I lost them! They're gone! Never to return! Well, actually, one of them did, thank God! (I know, I know, you're wondering what the old fool's on about - again!) Look, I'm talking about a book and my memory. For years, and I mean several decades, I had a book of photo images of work by a mid-twentieth century, American artist whose work I liked immensely. First the book went, and where I do not know. Secondly, my bloody, er, you know, um, that thingamebob, wotsit, you know . . . memory! . . . went as well and I simply could not remember his name. But today, sitting watching Chelsea lose a 3-0 lead over Manchester United, suddenly, it came to me - Ben Shahn! Mind you, having now remembered his name and via Google finding examples of his work I am now re-spitting blood over that lost book which has definitely not returned!!
Like so many immigrants - he was from Lithunia - he became even more steeped in American mores that native Americans. Rather like Rockwell he recorded the America he saw which was from a very different viewpoint given that he was a hopeless old Leftie.
Even so, there is an authenticity to his work even if it has a red tinge to it! Not that he was a fixated painter of the proletariat. He was quite capable of producing works and subjects from a variety of sources. This one, Still Music, reminds me of Klee in one of his playful moods:
Just delightful! But no sooner drawn and painted than he would come up with a much more stark, dark and haunting image, as in this work called Hunger:
Or even more shocking, his Death on a Beach, showing in close-up detail the body of a dead soldier, only the blood telling you that he is not sleeping:
I can't tell you how delighted I am to have finally dredged that man's name from the sump of what passes as my memory. Still, at least I never forgot his pictures and I suspect his shade will be pleased by that! I will continue to drop some of his work into this blog from time to time.
I struggled for the word "bidet" today. Dear God!
Posted by: dearieme | Sunday, 05 February 2012 at 23:33
On those occasions, DM, when a word escapes me (like several times a day!) I shout down the stairs to the 'Memsahib' and try and describe the word I am missing. I would pay money to hear you trying to explain "bidet" to Mrs. DM!
Posted by: David Duff | Monday, 06 February 2012 at 09:08
The footbaths that the froggies wash their goolies in.
Posted by: dearieme | Monday, 06 February 2012 at 22:55
Of course! And you really do paint pictures with words, DM.
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 07 February 2012 at 10:03