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Understanding Modern Art – Pablo Picasso and Cubism

Cubism – A Working Definition

Cubism originated in the first decade of the twentieth century. It is an abstract art form where the normally observed view is dissected by the artist and then put back together again, but with the conventions of representational art removed. Complex shapes are reduced to basic geometries, depth cues are removed, and faces which would not be visible to the observer from one position are nonetheless represented on the canvas. It is definitely one of the more academic art forms and the first branch of Cubism, Analytic Cubism, was well named. Read more…

Free eBook Minimalist Cooking Recipes

Understanding Art – What Is Minimalism?

This is an article that I wrote for syndication. If you want to post this article on your own blog feel free but it must be posted as is including the two text links at the end. The links are to good content rich web sites and not spammy or sloggy sleaziness.  No need for a byline or a link back here but if you drop a comment you’ll get a back link out of the deal.

Most of the great artistic movements can be seen as either an extension of a preceding movement or as a reaction to one. Minimalism falls into both categories. It was a direct and forceful reaction to Expressionism in general and to the raw emotion and anti-intellectualism of Abstract Expressionism in particular. Minimalism was, however, firmly rooted in one overarching movement of the time and that was Modernism, which had already started a reductive process. It also provided the bridge between Modernism and Post Modernism. Put simply, it sought to do away with all external references, especially emotional and historical, and to create art that was completely self contained. Read more…

Free-form Crazy Quilting

My wife is currently working on recycling all of her old yarn into this patchwork unplanned quilt type thing. The quilt has knitted bits, some crochet and will probably have things hanging off it by the time it is finished. It is a work in progress.

Here are some photographs, click on the small thumbnail for the larger image and the double arrow for an even larger one.

A quick note about the photography: Accuracy was deemed more important than warm and fuzzy so I went with two full spectrum daylight balanced floor lamps one on each side of the quilt. These were placed at a roughly 20 degree angle to the quilt. This is great lighting for bringing out lumps and bumps i.e. the third dimension. Not great lighting to use on a middle aged or elderly people unless you are going for gritty realism.

No diffusion was used and this really adds to the cool hard look. Again, don’t do this when photographing your elderly relatives – they won’t thank you.

I placed a homemade reflector under the quilt at a 45 degree angle to throw a little more light onto the bottom edge of the quilt. The reflector is a 4ft disc made out of a plastic hula hoop and that insulating silver material that is a bit like bubblewrap.

Painting Sold at Auction

Just to prove that I do something other than rant about politics dept.

Found out the other day that one of my paintings sold during our local PSB TV channel’s annual auction:

The auction itself was a few weeks ago.

This is the painting, Boy on a Dune and it was framed, acrylic on canvas 20″ x 16″ It sold for $130, which, considering the economy and the region was pretty good.

Boy on a Dune by Steve Johnson

The setting is Miller Beach on the southernmost tip of Lake Michigan with Chicago in the background.

More of my daubings can be found here: http://artbystevejohnson.com

Newly Added; Digital Art Desktop Wallpaper

I have just added some digital art images (around 35 images) that have been resized for use as Desktop wallpaper or background:

They can be found here