Forrest Bess
I guess my main question about this artist is why do I (and presumably others) like these paintings so much? I think it is a combination of Bess' focus and commitment to the importance and value of each image, and the true individuality of his work. The word that comes to my mind, again and again over time, is emblem-- so many of his paintings seem like emblems of something. This is probably in part due to the frequent centering of the image in the composition. There is something other-worldly about them too, in almost an alien sense (especially the landscapes), like Bess is witness to another world. Bess is known as a visionary artist, and it's easy to see these as images of visions. The unrefined painting style and handyman frames seem to give even more emphasis to the power of the image itself.
Something I love in art in general is when an artist's work perfectly represents his/her vision of the word-- this happens so well with Bess.
A thought: a centered image makes it clear that it's the image that's important, rather than the painting of the image.
Bess lived (1911-1977) in Texas, worked as a fisherman, and painted in his spare time. He was discovered by a New York dealer, and exhibited his work there and in other places. He had many eccentric theories about the world, based on Jung, alchemy and Australian aboriginal rituals, including that becoming a hermaphrodite was the key to immortality! It is not clear whether he performed surgery on himself, or a doctor did it, but he eventually became a "pseudo-hermaphrodite." (Wikipedia)
Something I love in art in general is when an artist's work perfectly represents his/her vision of the word-- this happens so well with Bess.
A thought: a centered image makes it clear that it's the image that's important, rather than the painting of the image.
Bess lived (1911-1977) in Texas, worked as a fisherman, and painted in his spare time. He was discovered by a New York dealer, and exhibited his work there and in other places. He had many eccentric theories about the world, based on Jung, alchemy and Australian aboriginal rituals, including that becoming a hermaphrodite was the key to immortality! It is not clear whether he performed surgery on himself, or a doctor did it, but he eventually became a "pseudo-hermaphrodite." (Wikipedia)
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