Life by Art: Part Two
Jesse Hulse
How well do you know your art?
This is both a tough question and a relatively easy one at the same time.
The other night I was watching a game show, something I find myself doing more often these days. I’m not proud of that fact and clearly there are better ways to spend my idleness, like writing new blogs, or painting, or something other than TV. I also won’t say which game show it was or even who the celebrity contestant was, but the question was simple enough.
Name five famous paintings in 30 seconds.
After the Mona Lisa, he went blank, although managing to throw out The Scream at the buzzer. But, that was it. So, okay, to be fair, remembering names of paintings isn’t that easy. A better question might have been to name five famous artists. But the question was meant to stump the contestant, not make it easy, so it worked. I see a few of you scratching your heads out there, too, so to jog the old noodle…
…in addition to the two he got right, I’ll throw in a few extras… The Last Supper, The Creation of Adam, Starry Night, Birth of Venus, Whistler’s Mother, and American Gothic.
And yes, I looked these up to make sure I had the names correct. That would be embarrassing if I had them wrong, right? But, even if you didn’t recognize these titles, I can guarantee you’d probably know the artists, or at least a few of them. At the very least, you’d recognize the actual paintings if you saw them.
So, artwork wasn’t in this guy’s wheelhouse. I am sure he could rattle off the top 10 actors born after 1990, or which Kardashian he likes to follow. Pop culture questions, no doubt, I would fail miserably at. Maybe it’s just a generational thing, but even pop culture to me was always Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock. I’m just saying. Generational.
As I said in the opening paragraph about it being a tough question, it’s also an easy one. Art, that is.
You don’t have to be an Art History major to appreciate art.
If you think people have opinions about politicians, put a painting in front of them and watch the opinions start to fly! The easy answer is this: You know what you like and what you don’t like. You may have an affinity for Elvis on black velvet or a seascape you can buy in bulk from Target®. It doesn’t matter. You like what you like. And maybe you’ll hang something on your wall because it matches the drapes or the color of your sofa. Whatever your reason is, it’s your personal taste and no one can argue with you over it, because there is no right or wrong answer.
When I started painting in the mid-70s, I came into modest recognition among a plethora of artists who studied in the Wyeth school of Chester County realism. A culture of art enthusiasts based along the meandering and scenic Brandywine River that runs through Chadds Ford, PA. And okay, it’s not an actual school, it’s just an expression, but Andrew Wyeth was king to many of us in our small enclave of the world. Some local artists made a decent living selling limited edition prints while embracing the Brandywine tradition, and there seemed to be a real value in buying prints from the likes of Peter Sculthorpe or Richard Bollinger, both intrinsically and monetarily. Two guys who did a great job capturing exactly what many people wanted on their walls and built a loyal fanbase in the process. We all had our own styles and we marketed ourselves accordingly. Some more successful than others as we tried to take advantage of an era in local art lore. Collectors of all kinds clamored to own a piece of Chester County and there was a litany of artists and styles to satisfy just about everyone. Some of those artists may argue about the comparison to Wyeth, but they shouldn’t. He was a great artist to emulate.
Funny thing, although I graduated from college with a BFA in design, my first job out of school was with a greeting card company called Norcross. Look it up, it rivaled Hallmark® at one point. Ironically, I was hired not because my college portfolio, but rather, my watercolors. Norcross had recently moved to Chester County from NYC, and they wanted someone on staff who painted like Andrew Wyeth. Trust me, I don’t hold a candle to the guy, or half the artists already on staff there, but was totally honored by the comparison, nonetheless.
A couple of years ago, I did a few paintings depicting scenes of our local golf club, mainly because it meant something to me as a member (albeit being a poor golfer), but also hoping others might feel a similar connection. There was a value in that, I thought. And, don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to own a Rembrandt, or a Wyeth, or even a Hulse to like what you like. But, I implore you to, please, please like something for a reason. Don’t just settle on a shoulder shrug. If you have fond memories of the beach, then that seascape from Target® may be just fine. Some people like to study the brush strokes of Wyeth, or immerse themselves into the colors of Warhol, or are just proud parents of a budding art student. The reason matters not, just find what it is that draws you in, makes you turn back for that second look, or just makes you feel something. Art evokes emotion. Period.
And here’s my point, if you can call it one. Although subjective, art does bombard us every day, whether we want to believe it or not. It has always filled an important slot in our culture, which in my opinion, it has become a little watered-down of late. Limited edition prints don’t move as quickly as they did 20 years ago, originals sell even slower. So, what’s changed?
It’s almost like folks just don’t appreciate art as much as they used to. Which is sad, really, because there’s a value in that appreciation. And, I’m not sure I have all the answers, but maybe it’s just a lack of awareness and exposure? Take your spouse, or friends, or kids — spend a Saturday morning at the Brandywine River Museum or the Philadelphia Museum of Art, you might be surprised at what you’re takeaway will be. Finding value in art is a wonderful thing.
And fyi…Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Vincent van Gogh, Sandro Botticelli, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, and Grant Wood.
Looking Back from Nine by Jesse C. Hulse
® 2016 Jesse C. Hulse. All rights reserved.