Lucian Freud: Man With a Blue Scarf by Martin Gayford

I was saddened to hear of the recent death of painter Lucian Freud, arguably the greatest painter of our age. I reviewed Martin Gayford's wonderful book about Freud: Man with a Blue Scarf: On Sitting for a Portrait by Lucien Freud in December and am re-publishing it here as a tribute to him.

R.I.P.

Man with a Blue Scarf: On Sitting for a Portrait by Lucien Freud by art critic Martin Gayford gives unprecedented access into the otherwise private realm of artist Lucian Freud's studio, and a look at the slow, deliberate process of painting his masterful portraits. Gayford sat for his portrait from November 2003 through July 2004, for hundreds of hours in the same position, with his right leg crossed over his left, wearing the same clothes, bathed in the same pool of light in the darkened studio, sometimes in silence, sometimes in dialog with Freud. He kept a diary as they went along, recording bits of conversation, thoughts and observations. It is from this diary that he has crafted this charming and revelatory book.

What struck me most about this book was the insight into Freud's process -- specifically, how slowly and intentionally he paints and how that would seem to contradict his broad, spontaneous-looking brushstrokes. The portrait in this case starts with a quick charcoal sketch on canvas, over which Freud begins applying paint to the area between the sitter's eyes, working slowly out in all directions, leaving parts of the white canvas unpainted almost until the very end. Intense concentration and looking proceed each brush stroke, and often the stroke is "practiced" by tracing it in the air with his arm. Once on the canvas, if the stroke isn't exactly right, it is wiped off and the process begins again.



The progress is sometimes so slow it is difficult for Gayford to perceive: "I want the picture to move on, I want it to be finished. My hope is that he will begin a new area -- the chin, the scarf, the jacket. . . . LF [as Gayford refers to Freud throughout the book] doesn't seem remotely concerned about hurrying." The quality in Freud's work is "inextricably bound up with emotional honesty and truthfulness." It is this emotional honesty that Freud painstakingly strives for in his work, slowly building a relationship with his sitter, searching with each layer of paint for a deeper understanding and more real representation of his subject -- not just the fleshy corporal outer shell that he depicts so masterfully, but also the complex underlying substrata and depth.



Man with a Blue Scarf is illustrated with over 50 mostly color illustrations of paintings from all periods of Freud's career, photos of Freud at work in his studio, as well as reproductions of the work of other artists who influenced him. The book is sprinkled with Freud's insights and opinions of artists, mostly the old masters, as well as anecdotes about those he has known personally over the course of his long career.

I highly recommend Man with a Blue Scarf: On Sitting for a Portrait by Lucian Freud for anyone who has ever painted, is thinking about painting, or simply admires Freud's work.

Click here to buy the book from Barnes & Noble (Offramp Gallery receives a small commission from each sale)

Ongoing at Offramp Gallery
Closing Reception, Sunday July 31, 2-5pm
Benefit Art Sale Supporting Jade Bemiller's Fight to Beat Leukemia
July 17-31, 2011

Participating Artists:

Lisa Adams, Frank Alvarado, Elonda Billera, Quinton Bemiller, Wilhelm Bleckmann, Richard Bruland, Anita Bunn, Elaine Carhartt, Marilyn Cvitanic, Joyce Dallal, Jason Dawes, Asad Faulwell, Chuck Feesago, Pat Gainor, Sandra Gallegos, Janice Gomez, Mark Steven Greenfield, James Griffith, D. Jean Hester, Stanton Hunter, Kathryn Jaroneski, Denise Johnson, Myron Kaufman, Bianca Kolonusz-Partee, Kimi Kolba, Nicholette Kominos, Linsley Lambert, Pamela Lewis, Patricia Liverman, J.J. L'Heureux, Meg Madison, Megan Madzeoff, Tony Maher, Amy Maloof, Kristan Marvel, Dan Taulapapa McMullin, Tom Norris, Feclicity Nove, David Pagel, Laura Parker, Josh Peters, Mei Xian Qiu, Frederika Roeder, Susan Sironi, Veronica Stensby, Theodore Svenningsen, Jackie Tchakalian, Sophia Tise, Rebecca Trawick, Ruth Trotter, Michelle Wiener . . . and more.

Upcoming Events at Offramp Gallery

September 2-4, Offramp Gallery will be participating in Flag Stop, an alternative contemporary art event. We will be showing gallery artists in three PODS.

Lisa Adams: Born This Way
September 11 - October 9, 2011
Opening Reception, Sunday, September 11, 2-5pm
Artist's Talk, Vicissitude of Circumstance Book Signing & Closing Reception, Sunday, October 9, 2-5pm

Susan Sironi: New ABCs: Altered Books & Collages
October 23 - November 20, 2011
Opening Reception: Sunday, October 23, 2-5pm

Artists Step Up to the Plate to Help a Child in Need

When Offramp Gallery artists Megann Zwierlein and Quinton Bemiller welcomed their third beautiful, healthy, daughter into the world earlier this year, the mood was celebratory and life was good. The family was thriving. Baby Violet was perfection. Oldest daughter Lillie, 6, was about to complete first grade and was excited to have been chosen as a Princess in the local Camelia Festival. Middle child, Jade, had started pre-school and was loving it. She was a perfectly normal four-year-old, except for the occasional pains in her leg, which her parents and doctor dismissed as growing pains.

Jade


Just about the time baby Violet turned two months old, Jade woke up one morning at 3am crying because her leg was hurting. Nothing would ease the pain so Megann and Quinton took her to the doctor. X-rays were taken to see if there was a fracture to her bone. Nothing showed up on the x-rays and the doctor told them to continue to give her over-the-counter children’s pain medication.

When Jade was still crying at 5pm, Megann and Quinton took her to the emergency room where more blood was taken. This time the blood test came back slightly abnormal. They were told that Jade was most likely having residual effects from an earlier viral infection, causing the pain in her leg and the mild anemia that her blood test indicated. She was given a stronger pain medication and finally fell asleep.

But the pain in her leg persisted. If she was supposed to have her pain medication every four hours, she was crying at three hours. Two days later, she was taken back to the doctor and more blood was taken. This time they were told that Jade had severe anemia and iron supplements were prescribed. Given Jade’s healthy diet, Megann and Quinton were certain something more serious than anemia was wrong and took matters into their own hands.

Quinton took the numbers from Jade’s full blood work-up and did an internet search. He wasn’t happy with the results. According to his amateur research, the numbers all pointed to something serious that was causing her bone marrow not to function properly. They called the doctor again, who, sensing their concern, referred them to Children’s Hospital, where more blood work and a grueling full-body bone scan were done.

As soon as the tired and worried family returned home from that first visit to Children’s Hospital, they got a phone call saying there was abnormal activity in Jade’s left femur and that she needed a blood transfusion ASAP. They rushed back to the hospital, where Jade was admitted as a patient. By this time, she was lethargic, wasn’t eating, wouldn’t walk and her lips were the same pale color as her face. She was going downhill fast.

After the transfusion, bone marrow extraction and other tests, the family spent a restless night at the hospital. And then finally, after another excruciating day of waiting, a diagnosis: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Jade would need extensive treatment including two and a half years of chemotherapy. The news was almost more than the parents could absorb. Megann describes feeling like she had been “hit by a ton of bricks” and that everything seemed surreal. She and Quinton both felt like they were living someone else’s life. The anxiety and disbelief were overwhelming.




Jade drops off a self portrait (with hair) that she painted for the benefit exhibition

Megann and Quinton do not have private health insurance. Quinton is a part-time teaching artist and Megann is a stay-at-home mom/artist. The girls’ health care is covered by the State of California for now, but if Quinton’s salary increases or Megann goes back to work, they will most likely find themselves in the unenviable position of losing state coverage and having to buy private insurance, to say nothing of paying for childcare for three kids.

The good news is that ALL is now the most treatable form of childhood leukemia, with about an 80% survival rate (as opposed to 0% 40 years ago). Jade has finished her first round of chemotherapy, or induction, and is now officially in remission. But she still has a long way to go, including two more years of chemotherapy with the inherent risks of infection, side-effects and a compromised immune system.

Meanwhile, news of the diagnosis spread fast. Everyone wanted to help. Offramp Gallery was scheduled to be closed in July and August, so it was a perfect time to have a benefit exhibition. I sent out a call to Offramp artists and they responded enthusiastically, happy to have a chance to help. Word spread and by the time we opened the doors at the opening reception last Sunday, we had 115 donated works of art from 75 artists.

Food, drink and advertising were also donated. We had full-time volunteer help for the five days it took to put the exhibition together (thanks again everyone!). So far we’ve raised about $5,000 in art sales, silent auction bids and donations – more than half from artists buying other artists’ work. The exhibition continues through the closing reception on Sunday, July 31 and we hope to add significantly to the amount of money raised by that time.

Click here for a website devoted to Jade's fight where you can contribute money, keep track of her progress and learn more about leukemia.

MFA: Is It Necessary? -- The Debate

Thanks to everyone who participated in survey I posted a few weeks ago about whether or not MFAs were necessary in becoming a successful artist. (Click here to see the results.) Your opinions were invaluable to me as I crafted my presentation.

The July 10 debate was part of Artillery Magazine's ongoing series "Artillery Sets the Standard," and was held at the Standard Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Many thanks to publisher Paige Wery and editor Tulsa Kinney for inviting me to participate. There were four debates and made for a lively and informative afternoon (the free vodka didn't hurt).

The debate was: "MFA: Is it Necessary?" I was debating the "con" side of the question. The format was a four minute presentation, followed by a two minute rebuttal, a one minute rebuttal and a 30 second conclusion. When Artillery posts the full video of the debate, I will post it here. Meanwhile, here is the text of my presentation and conclusion along with my Power Point slides.

Hello. My opponent has made some interesting points, some of which I'll address in my presentation, others will have to wait for the rebuttal.

I don't have a degree in anything -- I dropped out of college in my Junior year. I felt I was wasting my parents' money, majoring in marijuana and guitar. 

A degree is not something I look for when selecting artists for Offramp Gallery. The bottom line is always the work. I look for work that's honest, creative, original, skillfully executed and intensely visual. It's supposed to be VISUAL art after all.

Everyone has an opinion on this subject. But I wanted data, facts to back up my point of view.*

First of all -- The only situation for which you are required to have an MFA is if you want to teach studio art at the university level. There are precious few tenured teaching positions available and competition for them is fierce. Most artists I know end up chasing adjunct jobs across several counties and/or have an unrelated day job.

Then I looked at the artists I've shown at Offramp. 48% have MFAs. So, there is no advantage, no disadvantage.

But what about other commercial galleries? I spent an insane amount of time researching artists from several successful commercial galleries. You may be surprised at what I found.

LA Louver: 56% have MFAs

Blum & Poe: 55%

Ace: 41%

Gagosian 34%

If you put those numbers all together (including Offramp), only 40% of the artists have MFAs.

Next I looked at ArtFacts.net which ranks over 200,000 artists using a special algorithm based on which galleries and museums artists have shown at, with whom, etc. I looked at their top 50 living artists -- and of those 50 top living artists only 11 out of 50, or 22% have MFAs.

Typical costs for a two year MFA in studio art are: $28,000 -$73,000 and a three-year program would be $41,000 -$109,000. That's a lot of student debt to carry after graduation.

I also put together a little survey and sent it to my email list. I asked the respondents who were artists to what degree they were able to make a living as an artist. As you can see there wasn't that much difference between artists with or without an MFA.

I looked at the Pollock-Krasner Grant recipients for 2009-10. Out of 75, 40 have MFAs, or 53%. Again, no clear cut advantage.

So, from all the statistics I was able to put together there seems to be no distinct advantage to having an MFA -- for getting a gallery, showing in museums, for making a living as an artist and for getting grants.

And what are these schools teaching? I personally think there is an over-emphasis on dialog and an under-emphasis on content. We're teaching artists to TALK about art. Anything is art as long as you can justify it using the codified language of academia. As my friend Ted says, there's no good art, no bad art, just an endless dialog about art.

Finally I want to quote New York Magazine art critic Jerry Saltz in a recent article about the Venice Biennale and what he calls "Generation Blank":

"It’s work stuck in a cul-de-sac of aesthetic regress, where everyone is deconstructing the same elements . . . A feedback loop has formed; art is turned into a fixed shell game, moving the same pieces around a limited board. All this work is highly competent, extremely informed, and supremely cerebral. But it ends up part of some mannered International School of Silly Art. " 

I couldn't agree more, and I do believe that MFA programs are largely to blame.

Conclusion:

To go over my main points again:

My research shows that an MFA doesn't give you an advantage in getting into commercial galleries or museums, making a living as an artist or getting grants.

It's very expensive and saddles you with student debt that you have very little chance of paying off by working in your chosen field.

Save your money, live your life, read, travel, pay attention, learn to think for yourself. Work hard, look inside yourself and make yourself the best artist you can be.

Oh, and BTW, I won :-)

*A word about my research: it is completely unscientific and was limited by time and resources. I included only living artists and excluded artists for whom I couldn't find enough information. I feel I just scratched the surface, but results were fairly consistent across the board.


Upcoming Events at Offramp Gallery

Benefit Art Sale Supporting Jade Bemiller's Fight to Beat Leukemia
July 17-31, 2011
Opening Reception, Sunday, July 17, 2-5pm
Closing Reception, Sunday July 31, 2-5pm

Participating Artists:

Lisa Adams, Frank Alvarado, Elonda Billera, Quinton Bemiller, Wilhelm Bleckmann, Richard Bruland, Anita Bunn, Elaine Carhartt, Marilyn Cvitanic, Joyce Dallal, Jason Dawes, Merion Estes, Asad Faulwell, Chuck Feesago, Pat Gainor, Sandra Gallegos, Janice Gomez, Mark Steven Greenfield, James Griffith, D. Jean Hester, Stanton Hunter, Kathryn Jaroneski, Denise Johnson, Myron Kaufman, Bianca Kolonusz-Partee, Kimi Kolba, Nicholette Kominos, Linsley Lambert, Pamela Lewis, Patricia Liverman, J.J. L'Heureux, Meg Madison, Megan Madzeoff, Tony Maher, Amy Maloof, Kristan Marvel, Dan Taulapapa McMullin, Tom Norris, Feclicity Nove, David Pagel, Laura Parker, Josh Peters, Mei Xian Qiu, Frederika Roeder, Susan Sironi, Veronica Stensby, Theodore Svenningsen, Jackie Tchakalian, Sophia Tise, Rebecca Trawick, Ruth Trotter, Michelle Wiener . . . and more.