Fragonard's Transformation of "Young Girl Reading"

And now for the big reveal . . . introducing Fragonard’s “Portrait of a Woman with a Book” (simulation)! Our researchers were able to establish that “Portrait of a Woman with a Book” existed as a “complete” painting for at least six months before it was changed into “Young Girl Reading.” The composition once showed a woman with her head turned outwards, looking at the spectator. She wore a large feathered headdress dotted with colored beads, a thinner neck ruffle than in the subsequent painting, and she was illuminated by a frontal light source. An amorphous folding shape in the background behind her was suggested to be a curtain on the basis of precedents in 17th- and 18th-century French portraiture. Read the full story of how we came to this discovery: http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/press/2015/fragonard.html This simulation, generated by cross-referencing various imaging techniques, was created by Gallery staffers Becca Goodman and Denis Doorly. Stay tuned as our three detectives Yuriko, John, and Michael continue their research on the series. Look for an upcoming talk at the Gallery in June! #ArtAtoZ #GirlReading

A photo posted by National Gallery of Art (@ngadc) on Apr 11, 2015 at 7:11am PDT

Velázquez at the Grand Palais in Paris from March 15 to July 13, 2015

For me, exhibitions devoted to the paintings of the Spanish artist Diego Velázquez always evoke a sense of wonder and possibility. Velázquez' paintings hold me spellbound. I will be in Verona, Italy in May and will find my way to Paris for sure. Perhaps a rendezvous with the esteemed restorer from the Van Gogh Museum - René Boitelle?

An exhibition produced jointly by the RMN-Grand Palais and the Musée du Louvre, in collaboration with the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

Curator : Guillaume Kientz, curator in the Department of paintings, Musée du Louvre
Exhibition design : Maciej Fiszer

Diego Velázquez
Portrait of Pope Innocent X56"x47" oil on canvas c1650
Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Rome

25 March 2015 to 13 July 2015

Open : Sundays and Mondays from 10 am to 8 pm,

Wednesdays to Saturdays from 9 am to 10 pm

Closed on Tuesdays

Closed 1st May

Closed at 6pm on 25th and 26th March

Access : metro line 1 and 13 « Champs-Elysées-Clemenceau » or line 9 « Franklin D. Roosevelt »

Attributed to Diego Velázquez
Man With a Wine Glass
Toledo Museum of Art

DIEGO VELÁZQUEZ, FROM 15 MARCH TO 13 JULY 2015 AT THE GRAND PALAIS.

From Tehran to Ferguson: Social Justice in Contemporary Art - A Conversation Begins

Titus Kaphar

Jerome II, 2014

Oil, gold leaf and tar on wood panel

7 × 10 ½ in.

Courtesy the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

©Titus Kaphar

As protests against police brutality continue across the United States in the wake of the deaths of Eric Garner in New York and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, contemporary  artists have joined the debate in artworks of extraordinary power and grace. From the Occupy Movement, to LGBT rights, to Black Lives Matter, to the issues surrounding “Je suis Charlie”, contemporary art, often of a representational bent, helps shed light on the complex nature of our times.

Feroze Alam and Ravinder Padam
Ferguson

As a contemporary artist, I find it necessary to engage in the issue of social justice in my own artwork, and have found myself part of a disparate but powerful artistic community of painters and sculptors from Feroze Alam and Ravinder Padam in London, to Titus Kaphar, Kehinde Wiley and Joy Garnett in New York, to Paint for Peace in St. Louis, to Mark Vallen in Los Angeles, to David Dalla Venezia in Venice, Italy.

For the past four years, I have been an invited lecturer on Art and Social Justice at UCLA and drawing from the content of my lectures and the feedback I have received from students and faculty, I aim to deepen and expand the dialogue.  Art goes beyond the mere hashtag to the heart of the matter in the social struggles of our times.

I will start on Monday with a piece on the beautifully provocative art of Titus Kaphar which is currently on view at the Studio Museum in Harlem, which offers free admission today - Saturday, January 31st. I hope you join me in this journey.

Lust, Lecherousness, and Love

by Gregg Chadwick

Peter Clothier's scurrilously witty new novel "The Pilgrim's Staff" explores lust, lecherousness, and love through the voices of two men from two disparate centuries. David Soames, a contemporary figurative painter living as an ex-pat in Los Angeles, receives a curious package in the mail from an English cousin. Wrapped in layers of tape and memory is the two hundred year-old journal of an English gentleman, who begins his tale with the words,"I am no Rake!" "Rake" is a wonderfully antiquated word that refers to a man caught in the snares of immorality, particularly concerning the charms of the opposite sex. 

William Hogarth

A Rakes's Progress:3

The Rake at the Rose Tavern

62.5x75.2 cm oil on canvas 1734

Collection Sir John Soane's Museum, London

Writing this on the 10th of November, in a coincidence worthy of Clothier's novel, I am reminded that the 18th century English painter William Hogarth was born on this day in 1697.  Hogarth's pre-cinematic series entitled "A Rake's Progress" immediately comes to mind.  Reflecting his own deep history in the arts as both writer and arts administrator, Clothier deftly weaves artistic concerns into "The Pilgrim's Staff." In Clothier's novel both men richly voice their own sexual histories with honesty and quite a bit of humor that echoes the satirical artworks of fellow Englishmen Hogarth, Thomas Rowlandson, and George Cruikshank. 

Clothier's "The Pilgrim's Staff" is not a mere romp. The novel also explores the destructive potential of family legacy and the clouded history of power, abuse, and sexual slavery in 18th century Imperial England as well as in our contemporary world. "The Pilgrim's Staff" is a book about sexual pleasure and also a cautionary tale that reminds us not to lose the love as we lust. Highly recommended!


Notes on Peter Clothier and "The Pilgrim's Staff"

Peter Clothier learned about masculinity the British way: boarding school and Cambridge--and spent twenty years in recovery in men's group work. 

Previous books include two novels, a monograph on David Hockney, and a memoir, While I am Not Afraid: Secrets of a Man's Heart. His recent book, Persist, was acclaimed as the "ultimate survival guide for any creative artist." 

Find out more at: http://www.thepilgrimsstaff.com

Shout Out to Peter! I am honored that my painting, The Embrace, and my studio are featured on your cover. Bravo on your new book!

Oracle of Milan

by Gregg Chadwick 

Oracle of Milan
40"x30" oil on linen 2014

 Oracle of Milan is the first in an upcoming series of time lapse videos that document the stages and alterations inherit in my painting process. The first impression is key in the formation of an artwork and the opening frames of the video show that something dynamic is present in this new painting. I allow the painting to speak to me with visual clues that lead to new paths. Oracle of Milan was begun in June 2013. Over the past year, I have added and subtracted figures, colors, and elements to arrive at the last frames of the video which show the painting today. Is it finished? Is anything ever finished? Only time will tell. 

 The video is backed by The National's haunting song England, which has been on a National heavy playlist that has played throughout my painting sessions for Oracle of Milan.


 

News and Events: Winter 2014

Gregg Chadwick

Pennsylvania 4901

54”x54” oil on linen 2014

                                                

Recent Events: Winter 2014

1. My paintings were featured in the Sandra Lee Gallery booth at the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair-an international art fair held Feb 13-16, 2014 at the Convention Center in Palm Springs, California.

2. From January 9, 2014 until February 28, 2014, at the Sandra Lee Gallery in San Francisco, California, my paintings were included in a group exhibition along with work by Kathryn Arnold, Henry Jackson, Irena Kononova, Jeremy Morgan, Jeffrey Palladini, Hyun Su Park, Daniel Phill, George Rivera, Jungsan Senim and others. 

3. I was recently interviewed by the Los Angeles Business Journal for an article about the Saatchi Art Gallery. 

4. My painting Mulholland Blue was included in Saatchi Art's "Best of 2013" feature: http://art.saatchionline.com/bestof2013/

5. On Friday, December 13th, 2013 we chased away the demons with an inspiring book reading at Book Soup on Sunset in Hollywood with the presentation of “Burning the Midnight Oil: Illuminating Words for the Long Night's Journey into Day”, which includes my essay “Night Painting”. And at Book Passage in Corte Madera on December 18, 2013 at 7 pm we brought the house down with another inspired event. 

This marvelous book, edited by Phil Cousineau, includes an inspiring array of essays and poems: including pieces by Vincent Van Gogh, Walt Whitman, Pico Iyer, Rabandranath Tagore, Mary Oliver, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Jorge Borges, William Blake, Mikkel Aaland, Kent Chadwick, Alexander Eliot, Jane Winslow Eliot, Li Po, Antler, Annie Dillard, Charles Bukowski, R B Morris, Willis Barnstone, Bruce Chatwin, James Norwood Pratt, Tess Harper, Stuart Balcomb, Richard Beban, Gregg Chadwick, and more.

More on “Burning the Midnight Oil: Illuminating Words for the Long Night's Journey into Day” on NPR's Weekend Edition.

6. Saatchi Art featured my painting Il Poeta di Milano at Dwell on Design, America’s largest design event, at the Los Angeles Convention Center - June 21-23, 2013. The event was curated by the editors of Dwell magazine. 

7. My paintings were showcased in the Sandra Lee Gallery booth at artMRKT San Francisco - an international art fair held May 16-19, 2013 in the Festival Pavilion - Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, California. 

8. I spoke at the “Categorically Not” event on Sunday May 19, 2013 at the Santa Monica Art Studios about my painting process and “what lies beneath” the layers of paint and the layers of ideas that go into each of my works. The event was held in the Arena One Gallery. You can see more on this event at the Categorically Not website. 

9. My painting Study for the City Dreams was in the Silent Art Auction at The 34th anniversary of the Venice Art Walk & Auctions which took place on Sunday, May 19th, 2013 at Google Los Angeles in the Frank Gehry designed Binoculars Building

10. Review by Jeffrey Carlson in Fine Art Connoisseur:

Gregg Chadwick and Painting Time    

Valentine's Day

Gregg Chadwick
The Golden Hour
10"x8" oil on panel 2014

Happy Valentine's Day!

I thought I would feature a new painting and Bruce Springsteen's haunting version of his song For You to honor lovers across the globe.

Deerhead Diner

by Gregg Chadwick

Gregg Chadwick

  Deerhead Diner

24”x36” oil on linen 2014

Like a scene pulled from a Scorsese film or lifted from a Sopranos’ episode, my painting “Deerhead Diner” evokes an American scene of tough guys and two bit joints. Inspired by an actual diner I would visit in Queens near LaGuardia airport, “Deerhead Diner” depicts a timeless yet vanishing world.

Today - 9th Anniversary of Santa Monica Art Studios Continues!

Gregg Chadwick
Revolutions
48"x36" oil on linen 2013

Please join me today for the 9th Anniversary of the Santa Monica Art Studios!

  Sunday, October 13, 1-5 pm

My new painting, Revolutions, was also inspired by the amazing closing party held by Social Media Week-LA on Friday, September 27th at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica.
Deep House legend Marques Wyatt kept the party going all night. Caught up in the whirl of light and music, I knew I had to get it down on canvas. Come by my studio today and see the result. 

Also all of the painters, printmakers, photographers, sculptors and mixed media artists who call Santa Monica Art Studios home will open their working spaces for the event.

Santa Monica Art Studios
3026 Airport Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90405
ph:  310.397.7449
fax: 310.397.7459 

http://www.santamonicaartstudios.com
www.greggchadwick.com

Sandra Lee and Artist Gregg Chadwick at artMRKT San Francisco

Sandra Lee and Artist Gregg Chadwick at artMRKT San Francisco, a photo by GreggChadwick on Flickr.

A Painted Journey Down the Grand Canal

Canaletto's The Grand Canal in Venice from Palazzo Flangini to Campo San Marcuola, painted around 1738, provides the viewer a gondola ride down Venice's Grand Canal. Compare the 18-century city to the way it looks today in this video produced by the Getty Museum in honor of the painting's recent acquisition.

Music: Antonio Vivaldi: Oboe Concerto in C major (RV 447), Advent Chamber Orchestra. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

Empire State

 GreggChadwick 
Empire State
72"x36" oil on linen 2013

On View at artMRKT San Francisco
May 16-19, 2013
Sandra Lee Gallery, San Francisco
Booth #221

New York Minute

Gregg Chadwick
New York Minute
74"x44" oil on linen 2013

Ashland and Main

Gregg Chadwick
Ashland and Main
24"x18" oil on linen 2013

Specific Fiction (sonoba shōsetsu)

Gregg Chadwick
Specific Fiction (sonoba shōsetsu)
18" x 12" oil on linen 2013

Currently on exhibit in my solo show, The Time Between, at the Sandra Lee Gallery in San Francisco, California.

Una Poesia di Rosso (A Poem of Red)

Gregg Chadwick
Una Poesia di Rosso (A Poem of Red)
24"x20" oil on panel 2013

Currently on exhibit in my solo show, The Time Between, at the Sandra Lee Gallery in San Francisco, California.

Tokyo Blue

Tokyo Blue

Gregg Chadwick

24"x18" oil on linen 2013

More from "The Time Between" at www.greggchadwick.com

The Time Between Opens March 5th, 2013 at the Sandra Lee Gallery in San Francisco, California

The Time Between

Paintings by Gregg Chadwick

March 5 - March 30, 2013

Sandra Lee Gallery

251 Post Street, Suite 310

San Francisco, California 94108

www.sandraleegallery.com

415 291-8000

art@sandraleegallery.com

Reception for the artist:

Thursday, March 7, 2013 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Catalog Available With Essay by Peter Clothier

The Time Between: Paintings by Gregg Chadwick 

The Painted Word

The Painted Word

Gregg Chadwick
36"x48" oil on linen 2013

“If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can warm me I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only way I know it. Is there any other way?”
- Emily Dickinson

The Luminist for Ana Grace

The Luminist

GreggChadwick 

  My condolences and thoughts to jazz player Jimmy Greene and his wife Nelba as they bear the senseless loss of their beautiful little girl Ana Grace who was a victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in Connecticut.

Jimmy Greene, the American saxophonist who recently taught at the University of Manitoba, has written a brief message following the death of his daughter.  Greene wrote:

"Thank you for all of your prayers and kind words of support. As we work through this nightmare, we’re reminded how much we’re loved and supported on this earth and by our Father in heaven. As much as she’s needed here and missed by her mother, brother and me, Ana beat us all to paradise. I love you sweetie girl. "