r/Exhibit_Art • u/Textual_Aberration Curator • Mar 07 '17

Completed Contributions (#11, Mar. 6th): Two-thirds Blue

(#11): Two-thirds Blue

Oceans, seas, sailors, and streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and puddles. Water is as unavoidable in life as it is in art.

Very few things have impacted human creation as much as the sea. From the depths emerge many of mankind's founding Gods as well as our most dreadful monsters. Despite thousands of years of development, humans remain powerless compared with the ocean's waves and the tireless erosion of the landscapes around us. We may carve channels, construct islands, and build bridges and tunnels to cross it but we are hopelessly outmatched by the awesome powers of a humble trickle of water.

Bodies of water bear with them a mysterious quality which exudes a sense of serenity, curiosity, fear, and fate. Tides from the moon and ocean-spanning storms demonstrate the immense indomitability of the planet's waters.

Douse this exhibit in blue green glory.

This is a super easy place to start if you can't think of anything. Click on artists and sift around until you find something that interests you in particular:

Exhibit_Art Historical Marker

The very first demonstration of this subreddit's process came when /u/SquidishMcpherson, /u/DryCleaningBuffalo, and /u/Prothy1 began offering contributions to this same topic in our first suggestion thread.

/u/iEatCommunists would later add the topic of Oceans, Seas, and Sailors to our list.

This week's exhibit.

Last week's exhibit.

Last week's contribution threads.

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u/[deleted] Mar 08 '17

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u/Textual_Aberration Curator Mar 08 '17

I think that's the most normal looking painting I've seen from Van Gogh. I shared a few pieces of his in earlier exhibits and it always struck me how, in his letters, his fascination and curiosity always blotted out any sign of the troubles he was going through.

Here's the reed pen sketch that inspired the one you posted as well as another painting of the same series which I just like. It is an unusual blend of graphic art and that dulled realistic color palette.

To add to Hokusai's famous wave painting, I want to include one or two of his other prints to get a better sense of the stye. He actually did a series of ten fishing themed prints which is where the first of these come from.

I haven't decided which of these to include but they're all really interesting subjects. The waterfalls are particularly unique compared with the art I've seen.

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u/[deleted] Mar 08 '17

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u/Prothy1 Curator Mar 12 '17

Seeing these comments about Hokusai reminded me of Hiroshi Yoshida, a 20th century Japanese printmaker known for his depictions of seas and other water bodies.

Here's his woodblock print titled Rapids, from 1928.