One Hundred Great Artists: Part Two - Esther

 It’s time for another instalment of My 100 Great Artists. You may agree or disagree, but they have all at some time impressed me, moved me or shaken me with their works. They may even have inspired me in my own art, either in aesthetic, pattern or composition. 

So if you had unlimited space & means, what would you choose for your wall or open space? Are you more into “painterly” painters? Or do you like a good instalment? & if it’s the latter, video or sculpture…?

When you start making a list like this, you begin to realise what your taste really is, find your own preferences & in my case you realise just how unadventurous that taste might appear to some. Too bad, I’m afraid. My taste has been shaped by my surroundings & those being what they are, I love my Europeans & I love a good painter. Here then, is my 11-20 list of the Great Artists in My Opinion.

11. Otto Dix (Germany, 1891-1969), Self-Portrait (1942)

Otto Dix produced some of the most warped & grotesque figures in art. Deliberately unsettling & frequently satire, much of his art is a little bit off. His skills were astounding; he possessed the ability to paint like an Old Master should he wish to whilst influencing generations of dark artists to come. His war etchings still retain the power to shock & his decadent society figures are elongated, deformed & twisted into creepy shadows of their daytime selves. All this whilst investing many works with not only a sneaking sense of violence, but a genuine sense of humour. Always worth a mention: the Nazis – who had no sense of humour about themselves - detested him.

12. Max Kurzweil (Austria, 1867-1916), The Wife of the Artist (1902)

Alongside Gustav Klimt, Max Kurzweil was a co-founder of the Vienna Secessionist movement & if not for that fact, might well have been consigned to the forgotten millions of artists around the globe. Prone to depression, he took his own life in his late 40s but what he left behind was magnificent. Painter & illustrator his works seen together seem to transition between various {movements} as if he was about to break through into something new entirely. He used very muted colours here, bright yellows there, the line between illustration & painting is blurring, whilst realism & (clearly Secessionist) stylisation sit side by side among his creations. 

13. Georgia O’Keeffe (United States of America, 1887-1986), Deer’s Skull with Pedernal (1936)

Although best-known for her florals & the possibilities of their symbolism, O’Keeffe also painted many skulls. I always enjoyed her near-photographic style & the smooth lines & blending of her paintings, but her skulls are what attract me most to her work. In particular is a wonderful hyper-real rendering of the skull but the surreality of the landscape behind lends it an unsettling air. Not only are the skull & space depicted, but also the severe heat.

14. Jackson Pollock (United States of America, 1912-1956), One: Number 31 (1950)

This level of abstraction is rarely my thing. & there’s the whole issue with “well someone had to do it first.” Earlier in life, I disliked Pollock’s work & anything like it. I disliked its apparent lack of form & wit. But now I understand that form isn’t everything & because “someone had to do it first” & he did, there’s inherent value & actual wit in that. Now, I like many of his “drip” works simply for themselves & often their sheer size adds to the meditative experience of viewing them. 

15. Jean-Michel Basquiat (United States of America, 1960-1988), Riding With Death (1988)

If there was ever a rise that was meteoric, it was Basquiat’s. In a very short space of time he went from extreme poverty to great wealth & fame. His fall was equally intense. Art-wise however, he maintains his power. The potency of the class & race aspects to his political works is concentrated & penetrating even today…perhaps more today than ever. But when we all eventually come Riding With Death, we’re all equal, we’re all just as dead.

16. Alfred Conteh (United States of America, 1975-), Charles Jr.

Alfred is one of the artists I’ve learned about since researching these blog posts & I can be grateful to the blog for that alone. His depictions of fellow African-Americans are staggeringly beautiful & at times also the walks photo-real line. He also creates highly symbolic sculptures. It’s his portraits in particular that I love. The humanity, strength & depth of character he achieves is made all the more impressive & fascinating with his use of mixed media, including such exotic agents as “atomised steel dust on paper.”

17. Samuel John Peploe (Scotland, 1871-1935) Portrait of Mrs Peploe (1907)

We love a group of post-impressionist artists - the Scottish Colourists - in our household. Peploe was one of this group & his influences were French. His style was very controlled & the colours frequently vibrant. From his self-portraits, Peploe looks fairly buttoned-up (albeit smoking in various forms) but his works are determined, swerving towards Cubism in places & dramatically lit. We are fortunate to host some fine examples of his work in Aberdeen Art Gallery, including this wonderful rendering of the artist’s wife Margaret. The brushstrokes appear light but are thick with paint. Look closely & it appears sketchy & unfinished, but take a step back & it’s truly a work of disciplined genius.

18. Hina Ayoama (蒼山日菜), (Japan, 1970-)

Sometimes I have favourites because no matter how much practise, will & discipline I imposed on myself, I could never achieve or conceive what an artist does. Paper-cutting artist Hina Ayoama is one of those artists. I’m showing two pictures here so we can really see what mind-blowing precision & imagination we’re dealing with. She is as philosophical about the place of creating art as she is steady-handed with a pair of scissors.

19. Steven Higginson (Scotland, 1982-), Portrait of Danny

Another completely baffling talent, Steven Higginson creates astoundingly realistic paintings of the streets of Dundee & portraits. In recent years, he has especially explored & made a feature of the effects of light on the skin & clothing of his subjects. The detail he includes is breath-taking & it is indeed as if we’re looking at a photograph. There are many artists working at the photo-realism game these days & as admirable as much of it is, all lack the heart & the human qualities Steven Higginson conveys so perfectly. He is truly the master of his craft.

20. Bessie MacNicol (Scotland, 1869-1904), A Girl of the Sixties (c.1900)

I believe I read about Bessie MacNicol for the first time on Tuesday. After a small search, I discovered I recognised several of her paintings from her works & one in particular: A Girl of the Sixties.  Her beautiful, impressionistic handling of light in this piece evokes Mucha, Art Nouveau & a cold Scottish summer sun. Or a warm Autumn one. As delicate as the woman’s features are, the leaves & scattered light are rendered more loosely to sensational effect. Dying tragically young, there is sadly little of her work remaining, but what exists is unique. Bessie was a pioneer in Scottish art for women & was a contemporary of the MacDonald sisters at Glasgow School of Art. I recall I ended the last “100 Greats” post with a note about the character of a rambunctious woman & I’m about to do the same here. For in contrast to the sensitivity of her paintings, her character was dynamic. It is said she once tried a new, racier skirt for cycling…