Monica D. Murgia

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American art

Jacob Lawrence: One Way Ticket

May 23, 2015 / 1 Comment
 Currently on view at MoMA, One Way Ticket showcases a series of 60 paintings by of Jacob Lawrence (1917 – 2000).  Titled The Migration Series, these paintings illustrates the daily life of African Americans that migrated from the South to the North in search of opportunity from 1915 to 1940.

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Lawrence painted this series in 1941, yet his style seemed so modern to me.  The graphic, minimal quality of his figures looks so much like computer aided designs.  This style lends a timelessness to the work.  Since the faces are obscured, the figure could be anyone.  The viewer is able to connect more fully with the message, because it can remind them of a friend, neighbor, or colleague.  Each painting was paired with a short narrative of The Great Migration.

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Each tempera panel re-created the historical setting and social issues of the time.  African Americans in Southern stages were oppressed socially, financially, and culturally.  They were segregated.  They worked long hours, often in manual labor.  Number 8 (above) shows a beautiful landscape, but the narrative is bitter sweet: “They did not always leave because they were promised work in the North.  Many of them left because of Southern conditions, one of them being great floods that ruined the crops, and therefore they were unable to make a living where they were.“

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Natural disasters, like floods or crop infestations, left these workers destitute.  If crops were destroyed, there simply was no work.  Families struggled to put food on the table.

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The start of World War I caused prices to rise.  Supplies were scarce.  The cost of food substantially increased, sometimes double or triple the prewar price.

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More than 1 million African Americans migrated to the North to improve life for themselves and their families.  Historian Spencer R. Crew explains:
“The momentousness of  the migration as an event does not alter the fact that the migrants were ordinary people.  Like colonial settlers or western pioneers of an earlier day, they were not looking to change the world, only their own status.  A mixture of farmers, domestic servants, day laborers, and industrial workers, they came from all parts of the South, hoping for a chance to improve their own station or at least that of their children.“
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Aside from making food costs increase, World War I created jobs in the North.  Men were drafted into the war, and supplies were in great demand.  Since the labor pool shrunk drastically after the draft, there were many job opportunities.  Northern companies aggressively recruited African American workers to relocate and repopulate the work force.

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What really struck me about this exhibition was how certain conditions have not changed much.  Number 22 (above) reads: “Another of the social causes of the migrants’ leaving was that at times they did not feel safe, or it was not the best thing to be found on the streets late at night.  They were arrested on the slightest provocation.”  The painting shows men in handcuffs, thrown behind bars.
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There have been so many recent cases that illustrate our society still has pockets of institutionalized racism.  Institutionalized racism is any system, public or private, that creates inequality based on race.  I thought a lot about the Baltimore protests.  Inequality isn’t just police harassment.  It’s access to job opportunities and education.  All of these things in tandem are devastating.  So devastating that 1 million people uprooted their homes and families to create a better life.

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I thought a lot about the courage it took for these people to leave their families and communities to make a better life for themselves.  It was difficult to leave the South.  State officials were afraid of losing their workforce.  They detained and arrested anyone they suspected of migration.  This meant that the migrants had to sell their belongings, only able to travel with items they could carry.  They also had to travel in secret.  Despite all of the difficulties, these brave men and women carried on Northward.  They created new lives.

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Jacob Lawrence’s paintings are so relevant to the issues we see today.  They show a poignant side to the search for equality in creating a life of liberty and happiness.
The Migration Series is on view at MoMA until September 7th.
For further information on The Great Migration, please read: The Great Migration of Afro-Americans, 1915-40 by Spencer R. Crew

 

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Posted in: art, art history, artists, artists i love, Inspiration, made in america Tagged: African American art, American art, American history The Great Migration, art, art history, compassion, equality, human rights, Jacob Lawrence, paintings

Caio Fonseca

February 21, 2013 / 3 Comments

I love art in unexpected places. Last night, I was working late grading projects and printing handouts.  It seems like as soon as I wake up, my to-do list occupies me until I realize that it is 10:30pm.  Where does the day go?  I left the campus wondering what happened to my day.  I hadn’t even made the phone calls I was supposed to make in the afternoon!  The last thing on my mind was art.  I was mentally scolding myself for not accomplishing more.  Of course my train of thought was broken when I glanced across the street and saw this painting.

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The red foreground and dancing shapes were just too tempting.  I had to walk over and take a better look. What a spectacular choice to decorate this lobby.  The red is such a nice contrast to the green marble walls.  And the white shapes were so graphic and curvilinear, it seemed that they moving as I walked towards them.  Once inside the lobby, I thought the shapes comprised some sort of animal.  At first I saw a whale.  Then an elephant.  Then a rhinoceros.  That’s what I love about abstract art – what you see depends on what you’re looking for.

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I kept looking, and noticed tiny, whispering lines across the canvas.  It made me think of music.  Then I started to notice multi-hued drip marks all around the canvas.  Action painting always makes me think of a rhythm, too.  The people in the photo above were talking about how they saw a guitar in the center, and the whispering lines were it’s strings.

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The work is by American artist Caio Fonseca.  From the signage, it looks like the work is untitled.  Fonseca was born in New York and has a studio on Fifth Street.  He also has a studio in Pietrasanta, Italy.

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Fonseca’s website doesn’t mention much about what inspires him.  But if I had to take a guess, it would be music!  Everything about the painting reminds me of music – reading it, listening to it, creating it.

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The lines remind me of reading sheet music.  The splatters of paint make me think of a rhythmical application, and the colors sort of harmonize together.  I listened to a great interview.  Fonseca talks about how he applies the paint.  He lays down color and then subtracts it by layering white on top.  He also adds wax with pigment and smears it around the surface.  He explains that he likes abstraction, and that he likes to create scratches and lines on the surface to connect the shapes around the canvas to one another.  He said that these lines are “sort of like phrase marks in music“.

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Fonseca also goes on to compare abstract art to music.  (!!!!!!!!!)  He says that you can listen to music, and don’t ask what it means.  You allow yourself to experience the music, to allow it to make you feel something.  That is how we should experience art, too.

I really recommend seeing this painting in person.  It’s on 42nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenue in the Brookfield building.  The interview with Fonseca is also worth watching – he’s so interesting!

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Posted in: art, Art's Influence on Fashion, artists, artists i love Tagged: abstract art, American art, american painter, art influenced by music, Caio Fonseca, music, painting

John Little & Wesley Simpson Textiles

October 4, 2012 / 4 Comments
Two days ago, I received an email from a reader.  Laura had recently purchased this original textile design by John Little.  (I’ve written several posts on Little, one on his abstract art, the other on his textile designs)  When I first saw Little’s abstract paintings, I felt a connection to his work.  I couldn’t place exactly what it was.

 

Then, I read his biography and discovered he had been a textile designer during the Great Depression and throughout his career as a painter.  There is a vast difference between Little’s abstract paintings and textile designs.  His textiles are more representational (i.e. they depict recognizable objects, figures, or have some sort of pattern).  Laura’s purchase is a great example of this.  Entitled “Personalities“, it seems like a chess set came to life, with each of the game pieces expressing a part of their character.

 

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Personalities by John Little.  Image courtesy of Laura Richardson.

 

All of Little’s textile designs that I’ve seen are gouache on paper.  So, what does that mean?  Gouache is a paint that is similar to watercolor, but is heavier and more opaque.  It tends to dry in a slightly different value that when it is wet.  So since the color can change, painting with gouache is usually done in one sitting.  (If you tried to resume painting after gouache has dried, it can be difficult to match the color.  You may think you have mixed a perfect match, only to find that the fresh paint will dry as a different value.)

 

In terms of art market value, works on paper are “worth” much less than oil paintings.  This is because paper is extremely fragile.  Paper tends to deteriorate rapidly over time, especially if the paper is exposed to an acidic environment or one that has a great variation in humidity.  Think about old magazines and newspapers that have been stored carelessly in an attic or basement.  They become fragile and damage easily.  Oil paintings tend to be more durable.  (Oil paint never really dries.  This type of paint dries in layers.  So even when the surface dries to the touch, the layers underneath are still wet.  It takes over 20 years for the oil to fully solidify!)

 

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Personalities by John Little.  Image courtesy of Laura Richardson.

 

This is just an explanation of determining market value, and not the significance of the work.  To me, Little’s textile designs are more interesting than his oil paintings.  There were lots of abstract painters during the Post War period, doing similar things.  And yes, there were a lot of artists crossing over to textile designs after World War II.

 

But somehow, the textile designs communicate more about the artist.  As much as I like Little’s oil paintings, them seem to echo the abstract expressionist movement than reveal something about Little’s “personality”.   Laura’s textile design shows so much about Little: he was creative; he had an active imagination; he could create stories out of common objects; and he had an interesting use of color, shape, and pattern.  You might not get these ideas from his painting “Tropic of Cancer”

 

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Tropic of Cancer by John Little.  Image courtesy of AskArt.com

 

Of course, my curiosity got the best of me!  I looked around a bit more, and found some more examples of John Little’s textile designs.  They are currently being sold by the Gordon Harrison Gallery.

 

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Textile Design by John Little.  Image courtesy of Gordon Harrison Gallery.

 

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Textile Design by John Little.  Image courtesy of Gordon Harrison Gallery.

And if the textile excitement hadn’t been enough, I was contacted by another one of my readers, Linda, after writing about my own scarf by Wesley Simpson.  My scarf is called “Downtown” and has a repeat of a furniture store and apartment building.

 

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Downtown by Wesley Simpson.

 

John Little and Wesley Simpson had a lot in common.  During the Great Depression, Simpson established his own business as a textile converter.  This means that designs were produced in-house or via freelance artists, and then the actual printing was contracted to outside factories.  Simpson was the chief stylist of his company, which came to be known as Wesley Simpson Custom Fabrics, Inc.  The company operated from 1932 to 1950.  (John Little started a wallpaper and textile printing company during the Great Depression.  He ran the John Little Studios: Fabric and Wallpaper Design until 1950, and later collaborated with Greeff, an English textile company.)

 

Linda had owned these Wesley Simpson scarves for years, but was never able to find any information on him or his company.  She reached out to me and showed me her BEAUTIFUL scarves, designed for Simpson by Marcel Vertes :

 

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Images courtesy of Linda Chapple.
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Image courtesy of Linda Chapple.

 

I’ll be writing a follow-up post this week about Marcel Vertes.  He was just too important not to dedicate an entire post in his honor.  Stay tuned!
A special thanks to Laura Richardson and Linda Chapple for reading and sharing their fantastic collections!
Linda also sells vintage online:
Etsy: Funky Grandma
eBay: Funky Grandma
Ruby Lane: Eclectic Grandma

 

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Posted in: american fashion, art, artists, artists i love, entrepreneurship, fashion, Fashion as art, fashion history, fashion influenced by art, made in america, paintings, textiles, Vintage Tagged: abstract expressionism, American art, american textiles, John Little, john little textiles, made in america, marcel vertes, painting, paintings, postwar america, scarf, scarves, textile history, textiles, Wesley Simpson, wesley simpson textiles

(Re)purposeful

June 20, 2012 / Leave a Comment

Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of buying American-made products and supporting local businesses.  The theme continues today!

This week, I was visiting a friend and stumbled upon the newly opened Harlem Wine Gallery.  What really caught my eye as I walked by was the artwork by Juan Carlos Pinto.  I decided to stop in and take a look.

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Art by Juan Carlos Pinto. Image courtesy of the Harlem Wine Gallery.

Pinto is a native Guatemalan who has been living in New York for the last 10 years.   He uses old Metro cards and maps to create collage art.  Each work depicts a scene from the city or a masterfully constructed portrait.

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Art by Juan Carlos Pinto. Image courtesy of the Harlem Wine Gallery.

Pinto’s artist statement describes his use of such a unique media:

Pinto’s use of plastic is unique and pulsates with hidden significance.  The idea of using these non-biodegradable cards is to reinforce recycling and prolonging its use indefinitely while providing the artist with a source free material. It is also a way of reminding us about the danger this material can cause if left to seep into the earth.

He even uses the Metro cards for his signature.  What a great way to  re-purpose discarded plastic.

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Art by Juan Carlos Pinto. Note his signature. Image courtesy of the Harlem Wine Gallery.

Gallery owner Ken Forte was very friendly, and chatted with me about the concept of his new business.  He wants to support local artists and build a neighborhood community that appreciates the arts.  As time passes, different local artists will be exhibited in the space.

It is also such a interesting way to get the community interested in art.  You may stop for a bottle of wine, but leave with new friends and a great piece of art.

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Art by Juan Carlos Pinto. Image courtesy of the Harlem Wine Gallery.

Pinto’s artwork is available for purchase through the Harlem Wine Gallery.  Be sure to make a visit to the location (752 St. Nicholas Ave) or call 212-281-9463.

New to buying art?  Proper  etiquette is to   ALWAYS buy from the gallery.  Never approach the artist directly.    Galleries spend a lot of money publicizing the artist, renting the space, and covering the additional overhead of the business.   Buying from the gallery supports a local business AND the artist at the same time.

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Art by Juan Carlos Pinto. Image courtesy of the Harlem Wine Gallery.

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Art by Juan Carlos Pinto. Image courtesy of the Harlem Wine Gallery.

40.588456-75.338121

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Posted in: art, artists, artists i love, entrepreneurship, Inspiration, Shopping, Travel, Uncategorized Tagged: American art, American products, collage, Harlem Wine Gallery, Juan Carlos Pinto, made in america, metro card art, re-purposed plastic

Movie review: Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock

March 28, 2010 / Leave a Comment

I came across this documentary a few months ago, and was captivated and amused by the tale.

Truck driver Teri Horton was in a local thrift store and bought what she calls an ugly painting for $5.  Unable to fit it in her trailer, Teri attempts to sell it in a yard sale.  An art history professor tells her she may have a real Jackson Pollock.

To this she replies “Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?”

Possible Pollock found by Teri Horton

Documentary film maker Harry Moses chronicles Teri’s fifteen year journey in navigating the art market to authenticate the origin of the painting.  Teri’s story is inter-weaved with commentary from leading forensic scientist Peter Paul Biro, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Thomas Hoving, and convicted art rogue Tod Volpe.

Moses goes to great length to construct an accurate representation of the art world by interviewing key figures, explaining art terms and procedures, as well as shedding some light onto who Pollock really was.

If authenticated, Teri Horton’s painting could be worth a cool $25 million.  Not a bad return for a $5 investment.

Aside from the mind-boggling possibility of discovering a real Pollack from a thrift store, the store is a real gem.  Moses crafts an intelligible store of Pollack, interviewing friends and talking about the avant-guard approach he took to painting.  Moses also shows just how pretentious and inane players in the art market can be.  My favorite example of this?  A potential investor looks at the painting and asks about provenance.  Volpe states that there is no signature, although Pollack’s fingerprint is on the painting.  The investor scoffs and says, “Well, there has to be a signature, even if it’s forged.”

Enjoy!

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Posted in: art, art history, artists, artists i love, Inspiration, paintings Tagged: abstract paintings, American art, american paintings, art, art history, jackson pollock, paintings

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