-
In Appreciation Of Robert Smith And The Cure
Robert Smith’s music has been part of the soundtrack of my life, starting back in the early 90’s when I listened to tapes and heard his music everyday on my favorite radio station, 91x. Back then, I didn’t really care about goth, hardcore, alternative, or metal because it was all the same, and I had a steady dose of good music to listen to on a daily basis. From The Cure, to Alice in Chains or Pearl Jam, the radio was my best friend as I spent many happy hours traveling around town while playing my favorite music. Fast forward to 2024 and Smith is still rocking with The Cure,…
-
George Seurat: The Visionary Who Paved the Way for Modern Art
When I first discovered art in the early 1990’s, George Seurat was a name that always popped up in connection to modern artwork because Braque and Picasso considered him to be an innovator who paved the way Fauvism and Cubism. Seurat was a French Post-Impressionist painter who was best known for his groundbreaking techniques and theoretical approach to art transformed how color, light, and form were represented, laying the foundation for many modern art movements. I can’t imagine being an artist in the late 19th, early 20th century because back then artists had to fight with centuries of academic thought about what art should look like. Once the Impressionists came…
-
George Braque and His Legacy in 20th-Century Art
When people think about modern art it’s not likely that they will think about George Braque but his contribution to the art world cannot be understated. Back in the early 90’s when I first discovered Braque’s work I had taken drafting during my 4 years of high school because my goal was to become an architect but, when I discovered art, those plans changed. By diving deeper into Braque’s work I realized that he was a master draftsman who planned out his paintings with sketches and drawing before he applied paint to canvas. That approach appealed to me and over the years I’ve created modern art that was thoughtfully and…
-
David Hockney: A Pioneering Force in Modern Art
One of the great thrills my life as an artist was discovering the work of David Hockney. By the early 1990’s, I was just a teenager discovering the art world in books but I knew instantly that I could relate to Hockney’s work because of his use of color. Those art books that I poured through in my high school library were my connection to the art world because back then, all computers had dial up modems and you couldn’t access information about an artist as easy as you can today. Like my appreciation of art by Henri Matisse, I’ve followed Hockney over the last 30 years and have not…
-
Paul Cezanne And His Impact On Modern Art
Paul Cézanne, often referred to as the ‘father of modern art,’ was a revolutionary figure who significantly influenced the transition from 19th-century Impressionism to early 20th-century modernism. His groundbreaking departure from traditional representation, and his innovative approaches to form, color, and perspective, laid the foundation for future avant-garde artists and the movements that defined modern art’s progression. One of Cézanne’s most significant contributions to modern art is his form development. Unlike Impressionists, who primarily sought to capture the fleeting effects of light, Cézanne aimed to reveal the underlying structure of the world around him. His technique of breaking down objects into basic geometric shapes—such as spheres, cylinders, and cones—foreshadowed…
-
Henri Matisse – One of the fathers of modern art
Henri Matisse, born in 1869 in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France, is celebrated as one of the most influential figures in modern art. Known primarily as a painter, Matisse was also a skilled draughtsman, sculptor, and printmaker. His innovative use of color and form revolutionized the art world and paved the way for new artistic movements, including Fauvism, Expressionism, and even elements of Abstract Expressionism. Matisse’s work represents a shift away from traditional forms and perspectives, emphasizing emotion and abstraction over realism and setting the stage for countless artists to explore new, uncharted territories of visual expression. Matisse began his journey as a lawyer, but a bout of illness led him to…
-
Chicano Park: A Cultural and Historical Landmark in San Diego, CA
Located in the Barrio Logan in San Diego, California, Chicano Park stands as an awesome testament to the resilience of the Chicano community. Established in 1970, the park is renowned for its stunning collection of murals depicting the struggles, triumphs, and vibrant culture of Mexican-Americans. The park’s creation and ongoing significance reflect a powerful narrative of community activism, artistic expression, and cultural pride. Historical Background The history of Chicano Park is deeply intertwined with the Chicano civil rights movement. In the late 1960s, the residents of Barrio Logan faced significant challenges as urban development and industrialization encroached upon their neighborhoods. The construction of the Coronado Bridge, which bisected the…
-
Painting vs Drawing – Which one is better?
The debate over whether painting and drawing are superior forms of artistic expression has been ongoing for centuries. While both are fundamental to art, each has unique characteristics, techniques, and purposes. Determining which is better largely depends on personal preference, artistic goals, and the context in which the art is created and viewed. I originally wanted to be an architect when I was in high school and once I discovered art, I applied my drawing skills to my art. My drafting skills helped because I knew how to lay out a painting and fully capture everything that I wanted to have in my picture. The Nature of Drawing Drawing is…
