For our current exhibition “In the Style Of,” our artist members looked to famous artists and artwork for inspiration. As a result, the artwork on display highlights influences from the likes of Edward Hopper, Piet Mondrian, Mark Rothko, and more! Today we are taking a closer look at some of the pieces that were made “in the style of” past artists.
Thomas Stocker, Unexpected Rug (Not a Mondrian), acrylic on canvas, 31 x 25” SOLD
Piet Mondrian’s “De Stijl” art, which translates to “The Style” art, is distinctive for its colored blocks that are broken up by horizontal and vertical lines. Repurposing Piet Mondrian’s 1930 painting Composition with Red Blue and Yellow, Thomas Stocker painted this famous Mondrian artwork as a stylized rug. Interestingly, this is not the first time Mondrian’s stylish artwork has been reinterpreted in another art form—notably, French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent created the Mondrian Collection of dresses in 1965.
Chris Firger, Cleanup in Cambridge, acrylic on canvas, 23 x 29”
Chris Firger’s Cleanup in Cambridge takes inspiration from the “Group of Seven,” which was a group of seven Canadian landscape artists, including Lawren Harris, A. Y. Jackson, and Frederick Varley. Lawren Harris is an obvious influence on Chris Firger’s work, as Harris was known to paint arctic mountains in a simple palette of jewel and neutral tones.
JoAnne Chittick, House on the Common, watercolor, 22 x 26”
This mansion by JoAnne Chittick was directly inspired by Edward Hopper’s 1939 painting Pretty Penny. Though Hopper’s mansion is located in New York and Chittick’s is in New England, both paintings show similarities in the mansion’s architectural style, palette, and perspective.
Jon Allan Marshall, Moonlight Sail – Homage to A.P. Ryder, oil on panel, 15 x 18”
Taking inspiration from A.P. Ryder, Jon Allan Marshall painted this atmospheric seascape. An American painter, Ryder was known for his moody, dream-like seascapes magnified with moonlight. Incorporating these motifs into his work, Jon Allan Marshall’s Moonlight Sail can be compared to some of A.P. Ryder’s famous works, especially The Lovers’ Boat.
Nancy Colella, Coastal Living, oil on canvas, 13 x 13”
Nancy Colella’s Coastal Living was inspired by Richard Diebenkorn, which is evident in Colella’s use of color field painting. Throughout her piece, Colella creates fields of solid colors to de-emphasize her brushstrokes, thus simplifying and abstracting her painting.
Jim Connelly, Necco Bridge, oil on canvas, 14 x 18”
For his oil painting Necco Bridge, Jim Connelly found inspiration through artists Charles Demuth and Charles Sheeler. Sheeler and Demuth were American painters credited with developing Precisionism, an art style and movement that emerged after World War I. Precisionism, which is sometimes referred to as Cubist-Realism, depicts themes of industrialization and modernization while incorporating sharp, geometrical lines and forms.
Roger Palframan, Movement on Boylston, transition, photography, 35 x 42”
Avant-garde and abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko created distinctive “multiform” paintings, which are characterized by horizontal and vertical color fields with soft edges. Recently, photographer Roger Palframan seized the opportunity to capture a Rothko-styled photograph at the Boston Marathon. His photograph Movement on Boylston, transition, shows the yellow Boston Marathon finish line on top, its black border or “transition” in the middle, and the gray gravel on the bottom. Large in size like a Rothko painting, Palframan’s work envelops viewers with its colors.
Our stylish and inspired artwork in “In the Style Of” is on view in the Upper Gallery and at Boston Private Bank in the Prudential Center through April 12th. See the exhibition before it closes in two weeks!
Banner Image: Roger Palframan, Movement on Boylston, transition, photography, 35 x 42”