Those Who Were Truly Great...And The Rest of Us

"I think continually of those who were truly great," begins British poet Stephen Spender (1909-1995).

in my family, less than an "A" on the report card was failure. I graduated 5th in my large high school class and thought myself a failure. In our entertainment-driven culture, we celebrate the Big Stars, forget the Has-Beens, and pity the Wanna-bees.
I made a B+ in my first college drawing class. Therefore, I believed I was a no-talent failure. So, I majored in art history instead of studio art, as I had planned.

About 5 years later, I returned to school and earned that BFA in Studio Art. "So there!" I could tell my past self.

Twenty five years later, am I famous? No. Does it matter? Not at all. Will I achieve the stature of a Leonardo, a Michelangelo, a Raphael? Extreeeeeeeemely doubtful. Will I ever even be a big fish in a small pond? Does it matter? What matters is to keep at it, despite the lack of glory, fortune and fame.

Perfectionists get very little done, you know. Sometimes a "good enough" job really is good enough, if you put your heart and soul into it. I give you a Leonardo. And, one of my small paintings. His is magnificent. And mine? Well, it's good enough.

And, here is Stephen Spenders poem, in its entirety:

I think continually of those who were truly great.
Who, from the womb, remembered the soul's history
Through corridors of light where the hours are suns,
Endless and singing. Whose lovely ambition
Was that their lips, still touched with fire,
Should tell of the spirit clothed from head to foot in song.
And who hoarded from the spring branches
The desires falling across their bodies like blossoms. What is precious is never to forget
The delight of the blood drawn from ancient springs
Breaking through rocks in worlds before our earth;
Never to deny its pleasure in the simple morning light,
Nor its grave evening demand for love;
Never to allow gradually the traffic to smother
With noise and fog the flowering of the spirit. Near the snow, near the sun, in the highest fields
See how these names are fêted by the waving grass,
And by the streamers of white cloud,
And whispers of wind in the listening sky;
The names of those who in their lives fought for life,
Who wore at their hearts the fire's center.
Born of the sun, they traveled a short while towards the sun,
And left the vivid air signed with their honor.
~ Stephen Spender ~

A Portrait

"A portrait is a painting with something wrong with the mouth." "Every time I paint a portrait, I lose a friend." Both quotes by American Impressionist painter John Singer Sargent.


After 32 years of marriage, I can draw a recognizable picture of my husband from memory. But it is still going to be a much better likeness if he poses for me. Imagine how frustrating it is to try to get a likeness of someone you don't know. For example, a model at an open studio session. Some artists have the ability to capture a likeness quickly. For me, what a struggle! I get closer and closer to a likeness the more often I have the same model. My favorite model is Senalka, who, alas, moved to San Francisco.

I offer a selection of my drawings of her. None truly come close to capturing her sweetness and strength.

Digital Photography

Digital photography. I've been taking pictures for quite a long time, of course, starting many years ago with a Kodak Brownie. How I wish I still had it! But, only recently have I begun to share those photos with others, outside of family. First on mySpace, then on Facebook. On my website (http://laurajeannegrimes.com). Now, here. I will share only a few favorites. A mushroom that looks like Mick Jagger's lips. An old, abandoned loveseat found in deep, deep shade under a cluster of cedars on undeveloped property. A chair sitting in front of a stone, on wooded property behind an elementary school. And, a broken car mirror. It spoke to me in its brokenness. The shards of glass still reflect the beauty of the sky. For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι’ ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον· ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην.

Artists and Torture

I hate to use the phrase "to beat a dead horse" in this context. But, I know everyone is tired of hearing about torture. It's yesterday's news. In the United States, those who are pragmatic and those who are idealists argue round and round and round. Let's see how artists have explored this subject.

Alas, I haven't figured out how I can use blogspot to artfully arrange my pictures. For a clearer arrangement, view the blog on my website:http://www.laurajeannegrimes.com/laura-grimes-artist-blog.html


Early Italian Renaissance painter Fra Angelico depicts the torture of the damned in Hell. The demons obviously enjoy their work. At the bottom of the painting, Satan eats the poor, lost souls with relish. This work would have been meant as a cautionary tale to the faithful, of what could happen if they persisted in sin. Angelico was known for the sweetness of his work, and had to find a different approach for this subject. I imagine it was unpleasant for him, and that he was relieved to return to painting the Virgin, the baby Jesus, angels.


Northern Renaissance painter Matthias Grunewald depicts perhaps the most famous torture victim in all of history, Jesus Christ upon the Cross. We are very familiar with the cleaned-up versions of the Crucifixion, the calm, alabaster Jesus, hardly marked, a few drops of blood at His hands, His feet, His side. Here Grunewald shows us something closer to reality. Crucifixion was death by slow torture. The Romans were particular masters of it.


Next, a Dutch woodcut shows "The Water Torture". Was this during the Inquisition? Or were these government officials seeking information? We do not know. The man writing in the book appears quite calm, as he waits for the words of the man being tortured. He is documenting the interrogation, it seems.


Moving on to modern times, this World War II poster starkly pronounces the difference between the Allies and the Axis. Implicit in this work is the assumption that good guys don't torture, only the evil do.

In his graphic novel Maus, Art Spiegelman tells the story of his father, a Holocaust survivor. As he flips back and forth from present to past, we see the lifetime pain and anguish suffered by the father, by Spiegelman's mother, a survivor who commits suicide, and by the artist himself as the son. The Jews are depicted as mice, the Germans as cats, the Poles as pigs. He had a difficult time finding a publisher for this work. The subject matter seemed so inappropriate for the comic book style. Finally published, Maus won many awards, including a Pulitzer Prize Special Award in 1992.

In his Mercenaries series of the 1980's, the late American artist Leon Golub explored the dark world of those who fight, brutalize and kill for hire. As do the demons in Hell, his soldiers of fortune enjoy their work. We see the camaraderie of men engaged in a common activity. He said of his work: Artists are part of the information process... Visual history is important in providing a record of what is going on – levels of intention, levels of confidence, levels of aggression or control.

Best known for his paintings of pleasantly plump people engaged in light-hearted harmless activities, Columbian artist Fernando Botero also has turned his attention to the dark world of brutality and violence. Here we see a painting of a drug cartel's victims, men, women and children gunned down in the seemingly never ending cycle of violence in his native land. And, a photo of the artist with one of his paintings depicting the events at Abu Ghraib. Fra Angelico was commissioned to paint Hell and was no doubt relieved to return to depicting the Virgin with Baby Jesus, choirs of angels, etc. But, Botero chose these unpleasant subjects as a testimony to the world.


Cambodian artist Vann Nath is one of only seven survivors of the notorious Khmer Rouge prison S-21. About 14,000 people -men, women and children-perished in that horrific place. His skill as an artist saved him. He was put to work doing portraits of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot. Now, his paintings expose the brutal torture inflicted there. He has said: But during that whole time I kept wondering if the Khmers were simply destroying themselves. I wondered, how can we do this to ourselves? Is it self-hatred? Are we trying to wipe ourselves from the face of the earth?

What of myself as an artist? I have no political work to show. But, I have treated the subject of the Crucifixion. The work to the left is titled "Through Mary's eyes". As Mary was transfixed in helpless anguish, standing by the Cross, she must have still seen the little boy she loved. Below, we see her crazy with with grief over the lifeless body of her son. No loving mother wishes to outlive her child. And to see him die a slow death by torture must have ripped out her heart. Did she see the coming Resurrection? We do not know.

STARTED MY OWN WEBSITE

I have started my own website, using weebly.com as the host. My husband, the computer programmer, who at one point was volunteering up to 20 hours a week to get the church website up and running, has never shown interest in putting together a website for me, so I am using the template provided by weebly.com. And, it isn't fancy, but I think it's working. It will slowly come together. Take a look, if you like:

http://www.laurajeannegrimes.com/

And, here I share a recent drawing. Of Leah N.

Museums visited during my vacation

I haven't blogged in quite awhile! We are back from a wonderful vacation on the west coast. I have learned not to take my boys to museums, since they find such trips boring as mud. Actually, they would probably have more fun WITH mud, even tho they are now 23 and 17 years old.

I, however, visited several museums on the trip. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, for one. In San Francisco, I visited the Contemporary Jewish Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. In Portland, Oregon, the Portland Art Museum.

Highlights?

The LA County Museum of Art has a wonderful collection of German Expressionist works and an equally wonderful collection of Japanese art. What a contrast! The raw, dramatic work of the German Expressionists versus the spare and serene pieces by the Japanese. My favorite German Expressionist painting was "The Orator" by Magnus Zeller, done in 1920. To me, it shows a people desperately wanting a "saviour" and foreshadows the rise of Hitler. See it above.

The Japanese art? Perhaps this hanging scroll. "Portrait of Kagekiyo" by Yokoi Kinkoku. Here seen in a blurry iPhone photo (no flash, which is too harsh for these delicate works). I'm sure I wasn't supposed to take a photo. But, I'm an artist, I'm entitled.

The Jewish Museum of Contemporary Art had a wonderful exhibit: As It Is Written: Project 304,805. Aka, The Torah Project. Here is what the website has to say: "As It Is Written: Project 304,805 is centered around a soferet (a professionally trained female scribe) who while on public view will write out the entire text of the Torah over the course of a full year." For more info, take a look at the website: http://www.thecjm.org/index.php?option=com_ccevents&scope=exbt&task=detail&oid=43

What to say of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art? Alas, so much modern art means so little to me. I am attracted to beauty. I am also attracted to narrative. Abstract art rarely interests me. Of the abstract expressionists, I sometimes find Jackson Pollock interesting. And Philip Guston, who moved thru several different styles over his career.

However, there is always something. I found a sculpture of 4 figures by Magdalena Abakanowicz. If interested in her work, visit:http://www.abakanowicz.art.pl/about/-about.php

And, at the Portland Art Museum. Two wonderful exhibits. "The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb's Book of Genesis" and "A Pioneering Collection: Master Drawings from the Crocker Art Museum." For info about these exhibits, look at the Museum website: http://portlandartmuseum.org/calendar/

The Portland museum also featured an exhibit of works by artist Leon Golub. "Leon Golum: Historical Witness". I said I am drawn to beauty. Beauty can be found in work that would not be considered "beautiful" by most casual observers. So, I close with thoughts on Golub's piece "Mercenaries 1," 1976, acrylic on linen. The Museum website states that his "Mercenaries Series," "explored his response to the conflicts in Central America and Africa". For more info, again, check out the Museum's website. I find his work deeply moving as it depicts the depravity that still lurks in the heart of humanity. Since I only have a very blurry iPhone pic of this piece (and was rebuked for taking a photo at the museum, even without flash), I share his image of the late Francisco Franco, the infamous Generalissimo of Spain.

Avoiding my artwork again

Once I start a painting, I am usually ready to work. Yet, it sits on the easel. This past week, the only time I did any artwork was during my Tuesday and Wednesday lifedrawing studios.

I've been tired, weary. Somewhat depressed. I need a vacation. We are going on a family vacation soon. After that, I think I will need my own little vacation. I so want to go to Italy. By myself. No one saying, "This museum is Bo-o-o-rrrr-ing!!!" No one saying, "I don't want to eat at THAT restaurant." Two summers ago I went to Florence by myself for two weeks. My family treated me better when I got back. My younger son apparently discovered that I do more around here than he realized. Perhaps he even missed me, altho he never said so.

I offer a quick sketch from my time there.

Another Favorite Model is moving

We are losing some of our best models to grad school or to a boyfriend. Maybe both. Now Senalka is moving to San Francisco, to go to grad school. I think before deciding to go to grad school, it's best to take a deep breath and lie down. Let the impulse pass. But, that's just me.

Senalka has a combination of sweetness, dignity and strength that I find unusual and compelling. I will miss having her in the lifedrawing studio. Alas.

Farewell to Waverly

We are losing some of our best models here in Austin, TX. Waverly, a muse to many, recently moved to Indiana. I felt moved to give her a going away party. When the Spirit moves, I always say, you might as well follow. I rented a space for a weeked, arranged for some artists to bring work featuring Waverly, and had a party. She is such a sweet young woman. And an excellent model.

And I offer to you a few of my many drawings of her.

My father died

My father died on April 19th, the day after my birthday. I found out on April 25th. I called my sister to see how my father was doing. I knew he was quite ill. She said, "I can't believe I haven't called you yet!" The funeral had already happened.

I believe she was protecting me from the certain family drama that would have occurred if I tried to attend. I don't think I would have, but you don't know until faced with the decision. He had written me many years ago that I was not his daughter, I would be turned away from his deathbed, turned away from his funeral and be disinherited. This was, as so often happens, about money. I told him I planned to use the $10,000 from my late grandmother (his money) to adopt a child. He told me emphatically I could not use his mother's money for that purpose. I would not back down.

He was an abusive alcoholic. A strange man. My sister and I agree he was most likely a borderline sociopath. I won't go into detail here. I will instead, show a picture of him with baby me and a picture of him walking me down the aisle. Perhaps you can tell, I was crying as I walked. Everyone thought it was nerves, stress. No. I was crying because he was touching me. I should have told my husband we had to elope. But, no.

Does this have anything to do with being an artist? Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. I don't know.

Naked Lunch

A few weeks ago, I attended "Naked Lunch", a monthly short pose studio. The longest pose is 7 minutes. As you might expect, a lot of animators come to these sessions. For the first time ever, I won the Model's Choice award. Which doesn't buy me anything but applause, but, hey, I'll take what I can get.

Our model was Stephanie C. My winning drawing was the last of the session, a 7 minute pose.

A very brief pictorial history of the female figure in sculpture

I have completely neglected this blog. I volunteered to organize The Austin Figurative Show (sponsored by AVAA). I chose the jurors, we put out the call for entries, I presented the jpegs to the jurors (not an ideal way to choose the work, but, it's what everyone does now-a-days. We accepted way too much work for the space (at Austin Art Space). Jack White, an artist with a degree in museum studies, curated -- i.e. decided where pieces should hang. We did it salon style. We had a terrific opening. The show has now come down. Whew! The first time I ever organized a show! All things considered, I did good. And, only one artist complained about where his work was hung. That's not bad.

So, now. A whirl-wind pictorial history of the female nude in Western Sculpture (well, I'm keeping Egypt in). Not in order, so figure out who is who. These are "The Venus of Willendorf". She is made of limestone and estimated to have been created in 22,000 B.C. Discovered near the town of Willendorf in Austria. Then a figurine from Egypt. From classical Greece, the oh-so-famous Venus de Milo. A Romanesque Eve by Giselbertus, 12th century, from the church of St. Lazarus in Autun. Venus by the Baroque artist, Canova. A crouching woman by Rodin. A Degas dancer. A Matisse reclining woman. And, to finish up, the Torso of a Young Woman, by Aristide Maillol, 1935.

Hmmm. Looks like Degas' little dancer is in here twice. That's okay by me.

The Back

The back is perhaps the most neglected pose in lifedrawing. Yet, how beautiful the back can be! For our 15 minute poses, I have been requesting the model give us a back pose. The pose implies vulnerability, as the model cannot see the observer. Yet, it could also symbolize rejection, as the model has purposely turned away from the beholder.

Here are a few of my drawings and a magnificent painting by Velazquez.