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Castellani

Artworks of him suggest strong influence of Op-Art movement, especially artists like Victor Vasarely. Admittedly, he is an excellent source for influence, in fact Vasarely had openly advised to develop further his ideas and approaches.



Castellani, Enrico Superficie Argento Date: 1973 Movement: Art Now / Recent Theme: Abstract Technique: Acrylic.

Obviously, one considers this example as a well modified result of ideas taken originally by Vasarely. Why? because of the gradual decrease the intervals separating the twin dots and the gradual shifting of their positions along the horizontal axis.



Superficie bianca Date: 1969 Movement: Art Now / Recent Theme: Abstract Technique: Other/Unknown.

He seems to follow a line worked out among others by another Italian, Lucio Fontana. Fontana has not been (according to my knowledge) a follower of Vasarely, but designed works using dots slightly coming forward from the plane of paperboard.



Superficie bianca Date: 1971 Movement: Art Now / Recent Theme: Abstract Technique: Other/Unknown.

For me, this composition suggests strong influence by both Fontana and Vasarely. The latter one comes to my mind due to the undulation of the darker and lighter „dots” – made perhaps by a jet-brush (a tool jetting stain in a well-focused way to small areas).



Untitled Date: 1995 Movement: Art Now / Recent Theme: Abstract Technique: Other/Unknown.

Here is yet another fine result of combined influence of the above mentioned two great previous artists. Obviously they did not have time needed to work out all the huge number of possible „solutions” of the artistic problems found to be important by them. Therefore Castellani’s contribution should be appreciated.



Untitled Date: Not dated Movement: Art Now / Recent Theme: Abstract Technique: Oil on canvas.

Toward simplicity – as a tradition by now in abstract painting. I presumed at first that no staining has been involved. Further thinking results maintenance in part of this presumtion as far as the oblique row of dots concerned – allowing for a monochrome staining of the surface befor „punching” in and out the dots. At least the dots seem for me as coming forward and going backward on the plane of canvas alternatively.

Hartung

On the other day I met again with the name of Hartung. I was reading on action painting a kind of Abstract Expressionism popular for some time. I have the priviledge to visit an exhibition of Hartung at the Guggenheim Museum, Manhattan, New York. It was a great experionce! Hartung was known for me some time but kind of works presented there were quite new, never found in books dealing with that significant artist. Admittedly, I have rather poor access to expensive artbooks – limited sharply by my financial resources – and available place on my bookshelfs.



Hartung Hans, TR 13 – H 18 Date: 1982 Movement: Art Informel Theme: Abstract Technique: Acrylic.

It is great isn’it? The five vertical strips with soft borders radiate calmness while the black spots tell artistic stories on action and T1974-E44 Date: 1974 Movement: Art Informel Theme: Abstract Technique: Oil on canvas.




T1974-E44 Date: 1974 Movement: Art Informel Theme: Abstract Technique: Oil on canvas.

I remember well on that one from New York. It has been made by two techniques combined. First a layer of two blues, nearly monochrome was stained over the canvas, leaving no free unpainted parts.. Then came a high number of small yellow spots some at distances other joined near completely. Fantastic result, right?



T-52-32 Date: 1952 Movement: Art Informel Theme: Abstract Technique: Gouache.

This suggests for me some influence of Rothko. Rotated by 90 degrees and eliminating the narrow diagonal strips as well as the undulating lines, it would pass as an example of Rothko’s. However, the strips and line are there and provides sufficient evidences for considering Hartung as an independent matured artist working in his own style fairly early on his life at Paris.



Sans Titre Date: 1956 Movement: Art Informel Theme: Abstract Technique: Mixed technique.

I remember well on this painting since being reproduced a catalogue purchased at Guggenheim. This little book is among my best treasures. The oblique blacks with sharp points suggest great force. I wonder how he made them. He must have been using at least two brushes, one wide and another quite small to make the points. At least I would have been doing a reproducion that way. I do not remember whether or not mentioning that my way to „learn and understand” works by trials of copy them. I know that this hard work was used for long time in teaching artists including the great ones in China for hundreds of years or others painting ikons and belonging the Orthodocs Church.



P.1960.263 Date: 1960 Movement: Art Informel Theme: Abstract Technique: Crayon.

This last one is an example of his artworks which fails attracting me. I dislike the narrow lines. Due to the fact that it has been made by using crayons (pencils) it is likely a small artworks in contrast with his others having dimensions over 100 cm or so.

Desjardins

I like her works. Lovely bright colors womenly designed compositions. Recall O’Keefe in some respect – but I might me wrong associating any woman paintings of colorful abstracts with Georgia. I try to convince you, however, that Desjardins cancertainly generate esthetic joy.



Desjardins, Claire Habanero Date: 2010 Movement: Abstract Expressionism Theme: Abstract Technique: Acrylic.

Fairly big letters she uses to identify herself. According to some, actions like that indicate strong ego – which is useful for selling works even good ones nowaday. This painting is good. I like the warm colors and the facture. The compositions reminds me to a kind of close up of flowers – this association explains why I have noted O’Keefe above. The „close up” approach explains why there is no central peripheral parts of the composition. It is obviously far from being monochrome, still any parts seems to bear the same importance as any others all over.



Shimmer Date: 2010 Movement: Abstract Expressionism Theme: Abstract Technique: Acrylic.

Here you are yet another being similar except using quite diferent coloring. Some varieties of blue dominate, combined with a lot of whites, greens and only a few spots of red or orange. The impression as a whole is fairly cool for me and falls farther away from flower close ups. Admittedly, there are plenty of light or deep blue flowers still this composition fails to suggest relationships with them. Obviously, importance of suggestions, meanings, or any kind of „explanation” is far away in abstract compositions, in contrast with others like family portraits or paintings which illustrate, depict some historical battles. Tastes are different, some prefers illustrative paintings while I am voting for abstracts. One more note: this compositions might be vertical in contrast with being reproduced here as horizontal. Why? Because the letters of the signiture are rotated here by 90 degrees.



That's Everything Date: 2011 Movement: Lyrical Abstraction Theme: Abstract Technique: Mixed technique.

Lovely isn’t it? Well balanced coloring, obvious central (main) component represented by the red oval. Some undulating lines break simplicity of big color spots. The little yellows and blues fail to reduce dominance of the red. Size in itself is not an explanation for that, since the whites as a total is apparently larger a bit than the size of combined reds. The neutral background fits quite well to the bright colors and provide supports for the assumption that the big red oval is the most important component, in spite of the fact that it is shifted to bottom and right.



Sprouts Date: 2010 Movement: Abstract Expressionism Theme: Abstract Technique: Acrylic.

For some unknown reasons, this composition fails to attract my mind and soul. Perhaps the large number of vertical lines having a bigger head each disturbs me, being a bit too vibrating. Suggesting vibration, on the other hand, may be the main excuse and aim of the painting. Otherwise the composition is all right, there are large nearly rectangular parts, warm coloring, no background-central imbalance. As I have mentioned before, tastes are different.

Mathieau

I might have evaluated his works before, at present a book makes me composing some (further?) notes on his works. He is certainly one of the bests among abstract painting even if his style is a bit far from my most appreciated one such as geometrical abstractions. Besides, I like Kandinsky who has been excellent in both kinds of abstraction.



Mathieu, Georges Abstract Composition Date: 1960 Movement: Lyrical Abstraction Theme: Abstract Technique: Oil on canvas.

Main features of his style are obvious on this lovely picture. He is considered as a very good example also of the movement called Action Painting (provided I am correct in this naming) as a branch of Abstract Expressionism. Accordint to the book, he often worked over large canveses over a very short time. Tale says that on one occasion he arrived from Paris at Tokyo airport for his important exhibition just a few days before the pre-arranged opening. To the inquery about his works which failed to arrive, he explained, that he planned to make them on the spot by the time of the opening. He did so in one or two days producing severel huge compositions, and the exhibition was a success indeed.



Egregis Date: 1952 Movement: Lyrical Abstraction Theme: Abstract Technique: Other/Unknown.

I do not know definitively, just suppose, that the strong influence of Chinese and/or Japanese calligraphy comes from the above mentioned tale. Irrelevant tales aside, this is a beautiful and in fact quite simple artwork. There is a nearly monochrom red, over which he traced with a wide brush black strips and some near white lines – the latter ones remind me Asiatic calligraphy.



Pleurs de Flamme Date: 1989 Movement: Lyrical Abstraction Theme: Abstract Technique: Acrylic.

In sharp contrast with the above rather simple painting, this one is fairly complex. First, the monochromy is totally missing – except some black spots some of which obviously suggest strong force applied to produce them using thick oily stain. At least one of the red strips was left to flow downward from a wide horizontal strip. It is an interesting task to find out the order he used to apply acrylic of different colors, some on top of others. Although this composition is quite complex, it is easy to note that he prefers asymetry in spite of symetry. For me it takes time to follow and appreciate details some of which get noted over time only.



Festival in Norwich Date: 1957 Movement: Lyrical Abstraction Theme: Abstract Technique: Oil on canvas.

Brutal force, right? Simple coloring, dominance of yellow and black – the two stains are best known as opposing each other in generating strong contrasts and interference. Interactions also come from tension of sizes like the large spots and thin lines in the case of black and red on the left side of the composition. The horizontal cutting of canvas provide good matching for the wideness of settings.


Still Life with Anemones Date: Not dated Movement: Lyrical Abstraction Theme: Still Life Technique: Other/Unknown.

I use this lovely small composition, likely from his early period, to provide evidence that he indeed commanded skill in realistic paintings too. It is an often repeated – even nowadays – critical note, that abstract painters failed to learn skills needed for making pictures over centuries. This stupid assumption is still alive even the fact that abstract style is happily survived more that a century so far, and it is very popular. Just like other styles, some like it others do not so – but life is like that in this respect too.