Arshile Gorky

One Year the Milkweed, 1944

Golden Brown, 1944

The Liver is the Cocks Comb, 1944

Agony, 1947

I look at Arshile Gorky's magnificent body of work and I get lost in the chasms of colour...and the chasms of disturbance. I am by no means an expert in any facet of art (except in the sense of what I like and don't like), so all my comments must be taken with a grain of salt.

 

Gorky's work is recognisable by its wild lashings of colour and patterns, throwing tradition to the side and replacing it with abstract freedom. I saw some of his work earlier this year at MOMA in New York; it delivered such a sense of wonderment and delight which is ironic, given the pain in his lifetime.

 

Gorky hanged himself at the age of 44, after considerable misfortune. I seem to be drawn to untimely deaths and the sorrow that surround people's lives. I could have almost predicted that I would like the work of someone with such a fate; perhaps you never choose what you like, perhaps it chooses you. 

 

I am in a less than sparkly mood today, so I am reaching for the beauty of Gorky to uplift me. Even writing about this, his expression, will me to concentrate on what I deem to be important. Arguring over trivial matters with work colleagues, not so important. Be gone stress, Gorky is present.

Nara to my heart

I'm not sure when I came across Yoshitomo Nara, it seemed I always knew the iconic girl in his images. Her snarled eyes and pursed little mouth, wishing your chances away as she stands there so ironically.

 admire the way Nara can create a story in one image, one stare. Why is the little girl angry, why is she sad, or man alive she is awesome at the guitar.

Pop art normally doesn't register with me, although I think Nara's anime and punk influences drive his art more to a universal point, rather than 'I live in a warehouse in New York City and make fabulous art that is ironic'. 

It's simple, it's sweet and his subjects intrigue me. I think the ability to intrigue means that the artist can claim a degree of success.

Artwork 1. Cosmic Girl - Eyes Wide Open

Yes I do.

We ♥ Grafiks

There are those among us who walk through this world with blinkers over our eyes, never seeing the creations that make up the cities and towns we live in.

Then, there are the Grafik's.

The Grafik's are those that see the world in font and style. They don't see a tree, they see a photograph where they can photoshop a bird in a branch, and make the Winter branches full of Spring foliage. They identify objects in angles and see the possibilities of etching. Sometimes they may talk funny to you and I, but really they are talking code where only fellow Grafik's can understand thereby omitting you from their lunch table.

Actually to be honest, all the Grafik's I know are laid back layabouts who use their occupations to earn money for their natural illustrative talents and to look a smidge cool. I wish I were them.

But I'm not, I have no creative talent except to point out what I admire and love, but that don't pay the bills. Another thing that don't pay the bills though may just make you feel like the Fonz of graphics is simply to read GRAFIK magazine.

That's right, roll up roll up and read it my friends. Firstly, you'll need to wait til it actually comes out mind, though if you simply can't wait and want to wrap your peeps around a preview, view it here.