Alice Neel (1900-1984)

Passion and Stark Reality

Born on January 28, 1900, in Merion Square, Pennsylvania, Alice Neel grew up in Colwyn. She attended the Philadelphia School of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art) from 1921 to 1925, when she married Cuban artist Carlos Enriquez and moved to Cuba. In the early 1930's Neel returned to New York.

In 1932 Neel began work at a feverish pitch, painting the city and its inhabitants. Her subjects often included friends, family and neighbors, always in a dynamic and personal style. During these early years, 1933 to 1943, Alice Neel worked for the Federal Art Project of the WPA and became a staunch supporter of social and cultural reform. This commitment strengthened her personal dedication to portray individuals from all walks of life and document their personal struggles. Her portraits offer a poignant record of those struggles and of the ambitions found in modern American urban society during the middle decades of the twentieth century.

Although she also painted still lifes and landscapes, Neel is primarily known for her expressive portraits of the human condition. These portraits are characterized by strong, near grotesque elements that Neel witnessed. She was quoted as saying "I love to paint people torn by all the things that they are torn by today in the rat race in New York."

One of Neel's masterpieces and most recognized works is entitled "T.B. Harlem," painted in 1940. It was, and is, considered a major social document of its time and chronicles tuberculosis, a disease frequently found in the tenements of the urban ghetto. It is unrelenting in its depiction of a pain-stricken young male, one in whom Neel was to take a lifelong interest. Dark outlines depict a somber, skeletal form ravaged by severe illness, a portrayal that reveals a combination of beauty and horror that she found manifest in everyday life.

Neel used her artistic talent to reveal the individual personalities of her subjects. As an artist, she longed to create an "historical epoch" (age) on canvas in her belief that "Art is a form of history." Neel's work focused on her life experiences--pregnancy, birth and death. As a result, motherhood, children, couples and nudes were themes that dominate her work.

It seems that Alice Neel felt more apathy for the unfortunate than one might realize. She personally suffered a nervous breakdown, attempted suicide, and was hospitalized over several months during 1930 and 1931, all of which had an influence on her work. During this time, her work took on a renewed passion and this, combined with a newly assumed attitude of defying convention, defined her vision over the next five decades. But she always remained consistent in her ambition to represent a vast array of human subjects, including friends and relatives in Greenwich Village and Spanish Harlem, artists and writers, mothers and children, family members and political figures.

The mother of two daughters and two sons, Alice Neel had her share of unpleasant relationships, personal hardships and tragedy--failed romances, loss of an infant daughter, deaths of both parents, and a sensitivity to other's suffering--that tainted her creativity. But, in spite of--or perhaps because of--this sensitivity, she was able to capture and convey a real understanding of life. When one views her work, it is hard to ignore her insight and the depth with which she "sees" her subjects. The observer easily absorbs this personal connection and reverence of common things.Not until the 1960's did a 60-year-old Neel begin to receive national attention. The Whitney Museum of American Art held a major retrospective of her portraits in 1974, and she was elected to the American Academy of Institute of Arts and Letters in 1976. President Jimmy Carter honored Neel with a National Women's Caucus for Art Award in 1979.

“Alice Neel” is at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City, through September 17 and then travels to the Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA, from Oct. 7 to Dec. 31, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. This retrospective exhibition of 70 paintings plus many works on paper is an American treasure. How fitting it will be to celebrate the centennial of Alice Neel, who was born and raised in the suburbs and educated at the former School of Design for Women, right in Philadelphia. Paintings included in this grand exhibition will present a much-deserved reconsideration of Alice Neel's powerful and provocative work and offer a full examination of her artistic development. The exhibit includes works that span the years 1932 to 1983, the year before her death, and is headlined by a 1980 self-portrait.

Graphic Chemical & Ink Co. Printmaking, etching, blockprinting litho supplies. Silkscreen Trade Names: Perfection, Easy Wipe, Graphic, Sureset, Universal, Graphinx.

Make A Mask

Masks are great fun to make and can be created from many different materials. Art materials as simple as poster board or construction paper can be converted to masks; forms and materials such as papier-mƒch‚ or plaster craft gauze or clay can also be used.

For poster board or heavy paper masks, begin by first drawing a general shape onto the flat paper. Cut out your shape. Then carefully cut two openings so that you can see from behind the mask when completed. Use markers, crayons, rubber stamps, yarn, ribbon, feathers, stickers, or paint to decorate the surface.

If you want to create a more permanent mask, you will need a few specialized materials--plaster gauze strips, modeling clay and a form of some sort. The form could be either a Styrofoam wig head form or a special plastic mask mold. The gauze strips, clay and forms are available at most art supply stores.

Shape the clay into log shapes that conform to the eye shapes on the model you are using. Use tall log shapes so that you can build up the plaster gauze around the eye openings. After light soaking of the gauze strips (full instructions are included with the gauze), simply place them into the form, press down and build up enough thickness to be rigid. This usually takes two to four layers. Allow the mask to dry completely; then remove from the form. Pull away the clay shapes to reveal eye openings. Use a nail file/emery board to soften any sharp areas around eye openings. Paint with acrylic paint, stamp, or decorate with feathers, stickers, ribbon, silk flowers, fabric, etc. To preserve for the long term, it is recommended that a sealer be brushed or sprayed over the completed form.

Clay masks are a special treat to create because the material is easy to work with; it is very flexible and easily cut and shaped. The down side is that the clay must be fired to be permanent. Then it can be painted, either with acrylic paints or with ceramic glazes. If glazed, a second firing is required. Many greenware shops fire individual items for clients, so check around for a firing source close to home (or at school if done as a classroom project). Self-hardening clays can be used, but are less permanent than kiln-fired clay works.

After you have completed your mask, you will want to attach a piece of elastic across the back of the head, to hold it in place, or you can use ribbon or string to simply tie on.

If you are really ready, you can rush out to your local art materials store and get a base mask ready for decoration. Then choose the items you want to apply and go for it! Be creative and have fun!

New Products from AMACO

American Art Clay Co. recently introduced Fun Wire, color-coated wire that adds a new, fun dimension to craft projects of all types. It can be twisted, curled, or crimped into any shape; cut to any length; and is non-toxic and oven safe up to 265 degrees F. Available in 12 vibrant colors, three gauges, and comes in nine-foot coils. And the new Kid's Clay Tools, specially designed with safety in mind, include the following sets: Rolling Pin and Stamp with three disks with images to press into clay; Rolling Stamp Handle with three disks for rolling images onto clay; Brayer and Knife; and Cutters (three "cookie-type" cutters for cutting images into clay).

New Products from Strathmore

Strathmore Kids has a line of cool new papers that will make art projects even more fun and draw out the creativity of young artists:

Shadow Paper is a pad of 40 sheets of marbled construction paper uniquely shadowed with deeper colors, and includes red, pink, lavender, orange, yellow, blue, green, and brown.

Gel Jotter, a book of 30 wire-bound black sheets, sets the backdrop for creative journal entries and illustrations. It's great for gel pens and may also be used for photos and mememtos.

Big Black Book of 30 sheets is suitable for saving just about anything from famous photos to phenomenal finds and funny facts.

Imagination Pack is a pad that contains 20 sheets of cool colors (red, black, lilac, and blue) for gel pens or craft projects, 10 sheets of tracing paper, and 50 sheets of drawing paper.

Patch Paper, 12 textured sheets to a pack, is heavyweight construction paper with a raised patchwork pattern that provides possibilities for plenty of paper projects in two sheets each of red, blue, yellow, green, tan and white.

Waterific Sheets will whet the imagination with their ability to stick to just about anything! Just a drop of water allows flat features to develop into dimensional designs. Available in a pack of seven colors that include red, blue, green, yellow, purple, white, and orange

Groovy Paper, ridged sheets of metallic colors that lend themselves to crazy creations, comes in six sheets to a pack in red, blue, gold, silver, copper and black.

See your retailer.

New Book on Neel

Alice Neel--With essays by Ann Temkin, Susan Rosenberg, and Richard Flood, presents a full-scale examination of her life and work. It accompanies a traveling retrospective organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art that celebrates the centennial of her birth. Featured among the 75 paintings and watercolors presented in this book are personal paintings of her own family and neighbors, as well as portraits of important New York art world figures like Andy Warhol, Robert Smithson, and Frank O'Hara. Harry N. Abrams. 176 pages, 175 illustrations.

Spotlight On: Genesis Artist Colors

One Artist's Experience

Traditional oil paints, all brands, have scientifically pure ingredients, and each brand has its own color palette. A painter is lucky to be painting in this era of opulence. But a few months ago my views about oil painting and its soft, buttery, richness turned a new corner. It was at that time that I tried Genesis Artist Colors--actually synthetic oils. This "new kid on the block" may represent the most innovative change in art materials in years, probably decades.

A chemist working with an artist created Genesis Artist Colors. The paints combine the best of oil paints and acrylics, since you control if and when the paint dries. These newly developed materials are based on a unique formula of synthetic oil.

Imagine the consistency of oils with which one has been accustomed to working. But, add the new feature of paint that never (that's right, never) dries--that is until you are totally ready for it to do so. Mix as much paint in any color as you want. Store it in jars - uncovered - indefinitely. Work with your best brushes and then walk away, leaving them loaded with paint. They will not dry. This means that all the paint usually wasted when you clean your brushes is saved. You need never clean a brush again. Create your personal palette - store in open jars. All the paint is useable and simply sits waiting for you to take it from jar to blending palette to canvas.

As remarkable as it might sound, the paint stays workable and "fluid" virtually forever. It will not dry until gentle heat is applied. For portrait painters, this is an especially important element. Waiting for sections of a portrait to dry often means having the client return several times before the work can be complete. With Genesis heat setting techniques, work an area as needed, set the area, and proceed. Layer on another amount of paint, then dry as needed.

These paint-then-dry segments could significantly speed the completion of the portrait or any work. One artist is said to have refined his technique to such a fine degree that a portrait that took days to complete and required multiple return visits for the client can now be completed in merely one sitting. This means that artists' incomes could effectively increase by 400% to 500%. If you can earn your income in one sitting rather than five, it is easy to calculate the importance and advantage of Genesis.

All styles of work can be streamlined. Any subject matter can be rendered quickly, since the artist controls the application of heat. Either spot-drying or full-image drying can be done. It is both easy and fast, taking only minutes to dry the entire surface of the canvas. Hand-drying tools are supplied in some of the packaged kits offered for sale or can be purchased separately. The full-time professional artist can also purchase larger drying chambers that accommodate larger works.

Mixing, blending and opacity of Genesis is very similar to conventional oil paints and can be used with solvents such as thinner, Turpenoid or mineral spirits; but they are not intermixable with other oil colors. Even though you do not have to clean your brushes after each painting session, cleanup is super easy with warm water and mild soap. The same is true of hands or clothing that come in accidental contact with the paints. Simply wash them with soap and water.

The most exciting project experienced to date was a floral study. The background color was worked over the surface behind the vase of flowers. As each base floral shape/vase shape/stem and leaf shape was laid into place, that background color blended with each to create a natural bond of components. The result was an underpainting that looked like a completed stylized floral, so well blended and so cohesive that it could have been a complete impressionistic work. But the best was yet to come. That base impression was dried with the heat tool, setting shadowed groundwork for the bright color to follow. As each blossom was added, the whole reason for working in oils came clearly to view. There was a luscious luminosity like no other medium. Drying and detailing completed the work. After a final drying with the heat tool, the work was ready to frame.

Since I gauged the amount of paint I loaded into brushes and worked most of the paint out of them as I neared completion, cleanup was a breeze. I didn't clean a single brush. I simply stood them in their jar and washed my hands.Genesis Artist Colors are a bit more costly to start, but they last much longer and every drop of color is useable. When weighed against the loss of traditional oils, at least for this painter, they are a creative windfall.Genesis Artist Colors are available in 70 vibrant colors. Also look for four different sets, two drying tools, and a line of Genesis Artist Brushes that are guaranteed for life when used exclusively with Genesis colors. An instructional booklet, Begin with Genesis by Bobby Pearcy, and a video are also available. See these products online at www.genesisartistcolors.com.

Works on Paper -- "Works on Paper" International Juried Exhibition, South Shore Art Center, Cohasset, MA. Slide Deadline: Sept. 25. Call (781) 383-2787; www.ssac.org; email: info@ssac.org.

Watercolor -- Texas Watercolor Society 52^nd Annual Open Exhibit, Southwest School of Art & Craft, San Antonio, TX. For prospectus, send #10 SASE to: Nancy DeWied, 615 San Dizier, San Antonio, TX 78232-1946. Slide Deadline: Nov. 6.

Colored Pencil -- "Explore This," Colored Pencil Society of America's Experimental Exhibition, West Bend, WI. All artists over 18. Juror: Dennis Adrian. 2D, 3D, all mediums allowed with 75% colored pencil surface coverage. Slide Deadline: Nov. 1. Send #10 SASE to: Experimental, 6872 Cottontail Cove, Arlington, TN 38002; www.cpsa.org.

Aqua Media -- American Watercolor Society 134^th Annual International Exhibition, Salmagundi Club Galleries, New York, NY. All aqua media on paper; no collage or pastels. Slide Deadline: Nov. 15. For prospectus/label, send SASE to Richard Brzozowski, 13 Fox Rd., Plainville, CT 06062.

Photography for Creativity or Profession

From a creative standpoint, the decision to use photography as a creative avenue opens an artistic door that is different from other forms of artistic expression. In addition to creative uses, the camera can be used as a real source of professional revenue. This can come from such things as recording a profile of the artwork of other artists, recording business functions and events, or doing photographic portraits. This work would be done in either slide or photograph form, depending on the nature of the application.

With a single "tool," the camera, the photo-artist may create everything from strongly contrasting images in black and white to brilliant color studies with prints or slides. Photographs can be arranged into collage works that speak to the viewer in ways paintings and drawings do not. Darkroom manipulation can produce images that are surreal or artistically "unnatural" and personal.

Taking slides can help document all aspects of your art endeavors by keeping an ongoing slide record. It is recommended that every work be recorded on a slide. This gives you a chronological record as well as a record of growth and strengths. (Off the subject, but very important, is the recommendation that you protect your work by filing for copyright on every work. This requires a slide of the image.)

To address the more serious "business of art," photography has great potential. You are not only able to create images that are saleable/showable/competition-worthy and keep a record of your own art career, but you can also use your skills to record/document other artists' works. There is real financial potential here, as most painters (artists in general) loathe the idea of documenting each piece of their work. Photographers who pursue this area of photography are kept busy. Offering a great photograph or slide for a reasonable price is the key. If you love photography, if you have learned to control the media, this could be perfect for you. Once your skills are developed, it is only a matter of promoting your service to art organizations, college art classes, and individual artists or perhaps posting a flier at community centers where art classes are taught.

Contemporary photographers often find their talents in demand for "live" documentation as well. Many events need and pursue photographers to help record their affairs. While this is considered a more commercial way to use your creativity, it is possible to make a very good income. Photographers contacted about this line of work did admit that it is very sporadic and that some clients can be fickle. One way to succeed, echoed by several professional photographers, is to offer the best quality work on a good timetable. Have work done when you promise it will be; reliability is key.

So whether you are using photography to record your own art creations, to create original photographs for exhibition and sale, as a basis for collage work and other photo-related art projects, or as possible income potential, it is always a rewarding creative avenue. All you need is a good quality camera and a roll of film.

Photography Contests

• 6^th Annual Adirondack Life Photography Contest Anyone may submit photos taken in the Adirondack Park that are owned by the entrant and previously unpublished. Entries will be judged according to the overall quality of the photograph, with special attention paid to the composition of the image, exposure, focus, color, and depth of field. Submissions must be postmarked no later than December 1, and winning images will be published in the March/April 2001 issue. For further information, see the September/October issue of Adirondack Life magazine or go to www.adirondacklife.com/edit_contest.htm. (518) 946-2191.
• The International Library of Photography is now accepting entries for its amateur photograph competition, which is open to everyone, is free, and is sponsored several times yearly. Simply send one photo in only one of the following categories: Action, Children, Humor, Nature, People, Animals/Pets, Portraiture, Sports, Travel, or Other. The photo must be a color or B/W print, unmounted 8"x10" or smaller. All entries must include the photographer's name and address on back, category entered, and title of the photo. Photos cannot be returned and photographers retain all rights to their images. Send to: The International Library of Photography, 3600 Crondall Lane, Suite 101-3111, Owings Mills, MD 21117. The ILP offers the world's largest prize fund available to amateur photographers and is now the largest publisher of amateur photography in the world. For info or online entries: www.picture.com/Contest/enter.html.
• For a listing of photo contests from other sites found on the Internet, go to www.handcolor.com. For a free weekly listing and to have deadlines e-mailed to you, join the mailing list at www.photocontestguide.com. This site has alphabetical and categorical indexes, as well as a calendar, winner's gallery, and more.

A Dozen FAQ's/Answers

Following are 12 Frequently Asked Questions about the airbrush and airbrush technique. These have been compiled from various letters and e-mails sent to ARTtalk.com, AirbrushTalk.Com, and airbrush manufacturers.

1. What is an airbrush?

An airbrush is a small, air-operated tool that sprays fluid (paint, ink, dye, stain, glaze, etc.). It resembles, and is held like, a pen.

2. How does an airbrush work?

The airbrush must be attached to an air source to spray. The artist turns on the airbrush by depressing a trigger, which on most airbrushes regulates the amount of paint delivered. As the artist pulls back on the trigger, a combination of air and paint are sprayed.

3. What type of airbrush is best for me?

This depends on your desired application. Most artists today use single or dual action, internal mix airbrushes because they offer the most control and the finest of sprays. However, single action, external mix airbrushes are very popular for hobby and craft applications, the spraying of ceramic glazes or high viscosity materials, or where cost is a factor. (They are less expensive.)

4. What types of surfaces can be worked on?

All surfaces can be airbrushed paper, canvas, plastic, metal, glass, wood, leather, skin, etc. The key is to insure that the material sprayed is compatible with the surface.

5. What is masking?

Masking--or in airbrush vernacular, frisketing--is any system in which you block spray from invading a specific area of an artwork or surface with some type of stencil, masking material, frisket film, template, tape, or found object.

6. When is it appropriate for me to use an airbrush in my own work?

Anytime, but particularly when you want to achieve a soft look with no visible brush strokes.

7. What kinds of paint can I use with the airbrush?

All paints are sprayable (oils, acrylics, watercolors, automotive paints, enamels, alkyds, etc.) as long as they are thinned to a consistency that enables them to flow easily through the airbrush.

8. Are airbrushes hard to clean?

No, it's quite a simple task. But it is important to develop a habit of regular maintenance by flushing with the appropriate cleaning agent for the paint or material that is being sprayed. The airbrush should be cleaned between color changes, with a thorough cleaning at the end of the workday.

9. Is airbrushing safe?

Yes, but use a common sense approach. Remember that you are spraying materials into the environment and neither you nor anyone else should inhale them. It is essential to work with good ventilation and exhaust fans (if not an airbrush spray booth) and to wear a carbon filter respirator when spraying toxic materials such as automotive paint.

10. What types of air sources are available?

Three different types of air sources may be used with the airbrush. First is the airbrush compressor; next is a carbonic gas tank (CO₂ or nitrogen); and third is the propellant can (for limited applications).

11. How much air is necessary to operate an airbrush?

As a rule of thumb, you need « cubic foot of air (cfm) at 30 pounds per square inch (psi) to propel an airbrush. You can work at lower or higher pressures, depending on the materials sprayed and the effects desired, but the cfm requirement remains the same.

12. Are instructional books and videotapes available on the airbrush and techniques?

There are many books on the market on airbrush technique, particularly those that discuss basics, as well as an array of videotapes. Your local art materials supply store will have them in stock. There is also a basic introductory course in airbrush technique located online at www.airbrushtalk.com.

It is common for the novice to ask the foregoing questions. But, for those more advanced users who have technical questions, you can e-mail them to airbrushtalk.com at arttalk5@aol.com to be forwarded for appropriate responses.

Winners Announced -- Among the five recipients of the 12^th Praemium Imperiale Awards are painter Ellsworth Kelly and French sculptor Niki deSaint Phalle. The Japanese Imperial family in Tokyo will present prizes of about $140,000 each in October.

Contemporary Art Acquired -- The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has acquired four works by James Turrell, an installation artist, that will be accompanied by a fifth work, a gift from the artist. These first installation pieces in the NGA's collection can be viewed in the East Building, probably in 2002.

Moose, et al, is Loose -- According to the New York Times, the Cow Parade in New York City this summer apparently is not unique. You can view 50 "Moose in the City" statues through mid October in downtown Toronto; 70 "Peanuts on Parade" statues in St. Paul until early October, 400 "Big Pig Gig" pigs in downtown Cincinnati until October 31, and other select figures in Orlando, Grand Rapids, New Orleans, St. Louis, and Pawtucket.

Guidelines Established -- In response to criticism over the financing of "Sensation" at the Brooklyn Museum last year, the American Association of Museums has adopted new ethical guidelines on how museums should finance and supervise such exhibitions borrowed from private collections. If the association adopts the now-voluntary guidelines, museums that fail to follow them could be denied accreditation.

Sculpture Purchased -- The Seattle Art Museum has purchased "Eagle," a 39-foot high steel sculpture by Alexander Calder. Formerly on loan to the city of Philadelphia, the sculpture will eventually find a home in the new Olympic Sculpture Park.

Milestone -- Hananiah Harari, an American painter and illustrator, has died at age 87. He was one of a group of painters who promoted the cause of international Modernism and Abstraction in the U.S. in the '30's, and his works are in the permanent collections of many prominent museums.

Architect Named -- The Denver Art Museum has selected Daniel Libeskind to design a new 146,000 sq. ft. building. It will almost double the size of the museum when completed in 2004.

Statue Unveiled -- The bravery and spirit of late tennis champion Arthur Ashe has been commemorated in a statue recently unveiled at the U.S. Open. The seven-foot tall roughly modeled bronze statue by artist Eric Fischl stands outside Arthur Ashe Station at the National Tennis Center, Queens, N.Y.

Exhibitions:

Los Angeles, CA -- J. Paul Getty Museum -- "Painting on Light: Drawings and Stained Glass in the Age of Dürer and Holbein" offers a unique opportunity to view the milestones of German and Swiss stained glass with more than 60 glass panels and approximately 80 preparatory drawings from various collections. Through Sept. 24; then travels to the St. Louis Art Museum.

Columbus, GA -- The Columbus Museum -- "Young America: Treasures from the Smithsonian's American Art Museum" opens Sept. 10 through Nov. 5.

Savannah, GA -- Telfair Museum of Art -- "Scenes of American Life: Treasures from the Smithsonian's American Art Museum" opens Sept. 12 through Nov. 12.

Wichita, KS -- Wichita Art Museum -- "The Gilded Age: Treasures from the Smithsonian's American Art Museum" opens Sept. 24 through Nov. 19.

Springfield, MA -- Connecticut Valley Historical Museum -- "The Political Dr. Seuss" assembles about 50 of his political cartoons. Through Oct. 16.

Washington, DC -- Corcoran Gallery of Art -- "Norman Rockwell: Pictures for the American People" features more than 70 oil paintings and all 322 Saturday Evening Post covers. Through Sept. 24.

New York, NY -- Metropolitan Museum of Art -- "John Singer Sargent Beyond the Portrait Studio: Paintings, Drawings and Watercolors From the Collection" features about 100 oils, watercolors, and drawings. Through Sept. 24.

Ann Arbor, MI -- U. of Michigan Museum of Art -- "The White House Collection of American Crafts" features 72 works in glass, ceramic, metal, wood, and fiber by 77 of America's leading craft artists. Through Oct. 22.

Miami, FL -- Miami Art Museum -- "New Work: William Wegman" focuses on contemporary fashion trends and features a group of 32 large-format Polaroid photos that display his famous Weimaraners. Through Oct. 8.

Birthdays:
10    Sir John Soane
12    Ben Shahn
16    Jean Arp
18    Mark de Suvero
28    Caravaggio

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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 10 No. 11 -- September 2000