Monday, July 21, 2008

Favorite Art

In spite of the fact that I am engaged to a painter, and live in New York City, there are very few museum shows that have really blown me away, and very few major painters or sculptors that I find myself thinking about in my free time. So this is going to be a VERY short list, at least for now.

Da Vinci

Turner

Klimt

Rothko

Vija Celmins

Murakami

Robert Longo (The director of the terrible Johnny Mnemonic believe it or not; I have no idea how he landed that one random pop culture gig. Longo cannot be appreciated except in person: he does large scale charcoal drawings that are so fine they look like photographs unless you are two inches away from them).

Duane Hanson

Chris Ofili

John Currin

Jeff Koons

Antonio Gaudi

and my friend Jennifer Tomaiolo



and Sara Reiss, my fiancee (who will have a new website up shortly with lots of her work)


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18 comments:

  1. jenniferMonday, July 21, 2008 at 12:34:00 PM EDT

    is it just a coincindeence that you like many of my favorites too? hmmm... or is it many of the museum visit have been with me?
    i'd add:
    Paul Klee
    Heironymus Bosch
    Jan Van Eyck
    Robert Campin
    Rogier Van der Weyden
    (last 4 names... i have a soft spot for 13th c. Flemish painters :)
    Francisco Goya
    Shazia Sikkander
    Kara Walker
    Ernesto Caivano
    i'm sure i am forgetting someone i adore...

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  2. Christian O.Monday, July 21, 2008 at 1:47:00 PM EDT

    How about Mucha, Schiele, Klimt and Munch?

    Don't have time for a long post, so just the one that immediately popped into my head.

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  3. Christian O.Monday, July 21, 2008 at 2:07:00 PM EDT

    PS. Casanova has been optioned as a movie.

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  4. PaulMonday, July 21, 2008 at 2:25:00 PM EDT

    Even though he is more known for his sculpture, I'm a big fan of Alberto Giacometti's drawings and paintings. Dark, sketchy, and brilliant.

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  5. AnonymousMonday, July 21, 2008 at 5:50:00 PM EDT

    Am I at total philistine for having nothing for this list? Uhm, I like that painting with the melting clocks?

    Geoff,

    Is the Murakami you list Hiroku Murakami the author? My friend Shaun is always raving about that guy.

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  6. Geoff KlockMonday, July 21, 2008 at 7:58:00 PM EDT

    Scott: no it is Takashi Murakami

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  7. sara d. reissMonday, July 21, 2008 at 8:29:00 PM EDT

    to these I would add:

    Julie Mehritu
    Helen Frankenthaler
    Lee Bontecou
    Egon Schiele
    Henri Matisse
    El Greco
    Velazquez
    and
    Mucha

    btw, the guy who paints the melting clocks is Salvador Dali. I have no patience for surrealism.

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  8. AnonymousMonday, July 21, 2008 at 9:11:00 PM EDT

    Sara,

    I know Dali painted the melting clocks... I also know the work is titled "The Persistance of Time" ... I was just bein' silly :)

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  9. StreeboramaMonday, July 21, 2008 at 9:55:00 PM EDT

    As mentioned above - Salvador Dali is a favorite of mine - as is M.C.Escher and Goya.

    Goya's horrific imagery still resonates today.

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  10. sara d. reissMonday, July 21, 2008 at 11:01:00 PM EDT

    sorry, you never know with art. especially imagery that has become part of everyday pop culture. while pretty much everyone knows andy warhol, every one else ('cept maybe damien hirst?) is up for grabs. I didn't mean to insinuate that you were dim, I was just trying to be helpful. Mine is a small and lonely field.

    i stand by my earlier statement about having no patience for surrealism. although I am partial to this one Magritte that is in the Peggy Guggenheim museum in Venice. The one where the house is painted as if it were nighttime, but the sky behind it is daytime blue. Tis pretty.

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  11. Geoff KlockMonday, July 21, 2008 at 11:10:00 PM EDT

    Christian - thanks. I am adding Klimt. I forgot about him. Oh, and Duane Hanson.

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  12. angelina ballerinaMonday, July 21, 2008 at 11:52:00 PM EDT

    Pablo Picasso, Francisco de Goya, Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí (his Disney movie is worth checking out), Diego Velásquez (can you tell I was a Spanish minor? They used to teach us conversation by making us talk about art), Mary Cassat, Edgar Degas, Gustav Klimt, Edward Hopper, Wassily Kandinsky. Also, whoever illustrated Rainbow Fish. And William Blake's prints are unbelievable.

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  13. jenniferTuesday, July 22, 2008 at 12:08:00 AM EDT

    i second sara's Lee Bontecou

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  14. sara d. reissTuesday, July 22, 2008 at 12:14:00 AM EDT

    y'know. I would throw Gerhard Richter on my list.
    OH! and Andy Goldsworthy!!!

    thanks for seconding my Lee Bontecou. We did go to her school after all...

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  15. jenniferTuesday, July 22, 2008 at 2:11:00 AM EDT

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  16. jenniferTuesday, July 22, 2008 at 2:14:00 AM EDT

    remember alan?
    he was convinced all andy goldsworthy's ideas were stolen from his work...

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  17. PaulTuesday, July 22, 2008 at 9:33:00 AM EDT

    I saw the Murakami exhibit in Brooklyn this past spring. Very excellent!

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  18. AnonymousWednesday, July 23, 2008 at 7:09:00 AM EDT

    I always see art, expect to remember who painted it, always forget. I was going to sit this out but I like plenty of what other people have listed, so.

    Heironymus Bosch
    Jan Van Eyck
    Robert Campin
    Rogier Van der Weyden

    (Thanks Jennifer, I would've forgotten those last two! I'd also add Pieter Jansz Saenredam.)

    And continuing the Northern European tip:

    Annemarie Busschers
    Manfred Juergens

    Goya
    Schiele
    Blake
    Hogarth
    Walter Sickert
    Weegee
    Diane Arbus
    David Shrigley
    Robert Crumb
    Gary Panter
    Ron Rege Jnr.
    Jerry Moriarty

    That's all I got. But plenty to look up from other people! Neat.

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