Monday, November 10, 2014

Oh! Those surrealists....here is a good one!




While I am still in my researching stage of my next series of paintings, I ran across this artist and I was blown away. I found his information in one of my news feeds and I was amazed!!!

His name is Joseba Eskubi. A Spanish artist who works and lives in Bilbao, Spain. Born 1967. The paintings are mixed media by using oil paint, acrylic paint, plasticine, and photography. I researched what "Plasticine Art" was because I have never heard of that art work/style before. Basically, plasticine is modeling clay used for sculpture. It's a non-drying clay, it hardens when fired. So, the clay can be used for models and can be easily manipulated into shape.

Look at his work!!! It's so moving! the objects are not clear-could be a house, a barn, a stock of some wheat or hay, or some long wavy weeds blowing in the wind. Eskubi 's paintings are both abstract and surrealist I think. It is noted that he is a surrealist painter because of the metamorphoses of his objects seems to develop into these familiar shapes that the viewer might relate to. I agree to that. I love it!!! It reminds me of the series of paintings I did on abandoned houses but my paintings gave  way too much detail in the brush stroke. I like his use of the color palette, the brush strokes that are deep and strong, making the painting move in expression of color. Love it! Love it! It's obvious that his objects seem to be organic in appearance, like as old rotten foods, melting in the scenery that they are placed in. The objects are always placed in a open vast background. Eventhough, viewing other paintings of Eskubi I found he does figurative paintings also. The person is not visible, but you know it's a person by its figures although the rest of the body might be melting away. Looks like a murder scene.


Eskubi might be a surrealist painter but to me these paintings show so much expression by the use of brush and color. Each painting gives off this feeling just by the movement of the lines and the color he uses. For Example, the one shown first on this blog. It gives off a high feeling, good feeling of growing upwards, up-lifting or easiness. What do you think? I feel it! Now, look at the one painting just above this paragraph...it shows heaviness, death, sadness, etc. You see it? Do you feel it?

I have always been fascinated in paintings that give off the expression of feeling when viewing it. I guess that's why I consider myself an expressionist painter. My next series of paintings are just ideas at this point, but I am so interested in surrealists painters and abstract painters. My concept of the series is such a serious one and it's hard to paint that into expression on a canvas. I am not telling what my concept is yet for it might change by the time I start creating the paintings, we will see.

I have attached two of Joseba Eskubi paintings, so you can  tell me what you feel or what you think about them? He is pretty cool, isn't he???






Biblography

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

https://www.readfulapp.com/site/Headlines/?tag=Arts%20%26%20Culture&item=54551da03f045b3d25d3472c

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=joseba+eskubi&FORM=HDRSC2

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Into the darkness with Goya…

Goya Artist Copy Painted By Lucy Inserra 2014

Hello everyone, it’s been awhile. After some setbacks in my personal life, I have finally started thinking and researching on my next series. I will keep you in suspense until I become closer to creating the series. I really enjoy the process that I go through when creating new piece of work. I have been looking at art work from surrealists, expressionists, and Gothic paintings recently. I want to combine all three into one painting or paintings.
The feeling or expression I want from the paintings is a little dark, eerie place of uncertain, and of a warning.  The first painter that came to mind is Francisco Goya (1746-1828). Goya was a bit of a mad man they say or he was afraid of insanity. I am interested in his “Black Paintings” he created on the walls of his studio. Goya is known for these series of paintings that he created in the years of 1819-1823 known as the black paintings for they are intense and haunting in style with eerie figures within the darkness of the paintings. I found these paintings captivating because of the expression they give off from viewing these paintings with the simple brush strokes of Goya. Well, not simple brush strokes but the expression use of the brush-the contour lines along with muted color palette. For Example, “Saturn Devouring His Son” (1819-23) was the artist copy I painted to get the feel of the paint brush style and I must say the feeling I received from the image was over powering- a evil presence. I heard from one of my college classes or even read it somewhere that this painting actually had the figure showing an erection but was blacked out due to deterioration of the painting. That would have made it even more evil, don’t you think?
The story behind the “Black Paintings” is interesting and really, it’s a look into the mind of an artist that was full of fear, lose, and depression. Francisco Goya was a Spanish Romantic Painter that was influenced by Manet, Picasso (of course) and Francis Bacon. Goya did portraits for Charles the III of Spain and Crown Prince Don Luis; later in 1789 he became Court Painter for Charles IV of Spain. Although, Goya was a success with kings and queens of Spain doing their portraits, his isolation fell upon him when he contracted a serious illness that caused him to go deaf in 1793. Goya became withdrawn and he would isolate himself due to the madness of becoming deaf. Goya soon went through hard times, by 1808 France had invaded Spain and he felt the world around him changing. Goya created the famous painting “Third of May 1808” of a depiction of Spain surrendering to France after a bloody battle. Then in 1812, his wife died, Goya became even more emotionally and mentally broken. During the times of 1812 to 1819, Goya continued with his portraits but he still liked the idea of isolation. In 1819, he bought a country house outside of Madrid that was previously owned by a deaf man. The house was known to be the “House of the Deaf Man” not because of Goya becoming deaf. This is where the Black paintings were created on the walls of this house.  Now, these paintings were NOT for public viewing, they were his personal creations of a mind of a mad man. I heard that he used a certain turpenoid that caused him to go mad because of the fumes in a closed off room. Goya created 14 paintings within the house; on the walls of the dining room and sittings rooms. The paintings reflect his fear of insanity and the outlook of humanity-cruel and evil. After surviving two illnesses (in which is not stated what they were), he was facing his own mortality as a human being. I read somewhere, that those paintings were later removed on the concrete that they were painted on and are displayed and preserved in museum in Spain.
The meaning behind the paintings:

Saturn devouring his son: A Greek myth of Titan Cronus aka: Saturn who feared that he would be overthrown from one of his children, so he would eat each one upon birth. Goya was giving off the expression of humans that would turn into cannibalism due to war, famine, or even madness. My personal input, the painting itself expresses the fear of death in a cruel way, for one the infant has the body form as a adult human, and Saturn has the look of a mad man. The cruel death of being eaten alive or dying within oneself, death of madness. The tight grip Saturn has represents there’s no escape in death’s grip. The darkness that surrounds the image of Saturn, lurking from one side of the painting, creeping into the light of his madness while his eating his son, starting with his head first. Madness I say madness.


Saturn Devouring His Son, c. 1819–1823. Oil mural transferred to canvas, 143cm x 81cm. Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Witches’ Sabbath (1821-1823): This painting is depicting witches gathered for some kind of ritual where all the witches are squeezed together for comfort. The witches’ faces are disfigured, ugly, and scared. There is a black goat figure on the left, draped with a dark cloth representing the devil or some kind of evil justice. To the right, there is a person draped in white clothes, and a look of surprised or unbelief. To the very far right, sits a woman draped in black although, she is sitting in a profile position, she gives off the expression of doubt or undecided for her arms are folded across her chest inserted in a hand warmer cloth. When viewing this painting, I immediately felt some kind of trail was going on; the innocent being prosecuted by something evil.
After some reading, Goya was depicting the witch trials in the 15th century where the witches were prosecuted for causing mass starvation, failing crops, and freezing weather. Including, spells, magic, and the rising of crimes. Curious, I started thinking why Goya would pick such imagery with the use of dual palette of colors, the size of the painting, and expression of brush stroke. The brush work is simple yet, strong with the thick lines and not so detailed figures as you would see on the popular portraits of significant history lessons. Goya must have been trying to express himself on these painting on how he viewed the world; judgmental, quick to die, dark, isolation, or maybe that he was looked at as different too, crazy, and a loner. Either way, he was a great painter. Crazy or not.
Witches' Sabbath, 1821–1823. 140cm × 438 cm, (55 × 170 inches), Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Two Old People Eating Soup: This Goya Painting is for you to tell me what you think when viewing this painting? What is the significance with the couple in the painting? Is there a story in it? What is the story about? What do you think Goya was thinking? Try to step into the darkness with Goya during his painting sessions in his deaf house in Madrid. Now, don’t go crazy but take a look through the eyes of a mad man who just simply feared death. At one point or another, we too will face our death….how do handle that?


additional paintings mentioned in blog.



The Third of May 1808, 1814. Oil on canvas, 266 х 345 cm. Museo del Prado
Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisition


Saturday, February 1, 2014

Time is a wasting away...


Sorry, I haven't written a new blog in awhile; with Christmas, losing my pet cat Kit Kat, and now owning a little puppy. I must say it's been a challenging couple months. I have been thinking about a new series of paintings that are not quite so foo foo (Girlie like). I am thinking using expression with a little classical/realistic painting style. Right now, I am in the research and sketching part, nothing has reached the canvas. I am not going to say what the series is yet, for I don't know how it's going to be for the first attempt. This will be my 3rd attempt in a series of paintings. What I mean in "series" is the subject matter is the same throughout the paintings. First instance, my abandoned buildings series (12) and my senior show with the masks (10). I like doing series for it gives a bigger meaning on all paintings when they are grouped together. Personally, I like my ability to see my growth as the paintings develop one by one. I sometimes go back and add another painting to the series, with the abandoned houses I added two paintings. But, I will now always stop on my 10th painting for the value of the painting are better when there is a limit of them. Series run in 10 paintings or whatever count I decide. This coming up series is only going to be 7, no more and no less. I also like trying out different styles with my series of paintings. My abandoned houses were still expression in color and adding life back into those buildings that are left abandoned. My senior show was all about expression-visually and colorfully. I will continue to develop my own style of painting through these series and maybe someday it will hit me on how I should paint. However, I can tell you it's not about the outcome, it's all about the journey. I will soon write a blog for I am researching more right now. Thanks everyone! Lucy