Artist 17: Alice Neel

Contemporary artist Alice Neel was a "portrait" painter whose focus was on the psychology of the sitter rather than on creating an emotionally charged representation. To this extent, her work did not aim to accurately represent the physical figure as it appears. Instead, her goal was to represent the human being as a whole; one's character, weaknesses, and ego. Despite the inherent difficulties resulting from living on welfare, losing a child, and multiple nervous breakdowns, she remained steadfast in her dedication to creating artwork. A lifetime of hard work earned her the National Women’s Caucus for Art award for outstanding achievement. She passed away in 1984.

I find many inspirational qualities in her work; even more so in her dedication to it. First and foremost, however, her portraits synthesize detail and simplicity so that the personality of the sitter is the focus and all distractions from attaining a notion of that personality are eliminated.  A brief glance at any of her works will illustrate that only the vital details of defining the character of the sitter are present.  Her selection process is deliberate and it works to focus the viewer's attention in all the right places. The second-most influential quality I find in her work is the sheer dedication to its creation that she demonstrated. Despite her difficult background, she placed art as her priority and it payed off in the end. Overall, she serves as an excellent artistic influence.

Artist 16: Nimit Malavia

Nimit Malavia is a canadian illustrator, painter and drawer whose work has been featured in a wide array of publications including Marvel Comics. His personal work, which utilizes a combination of real, abstract, and non-objective elements, relates ideas of love, sadness, and the human condition. When asked in an interview with LeBasse Projects as to the themes, philosophy or underlying principles of his work, he replied:

 I’ve felt a need to portray a kind of unconscious vulnerability. I’m not quite sure what it is, but there is an essential beauty in the extremes of life. Sometimes it feels like trying to catch a glimpse of someone in a private moment of helplessness – stripped of their natural defenses, they stand there, open and honest. Nothing left to hide what’s inside.

Regardless of his philosophy, there is great deal to admire in his work. Personally, I find his dedication to the principles of good composition most inspiring. In all of his pieces there is a natural flow that carries the eye gracefully over every stitch of the composition. There are no awkward breaks or imbalances of positive and negative space. Everything flows. To enhance this compositional flow, his line work follows in suit. His pieces are mired with soft flowing lines and shapes. The overall visual aesthetic is incredibly pleasing to the eye. The ultimate result comes together as visually pleasant art that illustrates his themes both calmly and deliberately.

His website may be found here.

Artist 15: Yoji Shinkawa

Drawing influence from fellow japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano, Yoji Shinkawa is a concept artist and character designer for Konami Digital Entertainment. Since 1994, Shinkawa has provided character designs for the Metal Gear franchise as well as mech designs for the Zone of the Enders franchise. His artwork is produced using a combination of penwork, photoshop, and painting.

What I like most about Shinkawa's art is the sheer expressive quality of his linework. Despite the nature of his works' subject matter, which is typically soldiers and machinery, Shinkawa always brings a certain sense of organic and emotionally charged style to his compositions. Interestingly, this style is characteristic of his work alone so much that his pieces are easily recognizable within the vast assortment of concept art for entertainment.   

A gallery of his works may be found here.

Artist 14: Peter Paul Rubens

Peter Paul Rubens was a flemish painter during the Baroque movement of the seventeenth century. Despite being an established humanist scholar, Rubens was also a prolific artist whose scope of work ranged from portraits to religious and mythological paintings. His many works are characterized by his use of vivid primary colors, exuberant skin, and dynamic compositions which illustrate figures in motion. His "Elevation of the Cross" is a perfect example of this trademark style. Like many  Renaissance pieces before it, primary colors are featured on the garb of the characters in the painting. Jesus, the focus of the work, is dynamically illuminated by a light off canvas. The men in the act of raising the cross are straining their every muscle in order to lift it. This effectively results in the viewer clearly understanding the weight and motion of their collective effort. By choosing this exact moment, Rubens heightens the overall sense of drama.

Rubens has been a profound influence over my work for a while now. For the most part, this is because he always depicted the most climactic moments in the stories he chose to tell. Similar to his contemporary Caravaggio, his work is incredibly dramatic. One cannot help but be poignantly moved by his myriad compositions. Furthermore, his idealized figures are rendered impeccably. They're realistic yet personalized. Overall, Rubens is nothing short of an amazing artist.

More of his work may be found here.

Artist 13: Sam Jinks

Similar to Ron Mueck, Sam Jinks is a hyper-realist figural sculptor who primarily works with silicone and human hair to create meticulously detailed pieces. Unlike Mueck, however, Jinks's body of work is characterized by a much darker, almost ominous sense of style. For example, his "hanging man" confronts the viewer with slightly distorted proportions--he is unnaturally small. Furthermore, he is presented in a most uncomfortable position which resembles a hung corpse or, as Robert Nelson's review suggests, jesus christ.

Sam Jinks's work is inspiring in a myriad of ways. On the one hand, his creations are so realistic that they may easily be mistaken for living human beings. On the other, he applies a subtle sense of distortion that allows for artistic control on how the viewer will react to the work emotionally. In this regard, Jinks maintains full control over the implications of his work while delivering a shockingly convincing representation that may frighten or alienate viewer. Ultimately, his art is a testament to transforming concepts into reality.

His website may be found here.

Artist 12: Kris Kuksi

Utilizing ancient mythological figures and motifs, Kris Kuksi creates large-scale intricate sculptures that make statements regarding the nature of civilization and the human condition at large. According to his biography, his artwork primarily focuses on themes of challenging religion, morality, and coming to terms with one's own mortality. The artwork itself borrows thematic elements from ancient and baroque sculpture. A quick survey of one of his pieces will yield numerous throwbacks to Bernini as well as many iconic ancient sculptures. Additionally, the intricate detail of the non-figural elements resemble the aesthetic of many of Bernini's work for the Vatican, particularly the Baldacchino. Lastly, his limited color palette enhances the works' overall sense of unity.

I find Kuksi's work particularly inspiring because he deals with similar themes I wish to express in my work in a similar manner. Like any great philosopher, Kuksi confronts the viewer with the fundamental questions of life that every adult must eventually acknowledge. In this respect, his work intrinsically pertains to all audiences. Furthermore, to expound his doctrine, he utilizes the earliest known figures representative of the human condition. Overall, Kuksi performs the job of an artist as well as philosopher excellently and serves as a prominant influence on me and my work.

His website may be found here.

Artist 11: Iain Macarthur

Illustrator Iain Macarthur creates realistic portraits that incorporate non-objective stylized elements. Similarly to Alex Pardee, he creates most of his work with pen and watercolor. To this extent, the explosion of color effect present in Pardee's work is also frequent in Macarthur's. Where they most significantly differ, however, is in the overall style of the penwork. Macarther's work is characterized by borderline hyperrealistic portraiture and patternized design elements. According to his website, he specializes "in shirt designs, tatoo designs, prints designs,posters, album art, logo and branding, editorial illustration, private comissions."

I chose Macarthur primarily because his work has such an interesting design quality to it. The clash of realism and non-objective elements creates an interesting visual dichotomy. Furthermore, the emphasis on developing an excellent composition is incredibly apparent. Iain Macarthur's work is highly stylized and well composed.

His website may be found here.

Artist 10: Alex Pardee

Alex Pardee is an illustrator and apparel designer who combines his sense of humor and knack for distorting proportions to create some truly twisted works of art. To accomplish his pieces, he typically works in pen and watercolor. According to an interview with Slamxhype, his inspirations range from his own battles with depression and anxiety all the way to contemporary pop culture While some of his works make statements in response to current political events, many others are simply for the "fun" of it. Visually, his work is embodied by twisted, grotesque figures drenched in low-saturation watercolor.

Ultimately, I find Pardee's work inspirational because he combines elements that I find in my own work but he arranges them in a completely different yet compelling way. By this, I mean his deliberate distortion of the human figure to elicit emotional response is a lot of what I aim to do with my own figural work. In effect, Pardee creates representations of humans that one may easily identify with on some level. At the same time, however, his distortion alienates the viewer as well. The final result is a sort of mixed emotional response. Overall, I find his aesthetic to be incredibly compelling.

His website may be found here.

Artist 9: Andy Park

beginning work as a comic book illustrator, Andy Park is a concept designer and illustrator who works in the entertainment industry. To date, he has participated in the creation of conceptual drawings for television, film, video games, comics, and magazines. His work consists largely of photoshop paintings.  In similar vein to Samwise Didier, his work is characterized by over-proportioned fantasy figures in grotesque scenes of violence. While delightfully over-the-top, Andy Park's artwork conveys a deep sense of realism. In all of his pieces, his sense of scale and motion come together to produce incredibly plausible scenes. Furthermore, his ability to render unique weather formations is simply stunning. His work for god of War features beautiful  tornadoes, cyclones, and hurricanes.

Andy Park's work is certainly inspirational in that his designs feature highly stylized figures in truly visceral environments.

His website may be found here.

Philosopher on Art 1: Plato

In the Republic, Plato's most iconic work, he states that his ideal city would be purged of all artists who represent the material world with their work. By this, he referred to art which imitated or included imagery of material objects or people. The only form of art that he explicitly deemed suitable for his city was simply “hymns to the gods and eulogies to good people.” (607A) This is essentially poetry which gave honor and respect to those the city held in high regard. On the contrary, all the poetry of Homer and Hesiod, which depicted all manner of things, was ultimately found unfit for his hypothetical utopian society.

To this day Plato's true reasoning for his apparent rejection of art has been heavily debated in contemporary philosophy. However, In book X of the Republic, he provides his own reasoning. He states, “The imitator or maker of the image knows nothing of true existence; he knows appearances only.” By this, he means maker of representative art purports to have knowledge of what he represents but truly does not. But what is the harm in creating something that does not reflect the world of experience? According to his account, the artists and poets may portray a crude facsimile of reality that might unknowingly shape the viewer's mind or reinforce one's previously held yet false values. To this extent, he sees art as a corrupter of truth. Consider the status of film in modern society. These works, some of which highly regarded as art, portray reality in a most unnatural way. In this respect, Plato feared the threat of this art in the same way we moderns might imagine an overbearing mother might fear the influence of violent television on her child.

As an artist, I don't endorse Plato's views. However, I think his critique is an interesting one which definitely calls into question the reason we artists create to begin with. One thing is certain, though, artists are not simply emulators.

Artist 8: Gregory Reade

Contemporary bronze sculptor Gregory Reade creates dynamic figural pieces with exaggerated proportions. While some of his figures utilize Greek mythology for subject matter, it is not his standard. Instead, the dominant theme in his work is the figure itself. In this regard, he presents his figures with slightly altered proportions. This allows for more control with the overall composition and the effect it has on the viewer. Furthermore, his work is rife with unnatural texture which enhances the illusion of motion in his figures. According to his artist bio, he creates for the "thrill of expressing ideas, thoughts and emotions through the human figure."



I find Reade's work to be inspirational on the grounds that his figures are exaggerated just enough to present the viewer a strange reflection of the human form. Ultimately, his work has a unique sense of motion and a great deal of emotional presence.


His website may be found here.

Artist 7: Chris Metzen

marine

Along with Samwise Didier, Chris Metzen is an artist, game designer, and animator for Blizzard Entertainment. Since the mid-nineties, he has created graphite drawings of prominent characters for three of their video game franchises. Despite being hand-drawn, his designs favor the composition of classic poster prints. On his website, he defines his art-style:

"I've always taken a comic-type approach to fantasy and sci-fi. I was heavily influenced by both Walt Simonson's and Jim Lee's pencilling styles for form, but I preferred the costuming, themes and general feel of Elmore and Parkinson's fantasy paintings."

King Leoric

I've been heavily inspired by Metzen's work since early highschool. His figures, while fitting in the fantasy realms they were designed to inhabit, convey a sense of emotional realism that goes beyond the standard fantasy art archetype. Each of his drawings reveal deep a deep sense of character. From capturing the facial expressions of a nihilistic space marine to the mannerisms of King Leoric's maddening realization that he had forsaken his own son.

A full catalogue of his work may be found here. 

Artist 6: Ron Meuck

A former puppeteer, Ron Mueck is a hyper-realist sculptor who primarily creates unnaturally scaled human figures. Originally, his work was produced in fiberglass. However, he has since switched to using silicone with hair-implants as it allows for more flexibility in building more life-like shapes. At a glance, these sculptures may surely be mistaken for real human beings. This acknowledgement coupled with the sheer monumental scale of some of his figures creates a shockingly unique experience for the viewer to say the least.

Mueck's work is inspirational in a myriad of ways. First, his figures confront the viewer with unparalleled realism. This is a technical feat in itself worth admiration. Second, by simply changing the size of the figure, Mueck creates highly emotionally charged compositions that leave lasting impressions. The sculptures are instantly relatable as a result of the detail yet unnaturally strange because of their scale.


More of his work may be found here.

Artist 5: David Hilliard

Dish (2009)

David Hilliard is a photographer who specializes in creating multiple-panel narratives with forced and/or unnatural perspective. Unsurprisinly, he likens his pieces to a sort of visual language. According to his website, the reason he uses multiple panels to expound his concepts is their inherent ability to shift the viewer's focus to what is important in the overall piece. In effect, this linear narrative leaves little in regard to personal interpretation. Interestingly, the power of this narrative control is oddly reminiscent of film.

Feeding Gretchen (1993)

Overall, I find Hilliard's work to be most inspirational in that each of his pieces illustrates the concept with a high rate of control. It suggests meaning to the viewer in a way that requires little thinking to understand but inspires much more consideration to the meaning of these relationships and events at large. 

His website may be found here.

Artist 4: Yoshitaka Amano

Vampire Hunter D

A former animator, Yoshitaka Amano is an internationally renowned fantasy artist. While many of his works are associated with commercial franchises, such as final fantasy and Vampire Hunter D, he has additionally established a reputation for himself in contemporary art circles for his personal work. The content of the work itself ranges from character and logo design to Andy Warhol-esque pop art. Furthermore, his medium preference is similarly varied, covering everything from printmaking to sculpture. According to an interview with About.com's Deb Aoki, Amano considers American comic books to be the "roots" of his artwork.

XII logo design

I find Amano's work to be particularly inspiring as he masterfully participates in such a wide range of disciplines. Moreover, in all his varied endeavors, he manages to display a unified sense of style that is characteristic of his work alone. This "style" is characterized by the vast array of expressive linework which results in a high degree of emotional appeal.

A collection of his works may be found here.

Artist 3: Samwise Didier

Samwise Didier is an acclaimed commercial artist that primarily creates fantasy art and character designs for Blizzard Entertainment's numerous video game franchises. He defines his art style as "Over-proportioned, primary colored, bulky armored dudes and monsters." Indeed, a quick survey of his works will reveal that this is not far from the truth. Nevertheless, in exaggerating proportions to such great lengths, Samwise has created a unique yet easily identifiable characterization of humanity and humanoid monsters.
 
Essentially, I found Didier's work to be inspirational in two significant ways. First, Didier's art has a cohesive style that is continuous throughout all of his work. His pieces are immediately distinguishable in the sea of contemporary fantasy art. They're both recognizable and unique. Second, his work resonates with a clear sense of powerful kinetic motion. By this, I mean that his figural designs have ridiculously exaggerated muscles yet they are portrayed moving in a most natural way. The effect is quite convincing.


The rest of his work may be found here.

Artist 2: Alexa Meade

Alexa Meade, a native of Washington D.C., literally brushes live sitters with acrylic paint for photo opportunities. Each "painting" she produces incorporates a blend of traditional painting and photography techniques that results in a new form of artistic expression. The resulting product is essentially a catalogue of photographs that both document her procedure as well as imitate standard paintings.

I find her work especially inspirational for two reasons. First, she utilizes two traditional techniques to create work that is truly original. Seeing the clash of three-dimensions and simulated two-dimensions in one photograph is simply stunning. Second, her visual aesthetic is similar to what I would like to embody in my later work. By this, I am referring to her deliberate use of large brush strokes and variation of texture. Needless to say, her work is certainly inspiring.

 

Her website may be viewed here.

Artist 1: Emil Alzamora.

Proportional yet heavily distorted.

I was initially drawn to Emil's work by the stunning accuracy of his figures. While most certainly breaking the traditional canon of proportions through exaggeration, Alzamora's sculptures retain enough proportional imagery to reach that uncanny valley of hyper-realistic eeriness.


Furthermore, by intentionally breaking realism, Alzamora elicits an absurd, almost surreal emotional response from the viewer. Certainly, this deliberate use of exaggeration creates an uncomfortable aura of the strange. Additionally, by solely utilizing figure, Emil directs our attention to matters of which all humans may relate.

Emil Alzamora

According to his artist statement, his interests are concerned with the human form and what it means to inhabit one. He further states that he distorts the figure primarily in order to reveal emotional and physical situations. Certainly, this needs no further explanation. Ultimately, his work is noticeably primal in concept yet seemingly Bernini-esque in execution.


While not a direct influence for my ceramics pieces, seeing his work now makes me realize how much I was simply following in his footsteps (albeit with far less technical skill!)

Examples of my relevant ceramics pieces are here.

The Meaning of Ennui

Before assaulting everyone with a barrage of random art and philosophy, I believe it is pertinent that I provide clarification as to the meaning of the term, ennui. To start, ennui is generally defined as “a feeling of utter weariness and discontent or lack of interest.” Essentially, it is an uncomfortable and unalterable state of persistant boredom. I first encountered the term while reading Nietzsche's Joyful Wisdom. In it, he remarks:

there are rarer men who would rather perish than work without delight in their labour : the fastidious people, difficult to satisfy, whose object is not served by an abundant profit, unless the work itself be the reward of all rewards. Artists and contemplative men of all kinds belong to this rare species of human beings... They all seek toil and trouble in so far as these are associated with pleasure, and they want the severest and hardest labour, if it be necessary... indeed they require much ennui, if their work is to succeed with them. For the thinker and for all inventive spirits ennui is the unpleasant "calm" of the soul which precedes the happy voyage and the dancing breezes ; he must endure it, he must await the effect it has on him.

~Friedrich Nietzsche
The Joyful Wisdom sec. 42 (81-82)

In this regard, I most certainly agree with his sentiments. As for the actual contents of this blog, expect to see coverage of 50 contemporary artists, my artwork, and the development of my artistic ideas. I will maintain a weekly schedule for the coverage of artists. Everything else will be interjected according to the rate of development.


I hope you all enjoy it!