Alice Neel: What do you think?

[Andrea Kantrowitz]

The Lucian Freud discussion reminded me of Alice Neel . In her later years she did quite a few commissioned portraits, as well as portraits of major art world players, such as Andy Warhol.

I am including two images that I can attest to personally as amazing likenesses. The first is a self-portrait--I met her at this time, and I can tell you this exactly conveys both her physical and spiritual essence. (she was wearing clothes when I met her, but she still cut an imposing figure.)

The second is of Linda Nochlin and her daughter. Nochlin is an important art historian, specializing in 19th century realism. She wrote, among many other books, "Realism" in 1977, and was a champion of the contemporary realism that emerged in the 70's, as well as of contemporary women artists more generally. I knew Nochlin when I was a graduate student 20 years after this painting was made, but it is absolutely her.

But I'm curious what you all think of her work. Is it at all relevant to the kind of commisioned portrait painting many of us do? Please vote yes, no or maybe, and then say why.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Alice Neel is definitely one of my favorite painters. Not because I want to paint in her style, but because her work fascinates me.

A few years ago I had only a vague impression of her work. I'm not much of a TV-watcher so it was uncharacteristic of me to actully sit down in front of the TV while a documentary of Alice Neel was on. Before I knew it, I was totally absorbed in the story and the images. Sometimes it takes a little extra something to trigger an interest in something I ordinarily would have passed by without much notice. Around that time there was a show of Neel's work at the Philadelphia Art Museum. I went to the show and saw the work in person. Let me tell you, those portraits had so much presence. I couldn't help but react to the direct and personal presence of these people on canvas.

Earlier this year there was a much smaller show of her work at the Locks Gallery in Philadelphia, and I went with an artist friend. I wasn't expecting to be as knocked out by her work the second time, but I was!

It's hard to put into words what I love about her work. First of all, the people just jump out at you. There's an emotional engagement with not only their faces but their whole body posture and shape. The characterization is so memorable I think I would recognize them if I saw them in person. So this must be realism, right? But certainly not traditional realism. Much more expressionistic and personal, but realism nonetheless.

The other thing that is striking about Neel's work is the vibrant color and the brillliance and inventiveness with which she arranges the compositional elements. It seems intuitive, and probably is, but she is brilliant at these things. I never saw the same pose, or variation of it, used twice. It was obvious that she treated each painting as a new, exciting challenge, using the person and surroundings as her inspiration.

Every time I see an Alice Neel painting I get a visceral urge to create something amazing!

Alex

[Michele Rushworth]

Personally, I don't like any of Alice Neel's work.

[Anthony Emmolo]

Maybe I am a bit old fashioned, but I value taste. Personally I don't see good taste in either of these pieces. I must admit that I don't know any of her other work though.
Anthony

[Linda Brandon]

I like her because she uses line and exaggeration, the caricaturist's method of accentuating individuality to distinguish each human from the next. To me, line does this better than form, and it has more energy. Neal has her own language and isn't trying to copy a photo so I give her points for that. I'm in favor of as many styles of realism as there are artists out there with a creative vision.

To tell you the truth, this is giving me the urge to paint a big caricature of myself, though a nude would be very unlikely indeed.

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Her style reminds me of children books, in being very colorful and quirky. I can't say that I like it, but if she has done a good job capturing the essence of the subject she has portrayed, then good for her.

It is interesting to see that she chooses that raw depiction of "self", almost as if she wants the viewer to wonder "what's up with these people?".

[Michele Rushworth]

Alexandra wrote:

There is a lot to be learned from the cooperation that goes into commissioned work; it can challenge the artist to make things better and solve problems, and it can challenge the client to think in new ways, too.

While I sometimes think I'd like to have complete freedom in what I paint -- and still have a client waiting for it at the end! -- I know I have benefitted from the collaborations I have entered into.

The structure and limitations of commissioned portraiture have made me a much better artist. In the past, with absolutely no limits or direction to my work I often changed my focus and artistic objectives quite dramatically from painting to painting. I had no individual voice, no recognizable style, and not that much in the way of honed skills.

Now I am on a clear path and the discipline is causing me to channel my efforts and skill in one particular direction. This has allowed me to achieve some very productive growth in recent years. Without that externally imposed discipline and structure I think I would still be going off in all directions.

[Tom Edgerton]

Linda--

I absolutely agree, that it's impossible to remove oneself or one's point of view from the process. I just try to remember where the focus is supposed to be when I'm working for hire.


Alexandra--

I agree wholeheartedly that everyone is on their own path, and that's just fine.

For those of us who do both personal work and commissions, I think that problems arise most often with clients when we forget which hat we're wearing when.

By the way, I've become aware of your work through this forum and I think it's fine stuff indeed. A lot to learn from in it....


Best--TE

[Andrea Kantrowitz]

Without that externally imposed discipline and structure I think I would still be going off in all directions.

I've had the same experience, for me the focus has led to a higher level of skill which has translated into my non-portrait work. Last night I was at a reception for the AAF Contemporary Art Fair in NYC, where some of my work is being exhibited. Another artist asked me where I studied and I told her, but then I realized, and said--I really learned to paint by doing commissioned portraits.

people are perfect as they are, and don't need me to make them more so.

I love this so much, thanks Ted.
I seem to have an unconscious desire to please--so that for me, when the likeness is off, its usually because I've unconsciously strayed toward some false ideal--the eyes aren't small enough, the nose isn't big enough, etc... I only ran into the opposite problem at the beginning. Now it seems if prospective clients see my work, and like it, then they're ok with how I see people. The trick is to find the reference photos that they truly feel happy with.

she often asked people if they would sit for her. Her portraits were appreciated by some subjects, but not others

Alex, she worked in relative obscurity and poverty for a lot of her life, and her main subjects were family, lovers, and neighborhood kids that she asked to sit for her. She only became an art star in the seventies, when she was already in her seventies. (had to do with the decline of formalism, and a more pluralistic art world, including pop art, photo-realism etc...) It then became a great honor to sit for her, and her subjects sometimes purchased the paintings and sometimes others did. So at all times, she pretty much had total artistic control over the project, it was not a collaboration in the way much of our work is.

[Rob Sullivan]

I voted "no."

Some of Tom's reasons mirror mine exactly, so I won't repeat them.

As regards boldness: If I walk out of my door naked, I get arrested. If I paint a nude self portrait, I am bold. Another take is this: Consider how much more "bold" or "honest" Alice Neel's nude self-portrait at 80 would be if it were totally realistic, and not a caricature...

Anyway, I first saw Neel's work in a book of portrait art that my grandmother gave to me at age 11. I had already decided a few years prior that I was going to be an artist. So when I saw the work, and that it was on a technical level equal to mine at age 11, I dismissed it. Now 24 years later, as an adult artist I understand the rationale behind her style, it still doesn't justify (to me) the lack of (or intentional leaving off of) technical skill.