Dreams of Henri Matisse and Lascaux Cave Artists

     Henri Matisse once said, “What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter.” We can give two thumbs up to his dream but the real world is full of the stresses of things and events that keep us off track and we question where all the beauty has gone. Yes, I am talking about the evening news and all the human drama.

     As artists we can’t live in a pure and unspoiled world. Some of the most profound art has been created in the some of the most troubling of times. The true test of the creative soul is challenged to the max but great art can and must continue to keep the human spirit alive and looking to a higher level of the human experience.

     When we artists step into our studio or the great outdoor studio of nature we have tricks to push the troubling or depressing subject matters out of our creative environment. For me pleasant music or the perfect tea flavor help to keep the depressing subject at bay.

Lascaux Nights, 36x48 acrylic, by Joel F. Ellis
"I imagined these cave artists working
  with  limited use of tools and light
to impress expressions of their life then, exhausted,
 coming out into the vast starry night." 

     Keeping the creative juices flowing has always been a challenge to artists. Think about the cave dwellers of the Lascaux region in France. The massive painting surface was the home of cave bears that could not have been too happy about the invading dweller/artist living in their former home.  That kind of commotion could really provide the stress of their times, an angry mad bear at the artist’s door.

 Let’s hope we can keep the angry mad bear away from our studio door and create art that has balance, purity and serenity in this New Year.

Best to you,

Joel

Metropolitan Museum of Art, A Collections History

Lascaux Nights, 36x48, by Joel Ellis acrylic on canvas, tribute to ancient artists

The travel to art museums season is fast approaching as summer starts to seep into our thoughts. The wonder of the human spirit looking for and hoping to carry a small bit of beauty with them on life’s journey is with us as we too travel. The small ivory carved female figure dating back thousands of years could have been someone’s traveling treasured art object as they moved through their

precarious times.  At the cave paintings in Lascaux, France, we stand in front of and wonder at their beauty and possible meaning. They could have been a message to us telling of the adventure of the hunt or could it be telling us of the creatures they thought might someday not survive for future people to see. We don’t know for sure, but these towering images could have been their art museum.

We humans are natural collectors. These collections could be “I might need it someday” or “It’s so beautiful I have to have it”. Sometimes these collections were meant to impress and say “look at me, I’m important.” Whatever the reasons, these collections do exist.

The history of sharing with folks like us is truly fascinating. An in-depth history of the development of our art collecting is researched for the book Rogues’ Gallery by Michael Gross. Rogues’ Gallery gives an inside look at the collector and the “what next” after the amassed treasures began to control the collectors’ lives. Here’s where the museums get their treasures. Michael Gross gives the “inside look” at the history of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and huge collections from around the world.

    

If you are looking for original art as part of your life, I hope you will check out my new website with galleries of over 20 works at www.joelellisart.com.

Happy travels and keep looking for that art piece you just have to own. Who knows, maybe your treasure collection might be in some museums prized exhibition.

Joel    

Nautilus, 24x24, acrylic on canvas, currently exhibit at
Clark Hill Law Firm - Lansing Michigan