5 Painters I Love by Celia Hirschman
Celia Hirschman, KCRW Host.
I’ve been an insomniac for decades. I could go to sleep, but I’d find myself wide awake at 3AM unable to rest. Then 15 years ago, a friend suggested that I do something relevant with the time I was awake. I began make art – drawing, painting and collage. Then I studied other artists. Here are some of my favorite painters:
1. Lucien Freud - (Born in Germany, but emigrated to London before WW2). Freud’s paintings are magnificently subtle. He masters the poetry of using perspective, color and style to communicate the complicated nature of humanity in his subjects. Even his plants have feelings. Only the grandson of the great Sigmund Freud could have such insight.
2. Alice Neel – (American) This WPA artist painted extraordinary simple portraits, You are continually refreshed by the candor in the expression. Sometimes she knew her subject well, other times not. I spent one summer in NYC visiting Alice Neels’ paintings every week at the Whitney. They became great friends.
3. Richard Diebenkorn - (American) All of his paintings share an architectural grid-like quality to them. Yet despite the contrived limitations, the paintings exude a deep and profound soulfulness. “Woman In Profile” communicates so much in a single piece.
4. Edward Hopper – (American) Clearly Richard Diebenkorn was deeply influenced by Edward Hopper, who shared a similar love for dark figurative soulfulness and gridlike design. One of my favorites of his is the famous “NY Movie”. Just look at his deep yellow, red and orange color palette.
5. William Kentridge - (South Africa) William Kentridge embraces the political side in all humanity, choosing to see the spectrum as a whole Many of his paintings illustrate the massive imbalance between the businessman and yield of his efforts. Don’t think of him just as a painter either – his animated films are brilliant, his sculptures are wonderful – - – I’ve yet to see anything that he doesn’t do well.
