DIGITAL ART (is it really Art) ?

        DIGITAL ART (is it really Art), well I can tell you that the answer is unequivocally yes, whether it is generated by a computer or guided by a human hand, it truly is a form of art.

        Some skeptics will contend that it's not creative when a computer program designs a work of art, and I would agree with that even though some of it is really cool.

        The digital art I'm talking about is designed on a computer but not computer generated.  For many years I owned a restaurant, the hours were very demanding and it was difficult to find time to paint.  I was able to be creative on my lunch breaks while sitting at my office computer.  I would think of concepts and paintings I wanted to do and design them with the intention of painting them one day.

In Search of the 70's, by Zmakey

Yikes, by Zmakey

   Well since then I have actually painted several of them, but with the majority of the designs, I have left alone because I love the effects achieved and I feel they look better left digital.

Watermelon, by zmakey

Floral delight,by Zmakey

Strawberry of a Different Hue, by Zmakey

Ion nights, by Zmakey

      In the future more and more abstract art will be designed on a computer but nothing will ever replace the stroke of a brush.

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WHAT IS AN IMPRESSIONIST

       To begin with an impressionist artist paints what they see.
  You would perceive it as a recognizable scene with possibly a brighter use of color and enhanced brush strokes.  But what scene does an impressionist artist actually place on canvas and could it really be called abstract.

        A great example of Impressionist art is Monet's Iris Garden At Givenry.  It is well documented that Monet had failing vision in his later years due to cataracts in both eyes, but the result of this painting was amazing,  it was a hazy or almost abstract look at reality.

        I contend that although impressionism is a form of realism, it is in fact abstract by definition.
       When examining a painting of Claude Monet (Water Lilies #40) for example, we see hanging vines that jump off the canvas as if they are swaying in all directions, bright reflections dominate the water, while the lilies remain colorful and calm in the bottom.

        
        Below is a wonderful explosion of color by Renior, his uses flowers with bursting color, all leaning toward the sun, to actually give the painting movement and life.

        Eugene Boudin provides another interesting abstract Impressionist painting below, titled Sky At Sunset.  Boudin seamed to emphasize a magnificent sky in his art and this piece was no exception.  The sky and landscape are carefully blended together separated only by the sea which gives the whole painting meaning.  Truly beautiful and abstract.

        
        The reality is in my opinion, that the use of movement, shapes and color while  presenting a seemingly realistic picture is actually abstract.

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SALVADOR DALI'S SURREALISM

        Dali himself was surreal, he was quite fond of having himself photographed with this evil look on his face, he was the original selfie.

        His art was as surreal as he was, but if you appreciate the abstract, it is amazing how he uses his art to express a thought or an opinion. 

        Sometimes his objective is clear and other times you just have to know that there is a message in the painting.  Regardless of whether you can understand it or not, his work represents all the basic principles of good art, and he makes you wonder at the same time.

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THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM and KANDINSKY

        The Guggenheim Art Museum on Fifth Ave in New York City, now there's a day trip, the building alone is a masterpiece of architectural art work (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright).

        The Guggenheim is an international art museum collecting and exhibiting works primarily of contemporary and modern artists from the 19th and 20th centuries.

        So where does Kandinsky come into the picture, well it started in 1929 when philanthropist Solomon R Guggenheim began to acquire the works of Vasily Kandinsky.  Today the museum houses roughly 100 Kandinsky canvases and about 60 works on paper.

        The museum itself states that Kandinsky is the central figure in the history of the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum.  His works not only represent a part of the core and essence of the collection, but also helped to inspire the creation of the building.

        If you happen to be an non objective art enthusiast as I am, if you are ever in New York, The Guggenheim, is a must see.

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SURREALISM OR IS IT

        Surrealism is an art form that has always intrigued me, although in the early years it was a bit confusing.  I knew that it was a form of abstract art but it was sometimes bizarre, perverted and even disgusting.  But it is art, and sometimes you don't have to like the content to appreciate the message.

        So where did it come from and who really started it.  Well it began in France in the 1920's as a literary expression and I guess you could say it was an anti establishment movement.

        The artists of the day expressed their revolutionary ideas and thoughts on canvas.  When one experiences a surreal piece of art, it seams that instead of painting a real scene, the artist is interpreting a dream.

        Other modern day artists will use surrealism to get a point across or even use it as a comical message. 

        Whatever your opinion of surrealism, it is art and it is to be enjoyed, and I generally do.

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HIRSHHORN MUSEUM-WASHINGTON DC-2014

        If you ever visit Washington D.C., The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Gardens is a must see if you appreciate abstract art.

        This year 2014 there is a fabulous exhibit called GRAVITY'S EDGE, which is the work of artists Paul Jenkins, Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Loius, Kenneth Noland and Sam Francis.

        Gravity's Edge ran from Feb to June 15, 2014 and contains works made from 1958 to 1978.

    The installation was drawn from the Hirshhorn collection, and traces the force of gravity as a determining factor in artistic production and the increased attention paid to the edge as a compelling aspect to the structure.

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EVERY FACE is an ABSTRACT WORK OF ART

        They say that every face is a work of art, but I say that EVERY FACE is an ABSTRACT WORK OF ART in perfect proportion.

        God is the ultimate artist.  He sculpted every human face and he has a great sense of humor.  Not only is every face different, but it is THE ONLY ART THAT CHANGES OVER TIME.

        As a society we have a standard for what a good face should look like, and every other face we see is considered either young, old, unhealthy or ugly.

        I see the differences as God being abstract.  No matter what the face looks like, thankfully someone else out there loves it or finds it comforting or familiar.

        We do know one thing for sure, and that is that God loves every face that he creates!

         

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CUBISM ART FORM

         CUBISM was a new art form and the beginning of what we now know as abstract art.  It started somewhere between 1907 and 1910 by Pablo Picasso and George Braque.

         Cubism gave the artists the opportunity to paint and express their point of view and emotions as opposed to realism which is more like a photograph of an image or event.

                             Not only is Cubism abstract but it gave the artist the opportunity to show several different subjects at the same time.

        I personally enjoy Cubism and have done several paintings that reflect that art style.

                                                                                   

    




                                          I love the mystery of Abstract Cubism Art.

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WHAT IS THE REALISM ART MOVEMENT

        Realism in art is, life as we know it and as we see it and painting the subject matter truthfully.

        It is a movement that started in France in the mid 1800's by artists who concentrated their art work on real life scenes and events, as opposed to the exotic or abstract.

       













        As an artist, I generally do not paint realism, as I prefer the abstract, however, I am amazed by any artist who paints a picture so exact that you can not tell if it's a painting or photograph

        That I consider ultra realism!

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MONOCHROMATIC ART is COMFORTING

        Monochromatic Art is something I find very comforting.  I love to see it and I love to paint it.  But what exactly is monochromatic art?  Well anything done in the same hue, or different shades of the same color.

        The same monochromatic results can be achieved in floral art, using variations of one color.

           


        When my wife and I owned a flower shop, I 
especially enjoyed doing monochromatic floral designs.  They looked rich, much more classier than some arrangements you see that are just a bunch of colors that do not match and leave you with an unsettling feeling.





















        Monochromatic art whether it's paint on canvas or flowers in a vase is always more soothing to experience.

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CARNEGIE INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBIT with JOSEPH STERANKO

        A number of years ago I new a man named Joseph Steranko.  Joseph was 80 at the time and more creative than anyone I have ever met.  In his life time he achieved many things and had many interests, he was an artist, a floral designer, a carpenter, a book collector, an art collector, he new construction, sculpting and many many more interests that I can't even remember.

        He lived in the South Side of Pittsburgh, with his wife who was a fashion consultant, what a creative couple.  They purchased an old machine shop and converted it into a home.  The interior walls were all brick and from floor to ceiling, both floors were covered with art.

        He used to take me to art galleries and art museums.  In the early 2000's he took me to the Carnegie International Art Exhibition at the Carnegie Art Museum in Pittsburgh, PA.

        We toured the show and he examined every single piece of art very carefully, whether it was a painting, sculpture or an installation, it didn't matter to him, he loved it ALL.  Where some people at the show just strolled around, Joseph appreciated every brush stroke, every shadow, every color, it was amazing to watch and experience with him.

        I have never felt art the way I did that day, even as we were leaving, outside the building as we stepped off the curb to go to the car he stopped me and said look at the black skid marks in the parking lot against the grey asphalt and how they are placed with the yellow paint on the curb.  Now that's art he said!  And I got it, there is beauty every where, everything balances, even if it is unintentional.
     
        I have never looked at art or painted the same since that day, I can look at a tree or a sunset and appreciate it more than ever, every piece of art done by man looks good to me, I have 9 grand kids and I love every line they draw or every picture they paint me because they are expressing themselves.

     Life is truly great, stop to enjoy it.

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PAINTING SELLS FOR $142.4 MILLION

        That's what the headline read, Painting sells for $142.4 million, in U.S. dollars.  There is hope for all of us.

        So what would make a single piece of art so valuable you ask?  Well to be honest with you it makes no sense to me either.

       
 The painting titled Three Studies of Lucian Freud, by Francis Bacon, 1969.  So a little background on the artist.  Francis Bacon was born in Ireland in 1909 and died in 1992 and had gone through three different periods or fazes during his career; Expressionism, Cubism and Surrealism.  Although this style of art has always intrigued me, I have to admit I find Bacon's work rather unsettling and at times grotesque.

        I believe his life and bizarre background had something to do with the exceptional high price this painting brought in, and who actually purchased it, and why, that is another mystery.

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JACKSON POLLOCK-introduced-NEW TECHNIQUES

        Jackson Pollock revolutionized the modern art world with his new techniques of splatter and drip painting, which involved pouring dripping and splattering his paint directly onto canvases which were laying on the studio floor.

   By using this technique he was able to achieve a quicker way of creating his art and applying paint from any direction.  Also I might add, he was able to express himself while the thought he wanted to convey was fresh in his mind.

        I have always been inspired by his statement "I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image etc, because the painting has a life of it's own".

        I live by that statement with every painting I make, I let the brush take me to another place and I always love it.

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