Recent art that you liked

I guess because my education was in science and I have a scientific mind I like to identify things. Partly to make sense of it all. As a naturalist/birder it has to be done. My sister once chastised me for having to constantly identify or wonder what the trees and plants were as we went for a walk. "OK, shut up, can't you just enjoy the walk for what it is?" I responded, well I can, but once one can identify certain things for being certain things, the richness of variety and complexity can be seen better. What was just a bunch of pine trees is really three different species. It allows for greater appreciation.

Of course people do this with all sorts of things. Sports trivia, types of wine and their characteristics, etc.

But yeah, sometimes you just want to drink something to get drunk and it doesn't matter what it is.
 
Last edited:
An obscure artist, who seems to have mostly specialized in ocean views, but I rather like this quite skillfully executed piece:

Paul von Spaun (1876-1932) - A creek in spring Oil on canvas 40 x 55 cm.jpg


Paul von Spaun (1876-1932) - A creek in spring. Oil on canvas, 40 x 55 cm.
 
We figured it out with Kinkades. Regular Kinkades, borderline, up for debate. Above "Kinkade" magic realism, and this one surrealism. :)
608a46b48d2819db64ba9173940d7c8e8ee6f695_2000x2000.webp


 
Still confused, and I've never seen that Kinkade painting before. I'm surprised by it. All that stuff in the Open Art link just looks like fantasy to me.

About needing to know more detailed info about things we are interested in; I'm the same way John. I think a lot like this and have been faulted for it too, as if I'm not enjoying things for what they are because I have to understand all aspects of it. I also don't feel that is true. I feel like I have a larger appreciation for it, like music, animals, medicine, etc.

Just having a hard time categorizing some of these styles of art. Maybe I think some are unnecessary or something. I'm not sure why I can't see the nuances enough to make the differentiations on my own. Maybe I just need to leave it to the "professionals," especially since I don't even know where my own art falls.
 
My sister once chastised me for having to constantly identify or wonder what the trees and plants were as we went for a walk. "OK, shut up, can't you just enjoy the walk for what it is?"
Sounds to me like that's exactly what you were doing. ;)

Maybe in a different way than hers, but different does not equal wrong.
 
Still confused, and I've never seen that Kinkade painting before. I'm surprised by it. All that stuff in the Open Art link just looks like fantasy to me.

About needing to know more detailed info about things we are interested in; I'm the same way John. I think a lot like this and have been faulted for it too, as if I'm not enjoying things for what they are because I have to understand all aspects of it. I also don't feel that is true. I feel like I have a larger appreciation for it, like music, animals, medicine, etc.

Just having a hard time categorizing some of these styles of art. Maybe I think some are unnecessary or something. I'm not sure why I can't see the nuances enough to make the differentiations on my own. Maybe I just need to leave it to the "professionals," especially since I don't even know where my own art falls.
I am reminded of this quote accredited to Picasso:

“When art critics get together they talk about Form and Structure and Meaning. When artists get together they talk about where you can buy cheap turpentine.”

You certainly can let all that other stuff go. You don't have to explain yourself to anyone - they either respond to your work, or they don't.
 
Still confused, and I've never seen that Kinkade painting before. I'm surprised by it. All that stuff in the Open Art link just looks like fantasy to me.

About needing to know more detailed info about things we are interested in; I'm the same way John. I think a lot like this and have been faulted for it too, as if I'm not enjoying things for what they are because I have to understand all aspects of it. I also don't feel that is true. I feel like I have a larger appreciation for it, like music, animals, medicine, etc.

Just having a hard time categorizing some of these styles of art. Maybe I think some are unnecessary or something. I'm not sure why I can't see the nuances enough to make the differentiations on my own. Maybe I just need to leave it to the "professionals," especially since I don't even know where my own art falls.

LOL, that first one isn't really a Kinkade. I should have made that clear and credited the actual artist. It's a parody of one. He usually doesn't have spooky "dead?" girls crawling out the wells. :) I think that's from the movie "The Ring". Scary movie.

But that's one difference between magic realism and surrealism. The girl crawling out of the well is possible in the real world, but it's creepy and "magical", whereas the last one has surreal shapes not possible in the real world thus is surreal. Plus it has no figures in it. I think magic realism always has at least one figure.

I think that some of your work can be called magic realism when you have figures in it. King Baby would count. Possible but something's "off" creepy. Your other works are abstract landscapes and others under the general abstraction category. Whatever, they are uniquely you and wonderful.

I suspect that some folks do not like to have their art put into categories. I hope I don't offend and I hasten to add that I'm no art historian. Nor do we need to even think about these things to make good art as pointed out by Terri. And maybe it's best that we don't lest we box ourselves in.
 
Because you're breaking ground for your own unique style. Soon others will imitate you and we will have an Artyist Movement. Think about artists like Hieronymus Bosch, R.Crumb, Peter Max and Andy Warhol.
Wow Zen! What an incredible compliment. Jeez. I'm bowled over. Thank you. :eek:
 
LOL, that first one isn't really a Kinkade. I should have made that clear and credited the actual artist. It's a parody of one. He usually doesn't have spooky "dead?" girls crawling out the wells. :) I think that's from the movie "The Ring". Scary movie.

But that's one difference between magic realism and surrealism. The girl crawling out of the well is possible in the real world, but it's creepy and "magical", whereas the last one has surreal shapes not possible in the real world thus is surreal. Plus it has no figures in it. I think magic realism always has at least one figure.

I think that some of your work can be called magic realism when you have figures in it. King Baby would count. Possible but something's "off" creepy. Your other works are abstract landscapes and others under the general abstraction category. Whatever, they are uniquely you and wonderful.

I suspect that some folks do not like to have their art put into categories. I hope I don't offend and I hasten to add that I'm no art historian. Nor do we need to even think about these things to make good art as pointed out by Terri. And maybe it's best that we don't lest we box ourselves in.
I love everything you said John! Thank you. And you definitely fools me on that Kinkade painting Ha ha ha !!!!! :ROFLMAO: That's why I liked it so much.
 
Yes, I hate the boxing-in of categories. I only want to know about them for the purpose of SEO and helping my website, truth be known. I just need to know how to gauge the work so I can be found by galleries and buyers I guess. I don't care otherwise. It's part of the business when it comes to being on the internet.

I will keep paying attention of the differences as they relate to magical realism though, so I can at least look like I know what I'm talking about one day. Ha.
 
I just need to know how to gauge the work so I can be found by galleries and buyers I guess.
For marketing purposes, I suspect galleries would like to lock you into a style that customers will recognize by name...and have you create multiples over and over again for repeat sales, until the next new style comes along. "Flat art" generated by Artificial Intelligence could do that, and there seems to be a corporate market for it right now, but it's boring. I think the public will get tired of looking at it. And, collectors will come to value "real art" by pencil, paint and ink on paper and canvas as being more desirable and valuable. Something they can hold and hang on the wall and show their friends.
 
For marketing purposes, I suspect galleries would like to lock you into a style that customers will recognize by name...and have you create multiples over and over again for repeat sales, until the next new style comes along. "Flat art" generated by Artificial Intelligence could do that, and there seems to be a corporate market for it right now, but it's boring. I think the public will get tired of looking at it. And, collectors will come to value "real art" by pencil, paint and ink on paper and canvas as being more desirable and valuable. Something they can hold and hang on the wall and show their friends.
Ain't that the truth! That's the way the art world spins. I pretty much have different descriptions for every page (series) of work, and the main page just has an overall description with a critic's quote on it who made a comparison to Paul Klee! :)
 
IMG_1078.jpeg

I saw this rather large painting in a gallery in Healdsburg, CA. I would love to own it, because of it’s bizarreness, but WAY out of my budget. My daughter bought the one next to it, though.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top