A New Trend

It's no big surprise to anyone who reads this blog that I like art.  I've been a devotee of so called 'modern and contemporary art' since we spent 30 days in Europe in 1980, and I was able to see the artistic progression of the styles of art throughout the ages.  It's a lot easier to appreciate the art done in the past 100 years when you see how the art world 'got there'.

 However, even I lost patience with the minimalist art craze.  For every Rothko, there were thousands of wannabes drawing single lines across a piece of paper and calling their creation 'art'.  I'm always suspect of the artistic value of a piece if the artist has to give me a three paragraph explanation of the creation, so I can appreciate it.

Thus, it was with great excitement I discovered a backlash going on in the art world rejecting abstract minimalism.  There are a group of modern artists presenting a style of art which is a throwback to earlier techniques and even subject matter.  I've heard it described as 'contemporary realism' or 'modern realism'.  The bottom line is it requires the artist to possess drawing talent, and the ability to use either acrylics or old-school oil paint or other medium with precision.  These artists are reimagining subject matter and reinventing the art of portraiture.

Here are some examples.  The first, is from the American Art Museum in New Britain, Connecticut, and this painting is an allegorical rendering of the 9/11 tragedy by the artist Graydon Parrish, who also paints flowers in the 18th century style.

When we were in Colorado Springs last summer, I discovered another modern realism painting reimagining David slaying Goliath.  The artist is Paul Cadmus.

The last time we were at the Smithsonian, in the American Art Museum in the Portrait Gallery, I discovered Kehinde Wiley.  Some artists just draw you to them with their fresh ideas and wonderful execution of their concept.  Therefore, when the Phoenix Art Museum, which has a really good modern art collection, was presenting an exhibition of Wiley, I was really excited.  Here's a sample of his work which has reinvented modern portraiture.  

Napoleon Crossing the Alps, by Kehinde Wiley

Not only does he reimagine Napoleon as a young black man, but he paints him in the traditional 18th century portraiture style on a rearing charger in full battle dress, which in the 21st century is hip hop camoflage, a 'do rag', and work boots.  Wiley's mastery of oil painting is impressive.  In addition to painting anonymous subjects and titling his work as a re-imagination of 18th century masterpieces, he has also been commisioned to paint portraits of the famous.

 

If his mastery of the use of oil isn't enough, look at Wiley's ability to use other medium to express his point of view

Stained glass - this is life sized

Bronze casting of a traditional bust

If you'd like to see more of the exhibition, click on the link to the pictures.  I think you will find his art thought provoking and his techniques superb - a tribute to his classical art education with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute and a Master of Fine Arts from Yale University.  Kehinde Wiley isn't a wannabe; he's the real deal.

https://goo.gl/photos/ayntCBDMheiyEuQJ6