Different Stripes: Frank Stella, Agnes Martin, Barnett Newman, Bridget Riley, Ken Noland, Gene Davis, Morris Louis and Ellsworth Kelly
Bridget Riley
Gene Davis
Frank Stella, Agnes Martin, Barnett Newman, Bridgette Riley, Ken Noland, Gene Davis, Morris Louis and Ellsworth Kelly have all made paintings consisting of stripes. Some of them at first glance are hard to tell apart. But I believe that these paintings are radically different — different in intention and completely different in their look. This may be more difficult to make evident with jpgs on a computer screen. When you see the paintings in person, however, the differences are more pronounced.
Gene Davis
Barnett Newman
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Frank Stella
Agnes Martin
Ellsworth Kelly
Bridget Riley
Ellsworth Kelly
Barnett Newman
Kenneth Noland
Agnes Martin
Morris Louis
So, my question is: do the paintings themselves show us the artist’s intent, or can we only know the difference if we read about it?
And here is another odd thing. I like the work of all these painters for different reasons, with the exception of Gene Davis. I don’t get what his paintings are about.
Article on Barnett Newman’s Stations of the Cross:
Barnett Newman’s Stations of the Cross
Books of Interest:
Or order from your local independent books seller. Mine is Battenkill Books. Find the independent bookstore closest to you at IndieBound.org
I think understanding the artist can help to read the messages and we can always guess, but the final interpretation needs to be the artist’s to know for sure. Having said that, I just read some Kandinsky explanation of White Border at the Phillips that really seemed made up after the fact. I think Rothko belongs here, too. Lots of his work exudes mood/emotions and spirituality to me.
Fun piece. Thanks.
It is impossible to know what an artist is thinking when they produce a piece. But I like to know as much as I can about the creation of a piece — where it was made, the materials, who the artist was hanging out with, what art they were looking at at the time, what was going on in their life. Knowing those thing just adds to my enjoyment of the piece. But it is not necessary. Once the piece leaves the studio, the viewer becomes a co-creator, bringing their life experience to the piece.
As with all form–no matter how minimalist–there is no difference between the seen and the see-er. As with all form; the entire meaning lies within the conjuring-mind of the viewer. This is living.
Don – Great comment!
I don’t think Davis’s paintings need to be about anything. I like the empty fullness aspect.
I agree, AJ. I have actually been surprised by my own response to Davis. An artist once said to me, “People like the artists they are ready for.” Perhaps I haven’t been ready.
Leslie, I found your site when I put in a Google search for Kenneth Noland. I was telling my husband that Noland was the only big-name artist I ever met and wanted to show him examples of his work. My first husband was taking a hand-made paper workshop at Bennington College in the summer of 1976 and Noland was one of the participants. Although I taught art, I had never heard of him. On the way home, we stopped at Boston’s art museum, and there found some of Noland’s paintings. I was able to share my husband’s dorm room at Bennington, eat gourmet food at the dining hall and attend the week-long workshop, although I couldn’t participate, all for an additional $90. It was a great experience. Later we collaborated by embedding some of my tapestry weavings into my husband’s paper.
I love your paintings, especially the china/crystal ones, which are lovely. I especially love that your still life works look more like they were thrown together than arranged —although I’m sure that’s not the case. I don’t paint much anymore, but I used to love the challenge of chrome, but glass was always the most difficult for me.
I also enjoy these posts that relate the work of various artists.
Now that I’m a senior citizen I can take credited courses at my community college for free. So I’m taking whatever looks interesting to me —currently Art Appreciation. Although I had three Art History courses in college, that was 45 years ago —so I’m just catching up on what I missed or what I forgot.
CJ – What a wonderful connection. I learned papermaking from Jan Cook Mack, who was an assistant to Noland (although not making paper). I spent about ten years making paper. I actually attended Bennington, in part, because of Noland’s connection to the college. Seems that for us, all roads lead to Noland. He actually came to my graduate show at the college. I am glad that you are enjoying the blog. It should be a fun supplement to your study of art history, as I seem to always be ferreting out the gossip. Along that line, Noland was married to the cousin of a close friend and later married a classmate of mine.