Who Will Riddle Me the How and the Why

Detail of a sphinx from an Eight-Light Candelabra (c.1785) possibly by Francois Remond

Here are a couple more images from my recent trip to the Huntington. ;-)

In general, I tend to focus on the fine art, sculpture, and architecture, but the decorative arts on display are exquisite, very rich in detail. These images have a mythological theme, in a pseudo-Egyptian style.

As for the title of this post, it's a quote from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem, "The 'How' and the 'Why'". I figured that it would be a nice nod to celebrate his birth date, August 6, 1809.

Detail of a lamia(?)from an Eight-Light Candelabra (c.1785) possibly by Francois Remond

The sphinx and lamia are quite charming, but I find it a bit twisted, even for rococo sensibilities, to put mythical female sociopaths on the furniture. ;-)

Don't Fear the Shadows

Mantel Clock (c.1780) by Joseph-Leonard Roque

Another visit to the Huntington means another bunch of art and garden photos for the next few days. ;-)

It'll be fun, a feast for the eyes.

And our birthday musician for the day is Robert Cray, blues guitarist extraordinaire, born on August 1, 1953.

"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" by Robert Cray

Enjoy!!!

Splendid and Simple

Detail from Portrait of a Lady in Turkish Fancy Dress (1790) by Jean-Baptiste Greuze


It's been a long while since last we celebrated the birth date of an "old master" type of painter. So, let's take a brief opportunity to appreciate the works of Jean-Baptiste Greuze. He's not the most famous of ancien regime painters, but I like his work nearly just as much as his more famous contemporaries.

And, of course, I'm loco for rococo. ;-)

Rather than focusing on his more popular works, I've posted up some works from the local Los Angeles collections.

Detail from The Laundress (1761) by Jean-Baptiste Greuze

He was born on August 21, 1725. Let's appreciate the conjunction of splendor and "simplicity" within Greuze's aesthetic vision.

Humble Earthen Vessels

Detail of Teapot Peddlers (2011) by Gerit Grimm

I recently visited the Long Beach Museum of Art and saw an excellent ceramic exhibit, featuring the works of Gerit Grimm. The show, entitled "Beyond the Figurine", is comprised of these contemporary works that were inspired by the museum's collection of classic British and French figurines, with styles varying from the Rococo to Victorian bric-a-brac, which are also on display upon the nearby walls.

It's interesting to see how Grimm reinterprets the implied narrative of the figurine style. Her works capture the light-hearted feel of the traditional pieces, but convey a deeper sense of mystery or weirdness. The strange cat-faced heraldry, the diverse peddlers, and the circular gatherings, these elements create the feeling that Grimm has developed her own fantasy world. It's an interesting vision.

Detail of Monument (2011) by Gerit Grimm


This show will be ending on July 8. I definitely recommend checking it out before it closes.

It's Summer Time!!!

Detail of The Seasons: Summer (1900) by Alphonse Mucha

If there is an image from Mucha on the page, then we must be celebrating the changing of the season. ;-)

Indeed, we're celebrating the start of Summer, my favorite season. The bright flowers, the birdsongs, the lovely ladies in their summer clothes, these are some of my favorite things. Yeah, it might get hot, but it's worth some sweat and discomfort, if the beauty of the season can still be experienced.

During the gloomy months, I haunt the museums and galleries, but now it's time to stroll the gardens. The artworks of nature are drawn from a transcendent palette.

Detail from Ceres: Summer (1712) by Antoine Watteau

Here's hoping that the upcoming season is vibrant and filled with joy!!!

The Progress of Love

Detail of Happy Lovers (1760) by Jean-Honore Fragonard


My love for Rococo art is well documented. Frequently, during museum excursions, my friends have sighed with resignation or rolled their eyes in disdain when I gleefully exclaim, "I'm loco for Rococo!!!"

Perhaps my favorite Rococo master is Jean-Honore Fragonard, born on April 5, 1732. The vibrant colors, soft figures, dreamy landscapes, these all make for a delightful fantasy realm of lighthearted eroticism and whimsical play. If, by magic, I were pulled into the environs of any painter's aesthetic settings, I would want to travel to Fragonard's pastoral and abundant world of beauties.

The local museums don't have many of his works, but the few that they do have are fun pieces. The Happy Lovers at the Norton Simon is one of my favorite paintings in the collection.

Detail of the Fountain of Love (1785) by Jean-Honore Fragonard

So, let's spend a few moments appreciating the gentle grace of Fragonard's lyrical images, the poetic prettiness of his art.

Winter

Winter (1755) by Jean-Honore Fragonard


A new season begins, Winter, my least favorite time of the year.

The holidays are rarely "happy" for me. I'm not prone to depression, but late December and early January do bring on some spiritual doldrums. Maybe it's the light. Maybe it's the cold. All I know is that it takes a whole lot of eggnog to bring me some seasonal cheer. ;-)

And the flowers are so few. The bounty of color that I wish to see in the gardens is muted, with only a handful of hardy floral gems on view. But, at least, I still have art and music.

Detail of Winter (1896) by Alphonse Mucha

One way in which I deal with the Winter Gloom is by staying busy. I often overpack my schedule, visiting museums, gardens, galleries, performances, lectures, and any activity that will keep my mind from straying into the shadows. Yeah, it's a form of escapism, but it does the job. By early February, I can feel my spirit lifting up, anticipating the beauties of Spring, just about fifty days away.

The Aesthetics of Dread

Calamity (2011) by Ray Caesar


At the Corey Helford Gallery, the current exhibit is "A Dangerous Inclination," featuring the works of Ray Caesar, displaying his disturbing vision of a twisted Rococo world where beauty is but a facade, hiding a chthonic reality of nightmares and monstrosities.

Scenes of beauty are transgressed by the weird, insectoid legs extending from beneath the ample skirts of Fragonardian ladies, tentacles forming from the silken fabrics of an evening dress, turning an image of voyeuristic thrill into a recoiling vision of horror. It is a reality in which wrongness reigns. Though fully embracing of the dark fantastic, the images retain a Rococo sensibility towards the precious, the gorgeous, the sumptuous, even if vermin swarm the subject.

The contrast between that which invites and that which repels ignites the spark of dramatic conflict in the viewer's imagination, simultaneously inflaming the passions of desire and disgust, searing the beautiful abominations into the mind. It is a vision in which Beauty is the Beast!

Eris (2011) by Ray Caesar

Dark delicacies from a world of dangerous beauty.

Loco for Rococo and Kukula

Hazing (2011) by Kukula


"Lonely Opulent Things" is a solo show of Nataly (Kukula) Abramovitch's work on display at the Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City. The basic theme of this exhibit is the valuing of the Self through Material possessions, exemplified by the opulent 18th century French Rococo aesthetic. The doll-like subjects of these paintings have actually been "objectified" by incorporating elements evocative of Limoges porcelain into their figures.

Precious and opulent though they may be, the subjects depict a spiritual emptiness. They are all ornamentation and little substance. Bored and directionless, they lounge around in beautiful idleness. Even when displayed upon pedestals, these "Lonely Opulent Things" can't seem to muster the spirit to pose and preen. They are creatures of brittle clay and are hollow inside.

Broken Limoges (2011) by Kukula

It is this sorrow, regret, and loneliness that stands out. Unlike the Rococo inspirations from Fragonard or Boucher, these figures are not gleeful or engaged in an eternal fete galante. There is no vivacious play of Blind Man's Bluff or exuberant swinging. There is only an enervated decadence. When the pretty objects break, so too does the owner's spirit.