Midnite: A Great Artist
born: Apr 20, 1893
died: Dec 25, 1983
The Kerosene Lamp
Black and white chalk
(touches of pastel/red pencil)
1924, 81 x 100.3 cm
"The Spanish artist Joan Miró was one of the leading exponents of Surrealism. His drawing The Kerosene Lamp is an early attempt to create a personal Surrealist language. With characteristic wit, the artist combined a Cubist still life and a lamp with cartoonlike symbols. Many interpretations, mostly autobiographical, have been offered for Miró's quirky images, but the elements of his work are intended to be suggestive rather than specific in meaning." (From The Art Institute of Chicago)
p.s. As a parenthetical aside, I was first introduced to Miró's work by Jazz great Dave Brubeck, whose inspirational 1961 album Time Further Out, Miró Reflections, was a blues suite, each reflection in the form of a 12 bar blues or variation thereof, incorporating time signatures ranging from 3/4 through an unbelievable 7/4 (!) and 8/8 and 9/8, all designed to reflect upon the relationship between painting and music. The cover painting is Miró's Painting, 1925, and in Brubeck's liner notes he pondered the piece's "abstract forms, suggesting human figures moving in a visual rhythm which could be interpreted as a jazz quartet." Note further the numbers on the painting, which Brubeck incorporated into his work as time signatures. If you like jazz this album is a must; and if you don't like jazz you'll like this album.
Posted by cronish at April 20, 2002 12:16 AM