Art Detectives

Top of the Day: Sunday Afternoon - George Morren (Belgian, 1868-1941), 1892 Today's Artwork: Didrik Slagheck. (Portrettstudie til "Christian II undertegner dødsdommen over Torben Oxe") - Eilif Peterssen, 1875 -- link -- Meeting in Space - Edvard Munch, 1899 -- link -- Panel - Unknown, early 17th century -- link -- The Fall of the Cowboy - Frederic Remington, 1895 -- link -- A Cavern in an Iceberg; Scott's Last Expedition, The British Antarctic Expedition - Ponting, Herbert George, 1910 (photographed) - 1910 -- link -- Fairies and Flowers - Japs Antido, 2015 - 2015 -- link -- Bald Eagle, 1955 © Pollock-Krasner Foundation - Lee Krasner and The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, 1955/1955 -- link -- Untitled (It's a small world but not if you have to clean it) - Kruger, Barbara, 2000 -- link -- Limehouse - James McNeill Whistler, 1859 -- link -- Sunday Afternoon - George Morren (Belgian, 1868-1941), 1892 -- link -- Ice & Die, Caballito, Bueno

  Two Top of the Day selections -- first is David Roberts's majestic  Grand Portico of the Temple of Philae, Nubia (1842 - 1849)  And the second Top of the Day is Carol Bove's  The Facade Commision: "the séance's aren't helping..." exhibit from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, March 1 - April 26, 2021 Carol Bove at David Zwirner Gallery in London -- link --  More sculptures of Carol Bove's at David Zwirner; some outside -- link --   Video of Carol Bove manipulating metal for her massive sculptures -- link --  Carol Bove at the Nasher Sculpture Garden in Dallas -- link --  Article about her work; there's a big popup but you can scroll up the page to see photos of her artistry -- link --  We will see more of David Roberts's work, I'm sure -- his majestic pieces are so exquisitely imaginative. -- link --  A favorite of Ruth's -- please click on the links to his art here -- this site has so many examples of his art -- link -- 

 Zenobia sent us this fantastic article about kinetic sculptures & I did a little more research into some of the artists .... sooooo fun! We made sure the engineers were here today -- even though we missed Zenobia, who brought us the idea!  U-Ram Choe's Una Lumino from 2008 -- see links to his astounding work below!  The article Z found with many wonderful kinetic artists -- link --  Anthony Howe: a closer look at his copper face wind machine art -- link --  Anthony Howe: large scale works -- link --  Derek Hugger website -- link --  Derek Hugger mechanical wooden marble machine -- link --  Derek Hugger, Colibri, a better look at the Hummingbird sculpture -- link --  David Roy, How to Make a Kinetic Sculpture -- link --  Lasvit, glass artists with tons of their work & how they does it -- link --  Lasvit the glass collective, video -- link --  Lasvit the glass artist collective, another video -- link --  U-Ram Choe, a video of the master's work and life -- you

Deborah Lombardi uses ultraviolet light on flowers & photographs them in a truly surprising way. The light hitting the flowers changes the colors, illuminates parts that the average eye would never see, and transforms the flowers into any number of ethereal imaginative creatures, plants, space aliens, undersea treasures. They are absolute works of art.  Top of the Day is this array of flowers which has a little similarity to the coronavirus -- ha!  But, to me and a few of our Art Detectives, they resemble fireworks -- a celebration of light & color.  Article about Debora Lombardi that Zenobia sent us -- link --  Deborah Lombardi's instagram -- link -- has tons more photos of her irradiated flowers as well as her other work - lots of flowers that will find their way into her iridescent collection.  Aaron's Beard (the actual flower) -- you can see how the ultraviolet light completely transforms this breathtaking plant even more than it is naturally! -- link -- 

Top of the Day: Personnage Spatial - Julio González, 1942 Today's Artwork: The Olive Grove - John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925), about 1910 -- link -- Tantalus - Francisco Goya y Lucientes, 1799 -- link -- The Hypostyle Hall of the Great Temple at Abu Simbel, Egypt - David Roberts, 1796–1864, British, 1849 -- link -- Revelers in moonight - Artist: Takahashi Shotei, ca. 1910 -- link -- Personnage Spatial - Julio González, 1942 -- link -- Bridge in rain - Artist: Kawase Hasui, early 20th-mid 20th century -- link -- Chi-315 - Hsiao Chin, 1984 -- link -- Head of a Bearded Man - Lorenzo Lotto -- link -- Pair of boots - Unknown -- link -- Christ from Cubells - Unknown, Last quarter of 12th century -- link -- ​

Katje sent us this article about great ornate historical books. So we dove in!  Top of the Day is this sculptural piece that started the article. Note the 4 raised jeweled sections which helps the front cover to rest when it's open without damaging the decor.  Stunning examples are in this article she sent -- link --  The Morgan Library and Museum has some of the most beautiful books in the world, including some of the ones from the first article in more detail, please peruse their bounty! -- link --  Then we looked at the work of Harout Bastajian who creates some of the most beautiful domes of the world -- link -- This was from an article from Katje as well.  

Top of the Day: Fishermen launching a rowing boat - Michael Ancher, 1881 Today's Artwork: Haida Totems, Cha-atl, Queen Charlotte Island - Emily Carr, 1912 -- link -- The Rural Schoolteacher - Diego Rivera, 1932 -- link -- Fishermen launching a rowing boat - Michael Ancher, 1881 -- link -- La Pointe de la Hève, Sainte-Adresse - Claude Monet, 1864 -- link -- Mahna no Varua Ino (The Devil Speaks) - Paul Gauguin, 1894/1895 -- link -- Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg - Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1520 -- link -- Titus at his Desk - Rembrandt van Rijn, 1655 -- link -- Ikkavu Thampuran - Raja Ravi Varma, 1900 -- link -- Column Statue of a King -- link -- William Adams - Frank Duveneck, 1874 -- link -- ​

Zenobia sent us an article about this rock artist & we thought a closer look would be enjoyable. We were SOOOOO right!!! -- link --   Top of the Day (we had so many!) is this piece called Sunflower from 2016 Same article linked to some of his earlier work -- link -- (the first photo is the same as the previous post just above)  Jon Foreman's astounding work is featured prominently on his website -- link --  Please peruse the sand art, the rock art, the inland art. Wow Wow Wow!!! There's a film link -- link -- to two short films about him, but the one of the right gives more info about his art; the one on the left is more personal about daily life with his family.  Jon Foreman's instagram account has many more beautiful shots of his work -- link -- 

Had another day planned but our adventurous gang asked if we could see more Ruth Asawa work today (instead of next week as I had planned) -- I love improv so we leapt into next week's further exploration of Ruth's brilliance.  Top of the Day is more Ruth -- this time with some of her trees.  Ruth Asawa's website -- link --  The link a great deal of her art is here -- link --  Ruth Asawa's Black Mountain College work -- link -- You can click on each photo of the work but sadly, there is no description of how they are made. Luckily, one of the videos we saw later talked about how her work there influenced all that followed and you can see it in some of the drawings.  Wonderful video of her work and life as well as her children's care of her legacy & their own work in related fields -- link --  Video from SFMOMA about her and her work -- link --  We didn't actually look at this but here is a wire tree she created that is somewhat akin to the trees she'

  Katje was at the Imogen Cunningham exhibit and saw images of Ruth Asawa's incredible sculptures, coincidentally, Ruth is a big fan and shared lots of information about her work.  Top of the Day is Ruth herself with some of her brilliant sculptures.  Desert Plant (TLW 1560, tied-wire sculpture drawing), 1965 -- link --  Stem with Leaves, 1946 - 1949 -- link --  Untitled (Ruth Asawa holding a looped wire sculpture), 1952 -- link --  Hyatt Fountain, San Francisco, 1973 -- link --  Wikipedia write-up about the fountain; several more views & history -- link --  Untitled, circa 1965 -- link --  Ruth in collaboration with Kinji Akagawa, Umakichi, 1965 -- link -- 

We started our tour of fans with Zenobia's photos from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) in L.A.   Top of the Day is the Peacock Fan Zenobia photographed.  Then we discovered the Fan Museum in London! Here's one called Queen of the Night made by Gustave-Francoise Lasellaz made with tortoise shell. The museum let's us see the front (painted) and the back which isn't but it's still fascinating to get both sides. Front -- link -- and back -- link --  Annatomix also known as Sylvain Le Guen, Geometric Pleats, 2017 -- link --   This is either another view of the same or another version of  Sylvain Le Guen's Geometric Pleats from 2017 -- link --  Lily Mixe / Sylvain Le Guen, Nature Unfurled, 2017 -- link --   Unknown Artist, The Merchant, circa 1700s -- link --  Himbad / Sylvain Le Guen, Cat Mask, 2017 -- link --  Captain Kris / Sylvain Le Guen, Type Fan, 2017 -- link -- & a similar view by photographer Rhian Cox -- link --  Zabou

Top of the Day: Bucking Horse and Cowgirl - Charles M. Russell, ca. 1925 Today's Artwork: Paysage du Midi - Chaim Soutine, 1922/1923 -- link -- No tittle - Aleksey Alferyev -- link -- Bucking Horse and Cowgirl - Charles M. Russell, ca. 1925 -- link -- Goetz von Berlichingen Being Dressed in Armor by His Page George - Eugène Delacroix -- link -- Portrait of the Artist's Wife - Henry Fuseli, ca. 1790 -- link -- The Voice / Summer Night - Edvard Munch, 1896 -- link -- Zelfportret met baret en halsdoek, het gezicht in de schaduw: buste - Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, 1633/1633 -- link -- ​

More of Jean Paul Gautier's repertoire of costumes & fashion designs today. We viewed clips of his    Blanche Neige (Snow White) from yesterday ... the chandelier fringe dress we loved is not on the clips but we talked about other costumes in motion as we perused. See below for some ballet clips.   Top of the Day is this belted corset that Dita Von Tease wore in one of Gaultier's fashion shows  -- this is a       close-up and slightly different  Some pics from Jean Paul Gautier's last haute couture fashion show & iconic pics from his career -- link --  More from his Legacy and last haute couture show --  link  --  Katje found this fashion show of JPG's from 2003 / 2004 that shows the models wearing full body suits even covering their hands and their shoes so the dresses & outfits are even more the stars of the show than in a "normal" fashion show -- link --  His most iconic moments from the nineties -- link --  You can view a clip here of the ba

We started by visiting LACMA again today but we went down the rabbit hole of famed designer Jean Paul Gaultier & had the best time! We barely scratched the surface of his brilliance and we also looked at how designer fashions seen on the runway might be translated into mainstream wear & vice-versa.  Top of the Day is this  Blanche Neige dress from  2008; here is the link (it's on the far left) & some images of the dress in action on this blog (see below as well!)  --  link  --  Lounging Suit from the “Pin-Up Boys” collection,  Spring/Summer 1996 (detail)  -- link -- Jacket from the “Women Among Women” collection,  Fall/Winter 1989-90  -- link -- Jacket (Women among Women Collection)   -- link -- A Jean Paul Gaultier dark blue silk and wool reversible -- link -- Costume d'une danseuse dans "Les Rats" front view  -- link -- Vampire suit (detail),  c. 1990-2000  -- link --

Top of the Day: Battle Between Carnival and Lent - Molenaer, Jan Miense, about 1633-1634 Today's Artwork: Florida Sunrise - Martin Johnson Heade, c. 1890 - 1900 -- link -- The Harvest - Camille Pissarro, 1882 -- link -- Anpyung, Donghaksa - Suh Yongsun, 2014/2014 -- link -- Old Lady with Magnifying Glass - John Downman, 1750 - 1824 -- link -- St Peter and St James with Dante and Beatrice - William Blake, (1824-1827) -- link -- Silk embroidery panel with flowers and ducks, 800/999 -- link -- Battle Between Carnival and Lent - Molenaer, Jan Miense, about 1633-1634 -- link -- Bombay Singer (Bombay Songstress) - Raja Ravi Varma, 1893 -- link -- Jeu d'eches / Fingers - Salvador Dalí, 1964 -- link -- 10c Panama-Pacific Exposition stamp, 1913 -- link -- A Snow Slide in the City (Harper's Weekly, Vol. IV) - Winslow Homer|Harper's Weekly, January 14, 1860 -- link -- Portrait of George III - Thomas Gainsborough (1728–1788), 1785 -- link -- Somegawa r

 We started with Alfrombra de Asserin (carpets of sawdust) then members of our group suggested we look at Mandalas (Leslie Anne had seen them being built) and others had seen museum versions, and finally Navajo Sand Painting. So we went down the rabbit hole together! Top of the Day: Some of the bright pigment saturated sawdust used  in the creation of  Alfrombra de Asserin Wikipedia descriptions of the Sawdust Carpets (there are pics as well as) -- link --  A google search of the Sawdust Carpets -- link --  More of them -- link --  Asserin flores (sawdust flowers carpets) -- link --  More images (click the arrow on the side of the image) -- link --  Alfrombra de Asserin video -- link --  Alfombra de Asserin video (another one) -- link --  Buddhist Mandala video -- link --  Kiki gave us this link to an exhibit of Mandalas -- link --  A biochemistry group's visit to see a Buddhist Mandala, also from Kiki, and brief descriptions about what color does to the brain -- link -- 

Xylem by Diebedo Francis Kere at the Tippet Rise Art Center Today's Artwork: Sliced Images 'DAVID' - Park, Chan Girl, 2011 -- link -- Gateway, Tangier - Henry Ossawa Tanner, born Pittsburgh, PA 1859-died Paris, France 1937, ca. 1910 -- link -- Waterscape_Water Flower 1601 - Song, Chang-Ae, 2016/2016 -- link -- Inro production process 2 - Uemura Enshu, photo by Kimura Youichi -- link -- Inept Dilettante - Kawanabe Kyōsai, circa 1863-1866 -- link -- Cellular Structure VI (Stack of Six) - Sue Benner, 2007 -- link -- Portrait of Maximilian I - Albrecht Dürer, 1519 -- link -- Across Country (A travers champs) - Edouard Vuillard, 1897/1898 (published 1899) -- link -- Angel holding the Spear of The Passion - Sir William Blake Richmond, 1891/1904 -- link -- Henry Cabot Lodge - John Singer Sargent, 1890 -- link -- Punting in The Avon - Lee Sangwon and 이상원, 2012/2012 -- link -- Portrait of Mlle Fiocre in the Ballet "La Source" (Portrait de Mlle...E

Top of the Day: The Buddhist Deities Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi, circa 15th century Today's Artwork: A Flowering Cactus: Heliocereus Speciosus - Pierre-Joseph Redouté, 1831 -- link -- The Buddhist Deities Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi, circa 15th century -- link -- Tantric Feast - Unknown, circa 1790 -- link -- Prehistoric Painted Pottery Vessel - Unknown, circa 5000-4500 B.C. -- link -- Amulet of Soknopaios - Unknown, Ptolemaic Period (305 - 31 BCE) -- link -- Vaishnavi and Varahi Fighting Asuras (Recto), Kumari Fighting Asuras (Verso), Folio from a Devimahatmya (Glory of the Goddess) - Unknown, 1675-1700 -- link -- Kohl Tube - Unknown, about 800-500 BC -- link -- Pair of Man's Dress Wellington Boots - Unknown, circa 1845 -- link -- ​Wow. We went back to the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art and .... what a weird & wild bunch of thangs!  Pierre-Joseph Redouté, Pink Roses in a Vase, 1838 --  link  --  Faience Vessel with Procession of Four Bulls, c

Top of the Day is this lush print, perhaps their most famous, by one of Marimekko's most famous designers, Maija Isola (1927 - 2001.) Here's a -- link -- to more of her designs.  Marimekko Art of Printmaking .... history & images as well as a few VERY fast moving videos with clips from different eras. Wish they would have slowed this down a bit, but very informative. -- link --  A survey of their prints with the designers & years the patterns came out. Click the images and you can learn more about so many of their designs. -- link --  More info about Marrimekko with a blue version of the above -- link --  Marimekko products, cups, bowls, pillows, umbrellas!! (Not enough umbrellas!) -- link -- We don't make any money from any link on our blog and we are not affiliated with any company .... we just love the array of art out in the world! 

Top of the Day: Farmhouse in a wheatfield - Vincent van Gogh, May 1888 - 1888 Today's Artwork: Gasometers at Clichy - Paul Signac, 1886 -- link -- Figuur met hamer en beitel - Jan Toorop, 1868/1928 -- link -- Still Life of Oranges and Lemons with Blue Gloves - Vincent van Gogh, 1889 -- link -- Study for "La Grande Jatte" - Georges Seurat, 1884/1885 -- link -- The Channel of Gravelines, Petit Fort Philippe - Seurat, Georges, 1890 -- link -- Spoorwegbrug te Pontoise - Camille Jacob Pissarro, 1882/1882 -- link -- Studie naar een kop van een Siva in het Museum voor Volkenkunde te Leiden - Jan Toorop, 1868/1928 -- link -- The Mediterranean at Le Lavandou - Theo Van Rysselberghe, 1904 -- link -- The Chemin l'Ecluse and the Pontoise Bridge - Camille Pissarro, 1867 -- link -- Still life with a plate of onions - Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), early January 1889 -- link -- Undergrowth with Two Figures - Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, b.1853, d.1890), 1890 -

Ruth sent a link to our art group of "Repaintings" -- prints & paintings onto which artists added humorous or light-hearted touches to enhance the original.  The guidelines of repainting:  Find a painting at a garage sale, thrift store, or in the trash & repaint it. Add some monsters! Add a UFO! Some lazers? Don't mind if I do! Post the results. Before & After pics appreciated. No digital works allowed, only traditionally repainted works with real physical paint. Our Top of the Day was this painting of rubber duckies floating in a classic sea-faring setting. Elaine titled it:  "Release the Quaken" -- we howled! Here's a link to Ruth's first charming, hilarious entry -- link --  David Irvine continues the tradition with a variety of characters from different genres & milieus -- link --  Jerry sent this link to the "sub-Reddit" with hundreds more! -- link --  We thought might be a young Napoleon getting a pie in his face. Luba

What a fun day! After more than 2 years -- one & a half in our new incarnation -- it never seems to get old. We discover more and more visually stimulating gifts. During our meeting today, Luba coined the term Blobbles from Bubbles & Blobs! In the blue paintings below, folks saw one, some the other -- Luba created a portmanteau.  Top of the Day is a piece from Terry Winters that Katje picked. We decided it was composed of "Bubbles" (among other things ... flowers, bread with scored crust, Ha!) And here is a side view (I was able to rotate this one) of his "Bubbles"  Here's the first Terry Winters that Ruth picked which we also wanted to see rotated. It was the "Blobs" version of his art! Haha!  One view on its side.  Last one -- of the same piece on it's side now turned upside down!! That ain't confusing at all!  Now for the rest of the artistic goodness! Kinetic patterns by Terry Winters --  link  --  More Mathematical Abstracts by Ter