Best way to get my own Mondrian-esque art?

July 7, 2015 2:45 PM

A dear friend is buying a house soon. His favorite artist is Mondrian, and he is partial to the earlier, simpler abstract works (the ones where the fields of color are large) rather than the later, more complex ones like Broadway Boogie-Woogie. I want to give him a nice Mondrian reproduction to hang in his new house. What's the best way to do this - buy one or make it? And if I make it, how? If I buy it, where?

Relevant info:

-My budget is $150 or less.
-I have painted before using acrylic, watercolor, and gouache, but not on canvas and not with oils.
-My goal is something that looks good and like a real painting, that he will enjoy having in his home.

I have read the information in this ask, but I actually would like for there to be visible texture in the finished product - I want it to look like a painting, not a dorm room poster.

Potential options I have thought of:
1) Locate and buy one of those reproduction prints on canvas that has the 3-D paint-like texture.
2) Buy a painted reproduction that someone else made.
3) Paint a reproduction myself.

I am seeking opinions on which I should do and, if I buy it, where a good place to buy from is, and if I make it myself, what medium will work best. I have heard that oils will give the best luminosity but I am a bit intimidated by all the special equipment, long drying times, etc. At the same time, I want something that will hold up well for (hopefully) years of enjoyment.

posted by oblique red to Media & Arts (13 answers total)

As gently as possible, I would avoid option 3 completely. It obligates him to display something for "years" that he may not enjoy at all.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:51 PM on July 7, 2015 [5 favorites]

There is quite an industry in China turning out decent painted reproductions of artworks. The focus tends to be on old masters and impressionists, but at least one of the sites has reproductions of Mondrian for sale at a price around your range.
posted by Jabberwocky at 3:02 PM on July 7, 2015 [1 favorite]

Sorry to be a real downer on this, but I can think of few things tackier than textured reproduction prints on canvas. A painted reproduction is a better option, but it still feels very inauthentic to me, and not something I would want to display myself. Personally I would suggest that a high quality framed print is the classiest way of displaying a famous piece (i.e. acknowledging the fact that is just an image of a brilliant work that you don't actually own rather than an imperfect copy). Alternatively, there is likely to be many an artist out there working in that style (influenced by Mondrian / De Stijl) producing original work that may well fall within your price range. Owning an original painting is so satisfying, so that would be my preference.
posted by iivix at 3:06 PM on July 7, 2015 [6 favorites]

I kind of disagree with DarlingBri - I think all options run the risk of not being the taste of the giftee, and I'd certainly be more turned off by fakes than I would a piece by a friend that showed their time and thoughtfulness. The only type of reproduction I would want would be a nice print on nice paper.

But obviously you'd need to really put the time/energy/equipment into it if you go the making-it-yourself route, and again, I'd paint a new composition by you and not attempt an exact reproduction (keeping in mind that Mondrian was really exploring color theory with a goal to alter or remove the figure/ground relationship, so that's something you'd want to also explore). Oils are really not as intimidating as people make them out to be. Watch a few youtube videos on introductions to oil painting. The supplies do cost, but for what you want to do you can easily make an oil on canvas within your budget. Canvas is like working on a thicker, more absorbent, more textured paper and is also really easy to get used to. To get good, clean rectangles/squares you'll need to lightly sketch with a ruler and then tape out your design and then remove the tape and touch up.

But I also think you could buy a nice, actual print on nice paper and frame it (prints on canvas are kind of tacky and cheap-looking despite not necessarily being cheap IMO) or visit your local college(s) studio sales/art nights or a local art festival and buy an original piece from an artist working in similar territory.
posted by vegartanipla at 3:28 PM on July 7, 2015

OK well as should now be obvious from this thread, people have very intensely held personal preferences when it comes to art for potential display in their homes. Unfortunately, like other posters, my first choice would be the one thing you don't want: a quality print.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:03 PM on July 7, 2015

Best answer: use Alkyd oils or mediums. Alkyd oils dry at the same rate, in about an hour. They are actually soy based, adjusted with solvents for uniform drying rates. Also, I would look for an online Mondrian generator, which makes psuedo Mondrian compositions or copy his favorite. It's a fun project. Work with a lot of alkyd painting medium, and I would choose a synthetic badger fan blender for the large flat areas and masking tape off the crisp lines. You want to use an opaque white like Titanium, Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Red Light or Cadmium Red Medium and Ultramarine. Clean up with brush soap. Have fun, don't fear the art. I would personally choose an Artboard cradled maple panel rather than a canvas, so it will be solid and ready to hang.
posted by effluvia at 4:13 PM on July 7, 2015 [2 favorites]

You can buy most of the stuff I mentioned from Blick Art Materials online, by the way.
posted by effluvia at 4:16 PM on July 7, 2015

I've made some Mondrian-style pieces on canvas and on other substrates. It was fun and not that difficult to achieve a nice-enough result (nothing like a real one though). I would suggest you talk to your friend before you try this, because I think many people would be rather put off by the idea of hanging something like this. Perhaps this would be a project that you and your friend could do together, with you buying the supplies as a gift?
posted by ssg at 4:17 PM on July 7, 2015

Having seen numerous Mondrian paintings in person and studied them via reproductions I'd strongly recommend against a print or those 3d canvas print things - the best comparison I've heard is that a Mondrian reproduction is like taking a photo of your childhood pet with a 1st generation iphone and slapping three instagram filters on top. Nice enough for the memory but ultimately kind of insulting to the original.

One thing I've done for a friend was crochet a Mondrian-inspired pillow, this was a huge hit and I found it personally successful because the medium forced me to step away from an exact reproduction completely. Depending on your skill set and your friend's tastes something that evokes the memory and idea of Mondrian's work instead of being a direct homage painting or copy might be a much better choice. I once saw a set of Mondrian inspired pint glasses that had been hand painted, for example. At a restaurant I once saw a metal sculpture with careful welding and patina to evoke the color grids, very cool and maybe the closest to the amount of actual texture that's in his work (especially the earlier stuff.)

If you do decide to try a painting, be sure to frame it so your friend isn't burdened with that cost. I agree with effluvia that wood panel might be a smart choice for a painting surface in this case.
posted by Mizu at 4:32 PM on July 7, 2015 [5 favorites]

Best answer: If you're willing to take the time to replicate a painting, would you be willing to take the time to make a Mondrian cake instead?
posted by spec80 at 5:43 PM on July 7, 2015 [4 favorites]

Best answer: The Met has some free, downloadable, hi-res Mondrian scans. Send one of those to a high-end art printing shop that can do the textured printing and you're in business. Even a flat print of these might look textured, since the scan is detailed enough that it captures a fair amount of texture.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 7:02 PM on July 7, 2015

I'd use acrylics instead of oils just because then you don't have to wait for months for it to dry.
posted by Jacqueline at 8:34 PM on July 7, 2015

Response by poster: Obviously this is a topic that inspires differing opinions! I'm actually kind of surprised that so many people feel canvas prints are tacky and cheap; they certainly aren't priced that way. My reason for not wanting a print on paper is that in previous discussions he has expressed a desire to have something actually painted with texture to it, not a poster or print. I would love to get him an original painting but I hadn't thought it would be possible to find something to suit in my price range, hence the thought of doing it myself. (However if you know of an artist with work that might fit, I'd love to hear about that and am happy to re-consider!) I am completely open to not copying a specific Mondrian but doing a Mondrian-like geometric/color composition (which I suppose would mean I'd be giving him an original painting by me.)

Please rest assured I was not planning on springing a surprise handmade present but intended to consult with him about it first. That way he could pick out the size, etc., and if he didn't like the idea, we could do something else instead.

Marked a best that contained some specific materials suggestions, the high-res scans because it is helpful to be able to see how the brushwork, etc., looks, and also the Mondrian cake because that's amazing. But I'm happy to hear any additional insight from the hive mind.
posted by oblique red at 10:07 AM on July 9, 2015