Exhibition: George Clark

 Eyes of Ariadne

I first met George  about 35 years ago - back before I knew about the Palette and Chisel and  went to draw at a workshop George conducted out of a storefront  in Lincoln Park.



Like his heroes from the early 20th Century, he does landscapes and cityscapes, as well as figure drawing.

Regarding those figure drawings, like the ones in this show, he seems to start with whatever pose the models are taking (especially at the pairs session in my drawing marathons!) , and  then discovers whatever composition - and theme - eventually develops.

Which is exactly what I do in the Palette and Chisel workshops, though I've stopped referring to Greek mythology.


Perhaps this drawing turned into "The Eyes of Ariadne" because the Greek girl with big eyes has turned them towards the viewer rather than her relaxing lover. Is she ready to leave him for another?

Or possibly it's a response to this statue:

Sleeping Ariadne, Roman copy of 2nd C. BCE Hellenistic, Vatican Museum 

Lovis Corinth, "The Girlfriends"

George explicitly relates this drawing to the Lovis Corinth painting shown above it, though I would relate this ensemble more closely with these dangerous girls:

Picasso, "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon"

"If the Devil Dress her not"

Often, George's figure studies turn comic
(in this case - also Shakespearean)

But I like them better when they introduce some inscrutable relationship

I would call this one 'Adam and Eve"

I really like this painting.

And it features George's favorite prop: his Egyptian camel saddle.

George brought his camel saddle to this show

.. there's a medallion of Nefertiti on one of the legs.

Romance 1

Solace