Saturday, July 14, 2007

Transcending the rational....
I stumbled upon this article at the UK Guardian about artist Stella Vine. I remembered her work from PaintersNYC a while back. I wish that I could say that I hate these paintings, but I can't. (Keep in mind that I do love some folk art for precisely the same reasons that I like hers).

1. They are "bad painting"... really, I can think of any number of places where I have seen similar imagery, style, etc.
2. They are mostly paintings of celebrities from found photos.
3. They manipulate with the Keane/natural - human - attraction - to - big - eyed - baby - thing.
4. They remind me of early Lucien Freud: his are more neurotic, hers are more unhinged.
5. In many ways, they embody the kind of art I often rail against.

But I think they kick ass.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Her paintings seem joyful and not smug - humorous, but not cynical (actually, they are similar to Finster in this manner - his early work had that sweet naive quality).

I think that they would be fun to live with, too...I have to agree with Saatchi on this one.

10:38 PM  
Blogger Kate said...

Not smug, precisely.

I think that is what separates them from similar work.

10:27 AM  

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