"I can paint and draw. I believe this myself and a few other people say
that they believe this too. But I'm not certain of whether it's true.”
- Gustav Klimt
- Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt is another artist like Gorey whose work I came upon in college. The Austrian born painters work was very striking and his Golden Phase was his most successful and popular. His highly decorative style was very distinct and often depicted sensual portraits of woman with symbols/patterns as the primary subject matter.
"The Kiss" is his most famous painting.
"All art is erotic.” - Gustav Klimt
"Hope II"
"Art is a line around your thoughts.”
- Gustav Klimt
- Gustav Klimt
Some facts about Gustav Klimt:
-
Klimt was a leader in the Vienna Secession movement.
Also known as the Union of Austrian Artists, the Vienna Secession was a
collective of painters and sculptors that was founded in 1897. Klimt
acted as the first president of the Vienna Secession and sought to unite
Viennese artists in all styles for the purpose of inspiration. Even
though he left the union after eight years due to differing artistic
opinions, Klimt was instrumental in creating a place where brilliant
young artists of the period were nurtured.
-
Femme fatales were a main focus for Klimt.
Although Klimt was extremely private about his love life, women were
the inspiration behind some of Klimt's most famous pieces. His focus on
the female form and penchant for creating racy paintings drew criticism
from both political and religious leaders. The disapproval of his work
led Klimt to experiment with painting landscapes in addition to abstract
portraits.
-
Egon Schiele was heavily influenced by Klimt.
After he left the Vienna Secession, Klimt was still eager to mentor
young talent. He saw talent in a young Austrian artist named Egon
Schiele and spent many years mentoring him and assisting him with
exhibitions. Schiele became a successful artist in his own right and
even helped usher in the Expressionist movement, but much of his
emphasis on the human form can be traced back to Gustav Klimt.
-
Iconic Klimt paintings have sold for record prices.
Klimt achieved relative success while he was still alive, but
posthumously became one of the most recognized artists in the world. His
iconic artwork
is in high demand, with prints still being produced today. Klimt's
paintings even set a record when "Frau Adele Bloch-Bauer" was sold for
$135 million in New York City in 2006.
info via http://www.overstock.com/guides/facts-about-gustav-klimt
"The Tree of Life" heavily influenced the design of the tree in my short film "TIM" (see below)
Below is a small selection of his works:
"I'm a painter who paints day in day out, from morning till evening - figure pictures and landscapes, more rarely portraits.”
- Gustav Klimt
In 2006, a film about Gustav was released simply titled "KLIMT". It starred John Malkovich as Klimt and has some great scenes in the film with Egon Schiele played by Nikolai Kinski. Klimt's work had a strong influence on the paintings of Egon Schiele, with whom he would collaborate to found the Kunsthalle (Hall of Art) in 1917, to try to keep local artists from going abroad.
(photo of Egon Schiele)
Egon Schiele's portrait of Gustav Klimt in a light Blue Smock, 1913
Here is the trailer for KLIMT:
"Whoever wants to know something about me – as an artist which alone is significant – they should look attentively at my pictures and there seek to recognize what I am and what I want.”
- Gustav Klimt
Next time on the Influences and Inspirations : *Hint "The Pumpkin Smashers"
Cheers
Ken
Ken
