Art is a place

Choosing an appropriate setting for a painting or installation should require thoughtful consideration. In some cases a weak environment can distract from the artwork and contribute no aesthetics whatsoever. For myself I choose found objects for my artwork and then attempt to recreate the environment they came from. Rather than placing art in or around a sparse room I tend to believe the art itself needs to be aware and familiar with its surroundings. 

This is called Birthday by Ed Kienholz

History as a Planter
1961
Paint and resin on metal oven and mannequin parts with metal Jew’s Harp, newspaper, wood, plexiglass, tin, Wandering Jew plant, and electrical cord
33 1/4 x 20 1/2 x 14 1/4 in. (84.5 x 52.1 x 36.2 cm) closed
Los Angeles County Museum of Art

To Mourn a Dead Horse
1989
Wooden table, television, light, photograph,
horse’s hoof, cloth, barbed wire, artillery shell,
pencil, paint, and polyester resin
60 x 29 x 14 in. (152.4 x 73.7 x 35.6 cm)
Collection of Nancy Reddin Kienholz

One of Robert Rauschenburg's Combine paintings

 Anselm Kieffer

 Ed Kineholz

"Bed" by Robert Rauschenburg

 Robert Rauschenburg

This isn't an actual art installation-But it exemplifies how much of an impact a setting makes. Unabomber cabin in a FBI storage facility in Sacramento, California

Steve Adair

Painting flesh: artists who deal with portraiture

After high school and the first year into college I became acquainted with the work of Tai Shan Shierenberg and Lucian Freud. Both artists primarily worked in portraiture from direct observation however their approach to applying paint was completely different from other artists. Instead of blending flesh tones meticulously they made marks with individual local colors within the face. Lucian Freud for example would mix an entirely different color for each mark. This may be painstaking to some however this technique can lead to very exciting and expressive work.

Lucian Freud

Shierenburg

Ann Gale

Egon Shiele

schmidt rottluff

 Nick Lepard

Jenny Saville

Steve Adair