan - 2002

Here are a few links on Andreas Gursky:

http://www.artnet.com/artist/7580/andreas-gursky.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Gursky

Franz Kline - Artist of the Week

Franz Kline is one of my favorite American Abstract Expressionists. Although he did not contribute to the Abstract Expressionist movement until his later years, his work is considered to be a great part of the movement. The majority of his artwork is considered to be action painting because he acutely focused his attention to his brush strokes and use of canvas instead of the actual figurative painting created. Some refute that Kline was largely influenced by Jackson Pollock but ones who know of his work and history, understand that it was William de Kooning who had the most influence on Kline. With de Kooning's encouragement, Kline was able to create some of the most beautiful and inspiring Abstract Expressionist paintings of his time. His most famous paintings were done in his "black and white" era but he would introduce color back into his work around 1955 only 7 years before his death, at age 51.

The above artwork is one of my favorite paintings by Franz Kline - "Orange Outline" - 1955, Oil on paperboard, mounted on canvas. 96.5 x101.6 cm.

This painting is a great example of Kline's reintroduction of color into his work. Still mainly black and white, Kline utilizes pops of orange and green within the piece to create contrast and variation.