Elegance and Colors Fantastical

The Milwaukee Art Museum is staging a wonderful exhibition -- Posters of Paris -- through 9 Sept.  I had the chance to see it for the first time this past week.  Bought the show's catalogue book too as I found some good inspiration and ideas there for my graphic novel project.  

I had known of the work by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha but was delighted to see some new artists.  And I hadn't realized how large many of the pieces were.  Up to now I'd only seen most of the art in books or via the smaller posters sold for dorm rooms and the like.  The impact of size and being able to see the detailed craftsmanship was a powerful experience for me.

 

These two works of performer Aristide Bruant were about 4x3 feet in size.

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This one, Automobiles Brasier by Leonetto Cappiello is 9 feet tall! And the colors!  This image here does a disservice to the work.  The woman's blouse is a brilliant fuschia and the swirl of colors around the car are a dashing and intense rainbow of vivid shades.

Another amusing aspect was the historical representation of bicycles.  In their own way they were as sexy and exciting as Smart phones are today. 

Cycles Perfecta by Alphonse Mucha

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Déesse by Jean de Paleologue

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Marque Georges Richard Cycles & Automobiles

by Eugene Grasset

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The style and imagery of the posters brought to my mind the illustrations done by John R. Neill for L. Frank Baum's Oz books.  Oz was a staple of my childhood reading for many years.  Neill's drawings were as captivating as Baum's stories.

Cover illustration

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Cover Illustration

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Illustration of Mermaid from The Scarecrow of Oz

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There is a stained glass quality to the Paris posters and J.R. Neill's Oz covers.  So I was not at all surprised, when researching this post, to come upon the work of stained glass artist and Oz Enthusiast, Bill Campbell.  This piece, a commissioned work, was inspired by the endpaper illustrations by Neill for Ozma of Oz. 

Campbell's work is detailed, playful, and exceedingly well-crafted.  He also has an OzShop over on Zazzle where he sells smaller pieces.  I recommend this artist highly!

Painters Who Echo

View from Indian Head
by James Gurney

Mr. Gurney's Website

Even though I have something of a struggle with the philosophy of the realist style, I am drawn to its clarity of line and color.  Recently artist James Gurney was one of the jurors for Plein Air Magazine's Salon competition.  He featured a few of the winning paintings on his website.  One that caught my eye was by artist John Ball.

A Table Setting

by John Ball

Mr. Ball's Website

Before I read Gurney's comments, I thought "Oh, John Singer Sargent"  I guess I know more about art than I think I do for Gurney had the same observation! I didn't know Sargent was in the Realist camp.  I thought Realism favored a more precise rendition of things, an almost photographic recreation.  But looking at Ball's work, and Gurney's in comparison with Sargent, I am getting a better idea of what this style really is.

A Dinner Table at Night

by John Singer Sargent

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Here is another pairing of Ball and Sargent which show a shared sense of light and color.

A Prelude to the Day

by John Ball

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The Oyster Gatherers of Cancale 1878

by John Singer Sargent

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And two more, this time portraiture.  I so much enjoy the blend of direct color and subtle movement of light that both artists employ.

Moving into Evening

by John Ball

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Spanish Dancer

by John Singer Sargent

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Mr. Ball's biography can be found here.  A good history of Mr. Sargent is here.

Fun on Bikes

Bicyclists from the 2011 Tweed Run in London
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I've previously noted the deeply delightful and often poignant local travel blog, Spitalfields Life. The Gentle Author has done it again, with an entertaining piece on a bicycling event known as the Tweed Run.  A few lines from the post will, I do hope, intrigue you (and the photos of the event are a great deal of fun as well).

"Just in its third year, no wonder the magnificent Tweed Run is already a global sensation. Beginning with one hundred and sixty cyclists arrayed in tweed for a turn around London in January 2009, it has now inspired copycat events in sixteen other cities across the world including New York, Paris, Sydney and Tokyo. Elegant in its simplicity, the notion of enthusiasts for traditional cycling attire banding together for a beano, enjoying a high old time, lifting the spirits of a city and raising money for bikes for Africa, the Tweed Run is one of the things we can be proud of giving to the world."

Two Dapper Gentlemen

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Fashion . . . Oh, Now I Get It, Sorta

I have a friend, Vienna, who is totally into fashion as Fashion.  I never understood this, despite my background in theatre set and costume design and despite the fact that I have designed and sewed clothing for myself since I was 13.  The fundamental and intensely playful-creative quality of Fashion always passed me by.  I think that may be due to the high couture magazines that go for the big money approach where Fashion = Style = Prestige.  That big, fat Fall issue of Vouge magazine just keeps getting more boring.

So I was delighted to have upon NOTCouture, an online amalgamation of fairly high level stuff that somehow, in its collective presentation, seems more silly, witty, and just plain out there in a way that appeals to all levels of my imagination.

Nonetheless, the image being put across is still gotta-be-young-ultra-thin-uber-moneyed, which seriously detracts.  The conflict is always a dilemma.

[from the NOTCOT About page]: "WHAT IS NOTCOT? Design Network of sites reaching over 5 million pageviews monthly. NOTCOT Inc is a growing network of design sites currently including NOTCOT.com and innovative community contributed sites NOTCOT.org + NotCouture.com + Liqurious.com (+ previously TasteSpotting.com).

NOTCOT is a visual filtration of ideas + aesthetics + amusements. NOTCOT's two sites have become the daily sources of inspiration for creatives everywhere, fighting the good fight against "creative block" since 2005 with visually stunning imagery, the latest in international trends, and a passion for all things well designed.

NOTCOT.ORG is a community of creatives, design lovers, and trendsetters - where .org serves as the studio bulletin board gone digital - each image and caption brings you to a place worth visiting. It's about sharing what inspires you.