yijingc--Assignment 4: Willem De Kooning

Artist

Among the abstract expressionists of the 1940s is the artist Willem De Kooning. When we think of abstract expressionism, we may think of Jackson Pollock’s pieces, where he splashes oil paints on canvas to create a bloom of dynamic colors. Unlike his fellow contemporaries of Jackson Pollock, Franz Kine, Mark Rothko, and Clyfford Still, much of De Kooning’s works portray a central form, yet the way he draws, using brush strokes, charcoal, or—later in life—clay, retains as much expression and movement as other artists’ works without losing the subject of his piece. Whereas other abstract expressionists lean toward the “abstract” side of the movement, De Kooning leans toward the “expressionist” side.

For De Kooning, fine art is a passion rather than a communication of ideas. He has said, “I don’t paint with ideas of art in mind. I see something that excites me. It becomes my content” (The Art Story). Yet, the most recognized of De Kooning’s pieces are what critics considered the most offensive. While he had not intended his pieces to be interpreted in such provocative ways, in doing so, he gained a reputation as a member of the abstract expressionist movement.

Work

De Kooning is most widely known for his Woman series of paintings—a series of oils on canvases depicting an abstracted feminine form. In each painting, a swirl of brush strokes and colors manifest into a woman-like shape that fills the center of the canvas. De Kooning crafts the lines in each piece so the form is evident but ambiguous with the piece’s background. The colors behave similarly; we have splashes of red on the skirt of a woman, but we also have the same red in the background, seemingly not representing any particular setting.

Despite depicting a central form, De Kooning does not follow traditional compositional rules. Not only does the woman in each piece fit squarely on the canvas, but also we do not see technically accurate proportion or perspective. Critics have called his pieces “violent” and “daring”. A less acerbic word that later art historians use is “figurative”, and we see this evidently. De Kooning was inspired by cubism, so the women’s forms in each painting are flattened and simplified. Lines intentionally mingle with each other to lessen the distinction between form and background, and, in addition, show the expression intended in the piece.

Response

The works in the Woman series are unspectacular in content. Granted, I have been in art museums and have seen artists whose oeuvre consists of mostly women, so I cannot agree with the critics of ago that they are quite as provocative as they are now. I can rattle off the analysis that their forms are daunting with bold lines, striking colors, and suggestive geometric shapes, but that is honestly quite general. Instead, I am more curious about the technical composition of the piece; as he was an abstract expressionist, I expect De Kooning to be carefree with his paints, yet from what I find, De Kooning was known to be laborious with painting. His meticulousness is expertly obfuscated in this series of paintings; the prominent, bristly brush strokes, splashes of color, and intentional lack of focus on anatomy (I’ve seen his earlier commercial works, which are much more illustrative) definitely gives the paintings a sense of looseness. I suppose only an artist like De Kooning can depict expressionism so professionally.

Product

With these above traits in mind, I have decided to emulate De Kooning’s Woman series using ye old Adobe Photoshop 7 and mouse, perhaps like a newly-discovered addition to the series. Sure, I could emulate one of De Kooning’s simpler charcoal pieces, but where’s the fun in that?

When I planned how to digitally emulate De Kooning’s style, there were reservations to consider:

• De Kooning worked on some of his Woman pieces over the course of years, while I was confined to an hour.

• The nexus of De Kooning’s art is his expressive brush strokes. In digital art, brushes are flawless, so standard brushes do not leave bristle strokes. Even then, it is difficult to convincingly emulate bristles on canvas.

• Layering paint and removing existing paint are elements of De Kooning’s pieces. Digital art programs allow for flawless editing, so we do not have imperfections.

For digital art programs, these reservations can be ameliorated.

• Traditional painting takes physical work and time. A digital environment automates the physical process, allowing us to genuinely work expressively.

• Photoshop brushes decently emulate real brush strokes. It also provides many effects that compensate for the lack of a physical canvas.

• I can emulate imperfections.

Reflection

I grew not uncomfortable breaking my anatomy guidelines and understanding of color theory, but while I may have respectably emulated De Kooning’s theme, I have not captured his style. For instance the figure in my drawing is still too rigid. The left shoulder of the figure looks polygonal, and the pose is stiff. In addition, I am not skilled enough to capture the natural effect of oil on canvas. The best I can do is apply some overall texture, but making subpixel-sharp brush strokes was beyond me.

The result of this speedpaint, therefore, looks simpler, smoother, and much less detailed than the original. What I have learned from this digital facsimile is that composing brush strokes and color—as messy as they might initially appear—requires significant planning and time to replicate acceptably. I would like more time to not only paint with less blotchy strokes but also to create digital brushes that properly emulate the movement of bristles on a canvas. Only modern versions of Photoshop have that tool, and I would need more time then to learn how to use it. Perhaps it would take me years to reach such levels of similarity, as De Kooning had.

Bibliography

• Hess, Thomas B. "De Kooning Paints a Picture." ARTnews. Mar. 1953. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

• "The Strange Story behind De Kooning's Woman I | Art | Agenda | Phaidon." Phaidon. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

• "Willem De Kooning | American Artist." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2014. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

• "Willem De Kooning Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works." The Art Story. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.