Wave (after Hokusai & Modigliani)
Pairing:
The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai
Jeanne Hebuterne with Hat and Necklace by Amedeo Modigliani
Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 10" x 12"
Artist's Insights:
Q. Did you start with the image of the wave or with the portrait?
A. I chose the image of the wave first. On the way to adopting the acrylic painting art form, I was a printmaker. In fact I recast one of my prints ("Marlene") as a painting. It is while I was making prints that I started juxtaposing images from many sources. Hokusai's woodblock print was a perfect first element. This pairing clicked almost immediately. The curve of the hat with the curve of the wave was so obvious.
I feel that the wave creates a rhythm that is picked up in the portrait. In fact there's more than one wave, or a series of subwaves. In addition, the droplets of water from the wave contribute to a delicate quality which in keeping with the image of the young woman. Also, as I have stated earlier, composition is key but in this case, the color played an important role. The cool blues in both images gives much unity to the painting.
Q. Some critics have written that Hokusai deliberately made the wave violent to depict the historical situation in Japan at the time woodcut was done. What do you think about that?
A. I ignore comments like this. As I have always maintained, an artist's work should stand alone independent of the circumstances of his life (and Modigliani had quite a life!), the historical period in which he lived, or whatever opinion a critic might have.
Print options available.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai
Jeanne Hebuterne with Hat and Necklace by Amedeo Modigliani
Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 10" x 12"
Artist's Insights:
Q. Did you start with the image of the wave or with the portrait?
A. I chose the image of the wave first. On the way to adopting the acrylic painting art form, I was a printmaker. In fact I recast one of my prints ("Marlene") as a painting. It is while I was making prints that I started juxtaposing images from many sources. Hokusai's woodblock print was a perfect first element. This pairing clicked almost immediately. The curve of the hat with the curve of the wave was so obvious.
I feel that the wave creates a rhythm that is picked up in the portrait. In fact there's more than one wave, or a series of subwaves. In addition, the droplets of water from the wave contribute to a delicate quality which in keeping with the image of the young woman. Also, as I have stated earlier, composition is key but in this case, the color played an important role. The cool blues in both images gives much unity to the painting.
Q. Some critics have written that Hokusai deliberately made the wave violent to depict the historical situation in Japan at the time woodcut was done. What do you think about that?
A. I ignore comments like this. As I have always maintained, an artist's work should stand alone independent of the circumstances of his life (and Modigliani had quite a life!), the historical period in which he lived, or whatever opinion a critic might have.
Print options available.