April talking meme

[scripsi]

17: lady_sybyl asked: Who's your favourite artist? (can be any kind of art, visual, musical etc).

It’s hard to grade between art forms, so you will get a couple of favourites.

When it comes to music; Aurelio Voltaire. I always listen to music and I love many artists, but Voltaire was recommended to me when I was deeply depressed and I found his lyrics either darkly funny, which was uplifting, or darkly sad which very much felt as if the songs were written especially for me.

Watch on YouTube

It’s harder when it comes to art it gets harder, but these Swedish artist are probably the ones who has meant the most for me.

John Bauer (1882-1918) are foremost known for his fairy tale illustrations. Though clearly inspired by Arthur Rackham he made his own spin on it, and the nature in his paintings and illustration are very Swedish. Sadly he died very young in a boat accident which also claimed the life of his wife and small son.

Fair princesses and trolls- something of his trademark.





An illustration from the fairy tale Agneta and the King of the Lake.



Nils Dardel (1888-1943), a Post-Impressionist painter. I love his sense of colour and the oddness of the compositions. His most famous work is probably The Dying Dandy (1918).



However, Dardel, who was bi-sexual, had originally envisioned the painting to look like this.



The Young Man and the Girl



I also love the portrait of his partner Edita Morris.

Comments

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Voltaire lives in my neighborhood; I've read blog posts where he talks about the same coffee shops I go to, though I'm not sure I'd recognize him out of context. I've only seen him perform once or twice - he mostly seems to do the science fiction con circuit, although a friend who used to bartend at CBGB's knows him from back then.

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

:) I once sold a Coke to Alice Cooper and figured he was one of the drug addicts that hung out close to the coffee shop I worked in... I did wonder a bit as he talked English and then I noticed the body guards and then I remembered he was holding a concert in Stockholm that evening.

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Someone (else) I know used to be in the music business, and worked with Alice Cooper back in the day. Apparently, he's quite a lovely person.

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

He was very nice and polite. :) But he did have tha worn look many people who has done a lot of drugs do, and as I recognised him my brain placed him a bit wrongly. :)

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Not someone who necessarily comes right to mind these days. ;-)

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

Well, this was in the 90's. :) I worked in a coffee shop while I was at university.

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

I'd never heard of any of these three so thanks for sharing them.

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

My pleasure. :)

[lynn82md.livejournal.com]

Beautiful artwork! I especially recognize both of Bauer's work cause I've seen them in some children's stories.

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

They are very magical, aren't they? :)

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Oh gawd YES! John Bauer will forever and ever be a favorite of mine. It's probably his fault that I ended up a fairytale fan as a little girl... which never really stopped and then I started reading fantasy books... and then I started doing medieval reenactment... and then I started doing LARP. Dangerous things those fairy tale illustrations. ;-)

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

Illustrations are important things! :D

[evelyn-b.livejournal.com]

I love those John Bauer illustrations!

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

They are lovely, aren't they? :)

[denorios.livejournal.com]

Voltaire! I love him. 'When You're Evil' is one of my favourite songs ever. And his Star Trek songs are great too.

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

<3 When You Are Evil is a great song! And I can't wait for his new album!

[dancingdragon3.livejournal.com]

This art is so beautiful! Thank you for posting it, I've never seen either artist before. Except the Trolls and Fairy reminds me of something, maybe from Rackman? Something new to look up, cheers. Maybe I'll find things to post to myth fan...

My favorite is that one, and the one Dardel wanted to paint for the Dying Dandy. So graceful and colorful, it's a pleasure to look at despite the subject matter. I suppose because he looks peaceful, and surrounded by friends. And the fan is much better than the mirror, IMO.

I love Voltaire so much, you have no idea! I've met him many times, and stalked him all over Dragon Con. I have so much of his merchandise, it's ridiculous. So happy to have a flister who likes him too!

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

I’m so glad you enjoyed the pictures! Bauer made such wonderful fairy tale illustrations, though most of them for (then) newly written tales, not classic fairy tales. But many of them are very good and well worth reading. If you want to, I could post to myth fan about him, but perhaps you want to be the one who posts there?

So graceful and colorful, it's a pleasure to look at despite the subject matter.

You sum up Dardel very well. His paintings often depict dramatic scenes, while still looking light and serene. Like this that depicts a funeral:

http://www.sydsvenskan.se/ScaledImages/1200x1200/Images2/2015/2/20/Dardel_pressr_2.jpg?h=f5d367d0c944ae161bb372e4006c6e1f&fill=True&cut=True&ql=Undefined

It’s a pity he didn’t feel he could paint his dandy as he originally intended, but I guess the outrage in 1918 would have been enormous! I think it caused quite a stir as it turned out anyway!

I love, love, love Voltaire and I want to see him live so much! But he is virtually unknown in sweden and he has only been here once. In a city almost 500 kilometers from Stockholm and I had no opportunity to get there.

[the-moonmoth.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love John Bauer I once used a painting of his (https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5097/5511411264_fb88806aa5_b.jpg) as cover art for a fic. Just gorgeous <3

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

That's a lovely one- I had actually never seen that one before.

Many years ago I was at a Bauer exibition and they had made the whole hall look like a forrest. It was really magical. :)

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

I really like Dardel's work.


Gabrielle

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

I saw an exhibition of his work when I was around 18 at it impressed me for life. :)

[snogged.livejournal.com]

I adore Voltaire! I appreciate his dark humor.

I love the art you chose as well. Beautiful.

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

Me too!

Glad you enjoyed the art. :)

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

Well i must admit he is new to me.

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

I recommend him, of course. :)

[thenewbuzwuzz.livejournal.com]

Oh! I used to casually like Voltaire, mostly his funnier songs.
Those fairy-tale illustrations are gorgeous!
Huh, I think I also like Dardel's colors. "The Dying Dandy" is certainly interesting. What an odd and great thing to be famous for!

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

It's a bit odd. He got quite a revival in the 80's just through that one as the gay movement used is as a symbol. :)