This Old Palette: July 2016

Exhibit: Nathan Silver

I don't think this talented young artist has quite figured out where he wants to go yet --- but it's exciting to see him plunge in and then try to paint himself out of a variety of paintings, both figurative and otherwise.

There doesn't seem to be much pre-planning to his figurative work. He starts with
a view of a model and then sees where he might take it -- as in quick sketch drawing.

This one's my favorite.

There certainly is a lot of manic energy here. It seems hopelessly, but merrily, entangled.
There's not anger -- there's not joy -- there's not beauty. But there is excitement. A sense of "I will try anything"

Another one of my favorites with some nice, sharp drawing in the face - and
an overall majesty and power that echoes Titian.

The show overflowed into the dining room (which I hope gets turned into another gallery space some day. Why do we need a dining room?)

Contrasting the old and new at the Palette and Chisel.

Exhibit: Vladimir Tartakover

My favorite paintings from the Vladimir Tartakover retrospective were his portraits of African Americans.

Perhaps he paints figures better with a darker skin tone.

Perhaps he responds more to their character.

Whatever the reason -- these are strong and dramatic paintings of that subject most famously handled by Kerry James Marshall

Here's one of the earliest paintings in the show - from 1983

His landscapes have a gritty, tactile feeling.

Same thing with his cityscapes. You can feel his struggle to grab and hold everything he can see.

The details are rough - but not clumsy.

Which could also be said of Van Gogh.

Who also was less interested in pleasing the viewer or a market, than in coming to grips with the world around him.