Contemporary European artists. Contemporary artists
The world is full creative people and every day hundreds of new paintings appear, new songs are written. Of course, in the world of art, there are some missteps, but there are masterpieces by real masters that are simply breathtaking! We will show you their work today.
Pencil Augmented Reality
Photographer Ben Heine continued working on his project, which is a mixture pencil drawings and photographs. First, he makes a freehand sketch with a pencil on paper. Then he photographs the drawing against the background of a real object and refines the resulting image in Photoshop, adding contrast and saturation. The result is magic!
Illustrations by Alisa Makarova
Alisa Makarova - talented artist from Saint-Petersburg. In an age when most images are created using a computer, our compatriot’s interest in traditional forms painting commands respect. One of her latest projects is the triptych “Vulpes Vulpes”, in which you can see charming fiery red foxes. Beauty, and that's all!
Fine engraving
Wood artists Paul Rodin and Valeria Lu have announced the creation of a new engraving called “The Moth”. The painstaking work and exquisite craftsmanship of the authors do not leave even the most stubborn skeptics indifferent. The print will be featured at an upcoming exhibition in Brooklyn on November 7th.
Drawings ballpoint pen
Probably everyone, at least once during lectures, instead of writing down the teacher’s words, drew various figures in a notebook. It is unknown whether the artist Sarah Esteje was one of these students. But the fact that her ballpoint pen drawings are impressive is an indisputable fact! Sarah simply proved that you don't need any special materials to create something truly interesting.
Surreal worlds of Artem Chebokha
Russian artist Artem Chebokha creates incredible worlds, where there is only sea, sky and endless harmony. For his new works, the artist chose very poetic images - a wanderer traveling through unknown places and whales circling in cloud-waves - the flight of imagination of this master is simply limitless.
Spot portraits
Some people think about brush stroke technique, others think about the contrast of light and shadow, but the artist Pablo Jurado Ruiz paints with dots! The artist developed the ideas of the pointillism genre, inherent in the authors of the neo-impressionism era, and created his own style, where details decide absolutely everything. Thousands of touches to paper result in realistic portraits, which you just want to look at.
Paintings from floppy disks
In an era when many things and technologies become obsolete at the speed of a passing express train, it is quite common to get rid of unnecessary junk. However, as it turned out, not everything is so sad, and old items can be used to make very modern work art. English artist Nick Gentry collected square floppy disks from friends, took a jar of paint, and drew stunning portraits on them. It turned out very beautiful!
On the verge of realism and surrealism
Berlin artist Harding Meyer loves to paint portraits, but in order not to become another hyperrealist, he decided to experiment and created a series of portraits on the verge of reality and surrealism. These works allow us to look at human face as something more than just a “dry portrait”, highlighting its basis - the image. As a result of such searches, Harding’s work was noticed by the Gallery contemporary art in Munich, which will exhibit the artist’s works on November 7th.
Finger painting on iPad
Many contemporary artists are experimenting with materials to create paintings, but the Japanese Seikou Yamaoka outdid them all by using his iPad as his canvas. He simply installed the ArtStudio application and began not only to draw, but to reproduce the most famous masterpieces art. Moreover, he does this not with some special brushes, but with his finger, which arouses admiration even among people far from the world of art.
"Wood" painting
Using everything from ink to tea, wood artist Mandy Tsung has created truly mesmerizing paintings filled with passion and energy. She chose as her main topic mysterious image women and their position in the modern world.
Hyperrealist
Every time you find the work of hyperrealist artists, you involuntarily ask yourself the question: “Why are they doing all this?” Each of them has their own answer to this and sometimes quite contradictory philosophy. But artist Dino Tomic says it bluntly: “I just love my family very much.” He painted day and night and tried not to miss a single detail from the portrait of his relatives. One such drawing took him at least 70 hours of work. To say that the parents were delighted is to say nothing.
Portraits of soldiers
On October 18, an exhibition of works by Joe Black entitled “Ways of Seeing” opened at the Opera Gallery in London. To create his paintings, the artist used not only paints, but also the most unusual materials- bolts, badges and much more. However, the main material was....toy soldiers! The most interesting exhibits of the exhibition are portraits of Barack Obama, Margaret Thatcher and Mao Zedong.
Sensual oil portraits
Korean artist Lee Rim was not so famous a couple of days ago, but her new paintings “Girls in Paint” caused a wide response and resonance in the art world. Lee says: " The main topic my work is human emotions and psychological condition. Even though we live in different environments, at a certain point in time we feel the same when we look at an object." Perhaps this is why, looking at her work, I want to understand this girl and get into her thoughts.
Of all the forms of art, painting can rightfully be called the most active developing direction. An original painting on the wall can not only make the interior original, but also become a central point, attracting the attention of others and creating a unique atmosphere. Considering that modern people They pay a lot of attention to the issues of creating a unique interior, which explains the high demand for paintings that is currently observed.
Among many currents modern painting the most actively developing are:
- conceptual art and minimalism;
- impressionism, romanticism and classical movement.
Modern painters literally amaze with their flights of fancy, as you can see by visiting exhibitions. To be convinced of the popularity of the paintings created by contemporary artists, just read. Among current trends: oil paintings, wall painting, photorealistic works. Young artists who have only recently made a name for themselves, and famous painters, whose works cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, present their canvases.
Interest of connoisseurs artistic arts and buyers are attracted to works made in the following directions:
Current trends
The art of wall painting can currently be called one of the most popular. Skillful painting of ceilings and walls is an excellent way to improve almost any room: residential, entertainment. The artist can apply a drawing to any surface in a different plane. Wall art makes it possible to eliminate any defects in the premises, visually increase the space, and change the level of illumination. Depending on the wishes of the customer, portraits, still lifes, abstraction, fantasy, landscapes, etc. can be depicted on the wall.
Art connoisseurs are interested in painting using unusual “paints”: coffee, milk, berry juices and... beer. Kyle Bice, an artist from Chicago, became the creator of a new direction, calling it beer painting. Beer paintings are extremely popular, his works are bought by celebrities and richest people planets.
Fashion artists
Among the artists whose works are of constant interest to art connoisseurs, one of the most sought-after is Takashi Murakami, who has become a legend of modern art. The peculiarity of his works is the harmonious combination of traditional Japanese painting and current trends of our time. In 2008, Takashi Murakami was included in the list of the 100 most influential people on the planet.
America's most successful artist since Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons has made a career out of kitsch and pop culture. He turns Michael Jackson into a gilded statue, displays basketballs, sells a metal heart for $23 million, and a structure in the shape of a dog for $58 million. On the occasion of Koons’ birthday, ELLE remembered the most “expensive” creators of contemporary art.
The total cost of work is $750 million.
Richter was born and raised in the GDR, where avant-gardeism was, frankly speaking, a little difficult. The young man had to marry a girl from West Germany and quickly move to bourgeois Dusseldorf. There, Gerhard spent a couple of years creating super-advanced canvases by smearing paint on the canvas. Then he got tired of it, the painter became despondent and burned all his masterpieces. However, then Richter managed to cope with the crisis that arose in the genre, pulled himself together and made a cool career.
Half a century later, his works are flying away from auctions at unimaginable prices: the painting “Cathedral Square, Milan,” for example, last year was sold for $37.1 million. Making that kind of money, the most highly paid artist the world is not arrogant: he lives modestly, is not noticed in the bohemian frenzy, loves classical painting and dreams of becoming “like Velasquez.”
The total cost of work is $301 million.
Koons for a long time accused of opportunism, calling him a singer of glamor. Michael Jackson sculptures, cartoon characters, animals - they all look so cute that you could even display them in your living room right now (if, of course, you have an extra 58 million, for example, for that famous dog that eventually decorated the store of the Swedish brand H&M in New York).
It is this artist who can be considered a successor to the work of Andy Warhol. Andy had the famous “Factory”, Jeff has a huge factory in Soho, where almost 150 people work hard for the master. Koons comes up with an object on a computer, and his subordinates implement the rest. Latest album Lady Gaga, by the way, was designed by him. Or rather, him and his team.
The total cost of work is $207 million.
After returning from the army, 20-year-old Jasper Johns began drawing American flags. He had a lot of strength and even more time, so the young man created a whole series of banners different colors. Then he switched to paintings in the form of spots: the average person would undoubtedly call these children’s daubs. However, "False Start" - a spotted canvas with font samples - was sold for $80 million. So much for daub!
The total cost of work is $160 million.
This name is familiar even to those who know nothing about modern art. A skull in diamonds, a shark in formaldehyde... “Is this art?!” - some shout indignantly. And others even consider Hirst a swindler. He himself says that he is not interested in money, and spends millions collecting “colleagues”: from Picasso to the same Jeff Koons.
Hearst has a lot of money, and it gets more every year. In addition to his main craft, he also “works part-time”: he designs alphabet books for children, or he produces personalized wallpaper at £700 per roll. It is not surprising that, ranking on the list of the most dear artists in fourth place, Damien is the richest of them. No, he really is a cunning one after all!
The total cost of work is $93 million.
If you don't understand how you can give a hundred million dollars for a dead fish preserved in alcohol, hold on to your chairs. The photograph “Cowboy” by Richard Prince was sold for $3 million. And the funny thing is that Prince himself did not photograph any cowboy at all - he simply re-photographed someone else’s photograph. And Prince’s entire career was built on such “theft.” For example, his famous series “Nurses” - covers of women's magazines scanned and transferred to canvas, which he simply painted on top. The paradox is that each of these works costs at least 50 thousand! Not three million, of course, for someone else’s photo, but also quite good. In addition to “painting”, Richard Prince creates bags for Louis Vuitton, produces soda under his own name and works as a photographer at celebrity weddings - for example, Madonna, when she married Guy Ritchie.
Despite the fact that the income of modern artists is difficult to calculate, since the creative people live according to the laws of the free, and do not write down their income in income organizers: there is a lot of money - and it’s very wonderful, not at all - there will be tomorrow. However, a list of the richest artists exists; if you happen to be much richer, but you are not included in the list, complain on our Facebook page and we will include you.
So, the richest in the world is the Englishman Damien Hirst, he has accumulated about one billion dollars, having made his fortune by demonstrating the process of death. He created a truly great work of art: he made a series of art objects from the corpses of cows, and also put a tiger shark in a solution of formaldehyde and presented it on his personal exhibition in London. True, in Lately his popularity has waned somewhat, apparently the exalted public has become fairly fed up with manifestations of creative freedom in the form of dissected bodies, and the genius has not yet come up with anything new. At one time, around 2007, a shocking lover of lethality sold his exhibition called “Superstition” for 25 million.
Jeff Koons lives in Pennsylvania, USA. A favorite theme of his work is sculptures of small and large forms with clearly dubious artistic value. Looking at his successful compatriot, Andy Warhol, D. Koons envied the glory of soup cans and decided that he was no worse, and immediately put his works of art. Today Koons is the president of the huge corporation Jeff Koons LLC, which is located in New York and employs about 150 people. They embody in real world the images that Koons creates on the computer.
Takashi Murakami is an artist from Japan. He is interested in design, fashion and anime. It is impossible to say how he made his capital, but his 2007-2008 exhibitions, held in major metropolises of the world “Murakami”, were visited by not a few, not a lot, but 30 million citizens. Just a year and a half ago, Takashi Murakami sold his sculpture “My Lonesome Cowboy” for $16 million. Murakami was even exhibited at the Palace of Versailles in France, as you know, they don’t exhibit crap there. It was Murakami who came up with a psychedelic boy with a huge white-toothed smile and giant bulging eyes. Then he invented a pink, cross-eyed girlfriend for him. Nervous Japanese bear cubs were also his idea. I hesitate to call Murakami’s talents dubious.
Brice Marden was born in 1939, he is the “oldest” of the rich artists. The veteran made money from Urban graphics and calligraphy. Today his works with incomprehensible scribbles go for 11 million dollars.
Julian Schnabel was born in 1951 in New York. In total, he was exhibited more than five thousand times in all major cities. Millions come to look at his artistically designed piles of crap, cement and tattered linoleum. In addition, Julian Schnabel makes films. In the movies, he doesn’t show garbage, but tells people about poets and artists in a cultural manner.
Anish Kapoor moved to England from Bombay, where he was born in 1972. He makes sculptures and installations and has become famous for painting everything near the sculpture in different colors, pokes mirrors and all sorts of textures around to show that his work is part of something known to him alone. He made a fortune from this original concept and his works are in all modern art museums.
Jasper Johns used to create three-dimensional installations, but now he casts everything in bronze: from a teapot to a calculator. Everything that he “cast” is bought for crazy money by both collectors and museums of modern art.
David painted the walls of Mark Zuckerberg and the then unknown aspiring genius offered him either money or shares of Facebook. The artist chose shares and as a result his fortune is already more than one hundred million, and his works cost more than three thousand Euro.
Andrew earned 210 million, and all because he is friends with the right guys - Arab sheikhs. He pushed 125 of his own works Prince Zaled bin Sultan for only 17 million pounds sterling.
Chunya earned little - only 23 million Euros. All because I spent ten years drawing touching green dogs. Designated dogs Green colour, which you can’t look at without tears, they enriched him.
You might be interested.
Major international auctions are increasingly including contemporary Russian artists in their auctions of post-war and contemporary art. In February 2007, Sotheby’s held the first and almost sensational specialized auction of Russian contemporary art, which brought 22 auction records. "Artguide" decided to find out which of our contemporary artists has collected the most large amounts at international auctions and, having compiled the top 10 most expensive living Russian artists based on the results of auction sales, discovered some interesting patterns. All sales prices are based on auction house data and include buyer's premium.
Alexander Vinogradov and Vladimir Dubossarsky. Night fitness. Fragment. Courtesy authors (www.dubossarskyvinogradov.com)
Of course, there could be no doubt about who exactly became the leader of the auction race: Ilya Kabakov’s grandiose “Beetle”, sold in February 2008 at Phillips de Pury for almost £3 million, is probably remembered by everyone who is interested in contemporary art. Funny nursery rhyme, the text of which is written on a wooden panel with a beetle, even acquired a thoughtful intonation in the art historical and market interpretation: “My beetle breaks out, jumps, chirps, it doesn’t want to get into my collection” - this metaphorically means the passion of a collector of modern art for this very beetle bargaining. (The verse quoted by Kabakov, composed by the architect A. Maslennikova, an amateur poet from Voronezh, was published in children's collection poems, counting rhymes and riddles “Between Summer and Winter”, published in 1976 by the publishing house “Children’s Literature” - and Kabakov illustrated this book. True, that beetle was not in his black and white illustrations).
It should be added that if we were not making the top 10 most expensive living artists, but the top 10 of their most expensive work, then Kabakov’s paintings would take the first three places on this list. That is, the three most expensive works of a living Russian artist belong to him - in addition to “Beetle”, these are “Luxury Room” 1981 (Phillips de Pury, London, June 21, 2007, £2.036 million) and “Vacation No. 10” 1987 (Phillips de Pury London, 14 April 2011, £1.497 million). On top of that, the generous Kabakov “gave” another record to the Vienna auction Dorotheum - a year ago, on November 24, 2011, the painting “At the University” went there for €754.8 thousand, becoming the most expensive work of contemporary art ever sold at this auction.
The silver medalist will probably also be easily named by many - this is Eric Bulatov, whose canvas “Glory to the CPSU” was sold for a record amount for the artist at the same Phillips de Pury auction as Kabakov’s “Beetle.”
But the third place was taken by nonconformist Evgeniy Chubarov, whose late work“Untitled” went to Phillips de Pury for £720,000 in June 2007, which could have been called a surprise if not for the fact that a few months earlier, in February of the same year, Chubarov had already made a sensation at Sotheby’s in London. at a specialized auction of Russian contemporary art, where his work with the same title (or rather, without it) was sold for £288 thousand (with an upper estimate of £60 thousand), not only beating the supposed top lot of that auction, the painting Bulatov's "Revolution - Perestroika" (sale price £198 thousand), but also becoming the most expensive work of a living Russian artist at that time. By the way, here it is, the irony of currency exchange rate fluctuations: in November 2000, Grisha Bruskin’s polyptych was sold in New York for $424 thousand, and then in pounds sterling it was £296.7 thousand, and in February 2007, when it was installed Chubarov’s first record is already only £216.6 thousand.
Works by fourth place winners Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid are frequent and quite successful lots at Western auctions, although their estimates rarely exceed £100 thousand. The duo’s second most expensive work is “The Yalta Conference. The Judgment of Paris" was sold at Macdougall's auction in 2007 for £184.4 thousand. But it should be taken into account, of course, that the painting that brought them fourth place belongs to fairly early works that rarely appear at auction and that it was exhibited in 1976 at the first (and very high-profile) foreign exhibition of Komar and Melamid at the Ronald Feldman Gallery in New York.
Following Komar and Melamid, Oleg Vasiliev and Semyon Faibisovich consistently hold a high bar at auctions. Vasiliev was third in that unusual successful auction Phillips de Pury 2008, which brought records to Ilya Kabakov and Erik Bulatov, and Faibisovich - fourth. Then Vasiliev’s painting “Variation on the theme of the cover of the magazine “Ogonyok”” from 1980 was sold for ₤356 thousand with an estimate of ₤120 thousand, and “Another look at the Black Sea” by Faibisovich from 1986 was sold for £300.5 thousand with an estimate of ₤120 thousand. Estimate £60-80 thousand Works by both artists often fetch six-figure sums at auction.
True, it was not the record-breaking “Soldiers” that brought Faibisovich fame at auction, but the painting “Beauty,” sold at Sotheby’s on March 12, 2008 - this was the auction house’s second auction of contemporary Russian art, not counting the Moscow auction in 1988. The painting (its other name is “The First of May”) then went for £264 thousand with an estimate of £60-80 thousand; a real battle broke out between buyers for it. Another painting by Faibisovich “On Moscow Street” at that auction exceeded the estimate twice and was sold for £126 thousand. We add that, according to the Artprice portal, Semyon Faibisovich is the only Russian artists, included in the top 500 best-selling in 2011-2012.
About the same can be said about Oleg Tselkov, who occupies eighth place in the top 10. Already half a century ago, he found his style and theme, a recognizable and authoritative artist, he regularly supplies auctions with his fluorescent round faces, which have continued success. The second most expensive painting by Tselkov, “Five Faces,” was sold in June 2007 at MacDougall’s for £223.1 thousand, the third, “Two with Beetles,” was sold in November of the same year at the same auction (MacDougall’s always puts up for auction several Tselkovs of different price range) for £202.4 thousand.
Grisha Bruskin in the auction history of Russian contemporary art had special role since 1988, from the Moscow Sotheby’s auction under the name Russian Avant-Garde and Soviet Contemporary Art, where his “Fundamental Lexicon” was sold for a sensational £220 thousand, 12 times higher than the estimate. About the same thing, and maybe even more sensational, happened with the polyptych “Logia. Part I” in 2000 at Christie’s in New York: the polyptych went for $424 thousand, exceeding the upper estimate by 21 (!) times - this alone can be considered a kind of record. Most likely, this extraordinary purchase is due not least to the significance of Bruskin’s name as the hero of the legendary Moscow Sotheby’s auction, because no other auction sales of Bruskin even come close to these amounts.
The price of Oscar Rabin does not fluctuate, but is steadily and very noticeably growing, especially for works Soviet period— all the most expensive works by this master sold at auction were painted in the late 1950s - early 1970s. These are (in addition to his record-breaking "Socialist City") "Baths (Smell the Cologne "Moscow", 1966, Sotheby's, New York, April 17, 2007, $336 thousand) and "Violin in the Graveyard" (1969, Macdougall's, London, November 27 2006, £168.46).
The top ten are completed by representatives of more than younger generation— Alexander Vinogradov and Vladimir Dubossarsky, whose most expensive paintings were sold at Phillips de Pury (the second most expensive is “The Last Butterfly”, 1997, Phillips de Pury, New York, $181 thousand). These artists, in general, continue a trend that is quite clearly visible in the ranking of the most expensive paintings living artists. We’ll talk about it a little lower, but for now here’s, finally, a list of the most expensive works of living Russian artists.
Top 10 works by living Russian artists
1. Ilya Kabakov (b. 1933). Bug. 1982. Wood, enamel. 226.5 x 148.5. Phillips de Pury & Company auction, London, February 28, 2008. Estimate £1.2-1.8 million. Sale price £2.93 million.
2. Erik Bulatov (b. 1933). Glory to the CPSU. 1975. Oil on canvas. 229.5 x 229. Phillips de Pury & Company auction, London, February 28, 2008. Estimate £500-700 thousand. Sale price £1.084 million.
3. Evgeny Chubarov (b. 1934). Untitled. 1994. Oil on canvas. 300 x 200. Phillips de Pury & Company auction, London, June 22, 2007. Estimate £100-150 thousand. Sale price £720 thousand.
4. Vitaly Komar (b. 1943) and Alexander Melamid (b. 1945). Meeting between Solzhenitsyn and Bell at Rostropovich's dacha. 1972. Oil on canvas, collage, gold foil. 175 x 120. Phillips de Pury & Company auction, London, April 23, 2010. Estimate £100-150 thousand. Sale price £657.25 thousand.
5. Oleg Vasiliev (b. 1931). Before sunset. 1990. Oil on canvas. 210 x 165. Sotheby’s auction, London, March 12, 2008. Estimate £200-300 thousand. Sale price £468.5 thousand.
6. Semyon Faibisovich (b. 1949). Soldiers. From the series “Stations”. 1989. Oil on canvas. 285.4 x 190.5. Phillips de Pury & Company auction, London, October 13, 2007. Estimate £40-60 thousand. Sale price £311.2 thousand.
8. Oleg Tselkov (b. 1934). Boy with balloons. Canvas, oil. 103.5 x 68.5. MacDougall's auction, London, November 28, 2008. Estimate £200-300 thousand. Sale price £238.4 thousand.
9. Oscar Rabin (b. 1928). City and Moon (Socialist City). 1959. Oil on canvas. 90 x 109. Sotheby’s auction, New York, April 15, 2008. Estimate $120-160 thousand. Sale price $337 thousand (£171.4 at the dollar to pound sterling exchange rate as of April 2008).
10. Alexander Vinogradov (b. 1963) and Vladimir Dubossarsky (b. 1964). Night training. 2004. Oil on canvas. 194.9 x 294.3. Phillips de Pury & Company auction, London, June 22, 2007. Estimate £15-20 thousand. Sale price £132 thousand.
It is known that auction prices are an irrational thing and one cannot judge by them the true role and significance of the artist in artistic process. But from them and from the top lots one can roughly judge collector’s preferences. What are they? You don't need to be an expert to answer this question. They are obvious. Firstly, all the artists (except perhaps Alexander Vinogradov and Vladimir Dubossarsky) are “living classics” in years, and very respectable ones at that. Secondly, for almost each of them the records were not set by work recent years, but much earlier, that is, the pattern “the older, the better” is also relevant here. Thirdly, without exception, all works from the top 10 are easel paintings. Fourthly, these are all pictures of a large and very big size. The only ones that can be considered more or less “standard” in this regard are “The City and the Moon” by Oscar Rabin and “The Boy with Balloons” by Oleg Tselkov; all the others greatly exceed human height in height (not even in width). Finally, for all these artists, the theme of the Soviet (in particular, nonconformist) past is in one way or another relevant, in many cases accentuated in their works. It seems that our collectors experience acute nostalgia for this very Soviet past (it is well known that Russian art It is Russian collectors who buy in the West).
Younger than the other leaders of auction sales, Alexander Vinogradov and Vladimir Dubossarsky are somewhat stubbornly trying to break out of the dozens of harsh nonconformists, but this is only at first glance. In fact, if you imagine who from the next generation after Kabakov, Bulatov, Rabin, Vasilyev, Tselkov the best way may meet the above purchase criteria (easel paintings large sizes, rehashes of Soviet genres, motifs and stylistics), then, probably, it will be Vinogradov and Dubossarsky, worthy heirs of the masters of previous decades. At least judging by auction sales.
