Maximilian Toth painting or is it drawing?

These striking scenarios are produced by the young-ish American artist Maximilian Toth (not to mention a great ‘artist’ name, no?). He depicts his scenarios predominantly in white on black- producing the strong blackboard (or even inverted)-like images. The methods he uses seem to be a very natural crossing between drawing and painting- whereby smudging and smearing work into the contrasts of shadow and depth.. not to mention oils are used in some of them more obviously in some than others.

For myself, these dark spaces inhabited by the characters seem to exhibit an exercise of the memory -far more than some of the wispy paintings I see who’s main claim is commonly to be about ‘memory’. Memory isn’t necessarily dreamy, they can be extraordinarily vivid, yet nonlinear and distorted far more than we can usually ever find out.

Here is a link to an interview with the artist: http://www.artinamericamagazine.com/news-opinion/conversations/2010-01-22/maximilian-toth

Gary Hume is gorgeous

I like the integrity I have witnessed with Gary Hume. As well as the beautiful simply of his methods of painting, straight forward, relying on image making and blocks of colour. Usually painting in oil gloss on aluminium, with the association of ‘beauty’ (a dangerous word in contemporary art) always nearby.

 Water Painting (1998)

He made a name for himself while young, while the YBA’s (Young British Artists) were ‘it’. This name he made for himself was through his ‘door’ paintings. I recall seeing an interview him years ago saying how he came to a point he couldn’t paint another one or he’d go mad. So in his change over to what he is still doing now- he was swiftly dropped by his gallery, who seemed much happier for him to go mad, as long as it sold paintings. His view was that he’d been poor before- so he could do it again (that won me over). I guess he had faith on what he was working on, and what he felt he could do.

 Twins (2006)

Widow (1997)

The painter Lara Viana

The painter Lara Viana is a new and exciting discovery for me. Instantly appealing painterly thin brush strokes she incorporates in each canvas seem to strangely melt into one another, while at the same time display a mysterious depth. She has clearly found an alchemy for herself which opens up a freedom to execute the painting of objects without a hint of realism. Viana seems to have the very enviable position of making small works which draw you in and look as if they are made loosely and quickly.. not unlike a masters oil sketch.

Lara Viana was born in  Brazil. She studied at the Royal College of Art, London. She has taken part in numerous prestigious exhibitions and publications.