David Slonim's Blog, page 3
December 31, 2012
Chuck Close on Inspiration
Chuck Close | Self Portrait | c. Chuck Close
“Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.
If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work.
All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you’re sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction.
Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that’s almost never the case.” -
- Chuck Close
source: goodreads.com
Chuck Close is represented by Pace Gallery.
NY Times story about Chuck Close inspiring school kids.
Chuck Close on Inspiration
Chuck Close | Self Portrait | c. Chuck Close
“Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you’re sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that’s almost never the case.” – - Chuck Close source: goodreads.com
Chuck Close is represented by Pace Gallery.
NY Times story about Chuck Close inspiring school kids.
December 26, 2012
Art Basel Miami Beach & Art Miami 2012
A few weeks ago in Miami I could have sneezed on a 7.5 million dollar Picasso.
Not far away a large Helen Frankenthaler piece floated into view.
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Helen Frankenthaler, “Constellation”, 1977 | 84 x 108, acrylic- ART MIAMI
Nearby hung some beauties by expressionist painter Joan Mitchell, neighboring several canvases by Robert Rauschenberg…
Over two days in early December, Art Miami and Art Basel Miami Beach brought me face to face with works by Diebenkorn, Chagall, Rothko, De Kooning, Motherwell, Basquiat, Dubuffet, Hopper, and Chuck Close.
Chagall piece- Art Basel Miami Beach
All this plus 90 degrees and sunshine. I could get used to early December in Miami!
Hopper watercolor- Art Basel Miami Beach
Art Basel Miami Beach, now in it’s eleventh season, bills itself as “the most prestigious art show in the Americas”, with over 260 leading galleries from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa.
Art Miami calls itself “the original and longest-running contemporary art fair in Miami”, showcasing modern and contemporary art from more than 125 international art galleries.
photo from the Art Miami web site
Both shows run the first week of December, along with many satellite shows and events in the Miami Beach area, the Wynwood Arts District, local museums and private collections.
Chuck Close self portrait at Pace Prints, ART MIAMI
Basquiat at Art Basel Miami Beach
There was plenty of weirdness, too. A toilet made of sparkly stuff. Bronzed enema bottles. Pencil erasers lined up on a one inch wide white shelf twenty feet wide.
One gallery’s booth space had a badminten birdie lying on the floor. Was it supposed to be art? Who knows? (Who cares?) Another gallery was displaying canvases slashed with a knife. (They come in red and white.)
Many pieces were playful, like these pencil sculptures. No deep statements, but fun to look at–
Pencil Sculptures at Art Miami
close up shot of pencil sculpture
How did they do that?
Korean “light artist” Chul Hyun Ahn toyed with the depth perception at C. Grimaldis Gallery at Art Miami–
(Professional quality photos of these pieces and many others are available online)
How do you feel about animals made of bullets?
Tiger made from bullets
Can’t fit the tiger in your living room? Then try the hand-grenade spider:
Hand grenade and bullet spider at Art Miami
Whimsical pieces dominated both shows.
Here are a few spoof vintage records. I especially appreciate the title of the one on the top left-
Vintage record spoofs- Art Miami
Here’s a piece made from hand-modified cereal boxes from various countries-
cereal box painting
The down side to this sort of thing is that it’s a visual one-liner. Once you’ve seen it and smiled at it, the piece has nothing left to offer. Cotton candy for the eyes.
WHERE ARE THE PAINTINGS?
I was on the hunt for oil on canvas paintings by living artists, which made up a very small percentage of the works on display in Miami. Here’s one that caught my eye by a young painter from China-
Lu Luo (b.1971) | Untitled #902 | Leslie Smith Gallery at Art Miami
Paul Thiebaud Gallery was one of the only places traditional representational painting could be found. But I was actually drawn more to this abstract piece-
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“Propellers” by Grace Manukata at Art Miami (Grace’s web site is beautiful -worth checking out.)
I also enjoyed the works by contemporary Austrian painter Hubert Scheibl represented by of Trieste, Italy:
Hubert Scheibl paintings- Art Miami
Here’s one by a living artist who is not afraid to paint LARGE. This is painted on tyvek, held to the wall with magnets over screws-
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December 24, 2012
Remembering Tom Sgouros (1927-2012)
Fifteen years after I graduated from Rhode Island School of Design, it was clear that I needed a painting mentor to help me get out of a deep creative rut. So I called Tom Sgouros, an illustration professor at RISD. Tom’s warmth and kindness immediately made me feel welcome. I made a 900 mile trip and spent a life-changing few hours with him in his studio.
Tom held photos of my work up to his failing eyes, diagnosed my problem clearly, then gave wise counsel shared with gentleness and grace.
Rmembered Landscape 14.IX.09 | 2009 by Tom Sgouros
Tom helped me understand that painting is about the relationships on the canvas, not the subject represented. He challenged me to eliminate anecdote from my work and focus on small vs. large, warm vs. cool, rough vs. smooth, line vs. mass.
Remembered Landscape | 44 x 48 by Tom Sgouros
His remembered landscapes were all around the studio in preparation for an upcoming show. Tom talked openly about his personal struggle behind those powerful canvases. Macular degeneration was stealing his sight. Practically blind, Tom told me he stood with his face up to the canvas as he worked.
I learned much more that day than I had expected.
Remembered Landscape 9.VI.10 | 2010 by Tom Sgouros
I saw an example of courage I will never forget. I also saw simple kindness — a mentor willing to take time to help a former student. I saw a gifted teacher distill knowledge with humility and clarity. I saw personal tragedy converted into beautiful art.
Remembered Landscape 7.III.08 | 2008 by Tom Sgouros
My work improved after one afternoon talking with Tom. I will always be grateful.
Remembered Landscape 26.VI.10 | 44 x 48 by Tom Sgouros
Thank you, Tom.
May God bless your family with peace as they say goodbye.
-David Slonim, (RISD IL 1988)
Providence Journal Obituary here
December 18, 2012
I LOATHE YOU is OUT!!
“Silly and Satisfying!” - Kirkus Reviews
It’s out! Loose in the world. TODAY the loathing begins!
Available from Amazon.com and everyplace else!
Slonim substitutes the word “loathe” for “love” and truly runs with it. The rhyming text rollicks along: “I loathe you more than chicken pox, / more than stinky, sweaty socks. / More than garbage in a dump, / or splinters sticking in my rump. / Mosquito bites? I loathe them, yes, / But next to you, a whole lot less.”
As the monsters sling increasingly gross and endearingly disgusting claims of loathsomeness, readers will alternately screech with “ewws” and laughter as they pore over the hilarious cartoon illustrations – Kirkus
October 11, 2012
Sundown Near Greg’s Place
Sundown Near Greg’s Place | 30 x 48
The Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale
The 2013 Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale will open with a Red Carpet Reception on Tuesday, January 8, 2013. Advance reservations (prior to December 15, 2012) are $175 per person; after December 15th, they are $200.00.
For additional information or to receive an invitation, please call National Western, 303-299-5560 or email CoorsArt@nationalwestern.com.
The exhibit will be open to the public each day of the National Western Stock Show, January 12-27, 2013.
Location:
National Western Stock Show Complex
4655 Humboldt St | Denver, CO
Exhibit Hours:
Sunday – Thursday 9 A.M. – 8 P.M. (On the last Sunday the Stock Show closes at 6:00 P.M.).
Friday & Saturday – 9 A.M. – 9 P.M.
Summer Storm
Summer Storm | 8 x 10
The Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale
The 2013 Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale will open with a Red Carpet Reception on Tuesday, January 8, 2013. Advance reservations (prior to December 15, 2012) are $175 per person; after December 15th, they are $200.00.
For additional information or to receive an invitation, please call National Western, 303-299-5560 or email CoorsArt@nationalwestern.com.
The exhibit will be open to the public each day of the National Western Stock Show, January 12-27, 2013.
Location:
National Western Stock Show Complex
4655 Humboldt St | Denver, CO
Exhibit Hours:
Sunday – Thursday 9 A.M. – 8 P.M. (On the last Sunday the Stock Show closes at 6:00 P.M.).
Friday & Saturday – 9 A.M. – 9 P.M.
After the Rain
After the Rain | 36 x 48
The Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale
The 2013 Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale will open with a Red Carpet Reception on Tuesday, January 8, 2013. Advance reservations (prior to December 15, 2012) are $175 per person; after December 15th, they are $200.00.
For additional information or to receive an invitation, please call National Western, 303-299-5560 or email CoorsArt@nationalwestern.com.
The exhibit will be open to the public each day of the National Western Stock Show, January 12-27, 2013.
Location:
National Western Stock Show Complex
4655 Humboldt St | Denver, CO
Exhibit Hours:
Sunday – Thursday 9 A.M. – 8 P.M. (On the last Sunday the Stock Show closes at 6:00 P.M.).
Friday & Saturday – 9 A.M. – 9 P.M.
Paintings Chosen for Coors Western Exhibit
Here are the paintings I have chosen for the Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale in consultation with the show director, artist friends, and as always, my wife and kids:
After the Rain | 36 x 48 | $12,000
My easel is surrounded by images by De Kooning, Diebenkorn, Wyeth, and Cezanne– Masters of spacial relationships, color, and line. The goal is for their wisdom to be absorbed into my creative bloodstream.
Shady Spot Abstraction | 30 x 24 | $5,400
Abstraction is music for the eyes. A good abstraction takes elements from our visual experience of nature and transposes them into a harmony on the canvas. Not to represent nature, but to celebrate certain aspects of the artist’s experience of nature.
“Which means WHAT, Dave?”
It means instead of painting nature in a “photographic” way, my goal for this series was to paint a visual song about nature. “Shady Spot Abstraction” is based on a photo of a tree trunk and the grassy spot in front of it, taken on a hike in Wyoming. I took the photo because of the way shapes were colliding – grass, rocks, shade, light. So that’s what I emphasized in the painting.
Sundown Near Greg’s Place | 30 x 48 | $12,000
Based on a July visit to Wyoming, these paintings use nature as a starting point for experiments in visual rhythms. I had a blast painting them. Now it’s time to order frames, build crates, and send them to Denver.
Thanks for your interest in my work. I’d love to know what you think of these new pieces.
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Here are the miniature paintings I’m sending to the Coors show for the silent auction scholarship fund raiser:
Summer Storm | 8 x 10 | Silent Auction
Morning Mist | 9 x 12 | Silent Auction
The Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale
The 2013 Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale will open with a Red Carpet Reception on Tuesday, January 8, 2013. Advance reservations (prior to December 15, 2012) are $175 per person; after December 15th, they are $200.00.
For additional information or to receive an invitation, please call National Western, 303-299-5560 or email CoorsArt@nationalwestern.com.
The exhibit will be open to the public each day of the National Western Stock Show, January 12-27, 2013.
Location:
National Western Stock Show Complex
4655 Humboldt St | Denver, CO
Exhibit Hours:
Sunday – Thursday 9 A.M. – 8 P.M. (On the last Sunday the Stock Show closes at 6:00 P.M.).
Friday & Saturday – 9 A.M. – 9 P.M.
September 28, 2012
Museum Show- Lafayette, IN
Turned Earth (30 x 48) | David Slonim
Visions: Four Indiana Painters
Works by renowned Indiana contemporary artists, Ken Bucklew, Joel Knapp, David Slonim and Jerry Smith create a powerful image of the current art of Indiana.
OPENING RECEPTION TONIGHT – September 28 6-8 PM
Show hangs September 29 – December 18
Chalk Drawing (18 x 24) | David Slonim
102 South Tenth Street Lafayette, IN 47905
Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 4pm
Closed Sunday and Monday
Brothers in Snow (24 x 30) | David Slonim
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