Lawrence Letters

de Kooning Show at MOMA

2011-09-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

All the magazines this month are carrying reviews of the de Kooning show at MOMA. Everyone agrees that it is a terrific show. Some critics are saying that the show has caused them to re-evaluate de Kooning’s career. They believe that de Kooning, not Pollack or Rothko, is the master of abstract expressionism.

I have always liked de Kooning’s early work. What made me a fan was the series of women paintings of about 1959-1962. But the series was just a small part of de Koonings many styles.

What none of the wall texts had mentioned was how de Kooning constructed his paintings. I once watched a documentary of him at work; he would compose with tracing paper moving around various shapes on the canvas. In the film, you could see shapes and lines being built up and other areas painted over or obscured.

The de Kooning show seems to have made quite an impact on me. I am now beginning to work much more spontaneously and confidently. We shall see how things work out.

Facebook Link -- CHECK IT OUT

2011-09-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Joseph-Lawrence-Studio/100702946703823?sk=wall

HERE is the Link for my Facebook Page

Since I am not an expert in computer programing, working with Facebook is a frustrating and time consuming ordeal. As many of you know, designers of websites seem to do their utmost to hide any useful information from their users. My fear is that this is done deliberately to increase profits by forcing people to buy training books and attend seminars. Look how easy it was to edit and publish this blog, it only took me about six tries.

Those damn celebrity artists!

2011-08-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Big Gripe of the Month: Those damn celebrity artists. Good old Robert Zimmerman (aka Bob Dylan) now is getting a big build up for his "Drawn Blank" series. If you didn't know the paintings were Dylan's work, you'd assume the portfolio was the work of a retired school teacher from Iowa. Will anyone dare say the emperor has no clothes?

Wake Up - Debt Ceiling, Cuts and the Arts

2011-07-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Most of the recent news has been concentrating on the battle about increasing the debt ceiling and cuts in government spending. There has been not been much talk in the press about what the future will hold for arts organizations. I am not optimistic.

President Obama said that he is going to make trillions of dollars of cuts to take effect in the next ten years, including entitlement programs. It seems likely that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will be cut and/or restructured. The unemployed, marginally employed, workers without medical insurance, the poor and retirees may have to fend for themselves. Many theatres, museums, galleries and arts organizations will likely close.

Wealthy billionaires like Murdoch can distort and spin doctor the news. They have convinced the working class that all problems are the result of big government and taxes. The working class has come to believe that that eliminating the very programs that have kept them out of poverty since the depression is a great idea. Of course, the millionaires tell us that everything will be fine if we just allow them more wealth, that somehow it will all "trickle down."

Listen people! The alarm clock has rung and it's time to WAKE UP!. A class war is going on in this country, the wealthy against the poor. With unregulated money now allowed to go into political campaigns, our political system will cease to be a democracy. Instead of a debate between two political parties, our laws will be drafted according to what is in the best interest of competing corporations. What can be done? Defeat the T-Party!

Art galleries and shows of note: June 2011

2011-06-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to try and keep my blog, Lawrence Letters, updated. So, I plan to start with a few of observations of interesting shows and galleries.

Denise Bibro has a really interesting show of work by Don Kimes, running until July 9th. They are works on paper and on canvas based on pictures of work in his studio that was damaged from a flood. He has mounted the photos and retouched them with Photoshop and painted over some areas. The works are very colorful and organic abstractions, and they all appear to be painstakingly renderedThe show is a great example of what can be done combining traditional painting and Photoshop manipulation. .

Also worthy of mention is the Pavel Zoubok Gallery, a favorite of mine on West 23rd Street. The gallery specializes in collage work and seems to also be interested in showing work influenced by Outsider Art, also one of my interests.

Optimistic New Year Greetings

2010-12-29T14:39:00.000-08:00

I have attached an illustration from my Christmas card containing a somewhat ambivalent image. The holiday season is a depressing time for many of us. Let's hope we can retain the optimism of the New Year celebration into the coming year.

www.josephdlawrence.com is my web address which should give you a partial idea of my artistic practice.

Joseph Lawrence

On Arts Education

2010-09-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

About the importance of art education, I agree that an MFA is important mainly because it is a convenient shortcut for curators/collectors for deciding on which artists are "important." I can't think of many famous artists, prior to the sixties that felt it necessary to receive an MFA except as a way to make ends meet by obtaining a teaching job.

An artist should have at least acquired a bachelors degree in art in order to begin acquiring technical skill in one's chosen medium. Also vitally important is a thorough grounding in art history along with contemporary artistic theory.

Most masters programs simply produce robot artists that ape the opinions of the professors they studied under. Art education is an ongoing process. Education should never stop after the receipt of a degree. It is something that must continue throughout one's life.

Advice for Travellers - Seat Assignments

2010-08-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

There are many articles being published recently about air travel. Here are my suggestions on how to make your trip as comfortable as possible.

First be prepared for the worst. Remember to bring a snack or some food with you before you get to the airport. Airport food, if you can find it, is always more expensive than what is on offer in a regular store.

The next important thing is not to get an aisle seat -- every single one who passes through the aisle will bump you or hit you with their luggage. You are also vulnerable to injury from items falling out of the overhead bins. The middle seat can be acceptable if your fellow passengers are athletically inclined, but Americans tend to overflow their seats. The middle passenger gets squished from both sides. On a long flight, it is especially hellish as your fellow passengers begin to fall asleep and use you as a pillow.

I prefer the window seat. I always try to get an extra pillow or two to use to prop myself against the cabin wall. It is also nice to have a folded blanket behind you to give you extra back support.

Always make sure you have a sleep mask on a long trip. A mask blocks out the light, gives you a feeling of privacy, and helps you to sleep. It also serves as a sign to other passengers that you do not wish to be disturbed.
One last thing, make sure you bring special headphones on your trip in case there are screaming children on the flight. I had tried ear plugs, but they do not work. Your only salvation is to find some music to listen to that will distract your attention from a screaming babby. On one trip, a three year-old screamed like he was being disemboweled for what seemed like the whole trip. Parents who do not have their children well medicated on plane trips should not be allowed to fly!
Joseph

The Frustration!

2010-01-23T09:26:00.000-08:00

I have finally been able to sign into my blog again after trying to sign in for about two hours last night. According to Google, I am supposed to change my background information to a new Google account. They obviously don't want it to be easy to to do or they wouldn't write such badly written and incomplete instructions. For some reason, most internet sites give out information only in the most incomplete and cryptic a form as possible. Some sites have no way for users to get help at all.

Recent Unretouched Picture

2007-03-10T13:19:00.000-08:00

Warning to Artists

2007-03-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

Dear Fellow Artists:

I recently received an e-mail message from a person claiming to be John Nelson from South Africa. I want to warn you all not to deal with this person unless he agrees to pay for your work through Paypal or a trusted source. Do NOT AGREE TO ANY TRANSFERS INVOLVING WESTERN UNION. Also, be aware that checks can be forged and credit cards may have been stolen.

My Experience:

About a year ago, I received a similar message from a person claiming to be moving from the U.S. to London, England. He wrote me that he would send me a check for the art work which would be for several hundred dollars over the purchase price. The additional money was to be forwarded to his moving company to pay for shipping the paintings and other household items to London. I was supposed to deposit the check into my account and wire the excess funds to a coded account via Western Union. Luckily, I was suspicious and did not do this.

This scam works when the art buyer sends you a check, and your bank initially credits it to you account. The victim, thinking that the check has cleared, sends the agreed amount of overpayment to the Western Union account. Later, the bank learns that the check is bogus, but the artist, having sent money out of their own account, has been screwed out of several thousand dollars. My bank told me that deposited checks will be initially credited in two or three business days. I learned that actually, it could take over a week to clear a deposited check. I remember that my customer was very anxious that I deposit the check and wire the over payment as quickly as possible.

I hope that Mr. Nelson is sincere and an honest man. I am not accusing him of anything. I just wanted all of you to be aware of what can happen. Mr. Nelson had included your names along with mine when he sent his e-mail, and I thought it might be an excellent idea to contact you to make sure none of you are victimized. If you wish, you may pass this notice on to your friends.

Sincerely,

Joseph Lawrence
lawrence02biz@msn.com

Munch at MOMA

2006-04-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

I better write out something about this show before I forget. I only have time for a few impressions, which follow:

The show seemed very extensive, all the famous works were there except "The Scream", but they had a similar work titled "Anxiety". Naturally, the paintings got most of the attention, but Munch had also done a huge amount of graphic work. It was interesting how he had worked on the same basic picture in different mediums. I was struck by how the figures and drawings seem done very quickly. There was no real attempt at a detailed, realistic, figure or landscape.

I ahve always liked Much because he is concerned with creating a psychological mood of tention. I thought his late works were especially good. He could give you a feeling of melancholy within an ordinary seeming picture. The other thing I like about Munch is that his feelings and opinions about life always come through in his work.

Regarding my own work, I have been concentrating on doing some more pastels. I am exploring working with the figure again and doing some experiments with color and different papers. Still very interested in power relationships and creating a suggestion of a narrative.

Hope some one reads this little missive and has someting interesting to say. Quoting the old Frank Zappa song, "Please, here my plea!" (Think that comes from the "Uncle Meat" album.)

Coming Soon: Trip to Barnes Foundation

2005-10-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

I am planning to write soon about my trip to the Barnes Foundation in Pennsylvania. I am going to try to get started in the next couple of days. There is a lot to think about, and I will try to write up a fairly accomplished essay.

Joseph

2005-10-10T21:36:00.000-07:00

My photo

Joan Didion Reading - Oct. 10, 2005

2005-10-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I went to a reading down at B&N on 14th Street to hear Joan Didion. She has inspired me to write in my blog again. The woman who introduced her mentioned that she had been a person who kept notebooks. She said that it was an obcession of good writers -- probably inborn. That got me thinking about my blog again.

The reading at the bookstore was packed with people. There must have been close to two hundred people there and and dozens more standing at the back. When Didion came out to read, she looked frail and old. Her voice was a little bit slurred. From my vantage point, I could only see her eyes peering out through thick-rimmed glasses over the podium on the speaker's platform. Her voice did not carry to where I sat but came from a speaker that was twenty feet to one side of the stage. Unfortunately, she only read for about twenty minutes. She read from her new book "Magical Thinking." I haven't had a chance to look through it yet, but it was inspired after the sudden death of her husband.

I wondered after the reading whether her publishers were making her read this book simply as a sales tool. There were several other pieces that she could have read. I was hopping for and expecting something a little more political.

News from New York Art Scene

2005-08-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

A lot has gone on since my last blog. It has been so Hot! It seems to take a lot of energy to do anything much at all. On Saturday, I went to the Whitney to see what was up, and the place was practically empty.

I have been transitioning to a new computer. This requires that one move information from one computer to another. I tried to set up a network to do this; but, after hours of trial and error on both my part and that of a more computer literate friend, things are pretty much at a standstill.

For the time being, I am content to have found my old blog site and get this time to add in a few thoughts. More to come on the new Whiteney show.

Joseph

Gallery Updates In Brief

2005-07-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the Fourth of July. I didn't have a vacation cabin booked at some place like Maine or the Hamptons. I thought it would be a good time to go and see some galleries.

I went to two shows. The first one was the Anime shoe at the Japan Society. The second one was the show of Daguereotypes at the International Center for Photography. Both of the shows were very well presented and showed some interesting work.

I will write more about the shows at a later date. Right now, I have to try and get some job hunting stuff done. Stay tuned. I know I am only writing for myself. No one knows about this blog.

Kick yourself.

Painting Again

2005-05-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

I have been spending the last couple of months not being able to paint. I have been working in pastel instead. I had a canvas that I was working on but that had gotten me stumped. I was also broke and practically all out of paint. My brushes had all gotten hard or lost their bristles.

Now things are much better. I have gotten a little bit of money back from taxes and purchased some new tubes of paint and started working again.

In doing creative work, sometimes you have to put your work away for a while. I had started a painting with a woman in the foreground. There are some open windows of an apartment building in the background where there going to be a few glimpses of people watching television. I was going crazy trying to figure out the scale in perspective of the foreground and the background figures. Finally, it hit me, simplify! I decided to simplify the woman and make the background figures more abstract, shadowy shapes. Suddenly, everything seemed to be falling into place.

I get the feeling that once a painting is started, it is like it begins to come alive. It is like a voice talking to you saying, "Look, over in this corner! I need a to be brighter here." Sometimes it says, "No, don't go now! You have to change that woman's feet. "

It sure would be nice to work on my own time. I think I would like Picasso's work schedule. If I remember correctly, he would sleep late, spend the afternoon or dinner with friends, then work until early morning in the studio.

Responses welcome readers.

Joseph

New Word Usages

2005-04-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

At this time, I am going to apologize to anyone who ever reads this blog. I have been dealing with some "issues" in my life, as the term is now days. For some reason no one has "problems" any more, they have "issues."

Anyway, I think that I wrote to some one about my reactions to "The Gates" in central Park. I am going to have to see if I can remember what I wrote and print it here.

In the studio, I have been doing a lot of pastels and drawing lately. I find that it more direct somehow. No need for one to fuss with brushes, turpentine and squeezing paint out of blocked up, old, tubes. You just grab a color, rub it on some paper, and viola!.

Unfortunately, pastel has its own draw backs. It seems impossible to really get the dust to really stay down on the page. No matter what you try to fix it with, the slightest touch will smudge it, and it will end up all over your hands, your face, and ultimately your favorite clothes. Oh, La Vie Boheme!

More about this later.

Bye for now culture buffs.

Joseph

The Frick

2005-02-16T20:40:00.000-08:00

At long last, I finally got to the Frick Collection. After living in New York for twenty years I decided that it was time to see what they had to offer.

The reason that I had delayed so long going to the Frick was that I had been there before when I was first in New York and I thought that it was really boring. Reason number two: Cost too much to go in. I was pleasantly surprised to see the collection. The building that houses the collection is also part of the appeal of the place. It was the former home of Henry Clay Frick, a "Pittsburgh coke and steel industrialist" according to the brochure. I enjoyed walking through the rooms and tried to imagine what it would have been like living in the house when Frick was alive.

As I am not an art historian, I will just give you a few of my impressions of the collection. I like the guide to the collection. It had some interesting things to say about the subjects of the works of art. The identity of the sitters, who they were friends with, etc. Most museums omit that kind of stuff and concentrate on the characteristics of the artist's style and composition.

My favorite works were some Gainsborough, Ingre and Halls portraits. They really capture the life force of their subjects. Also, Halls has this terrific, loose, un-fussy way of painting details. It was interesting to see the Turners, but they are not especially good. I don't really like Whistler, but they have several works also. There are wonderful Vermeer's and also Hogarth.

Lately, I have become a real fan of Hogarth, especially his satirical works. The portrait of Thomas Moore by Holbein is incredible. It is practically photographic in its exactitude.

Welcome to my blog - Second Attempt

2005-01-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

Dear Fellow Bloggers:

This is my first blog but my second attempt at writing a blog introduction. It has taken me hours to figure out how to set this blog up. I first tried to get it linked to my website, but to no avail. The instructions on how to do this are extremely cryptic and if you go to the help page, you have to start all over. Needless to say, others of you probably had no problem achieving this. The reason you are not reading this on my website is because I have given up hope.

Anyway, this site is supposed to be for those of us who are interested in the arts. Respond please. I hope this time my blog gets published.

Joseph