feel-art-again

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Boogie Woogie Piet

Tomorrow marks the 65th anniversary of the death of Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan, Jr., also known as Piet Mondrian (1872-1944). At the request of readers Lauren M. and pjl, today's post pays homage to the famous cubist and abstractionist. 1. Piet Mondrian was trained in more "traditional" styles of painting, as evidenced by his 1908 "Chrysanthemum" drawing (above left). Over the years, though, he gradually moved into cubism and abstraction, eventually surpassing most of the... READ ON

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Alice Neel Exposed

Exactly 109 years ago today, the American artist Alice Neel (1900-1984) was born. Neel was everything an artist should be—controversial, bohemian, and interesting. Although she's famous—or infamous—for her nude portraits, including "Kitty Pearson" (1973), shown on the right, she also painted portraits of her neighborhoods, such as "Dominican Boys on 108th Street" (1955), shown on the left. 1. Alice Neel had four children, two girls and two boys, with... READ ON

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Four Artists Around the World

January 27 is a significant for four artists around the world. Hendrick Avercamp was baptized on January 27, 1585; Arkhip Kuindzhi was born on January 27, 1842; Seison Maeda was born on January 27, 1885; and Rita Angus died on January 27, 1970. A little about each of these talented... READ ON

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Getting Close to Chuck

Chuck Close (born 1940) is one of the most requested artists for "Feel Art Again." Referred to by some as the "rock star of contemporary art," Close is one of the most well-known contemporary portraitists. Shown above are his "Self-Portrait/Pulp" (2001) and his "Lyle" (2002). 1. As a child, Chuck Close was un-athletic and dyslexic, which led to him being considered "lazy and dumb." When he began taking private art lessons at age 8, though, he became the envy of his... READ ON

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Goldberg Contest Winner

Last Saturday, we announced our first-ever "Feel Art Again" contest, challenging our readers to design Rube Goldberg devices. Entrants were asked to "draw as complex a device as you can think of for a very simple task. The more complex the device or the funnier the device/task/situation, the better." And the winner is.... The Winner:... READ ON

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Two on the Twenty-Second

Today's "Feel Art Again" takes a brief look at two influential but little-known artists who were born 130 years apart on this date, January... READ ON

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Catching the Heart of America: Andrew Wyeth

On Friday, January 16, 2009, the American painter Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) passed away. Known as the "painter of the people" and "America's artist," but also as a "Martha Stewart existentialist, " Wyeth had a lasting impact on the art world and on America. So, in remembrance of the man who "caught the heart of America," according to Richard Nixon, today's post features Andrew Wyeth and his 2003 painting, "The Carry." 1. The 247... READ ON

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Contest: Rube Goldberg Devices

In conjunction with our two "Feel Art Again" posts on Rube Goldberg (Jan. 10 and today), we're offering mental_floss's first drawing contest! What To Do: Invent and draw a Rube Goldberg-esque device, with an explanation. What does that mean? Draw as complex a device as you can think of for a very simple task. The more complex the device or the funnier the device/task/situation, the better. For ideas, refer to the collection of Goldberg's cartoons on the official Rube... READ ON

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Rube Goldberg, part 2

As a continuation of last Saturday's post on Rube Goldberg, here are four more tidbits that you may not know about the man who coined the phrase, "I don't know from nothin'!" 4. Goldberg, like many artists, originally pursued a more practical profession: engineering. He received a degree in engineering from the University of California's College of Mining at Berkeley and worked for the city of San Francisco for 6 months. After the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, Goldberg joked that his... READ ON

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Get a Closer Look: Yves Tanguy

At the request of reader Peter, today we will take a look at Yves Tanguy (1900-1955), a French-American surrealist who passed away on this date 54 years ago. 1. In 1922 or 1923, Yves Tanguy was so affected by a Giorgio de Chirico painting, "Le cerveau de l'enfant" (1914), that he took up painting himself, although he had never received any formal training. Upon glimpsing de Chirico's painting in a gallery window while he was riding a bus, Tanguy actually jumped off the moving bus to... READ ON