Artist Members Share Their Fantasy Time Travels With Us
We asked artists in the Manhattan Arts International Online Gallery, “What artist from the past would you most like to spend a day with and what would you do together?
The artists included in this article are Charlotte Shroyer, Bren Sibilsky, Elliot Appel, Eva Breitfuss, Barbara Brown, Rajul Shah, Lisa Freidus and Nancy Reyner. The artists’ names will take you to their pages where you can view their remarkable art and read about their many accomplishments.
Charlotte Shroyer
Painting by Charlotte Shroyer
I only I could have watched Willem de Kooning as he created works of art combining abstract expressionism and figurative images. What
inspired him? How did he apply paint? How did he apportion the canvas to meet his imagination? At what point did he consider the work
finished? At 86 years of age, I wonder how long my creative juices will flow. De Kooningwho painted into his 80’s even as he battled Alzheimer’s, is an inspiration.
Bren Sibilsky
Sculpture by Bren Sibilsky
Anne Hyatt Huntington and I would start the day having breakfast at a N.Y. café before heading off to her studio with Brenda Putnam, who shares the studio with her. The three of us would borrow a N.Y. city carriage horse to sculpt. Anne would fill me in on all the things a good equine sculptor should know about sculpting dynamic animals in motion. Anne would also give me tips on how a woman can open doors to creating powerful monumental sculpture. We three would be fierce, sculpting well into the evening while conversing about life, art and future possibilities. The day would end with wine, laughter and a promise of doing this again in the future.
Elliot Appel
Painting by Elliot Appel
Roaming the cafes with Picasso in Paris in the early part of the century comes to mind. We might have even gotten some painting done! Given the choice, though, I would have enjoyed spending a day with Henri Matisse on the French Riviera. Just watching the artist work, viewing his studio, and sharing dinner and a glass or two of wine with the great man would have been special. My favorite artist and one of my favorite places; what could be better than that?
Eva Breitfuss
Keep Smiling, oil pastel on natural canvas, by Eva Breitfuss
If I could spend a day with an artist from the past, it would be Lucio Fontana. His radical gesture of cutting through the canvas deeply inspires me — it feels like an invitation to step beyond limits into space, light, and infinity. As an artist myself, I recognize in his work the courage to trust the unknown. I imagine sitting in his studio, sensing the silence before the cut, then walking outside together, experiencing how art opens portals into the vastness where creation and possibility merge.
Barbara Brown
Marilyn’s Forest, oil on canvas, 20″ x 16″ by Barbara Brown
Oh what I would give to spend a day with Emily Carr in the rainforest of the Pacific Coast of British Columbia, Canada. I would sit with her deep in the ancient forest and try to see through her eyes how she captured the essence of these forests with paint on paper. Perhaps we could visit Haida Gwaii, the wild remote islands of the Haida people, and explore one of their villages, gaze up in wonder at their totem poles…
Rajul Shah
I Sense the Light, acrylic on linen, 21″ x 29″ by Rajul Shah
A morning walk through Central Park, NYC with Mark Rothko hearing him talk about the colors around him. Learning what informs his Art, academically and emotionally, over a leisurely lunch. Painting in the afternoon over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine while observing him mix colors on his palette. I find his use of color magically and emotionally captivating. Over dinner, I would ask him how he would spend the day with his favorite artist.
Lisa Freidus
Painting in the style of trompe l’oeil, by Lisa Freidus inspired by her interest in time travel.
I would like to spend the afternoon with Edward Hopper at the iconic diner in “Nighthawks”. I would indulge in a dish of chocolate chip ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream and a double scoop of walnuts! Most viewers may find his painting “Nighthawks” melancholy but I find it peaceful. Hopper’s paintings are mesmerizing with their light and shadow and their colors and mood offer me a respite from personal challenges. My fascination with time travel immediately attracts me to his compositions depicting the Forties. My mind would be swirling with questions in regard to his personal and artistic choices. I would inquire about the individuals in his paintings and ask “What were they experiencing and did they survive their personal ordeals?” As the afternoon draws to a close it wouldn’t surprise me if Hopper’s final comments were “Lisa I enjoyed our visit, but try cutting down on the sugar – I’m exhausted!”
Nancy Reyner
Songbirds on a Rainy Day, acrylic and Dutch gold leaf on canvas, 54″ x 65″ by Nancy Reyner
My favorite artist from the past is Hilma af Klint, a Swedish artist and mystic whose paintings are considered the first major abstract paintings in Western art history. What was it like to be a woman painting in the late 19th century and early 20th, painting with abstraction years before Kandinsky’s abstractions turned up on the scene? How did she paint in a dress, as women weren’t allowed to wear pants back then. She packed up all her paintings and instructed her heir to keep them hidden for 80 years. What insight! I’d like to be transported to the time during one of her spiritual séances, where she agreed to channel images from the higher beings she called The High Masters, and also the times she met with Madame Blavatsky.
Hilma af Klint, The Ten Largest, No. 7., Adulthood, Group IV, 1907. Tempera on paper mounted on canvas, 315 x 235 cm. Stiftelsen Hilma af Klints Verk. Photo: Albin Dahlström/Moderna Museet.
Renee, I would be interested in talking about one of the Artist that has inspired me in color, Monet and Joan Mitchell in composition.
Good choices Karen. I hope you enjoyed reading about the choices made by our Artist Members.
Joyce, thank you for your comment and for joining the Manhattan Arts International Artist Showcase Members Gallery. This article was written more than a year ago. Now that we have new members I’ll consider doing a sequel and include your statement. 🙂
Heck, I’m support staff for my artist husband, but I’d love to spend the day with Leonardo Da Vinci especially after reading about him in Walter Isaacson’s book. What a fascinating person he was! As a scientist myself, his passion for understanding how things worked really resonated with me. True…he did seem to have a little bit of a problem actually finishing things, but that only adds to his charm for this artist lover.
Love this idea! Especially loved Keith Morant’s conversation with Joan Miro, at age 85. (I just have to translate that last comment!) As for myself, I think I’d like to spend an afternoon with Matisse, making cut-outs and arranging them on walls…….Thanks for this!
Hello Artists Friends,Are we not the lucky ones in this world to be able to put down on canvas or paper what we see and feel in our inner souls ?
Dear Beatrice,
Thank you for your comment. My question is, what artist from the past would you like to spend a day with and what would you do? Send me your reply in an email, I’ll be putting together another article in this series and would love to include you.
Dear Renée:
I dream always of talking with Joaquin Sorolla in his home-atelier in Madrid. But since he was an admirer of Velazquez, I would invite them to dinner to my home. Manet too, why not? Do you imagine what would be this meeting?
Thank you Cristina! May I also join you – your fantasy dinner seems like a dream come true!