There are very few painters whose work makes me gasp; Kitaj is one.
He was one of that highly influential group of RCA students from the late 50's/early 60's that included Hockney, Peter Blake, Allen Jones, Pat Caulfield, and Derek Boshier (amongst others). Some of the liveliest work since the glory days of Matisse.
I was at school when these guys were at the RCA, but their influence even reached as far as the backwaters of Cambridgeshire. In 1961 my wise Art teacher (Norman Wadey) took me down to London in his tiny MG to see the 'Young Contemporaries' show at The Whitechapel Art Gallery, at which all the above were exhibiting.
The young 15 year old Cro was literally astounded. I'd never seen anything like it; it was like being born again into a whole new unknown world of painting. Kitaj's work shone like a beacon, and his 'Jewish Philosophy' subject matter a total revelation.
Kitaj was blessed with superb draughtsmanship, and rare intellect. He was an exceptional colourist and created complex and challenging compositions. He was top of the class.
Kitaj left us in 2007, unfortunately to suicide. At his Tate retrospective in 1994 he had been unfairly savaged by the press as being a pretentious name-dropping Yankee poseur, and he moved back to the USA in disgust. No doubt this attack, and the death of his wife (the painter Sandra Fisher) led to his demise.
Thank you for all your wonderful work Mr Kitaj; I love you. RIP.
I like his work too.
ReplyDeleteAs fellow painters we tend to admire not only the finished product, but also the thought process of other painters' works. In Kitaj's case it was that thought process that intrigued me the most.
DeleteWhen I was a student Tom Lubbock, the then art critic with the Independent, came to visit one day and I was supposed to have a tutorial with him. He spat the words out that my work reminded him of Kitaj and got up and left.
DeleteI hope you took it as a compliment!
DeleteI felt triumphant. Lubbock was a despicable man
DeleteNever trust an Old Etonian.
DeleteThat is one of the reasons i like Blogger so much,another new thing for me to learn about.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little surprised he's not known to you, he was one of the great Jewish painters of the 20th C. Most of his subject matter was to do with Jewish customs or philosophy.
DeleteI had not heard of him , but then I am not an artist…..(apart from copying watercolour paintings from books) Just looked at a lot of his work, and I love the colours and many of the pictures too. ( Some not to my taste)
ReplyDeleteSome of his work is a little risqué, but always beautifully crafted.
DeleteNot a name I know. His artwork is incredibly striking.
ReplyDeleteArilx
Worth looking at Google Images for more.
DeleteA lovely tribute to an artist you admire and respect.I am sure other visual artists have the same feeling about his work except it is rare that anyone acknowledges and is generous with praise.
ReplyDeleteI believe in giving praise where praise is due. Kitaj did nothing but good in his life, but received some unnecessary flack from a few very biased critics. They should be ashamed of themselves.
DeleteMy first husband, who was himself a painter, liked his work too. Pity he was not better known.
ReplyDeleteThe press will never realise how a sensitive person (which most artists are) can be scarred for life by harsh comments on their work.
He's very well known by collectors, but not by 'the general public'. Yes, the press have a lot to answer for.
DeleteI am also a Kitaj fan, and was fortunate to see many of his exhibits back when. Somewhere around my apartment I have a book with his work. perhaps a catalogue from one of those exhibits. I'll now have to have a search.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes.
I have one too, I think from the Tate show in '94. I don't know where mine is either! Probably in a loft in the UK.
DeleteIt took me many decades to come to terms with Hockney's work. I have a feeling I've commented on Hockney on you blog already. I'm not sure I can live with it now but I do appreciate it more.
ReplyDeleteI knew David many years ago, and even owned a couple of his works. I don't like his later stuff as much as the earlier; he seems to be knocking it out factory style.
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