Now to some contemporary artists. I remembered during one of the Portrait Society's of America conferences famous artists painted each other. After some searching on the net, I found the information along with some great photos, here:
http://www.sonia.co.za/events.htm
For demonstration purposes, Raymond Kinstler painted Daniel Greene during the first session and in the second session Daniel Greene painted Burton Silverman. Two famous artist on stage, both confident in their styles, sharing equally in the roles of model and artist. Competition, title of "who's the better one", the most accomplished, etc., non of this mattered. For an evening both were able to share their ideology for a common goal of furthering portraiture through a demonstration.
Reasons why artists paint other artists are varied and the relationship between the self and the other is an interesting subject to further explore. As each participant responds to the other's viewpoints, both are capable to share and grow artistically. But more importantly, this collective collaboration, is often absent in today's art circles and made me search for an answer.
Quote:
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In today's artistic environment , the artist of today is engaged in a tremendous individualistic struggle. A struggle to discover and to assert and to express himself. To gain access to such collaboration, social contact among artists is needed. Many of the artists of the past have either worked together or have met regularly. They may have shared or acknowledged common aesthetics commitments and beliefs and have striven to exhibit together. They might have shared similar style and/or subject matter, similarities not necessarily recognized by the artists themselves. Third, ideological congruences may be the grounds of a perceived unity, even if those congruences are largely a matter of what the artists agreed on opposing (an academy for instance, or a prevailing set of beliefs and theories).
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Excerpt from Re-framing Abstract Expressionism
Subjectivity and Painting in the 1940s by Michael Leja
Something to think about and to pursue....