There are a lot of reasons artists don’t finish paintings. Death, for one, such as in Vincent van Gogh’s “Street in Auvers-sur-Oise” unfinished from the June in 1980 that he shot himself. Lovely painting, horrible death.
Correction: According to the research of Pulitzer Prize-winning biographers Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith in their book published in 2011, the painter didn’t shoot himself, he was shot accidentally by thugs. I apologize for posting inaccurate information. Please read this following V. Note for slightly less inaccurate information about the topic.
Picasso, Woman in a Red Armchair, 1931
For most painters, starting a painting is infinitely easier than finishing one. With every brush stroke, the number of “right moves” diminishes – whereas at the beginning every move was a right move, half way through, problems begin to emerge, many times with solutions unknown. Completing a painting can be similar to solving a puzzle, and in a sense, though it is satisfying to solve a puzzle, the artist kills all the potentials it could have been, and the engaging relationship with with the work is over.
Personally, I prefer the unfinished paintings because I can see more of the making of it, the process. Not only can I see the artists’ thinking, but I can participate in it more. I also like the sustained, suspended daydream of what the painting could become, had things been a little different.
In the interview below, you’ll also see mention of “Ekphrasis.” In the days where each Thursday painter gave a brief presentation to the class, Skillman inspired us all with her presentation about ekphrastic poetry – a poem based on a work of art. In an ekphrastic poem, the writer describes the work of art, and may …
[image_with_animation image_url=”8109″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] What does wax do for an oil painting? In addition to the protective qualities of a top coat, wax unifies the surface of a painting. Each pigment has varying degrees of matte and shiny, and each brush stroke can have slightly more, or slightly less medium, resulting in a …
A few days ago I posted about Banksy’s stunt at the Sotheby’s auction, in which his art piece supposedly self-shredded after being sold. The media explosion (including my own darned V.Note) has settled, and after the dust has cleared, I see very little that is worthy of our attentions here. The whole thing has a …
[image_with_animation image_url=”7643″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Bruce Nauman, Failing to Levitate in My Studio, 1966. In art school I learned about the clever and funny Bruce Nauman. In particular, I learned about a series for which he said (I’m paraphrasing broadly) “I am an artist, therefore everything I do is art, therefore this is art.” And …
Unfinished Paintings
[image_with_animation image_url=”9566″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”]
Alice Neel, James Hunter Black Draftee
There are a lot of reasons artists don’t finish paintings. Death, for one, such as in Vincent van Gogh’s “Street in Auvers-sur-Oise” unfinished from the June in 1980 that he shot himself. Lovely painting, horrible death.
Correction: According to the research of Pulitzer Prize-winning biographers Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith in their book published in 2011, the painter didn’t shoot himself, he was shot accidentally by thugs. I apologize for posting inaccurate information. Please read this following V. Note for slightly less inaccurate information about the topic.
Picasso, Woman in a Red Armchair, 1931
For most painters, starting a painting is infinitely easier than finishing one. With every brush stroke, the number of “right moves” diminishes – whereas at the beginning every move was a right move, half way through, problems begin to emerge, many times with solutions unknown. Completing a painting can be similar to solving a puzzle, and in a sense, though it is satisfying to solve a puzzle, the artist kills all the potentials it could have been, and the engaging relationship with with the work is over.
Personally, I prefer the unfinished paintings because I can see more of the making of it, the process. Not only can I see the artists’ thinking, but I can participate in it more. I also like the sustained, suspended daydream of what the painting could become, had things been a little different.
Related Posts
Judith Skillman; interview on poetry, painting, and the League
In the interview below, you’ll also see mention of “Ekphrasis.” In the days where each Thursday painter gave a brief presentation to the class, Skillman inspired us all with her presentation about ekphrastic poetry – a poem based on a work of art. In an ekphrastic poem, the writer describes the work of art, and may …
Product Review: Gamblin’s Cold Wax vs Renaissance Microcrystalline Wax Polish
[image_with_animation image_url=”8109″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] What does wax do for an oil painting? In addition to the protective qualities of a top coat, wax unifies the surface of a painting. Each pigment has varying degrees of matte and shiny, and each brush stroke can have slightly more, or slightly less medium, resulting in a …
Sellout Better
A few days ago I posted about Banksy’s stunt at the Sotheby’s auction, in which his art piece supposedly self-shredded after being sold. The media explosion (including my own darned V.Note) has settled, and after the dust has cleared, I see very little that is worthy of our attentions here. The whole thing has a …
SAL Challenge Day 10: I am an artist
[image_with_animation image_url=”7643″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Bruce Nauman, Failing to Levitate in My Studio, 1966. In art school I learned about the clever and funny Bruce Nauman. In particular, I learned about a series for which he said (I’m paraphrasing broadly) “I am an artist, therefore everything I do is art, therefore this is art.” And …