Here's something the Jenni Dogs dregged from the sea floor today. What could it possibly be?
When More is More
Bernard Chaet: When More is More
LewAllen Contemporary’s
exhibition of paintings by American artist Bernard Chaet (b. 1924)
features work from the 1960’s to the present. Keeping with LewAllen
Contemporary’s penchant for expressive painters, this work is very
formal and concerned almost exclusively with the materiality of paint on
a surface. Known best for his landscape paintings, the subject matter
of Chaet’s work at the gallery includes beaches, sea bathers, rocky
coves, harbors clogged with boats, stormy horizons and a smattering of
still lifes. His work challenges and celebrates the representational
power of paint. A gushy slab of burnt sienna is a cloud on the sea’s
horizon. Oblong slathers of cadmium orange are rocks on a shore.
For over 60 years Chaet has pushed the traditional logic of representational painting. He allows himself to smush around too much white—muddy the colors and mix paint directly on the canvas. Some of his recently completed paintings were begun in the 90’s, so conventional wisdom such as “don’t overwork it” have little clout with Chaet. His paintings have a sort of sophisticated clumsiness to them with thick outlines and bloated forms (imagine Philip Guston painting a J.M.W. Turner seascape). Their surfaces are substantially built with gobs of oil paint whipped up like cake batter.
One particularly successful work is Burnt Sienna Sky. It is a
simple image of the sea with a billowing burnt sienna and yellow ocher
storm cloud at the horizon. A few chunky rocks lend visual weight to the
bottom of the canvas. Despite the numerous layers of paint, Burnt Sienna Sky
has a sense of immediacy that belies the time taken to produce it. In
fact, it took him seven years to finish (1999-2006). Taking a long time
to capture a fleeting moment is not unknown to most oil painters, but
Chaet might take it to levels seldom reached. We can only guess how he
knows when he’s finished a painting.
Another particularly commanding piece is a small oil painting titled 3 Bathers.
A testament to Chaet’s long-term love affair with the ocean and its
paraphernalia, this painting was made in 1988. This painting is
selective compared to the excess of most of his work. The thickness of
paint is fairly insubstantial by comparison. The bathers are awkwardly
perched side by side (sardine style) on what appears to be a tilting
chunk of concrete, the horizon of the sea just beyond them. The bathers
are painted in varying shades of yellow ocher with odd raw sienna and
pthalo blue shadows. If you try to bring realistic notions of gravity to
the image, the block of concrete appears as if it might slide backward
at any moment, taking the poor bathers with it. However, the awkwardness
of the composition is as important to the image as the bathers are.
Chaet doesn’t concern himself with representing this world in all its
weight and texture. He represents paint through the subject matter.
Representation is an excuse to arrange paint in a particular way. The
beach scenes and landscapes are appealing in a rather generic way, but
the paint quality is irreverent and indulgent. What keeps these
paintings from being run-of-the-mill is the earnest and unapologetic way
Chaet deviates from the physical reality of his subjects. The subject
is the starting point, and the painting becomes increasingly
self-referential thereafter.
View more of Bernard Chaet’s oil paintings here.
May 8, 2012, 8:30 am
Bernard Chaet | Rocky Shore, 2006, oil on canvas, 32 x 32 inches, Courtesy LewAllen Contemporary
For over 60 years Chaet has pushed the traditional logic of representational painting. He allows himself to smush around too much white—muddy the colors and mix paint directly on the canvas. Some of his recently completed paintings were begun in the 90’s, so conventional wisdom such as “don’t overwork it” have little clout with Chaet. His paintings have a sort of sophisticated clumsiness to them with thick outlines and bloated forms (imagine Philip Guston painting a J.M.W. Turner seascape). Their surfaces are substantially built with gobs of oil paint whipped up like cake batter.
Bernard Chaet | The Sun, detail, oil on canvas, 32 x 38 inches
One particularly successful work is Burnt Sienna Sky. It is a
simple image of the sea with a billowing burnt sienna and yellow ocher
storm cloud at the horizon. A few chunky rocks lend visual weight to the
bottom of the canvas. Despite the numerous layers of paint, Burnt Sienna Sky
has a sense of immediacy that belies the time taken to produce it. In
fact, it took him seven years to finish (1999-2006). Taking a long time
to capture a fleeting moment is not unknown to most oil painters, but
Chaet might take it to levels seldom reached. We can only guess how he
knows when he’s finished a painting.
Bernard Chaet | Burnt Sienna Sky, 1999-06, oil on canvas, 30 x 37.75 inches, Courtesy LewAllen Contemporary
Bernard Chaet | Burnt Sienna Sky, detail, 1999-06, oil on canvas, 30 x 37.75 inches
Another particularly commanding piece is a small oil painting titled 3 Bathers.
A testament to Chaet’s long-term love affair with the ocean and its
paraphernalia, this painting was made in 1988. This painting is
selective compared to the excess of most of his work. The thickness of
paint is fairly insubstantial by comparison. The bathers are awkwardly
perched side by side (sardine style) on what appears to be a tilting
chunk of concrete, the horizon of the sea just beyond them. The bathers
are painted in varying shades of yellow ocher with odd raw sienna and
pthalo blue shadows. If you try to bring realistic notions of gravity to
the image, the block of concrete appears as if it might slide backward
at any moment, taking the poor bathers with it. However, the awkwardness
of the composition is as important to the image as the bathers are.
Bernard Chaet | 3 Bathers, 1988, oil on canvas, 14 x 8 inches, Courtesy LewAllen Contemporary
Chaet doesn’t concern himself with representing this world in all its
weight and texture. He represents paint through the subject matter.
Representation is an excuse to arrange paint in a particular way. The
beach scenes and landscapes are appealing in a rather generic way, but
the paint quality is irreverent and indulgent. What keeps these
paintings from being run-of-the-mill is the earnest and unapologetic way
Chaet deviates from the physical reality of his subjects. The subject
is the starting point, and the painting becomes increasingly
self-referential thereafter. 
Bernard Chaet | FROM LEFT: Beach Party, 2006, oil on canvas, 8 x10 inches | Provincetown, 2008, oil on canvas, 8 x10 inches | 3 Bathers, 1988, oil on canvas, 14 x 8 inches | Bather, 1968, oil on canvas, 8 x 10 inches | Bather II, 2004-05, oil on canvas, 8 x 10 inches
View more of Bernard Chaet’s oil paintings here.
Jenni Dogs don't know it's not bacon!
Cap'n! Another ship! The Jenni Dogs sail right up to it only to discover that its crew is a very scary wolf in sheep's clothing. He still obviously looks like a wolf, so they don't know who he thinks he's fooling. The Jenni Dog captain says, "Well, he is a relative. Maybe he'll help us! Excuse me, Captain. Where is land?"
"Yarrrr! I'm nothin' but a sheepish sailor. Baaaaaaaaaaah."
"Okay?"
"Wouldn't you like to come in for some Beggin' Strips?"
"You KNOW I want Beggin' Strips! I don't know it's not bacon! On the other hand, I don't like how you're drooling and staring at my left ear. We'll just be on our way."
Sorry, Jenni Dogs. No luck this time! I bet land is close, though.
For Science!
This inbred-looking Jenni Dog is a scientist—a naturalist, if you will.
She scoops up various objects from the sea with a large net and makes observational drawings from them. Sure, having paws hampers these activities, but Jenni Dogs are nothing if not persistent. Let's look at what she's dragged up today!
She scoops up various objects from the sea with a large net and makes observational drawings from them. Sure, having paws hampers these activities, but Jenni Dogs are nothing if not persistent. Let's look at what she's dragged up today!
I know that smell.
Okay okay, here's a Jenni Dog! You can have a good weekend now! This particular Jenni Dog has been stealing biscuits from the kitchen and covertly selling them to the other scallywags. Since the captain led them into nothingness, rations have been skimpy. I smell mutiny. It smells like biscuits.
A Very Belated Tribute to Leonora Carrington
Leonora Carrington, an intriguing and often under-appreciated Surrealist artist, passed away in Mexico City last year at the age of 94. When she died I found out that she was also a novelist. Who knew?! I picked up her books at the library, and they certainly maintain their Surrealist roots. With illustrations by Carrington and Max Ernst, The House of Fear is reminiscent of The Dream Life of Balso Snell by Nathanael West, except that Carrington puts significantly less emphasis on the anus of a giant horse—"0 Anus Mirabilis!"
Rebecca Shore at Eight Modern
Here is my first blog post for New American Paintings. I'm excited to write reviews for them—they are a fantastic publication. The original post is here!
ALL IN ONE: PAINTINGS BY REBECCA SHORE
Jenni Higginbotham
In conjunction with an exhibition at Corbett vs. Dempsey in Chicago, Eight Modern Gallery (Santa Fe, New Mexico), will show the paintings of Rebecca Shore (NAP #41) until May 5. This two-gallery exhibit, titled All in One, features about 50 paintings, 23 of which are at Eight Modern.
All in One can be viewed as two bodies of work. One group of paintings features arrangements of absurd silhouettes and shapes on a flat ground color. Her color combinations are mostly neutrals and hues within a single color family with an occasional primary red or celadon green shape to break up the regularity of the composition. The shapes are evenly spaced with an inch or so between each object. They are arranged formally the way one might organize a collection of seashells or butterflies. The viewer is meant to consider each shape and its formal relationship to the other images in the painting. Each shape, whether it be a figure from Chinoise wallpaper or an uninterpretable blob traced from a TV screen-shot, has to meet the painting’s organizational standard. The game is to figure out what the organizing principle might be.
In the interview section of the exhibition catalog, Shore says, “I
try to make an arrangement where things relate to one another in a way
that allows you to experience them without being confused[...] You’re
urged to make relationships through form, but your questions about
identity are often not answered.”
The other paintings in the exhibition are evocative of maps, networks
or alien motherboards—some sort of navigational or technological
device. Once again, Shore relies on found and manipulated imagery to
create these paintings. They are almost entirely linear and abstract
geometric shapes, although the occasional representational image finds
its way into the work. There is a similar level of absurdity to these
paintings. On one hand, the work invites the viewer to interpret the
formal relationships and fit the pieces into neat categories. However,
the seemingly random imagery resists identification, toying with our
general acceptance of organizational standards. Before standardization
occurs, the process of organization is personal and meaningful.
Sometimes, it is quite arbitrary.
Shore’s process is rooted in an intellectual framework, but the
paintings are also traditionally beautiful objects. A nuanced handling
of the materials is apparent in the subtle brushwork and delicate
variations of paint transparency. These works are made with a variety of
media: gouache, oil, distemper (a paint using rabbit skin glue as the
binder), acrylic, and egg tempera with casein. These subtleties are
appealing, but her technique is not so lush that it detracts from the
conceptual push/pull of the imagery. Shore manages to balance cool and
detached humor with a genuine fondness for the formal qualities of
painting. She clearly loves sifting through a variety reference
materials until she finds a combination that intuitively make sense to
her. This work is worth seeing and spending some time with. View more of
the work online at http://www.eightmodern.net/ and http://www.corbettvsdempsey.com/.
ALL IN ONE: PAINTINGS BY REBECCA SHORE
Jenni Higginbotham
May 2, 2012
Filed under: Review, Santa Fe | Tags: Corbett vs. Dempsey, Eight Modern Gallery, Rebecca Shore
Filed under: Review, Santa Fe | Tags: Corbett vs. Dempsey, Eight Modern Gallery, Rebecca Shore
In conjunction with an exhibition at Corbett vs. Dempsey in Chicago, Eight Modern Gallery (Santa Fe, New Mexico), will show the paintings of Rebecca Shore (NAP #41) until May 5. This two-gallery exhibit, titled All in One, features about 50 paintings, 23 of which are at Eight Modern.
Installation shot
All in One can be viewed as two bodies of work. One group of paintings features arrangements of absurd silhouettes and shapes on a flat ground color. Her color combinations are mostly neutrals and hues within a single color family with an occasional primary red or celadon green shape to break up the regularity of the composition. The shapes are evenly spaced with an inch or so between each object. They are arranged formally the way one might organize a collection of seashells or butterflies. The viewer is meant to consider each shape and its formal relationship to the other images in the painting. Each shape, whether it be a figure from Chinoise wallpaper or an uninterpretable blob traced from a TV screen-shot, has to meet the painting’s organizational standard. The game is to figure out what the organizing principle might be.
Rebecca Shore | 2011-01, 2011, oil on canvas on panel, 11 x 14 inches, Photo courtesy of Eight Modern Gallery
Rebecca Shore | 2010-10, 2010, oil on canvas, 30 x 45 inches, Photo courtesy of Eight Modern Gallery
In the interview section of the exhibition catalog, Shore says, “I
try to make an arrangement where things relate to one another in a way
that allows you to experience them without being confused[...] You’re
urged to make relationships through form, but your questions about
identity are often not answered.”
Rebecca Shore | 2011-16, 2011, distemper on panel, 31 x 25 inches, Photo courtesy of Eight Modern Gallery
The other paintings in the exhibition are evocative of maps, networks
or alien motherboards—some sort of navigational or technological
device. Once again, Shore relies on found and manipulated imagery to
create these paintings. They are almost entirely linear and abstract
geometric shapes, although the occasional representational image finds
its way into the work. There is a similar level of absurdity to these
paintings. On one hand, the work invites the viewer to interpret the
formal relationships and fit the pieces into neat categories. However,
the seemingly random imagery resists identification, toying with our
general acceptance of organizational standards. Before standardization
occurs, the process of organization is personal and meaningful.
Sometimes, it is quite arbitrary.
Rebecca Shore | 2009-20-G, detail, 2009, gouache on paper, 14 x 10 inches
Shore’s process is rooted in an intellectual framework, but the
paintings are also traditionally beautiful objects. A nuanced handling
of the materials is apparent in the subtle brushwork and delicate
variations of paint transparency. These works are made with a variety of
media: gouache, oil, distemper (a paint using rabbit skin glue as the
binder), acrylic, and egg tempera with casein. These subtleties are
appealing, but her technique is not so lush that it detracts from the
conceptual push/pull of the imagery. Shore manages to balance cool and
detached humor with a genuine fondness for the formal qualities of
painting. She clearly loves sifting through a variety reference
materials until she finds a combination that intuitively make sense to
her. This work is worth seeing and spending some time with. View more of
the work online at http://www.eightmodern.net/ and http://www.corbettvsdempsey.com/.
Rebecca Shore | 2011-15, detail, 2011, distemper on panel, 31 x 25 inches
Stowaway
This poor stowaway sure is regretting her decisions. Stuck below deck, she can't even experience the sweet ocean breeze. She just misses her own bed and getting to stick her head out of the car window. Hopefully that silly captain will find the lost sea chart and they can be on their way.
Something a little bit more serious
Here is a drawing I finished a few months ago. This image sets the stage for the rest of my work in the Out of Place show.
Tempest
Graphite and white charcoal on panel
9 x 12 inches
Jenni Dog—hot on the trail.
Don't worry, this Jenni Dog has the scent! She'll sniff a way out of this mess!
Who's driving this thing?!
Capsized
This little paper boat is stuck somewhere in the ether! If you want to help it out...buy it! :)
Oh my dog she's back!
Yeah yeah yeah. I fixed my computer, got my scanner set up, and now I am back in business! Again. I have two shows happening this summer. One will be at the Las Cruces Museum of Art, and it will include 72 of my 4 x 4 inch pieces.This show involves an incredible (and small) artist group I am a part of called The Praxis Collective. If it sounds scary, that's because it is. Enjoy sleeping safely while you still can. The other show is called Out of Place and it will be at the Unsettled Gallery in Las Cruces.This is a two-person show with none other than the notorious Jean Wilkey. You have to check out the bunnies on her website. They're delicious! More information on these shows to follow.
And last but not least...due to popular demand from one guy, here is a Jenni Dog! She's begging for your forgiveness.
And last but not least...due to popular demand from one guy, here is a Jenni Dog! She's begging for your forgiveness.
The Progressive Arts Fair—the first few pics!
Sweet! I have some images that my co-worker Masumi took of my little booth at the Progressive Arts Fair in Santa Fe. They were taken with an iPhone, so deal. Masumi's wife Jessica is the one on the left. I am the one in gray on the right—dressed strategically for hanging charcoal drawings. Those are our action poses! The last image is of Jessica contemplating my work. That drawing doesn't normally look like it has a meteorite streaking through it, but I might include something like that in my next drawing.
Day 47
Only day 47. Oh well. This is what my left upper cut looks like from my perspective. In case you were wondering.
My life is back!
Well, the Progressive Arts Fair went well—except that I didn't sell anything. I did, however, receive a lot of nice feedback and only a few insulting comments. I will post pics of my booth soon! Also, I am going to start the self-portraits again. That's right...I'm picking the challenge up again. Which has apparently changed from 365 portraits in a row to 365 total. Hush. It's legit.
Okay fine.
I've been extremely naughty and not posting. I know. I am extremely busy with an installation that may happen in mid-September. I have to focus on that for now. Hooray quick deadlines and huge ideas! Much love...I will make more portraits soon.
Day 45! I'm Back!
Holy Moly! Life got a little crazy there. Oh, who am I kidding. That isn't going to change any time soon. A good friend told me recently, "You can do everything, just not all at once." So true. Listen to the woman!
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