ArtBistro

Who are some artists of any media past or present that you think deserve a second look? You can put a link here to an article you post in the artbistro news section about the artist..

Although his stature has improved, I think Gustave Caillebotte has been overlooked in preference to better known artists like Manet, Degas, and Monet. Until the the late 1870's his style was closer to Degas and Manet than Monet. But it has strength and originality. Here is a link to an article I submitted that includes images of his work.

http://www.artbistro.com/news/3266-gustave-caillebotte-urban-impressionist

Thanks for the insight jhaber31. I find your comments on various threads to be helpful.

Richard Diebenkorn, who died in 1993, is fairly well known painter (perhaps more so on the west coast). But I don't think many people know how important he was. He worked as both a representational and abstract painter switching modes over the decades. His influences range from Edward Hopper to Matisse to Clifford Still to name a few. He was a leading figure In the Bay Area Figurative Movement, and over a period of 25 years developed a stunning series of abstracts called the Ocean Park series. He was also did important work in drawing and printmaking. For a glimpse of his work and background please feel free to look at an article I posted. He is among my favorite artists.

http://www.artbistro.com/news/3222-hail-richard-diebenkorn-so-heroic-so-underrated

Doris Lee (1905-1983) was an artist and illustrator. Lee was one of the most successful woman artists of the Depression era. She worked in sophisticated forms from a Modenist reprise of Folk Art to a more abstracted style influenced by Milton Avery and Paul Klee. Here is an article abut her work, with some links to a few samples. http://www.artbistro.com/news/3299-doris-lee

Stan suggested this artist to me. Feel free to make comments about any of the artists mentioned on this thread, or add your own choices.

You know, it's occurred to me that there's more than one kind of audience doing the ratings. Say, a lot of the reviews you'll read about certain flashy artists are negative, but they sell like hotcakes. That makes it complicated to say who's overrated. And sometimes it's just fatigue; I mean, I don't hate Frida Kahlo, but one more exhibition devoted to her and I may lose it. I do think that generally contemporary art is overpriced compared to great artists from the past. Salander, the dealer, staked his career on that, but he spent himself into bankruptcy doing so! It's ironic, since conservative writers and much of the public often complain that modern art ruined beauty and culture because anything goes, but in a way the public has voted.

Another thought is how fast reputations change. Feminism did so much to make people aware of artists like Artemisia, and wow does she deserve it. Warhol's reputation has been really a roller-coaster. The 1970s are back in museums a lot right now, and I was so glad to see something like Jennifer Bartlett's Rhapsody. My candidate for the next one from that period due for a retrospective is Dorothea Rockburne. Or, you know, there's been no big Stuart Davis retrospective, and then along came a terrific drawing show this winter, so museums probably won't be far behind.

Timothy O'Sullivan has been described as a forgotten photographer. He was an important photographer during the American Civil War behind the lines and on the battlefield, and photographed in the west after the war as a member of survey expeditions. His best known photograph may be the Canyon de Chelle, a remarkable landscape photograph. He also documented the pueblo and rock dwelling indians of the area. O'Sulliavan's images are technically fine (think of the materials equipment he was working with) and frequently display considerable artistic sensitivity. He died in 1880 at the age of 42. This link will lead you to an article about and some images by Timothy O'Sullivan.

http://www.artbistro.com/news/3335-timothy-o-sullivanforgotten-phtographer

"She had some influence on Manet." Maybe or maybe not. She was younger, followed his style, and sat for him (as perhaps his prettiest model). I think Cassatt's much more original. She can add more surprises, like flattening out a body, bringing in an explicitly female theme (most famously children), and working out the glancing composition of the woman as watcher in a theater before Renoir. Morrisot, I think, just kind of mainstreams Manet.

One thing that was funny was the other thread, on most influential artist ever. (The answer probably depends on what time period you're looking at.) But I couldn't help noticing that people insisted on citing whoever influenced them, even if it was someone so unlikely as most influential that I'll gamble a lot of people wouldn't even have heard of the person. Maybe they needed instead a thread on this topic!

jhaber31 said:

Hmm, she herself looked pretty good in black. Must have been her East Village 1990s phase.

Sandstorm

That is a good link. If they only had one painting by Morisot it would be hard to judge her by that. There were more Cassetts in the show. I envy that you were able to see the exhibit. Morisot work is sometimes hard to find in museums. That is one advantage of the internet.

I tend to use google for searches. You can use artist names or subjects. I find old friends that way, and new. There are many sites out there. At this point I don't have a favorite. The internet is a good place to do research, but you need to be able to trust the source.

Sandstorm said:

Yes, isn't the internet great, we are so luck to live in this era! I have luck finding newer artist - galleries have nice sites, I'll have to try finding the old stuff... google it!!!

Francesca Woodman

April 3, 1958-January 19th 1981. she died very young, she committed suicide by jumping off a building due to depression... but she was an extremely talented and poetic photographer, original to herself, one my favorites, and a very overlooked photographer.

you're MAD!

and he grew up not far from where i lived. and yes, i am mad.