Facilitator - Sue Wrzesinski
Outstanding American Artists: Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Norman Rockwell, Georgia O’Keefe, Wolf Kahn and Amy Sheald.
These artists are all “realists” in their own unique way and we’ll look at what that really means in a work of art. And, what makes an artist’s work “American”?
Winslow Homer is considered a premier 19th century artist but he took time to mature from an illustrator/war artist to a skilled painter. He was known for his nostalgic scenes of Americana but his later work showed scenes of man struggling in nature. We’ll also look at what makes his watercolors so appealing.
Edward Hopper is known for his signature style characterized by its emphasis on solitude, light, and shadow. Most of his work focuses on modern American urban life and landscapes. Hopper developed his style independent of any of the modern “isms” of his time.
Norman Rockwell always considered himself an Illustrator and earned his living creating iconic American images with his illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post and Life Magazine. He was a Realist in style who created idealistic tableaus of uniquely American characters. How is illustration different from fine art? What is “fine art”?
Georgia O’Keefe carries the title of The Mother of American Modernism. O'Keeffe gained international recognition for her paintings of natural forms, particularly flowers and desert-inspired landscapes. O’Keefe was generally considered an abstractionist but her subject was always clearly visible.
Wolf Kahn was known for his combination of Realism, Expressionism and Color Field painting. He trained as an abstract painter but began to fuse Color Field techniques to create luminous landscapes. Is Kahn really a Realist?
Amy Sherald is a currently active portrait artist. She is also considered a Realist and her vibrant portraits challenge traditional notions of race and identity. We’ll use Sherald’s sales history to talk about how living artists fare in the art market.
As in the past, I will send you links to short videos that enrich the course as well as show some in class. These videos present supporting information and offer images of much better quality than my slide presentation. Here’s one to whet your appetite.
Yolk by Duane Keiser, Founder of A Painting a Day blog. It’s just 3 minutes. https://youtu.be/A0D4ARaHNOg