Jack Vettriano is another ‘local lad’ and I don’t know of anyone who has no opinion of his art, people either seem to love his work or hate it. In fact I know of a couple of women who had been best friends for about 30 years (I’m not either of them) but they nearly came to blows when they were having a ‘chat’ about his art. Apparently The Singing Butler is the most popular print ever. Did I hear you say How common? Well it must say something for an awful lot of people but it doesn’t do anything for me.
The art world has more or less shunned Vettriano and there’s probably a lot of snobbishness involved in that but the Kirkcaldy Art Gallery and Museum always has a few things of his on diplay. I have to say that the prints in the shops are actually a lot better looking than the originals which can have quite blotchy areas of paint.
One of my brothers loves this one though so I did find myself buying it for him a few Christmases ago. It’s called The Billy Boys and I suppose that for people who hanker after the 1950s then they’re just the sort of thing that they want on their walls.
I know that they’re a bit of a nostalgic trip back in time for women who wore those big sticky out polka dot dresses in the 1950s too. The suspender belt things just make me shudder but men of a certain type obviously enjoy them, Jack Nicholson has an original – I always suspected he was a bit ‘dodgy’!
This one is called Bluebird at Bonneville and it’s the only one which I think is quite good and I think that that is because of the fashions portrayed in it. Everybody just looks so elegant and I thought that Vettriano must be improving so I was quite disappointed when I saw the original photo and realised that he had just copied it.
I find his images really soulless, they have a photographic quality which I don’t like in paintings. I feel the same about Hopper’s work too. So what about you, do you love his art work or hate it?
Hey, Katrina, we finally found something we disagree on! Well, not enough, I hope, to stop us from ‘talking’. I adore Edward Hopper’s art and even trudged to Washington, DC, to an exhibit a few years ago. I like that his art allows you to imagine what the people in his paintings are doing. I normally don’t like art with people in it; I’m a landscape, still life, animal painting lover. I’ve seen a few of Vettriano’s prints (although I never liked them enough to find out whose they were) and like the graphic clarity and composition of those I’ve seen.
Of course, maybe that’s just Hurricane Irene talking! All safe here but haven’t heard from my nephew-in-law and three cats in New York City. I’m hoping they’re ok and will try to call later. My niece had to fly to LA yesterday, the last flight out of the city, for work (MTV awards show tonight).
Joan,
I’d never stop ‘talking’ I’m more than happy for people to have different opinions. In fact I’ve only seen Hopper’s work on cards but they seemed sad to me, the real thing might be entirely different. I’m a landscape, still life person too although I like all sorts – poster art and deco images and such.
I was giving you until Monday and then e-mailing you as I thought you might have been having a sad time with wee Buster but I was hoping that you managed to get away from the city for a wee while!
Yes, it’s batten down the hatches time for a lot of you, very scary. I’ve just seen on tv (on in the background) that it has been downgraded to a tropical storm, but that’s bad enough with all the rain and flooding involved, and you know how horrible that is! Fingers crossed your lot will be fine. What a jet-setting life-style your niece has. I couldn’t even face going to Edinburgh for the Festival – too crowded!
I do like the Singing Butler but I am not sure why? To be honest his paintings do strike a chord with me but again I do not know why? Something about the colours, the lack of features, the subjects, the era? Who knows?
I only know his work from calendars that is all – have yet to see an original!
I do not think I know Hopper’s work.
Jo,
I suppose they are quite secretive as he very rarely paints faces, or if he does they have sunglasses on or something obscuring their features. I think that’s because he can’t do them well but there is a very famous artist who couldn’t paint hands, can’t remember who he was though.
I am in the ‘don’t like’ camp, for me his work seems contrived, he seems very accomplished at reproducing, but his work lacks self expression, but that is just my opinion – its all personal opinion!
Michelle,
I’ve seen him painting on TV and he almost had a ruler out drawing a straight line, he doesn’t wield the brush like an artist somehow. On the other hand, although I’m not a fan he is a lot better than some of the absolute frights that I’ve seen hanging in galleries. There’s often a touch of ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ about particular artists, but you would know a lot more about that than I would!
I like his work. I actually have a print of that first one with the couple dancing. I had no idea he was a love or hate artist for many people.
Stefanie,
It might be a Scottish thing with a lot of people thinking that ‘we’ should be really proud of him and about the same number of people quite ashamed of him. The art establishment really dislike his work.
Pearl commented:
Love. Definitely love.
Clean yet evocative style. I’d buy one.
Well, I love some, like some more, and hate the rest! I had no idea the Bluebird one was a copy! I love the couple dancing on ice in the hazy moonlight – titled Dance me to the end of love, a Leonard Cohen song title. There was another of a young woman holding a single flower, that I saw in one of his exhibitions. I’ve never seen it since so I presume it must have gone to a private collector who didn’t want it copied. I have prints of a man with a suitcase walking in his shirt sleeves along a beach, and one of a woman sitting on a chair beside a high, net curtained window, and a small print of DMTTEOL (above). Got them all in my fave shop in KK. up the road from the tall tower blocks.
Evee,
I haven’t seen that one of a woman with a single flower. I think most of the beach ones are his memories of the good old days when people from Glasgow and Edinburgh used to go on holiday to places like Leven and Burntisland.
I know the shop you mean, they’re good at framing old embroideries too.