On the trail of some undiscovered artistic joy

January 7, 2009 12:30 PM

Having read a little about Vincent Van Gogh's life, I have a feeling there must be hundreds of technically proficient painters around with an interesting (and joyful) view on the world who will never be discovered because their personal story is not compelling enough. Where might I start looking for them and their work?
posted by zaebiz to media & arts (8 comments total)

Smaller and local galleries.
posted by rhizome at 12:56 PM on January 7

Van Gogh didn't become noted because of his personal story, but for his talent in embracing techniques of Impressionism and extending them, birthing Expressionism.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:58 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]

Etsy.
posted by medea42 at 1:15 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]

Where might I start looking for them and their work

Try taking an Art History class or reading a book on it or a particular movement/time/place. Van Gogh is linked with Impressionism, Post Impressionism and Dutch artists. Going to a bookstore or library and flipping through a book or searching the web about any of those subjects will reveal a wealth of interesting artists.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:59 PM on January 7

Artist are "discovered" by critical assessment and acclaim of their work. Van Gogh was "discovered" because his paintings were revolutionary, but I'll give you that he is now famous in the mainstream due to legends that have grown up around his life. Take an art history class. The painter Emile Bernard - normal, relatively unknown - was the child prodigy that supplied many of the ideas later exploited by Van Gogh and Gauguin to greater acclaim. Nobody has heard of him now because he was normal, and the man on the street isn't interested in having normal on his mugs and placemats.

Browse the Athenaeum - tens of thousands of artists.
posted by fire&wings at 2:06 PM on January 7

If by "technically proficient", you mean painting according to tradition, then you might start looking in China's Art Factories.

Are you looking for contemporary artists, or are you looking in the past also?
posted by kidbritish at 4:13 PM on January 7

My take on it... Van Gogh was technically "proficient", but I've never thought he was a master at his craft. His early work is pretty clumsy/clunky. Later he became proficient at a unique style of his own. What has made him such a recognized (and wonderful) artist is the soul of his works. His immense dedication to them, and what they tell us about his inner world. They are truly unique in this. Yes he lead a tortured and difficult life, but this was not largely known until later. He was "discovered" well after he was dead, which, alas, didn't do him much good. I think his brother Theo did a lot to promote him posthumously. If you want a fascinating look into the mind of Van Gogh, read his collection of letters to his brother, perhaps the most authentic look into an artist's mind available.

So where does one find today's "undiscovereds"? There are gazillions of talented people out there. Are you interested in WHO they are? What their LIVES are like? Or perhaps just the work they produce? I'd say look online at at galleries for the "up and comers"... but fame and fate are fickle... so finding them may be a challenge.

Then again, if YOU think they are great, then they have been discovered in a small nice way.
posted by ecorrocio at 8:13 PM on January 7

I have a feeling there must be hundreds of technically proficient painters around with an interesting (and joyful) view on the world who will never be discovered because their personal story is not compelling enough.

This really doesn't reflect the art world I know. Browse any major museum and you'll find 99% of it populated by works from artists who have virtually no compelling personal story, but nevertheless created compelling art.

There is a general popular understanding that mental illness and creativity are connected, but it's by no means a given.

Just to cite one example I know, Carl Larsson, considered the national painter of Sweden, evidently lived a long, dull, mostly happy life surrounded by family -- as his oeuvre copiously demonstrates. It didn't prevent him from fame. (Although he is not universally admired, to be sure.) By contrast, the Norwegian Edvard Munch did suffer from intermittent madness, but is better known by his work The Scream than for his "compeling story" -- and this painting has, apparently, little to do with his own bout with madness.

You can discover work you like by following an artist's personal journey in some way, but really, what you need to do is experience art as art per se rather than a counterpoint to the artist's life. Not all art is a telegram.
posted by dhartung at 12:24 AM on January 8