Your Favorite Paintings

[Matt Crunk]

I work across the street from the Wyeth Center of the Universe, The Farnsworth Art Museum -- the Wyeth clan is the fulcrum of our local economy. One used to catch a glimpse of Andrew buying a hot dog with mustard and onions at the local stand.

My favorite Wyeth? The Patriot.

Sgt. Ralph Cline, the Patriot in person, used to be a fixture at our local Memorial Day parades.

Yeah, LizzieMaine, The Wyeth compound is in your neck of the woods, isn't it? It's funny, I used to have Andy's personal address and phone number to both his Cushing, ME and Chadds Ford, PA residences. Just never found a valid enough excuse to write or phone him.

 

[Stearmen]

One of my favorite artists, lives right up the road from me in Golden, Colorado. David Uhl, he is the official Harley Davidson, vintage motorcycle painter. His art, transcends motorcycles, unbelievable depth. Most of his paintings, show less skin then you can see on any street. Even his Pinup girls, are very tasteful. I have the top one, her name is Evelyn. seems, she was on her way to a motorcycle hill climb, when she was pulled over, she just wants to get back on the road! It's amazing, how many people, that don't even like motorcycles, love this print!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I don't know why. Bacon's deconstructed/dissolving/"screaming" popes, and his explorations of the brutality and terror of life have always fascinated me.

 

[DesertDan]

Some of my aforementioned Stephen Morath:

 

[herringbonekid]

I don't know why.

because he's bloody brilliant, that's why.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Art is one of those things - I know what's brilliant, but I don't have the vocabulary to express why!

I remember being absolutely astonished by Martin Schöngauer in a Chicago gallery. Obviously it's technically brilliant, but there's more to it, and I don't have the words to express myself well, a state of things that irritates me greatly. Same with mediaeval perspective-less woodcuts in the same gallery.

Copperplate Temptation of St Anthony:

 

[herringbonekid]

...Obviously it's technically brilliant, but there's more to it, and I don't have the words to express myself well, a state of things that irritates me greatly.

i think that what is 'great' about any work of art is actually impossible to define. critics love to dissect works of art to prove that they know how it's done - as if it's merely a bit of stage trickery - but if they knew how and why great art moves us they'd be creating the art themselves, not simply critiquing it.

sometimes the less said the better. i've read enough meaningless art speak in my time that i simply don't have the stomach for it anymore. how many times have i read something like this on a modern gallery wall... " my work explores notions of the self and identity within an uncertain technological present....." i usually stop reading about there.

 

[Two Types]

Tullio Crali, Incuneandosi nell'abitato (In tuffo sulla città), 1939

The first time I saw this (at the Hayward Gallery in London as part of an exhibition entitled 'Art & Power') I was struck by it. And I remain, to this day, in awe of its beauty.

 

[Metatron]

As an aviation fanatic, I concur. Ah, I used the art and power book as one of my main references in my dissertation.

Not my favourite paintings, but I think they are spot on caricatures, and show off the style of the time very well:

Clark Gable and the Prince of Wales


(Left to right): Benny Goodman, Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, Orson Welles, Robert Taylor, Lily Pons, Salvador Dali, Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontaine, and Walt Disney. Dorothy Thompson on the ground, Shirley Temple in the air.

By Miguel Covarrubias

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Some of my aforementioned Stephen Morath:

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I recognize those. All the Del Tacos have the prints on their wall.

 

[DesertDan]

Hahahahahaha!
I have not been in a Del Taco in many years.

 

[Smithy]

I did my MA in Art History and really couldn't narrow it down to specific paintings as such, I'd be too spoilt for choice.

But I can narrow it down to artists:

I've got a real soft spot for chiaroscuro and especially the dark nature of anything by Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi.

I like German Expressionism so anything by anyone from Der Blaue Reiter.

I specialised in my degree in post-war American abstraction so the usual suspects: Pollock; Rothco; Newman; de Kooning.

Also modern NZ abstraction, especially Mervyn Williams, Max Gimblett and Stephen Bambury.

It changes all the time but at this point in time that lot will do.

 

[herringbonekid]

another of my favourite living artists: Paul Slater, born UK 1953:

 

[mojoboots]

Starry night, Van Gough

 

[1mach1]

Flaming June by Sir Frederic Leighton circa 1895.

 

[herringbonekid]

more from Anne Magill:

the above is an obvious swipe from this photo of a young Cecil Beaton: