You Should Own Art, December 2020 edition
Let's get this thing started.
Hello, and welcome to You Should Own Art. The big idea is that Y.S.O.A. will be a monthly publication that highlights art works that are both by really great artists and are accessibly priced.
The point of view here is pretty much what it sounds like: life is better when lived amidst art. When you bring an artwork into your life you begin a relationship that grows richer with time. The work gathers significance. It can become a talisman of a time and place. Or, meaning can reveals itself to you when you’re ready to see it. And, not to be morbid, but the art you own will likely survive you. The fact that you owned it will add to its significance for whomever possesses it next. Three paintings that I have that were once my grandparents’ are objects of enduring mystery. They are artifacts of a sometimes glamorous, but mostly tragic, family history lived across continents. Owning art is a sustained participation in the universals of culture, history and craft, but is ultimately deeply personal. The bottom line: you should own art.
So what does accessibly priced mean? This is of course relative. Specifically, I’ll be sharing works that are priced in the few hundreds of dollars rather than the few thousands. This means that the works featured here will include artists’ studies, prints, and smaller complete works. Many of the artists will have established careers, others will be just getting going.
I should mention that I have no financial interest in the sale of any of these works. This is an excuse for me to wander widely in the world of art and artists and share what I find. I also greatly admire those few human beings who’ve committed their lives to art, and want to support them in any way I can.
All that said, I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to share with friends, and if there’s an artist or artwork you think I should check out, I’d appreciate the tip.
And now, to the art!
Note: The first three artists are from Atelier Dojo,a hotspot for contemporary realist painting. They are holding an auction of original works by their founders and principal members. The works are mostly portrait studies and many of them are really lovely.
“Nude By Window”
Oil painting
I love Jennifer’s color palette and rendering of form. This is a study for a larger painting, but the looseness and expression make this a lovely work of its own.
“Serenity”
Oil painting
Oh, I am a sucker for the an artfully incomplete portrait. The contrast of the raw canvas, the casually-not-casual shoulder with the very sensitively rendered face. Mmm-hmm, that hits the sport.
“After Dinner Sketch”
Oil painting
I happen to be a big fan of the work of Giorgio Morandi. While this little study is not quite as avant or minimal as Morandi’s work, I do think there’s a similar quietude and elegance.
“Trials”
Handcut print
Ian is an artist who thinks deeply and sincerely about what ART can show us. Consequently, his work is the result of an intensity of looking and seeing all that is there. He has been applying some pretty intense hand craft to prints of larger works to create entirely original pieces that have new meaning. Ian’s instagram often features some mind-blowing process videos that are worth checking out.
“Clammy”
I love Nettle Grellier’s work. I sincerely recommend you check it out, there’s so much uninhibited energy in it. Plus, according to the Insta, she loves dogs.
“Study I”
Oil on canvas panel
I really appreciate work that challenges form. Rae takes on some classical tropes and bends them to her own ends. I love enigma in painting. There is hidden significance here. And it’s just really well executed. Rae regularly updates the work she offers on her site. It tends to see quickly so, it’s worth subscribing to her newsletter to get ahead of the crowd.