Work 11. View from a Hill
Old Pete Brown was elected president of the English Art Society I noticed1. He is one of the so called contemporary impressionists one encounters in southern England and particularly Cornwall, although he is from Bath I believe. Many of these seem to have been professional illustrators presumably attracted by the extraordinary prices one can fetch for an oil versus a regular salary. Even in my own case I can sell an oil for more than my guitar cost and imagine the work gone inn to a handmade guitar! But Brown does offer up some impressive work however. It has great liveliness, it has light and it has spare render but ultimately lacks exactly the qualities that the post impressionists identified some 130 years ago, namely solidity, inner light and thought. Although he does achieve an energy of sort perhaps due more to the spareness than vigour.
You know there is now a huge industry around plein air painting with thousands of actors on the stage (with the likes Brown playing lead) but I have yet to see a single artist to paint with genuine vigour or one that has ambition to think. It is a funny thing to say about a
painting but plein air painters from every corner of the world all seem too optical. As if an orthodoxy is haunting the mind of all comers who step up to the easel which sees them rashly covering great areas of the support in general flat local colour, a step which for me kills the energy. Not satisfied they then proceed to finish the job according to some optical formula for swift naturalistic rendering. No sensation, no temperament, no urgency. No salt, no pepper, no taste. The result can be seemingly accomplished but always lacking - a great looking plate of food but no source...have these come-latelys never seen an original? Of course the phenomenon of the you tube guru is largely to blame and why not do a bit of Sunday painting but this industry is really providing and growing almost like a social movement. It reminds me a bit of surfing.
The Brown news reached me through the latest round of an art opportunities club that I joined a couple of years ago when I was in a period of extension. Its called the O List. I mention this to you because it advertised for applications to the annual exhibition of the New English Art Club. Now I have no intention of entering and consider it as nothing more than a trap set by Brown and his cohorts, that knife wielder Pinkert2 is probably involved, to separate fledgling painters from their pennies. I merely wanted to put it too you that an entry to a suitable 'open' from the Norrtälje Dignity Scholarship might be of interest to you, perhaps you can find the funds? The natural contest for us would be the Jacksons Painting Prize3 which costs but 50kr per entry or perhaps the Leamington Spa Open.4
You know these Brown paintings have found favour at Messums of Cork Street and go for up to 10,000 pounds. The contemporary art market I understand: it's 'cutting edge', it's all hot air, it's rigged, it has a global schedule, it's speculation it's investment and it makes a kind of sense. But the secondary market for pictures like Brown's, Pinkert's and that beech bum Kurt Jackson5? Well that confuses me. I do not know if they are investments pure and simple, probably not, one would be better off buying some rah girls6 degree show at the Goldsmiths7. No, I think a Brown bought today is bought for a genuine love for painting and the high price and volume sales down to the fine job done by Messums to create a good network of rich clients. Furthermore the Brown market in lovely oils does not even enter the realm of 'Vettriano world'8 where he fetches 200,000 for his colourings inn based purely of the potential of print sales. Having said all this I do understand the love for painting and if money was no object then there are a couple Browns and Pinkerts that I might add to my collection but of course nothing could be further from possible. Perhaps we could propose an exchange?
There is I feel a good deal more to say about the markets particularly the many and various dimensions of the contemporary art market and its romance with high finance, which if you watch the Bankers Guide to Art documantary9 would seem to have blossomed into a marriage but there is no time now as I am due at the sauna and I need at least three hours to achieve pure calm.
The less said about my painting trip today the better.
Yours
John
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1 British impressionist painter elected president in....
2 Neil Pinkert, Cornish painter known to paint predominantly with the palette knife.
3 Jacksons Art supplies store in London hold a popular annual painting prize which is open to all comers working in any medium. In 2016 John was interviewed by a representative of Jacksons on the strength of his entry, Rocks at Grisslehamn.
4 John's home town. The Dignity Scholarship does not advocate competition in the arts and we believe it is counter to our aims of developing creative practices of shelter and dignity. John is of course free to enter independently.
5 UK artist based in Cornwall known for large scale plein air work featuring beech scenes.
6 Derogatory slang word for an upper class person in this case a student.
7 Goldsmiths University in London
8 Refers to popular Scottish artist Jack Vettriano.
9 Documentary about contemporary art market by British film maker Ben Lewis