Monday, December 12, 2005
Artist List 03
Alright, I am well-entrenched in the end-of-year blues. So entrenched indeed that I must add more artists to The List as fast as I can.
This one is particularly comforting, because of all the ships. Alfred Wallis (1855–1942), born in Devenport, England. Went to sea at age 9, until 35. When his wife died in 1922, he started to paint to 'keep himself company'. Due to poverty he worked on whatever was at hand, such as pieces of driftwood and cardboard. On these he painted with ship's paint memories of his time at sea and scenes of his immediate surroundings.
He is often labelled a 'naive' artist, due to the fact that he was never formally trained. This allowed him to paint in a fresh and vivid manner, unique to any school of thought or art movement. His works were acclaimed by artistic circles, but only captured the imagination of the public after his death in 1942. He died in poverty in Penzance, and his works now hang in the Tate Gallery, London.
Seems like a sad story, but looking at his works, one is not inclined to think so, at all.
Alfred Wallis on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Wallis
Alfred Wallis, Headland with Two Three-masters
Alfred Wallis, Penzance Harbour, Newlyn Harbour, Mousall Island, The Mount, Porthleven and Mullion near Lizard. The one Entrin the Harbour is a Revenu cutter from Penzance
Alfred Wallis, A Steamship and a Schooner Passing the Coast
This one is particularly comforting, because of all the ships. Alfred Wallis (1855–1942), born in Devenport, England. Went to sea at age 9, until 35. When his wife died in 1922, he started to paint to 'keep himself company'. Due to poverty he worked on whatever was at hand, such as pieces of driftwood and cardboard. On these he painted with ship's paint memories of his time at sea and scenes of his immediate surroundings.
He is often labelled a 'naive' artist, due to the fact that he was never formally trained. This allowed him to paint in a fresh and vivid manner, unique to any school of thought or art movement. His works were acclaimed by artistic circles, but only captured the imagination of the public after his death in 1942. He died in poverty in Penzance, and his works now hang in the Tate Gallery, London.
Seems like a sad story, but looking at his works, one is not inclined to think so, at all.
Alfred Wallis on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Wallis
Alfred Wallis, Headland with Two Three-masters
Alfred Wallis, Penzance Harbour, Newlyn Harbour, Mousall Island, The Mount, Porthleven and Mullion near Lizard. The one Entrin the Harbour is a Revenu cutter from Penzance
Alfred Wallis, A Steamship and a Schooner Passing the Coast
Labels: art
¶ 11:42 PM
