Thursday, February 17, 2011

juice of life

Gallery of Modern Art, Clyde Singer


self- portrait
The Flower Vendor, 1935
After mentioning two of my favorite Ohio artists this week, Charles Burchfield and George Bellows, I realized I had forgotten another of my Ohio favorites, Clyde Singer (1908-1999).  I might just have to turn this subject into a series of posts.

Born in Malvern, a rural village in northeast Ohio, he worked as a sign painter's apprentice after high school, until he saved enough money to enroll in the Columbus Museum of Art School, back in the day before it was known as the Columbus College of Art and Design. In 1933, he enrolled as a scholarship student at the Art Students League, New York, where he studied for seven years with American greats such as Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry, and Richard Edward Miller. Singer's early paintings were scenes of small-town Ohio life, and later shifted focus to more urban settings, capturing contemporary scenes of the time.

Old Shopper, 1945
In 1940, Singer became assistant director at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, and, except for military service during World War II, remained there until his death in 1999.

Stylistically, Singer is classified as a Regionalist. In his sixty-five years as an artist, he created well over 3000 works and is best known for his depictions of the American scene. I love the delightful, engaging way he depicts movement, as well as the emotion and personality of his subjects. Singer's objective was to capture what he called the "juice of life", recording everyday incidents with a gentle, satirical eye.

Wind on the Avenue, 1937
my personal favorite Singer
at my local Columbus Museum of Art
(I like to think Singer included himself on the left.)

51 comments:

  1. Thank you for this beautiful collection of Clyde Singer paintings! Am I the only one who thinks that more than one gust was hitting the women in "Wind on the Avenue" ? ,-)

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  2. Fun new header :)

    "Juice of life", what a perfect description. I like that he worked as an apprecentice to save enough money to study and so glad he did. Wind on the Avenue, wow wow wow, would love to see that one in person. I agree, that looks like him on the left.

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  3. I don't know about you, but "Wind on the Avenue" brought to mind Marilyn Monroe in the famous scene from "The Seven Year Itch".

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  4. I learn so much here at your blog -- thank you for that.

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  5. I really like his style, "Juice of life" makes him endearing. Regionalist huh? I am not sure if it is the colors, the robust, healthy look of his subjects...I notice the sign on the "Wind" painting is Lazarus...think that is the old dept. store?

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  6. Thank you for introducing me to Singer's work. It reminds me of one of my favorite artists from Missouri, Thomas Hart Benton. They share the same well grounded, slightly whimsical view on life. Yay for midwesterners!

    I LOVE "Wind on the Avenue" and wish I had waited a day to write my blog post on the wind!

    Hope your day is a breeze, Tess.

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  7. Jill, yes! Remember good old Lazarus? Columbus just isn't the same without it. I should write a post soon on it.

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  8. Jo, Thomas Hart Benton is one of my all time faves. The Kansas City Art Institute houses many of his works. My favorite being Persephone.

    Here's a link to a post on my visit:

    http://willowmanor.blogspot.com/2009/05/everythings-up-to-date-in-kansas-city.html

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  9. Tess you are a wealth of information. Thank you for opening my eyes to art as well as poetry. By the way...do you know of a painting of depicting lovers, not necessarily nude (actually I would prefer that they weren't) that I could use to accompany something I penned today?

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  10. Beautiful! "Wind on the Avenue" is my favorite of the group you posted! thanks!

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  11. Singer is new to me, so I'll list him among many others I've discovered via Willow Manor. Thank you.

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  12. Elaine, I happen to adore Marc Chagall's "Birthday".

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  13. Singer is a new artists for me although that style feels so familiar. I love it that you are showcasing Ohio artists this way.

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  14. Clyde Singer is new to me, too.He's has the a Rockwell-like sense of humanity and time, yet he is, as you said, a bit more satirical, more sophisticated, which I love.

    Wonderful new header - literally took my breath away! Stunning!
    x

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  15. You're introducing me to a feast of artists I had never heard of ... thank you! I, too, love the 'Wind on the avenue'. I'm inspired to write about the wind now!

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  16. I do love to hear about artists I have never heard of, and see their work, so thank you for this post.

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  17. These are wonderful paintings by an artist I'll admit I know nothing about. They bring to my mind (because of the subject matter, not the style) L.S. Lowry.

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  18. R.A.D., thanks for directing me to Singer's British counterpart. Lowry's work is so very charming!

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  19. Windy days and skirts ... not a bad combo!

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  20. Love these, particularly the first. As you say, the way he depicts movement is wonderful, and I also love the colours. I'd be delighted if you made this a regular series!

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  21. Bill, your new avatar pic is SO fun!

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  22. I love your artist posts and yes I think a series would be fantastic!

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  23. Thanks for bringing Clyde Singer to my attention - now I want to know more - and to see more of his work! I love when the people I meet point me into new directions!

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  24. The artist may also make an appearance in the distance on the left in "The Flower Vendor."

    I, too, like his work.

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  25. Hey, Mr. C., I think you're right! His trademark, no doubt. Now I must find more people scenes and see if he is lurking on the left.

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  26. Another thing, I just love the fishnet stockings in "Gallery of Modern Art". I had a pair in 1967.

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  27. Love his use of color, and including himself in the paintings reminds me of film directors making a cameo appearance in their movies- thanks for introducing us to Singer!

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  28. Love the new header...

    Happy to see you at Farmhouse today, my friend

    sending love,
    kary
    xxx

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  29. I enjoyed learning about Mr. Singer. This was great.

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  30. Thanks for the history of Clyde Singer. He definitely has the Benton influence. Regional artworks become wonderful historic documents.

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  31. Me, too. A couple artists you're introducing here I never knew, either. But what a wonderful ride of color, movement, and even humor in the work of Singer. Thank you Tess!

    Also for the memory of Lazarus--which finally bought "Shillito" in Cincinnati. It's been 45 years since I've lived in Ohio. But I still enjoy reminiscing about living between National Distillers in Cincy, and SEAGRAM'S in Lawrenceburg, IN.

    PEACE!

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  32. I can't say that he is a favourite, but it's always good to see what paintings you select to put up on your page. From all the comments it does seem as if he's very popular. Bisou, Cro.

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  33. Fab new header! Thanks for the intro to Clyde Singer. His style appeals to me. I can almost feel the Wind on the Avenue.

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  34. I am glad I caught up with this today-
    I have had a nasty flu and needed some bright optimism. I'll enjoy a bit of brisk investigation! thanks-

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  35. well tess i love the softly rounded bodies and the fluidity of the scenes so much. thankyou for sharing them here. steven

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  36. I'm enjoying this series. I especially like the first painting.

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  37. This series is making a road trip very attractive. It's so nice to know about these little gems.

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  38. I must confess that I love those paintings .Nice :)

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  39. Thank you for introducing this artist. I don't think I have every heard of him. I thought at first his work looked familiar, but .....no. Loved it!

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  40. Tess,

    I 'get into' the proletarian art of the 30s. Our American themes seem both naive and honest compared with the slick Deco or lock-step agitprop of Europe.

    (Also -- your new blog 'look'!)

    Trulyfool

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  41. Like you to know that I listen--actually, my ears are 'glued' to the station WBRD. I could not live without it. And best of all...NO commercials, constant music. Sometimes a Beethoven symphone, or a Bach Divertimento, or a Schumann Piano Quintet (he only wrote one!). Always, ALWAYS!

    Jingle:
    "When you are troubled and can not see...
    When you wish to hang it all up and say 'woe is me'...
    When you say 'Why this, why that, and HOW CAN THIS BEEEE'...Just turn your dial to Double-U Bee Arrrr Deeeee!"

    I just could not help myself, TESS!
    PEACE!

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  42. What a wonderful review of an engaging painter...who captures life in all its vibrancy.

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  43. Thank you for sharing this! I had heard of and seen some of Bellows works but clyde Singer is new to me...I love the examples you posted...especially the flower vendor...very much like Thomas Hart Benton...

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  44. Thank you for these examples- they are FAVORITES now! Utterly delightful!

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  45. Tess -- Wind on the Avenue -- great example of movement -- barbara

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  46. I love his work--such lively movement and figures. I agree--the figure on the left does seem to resemble him! Wonderful, Tess!

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  47. Thank you for writing this informative post. I didn't know about Singer but I will be on the lookout from now on and will be able to identify a work of his if I come across it. The paintings are such fun - every day life with a delicious slant on the ordinary.

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  48. Such a voluptuous quality to Singer's figures..so full of life..thanks for bringing him up!

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  49. Your new banner is awesome. You really ARE feeling your Cherokee blood. Wow.

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  50. Is Clyde Singer related to John Singer Sargent, also from Ohio? I am more familiar with Singer Sargent's work, but I really do like these paintings of Clyde Singer, Tess.
    They look like pictures of an illustrator, that one could post in a children's book. They include a lot of detail, interesting colors and so much movement. Thank you for posting this.

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  51. OMG - I love all the artists you have been talking about. I fell in love with American Regionalists when I went back to school (okay - I'm old) and look for new ones all the time. I studied watercolor with a student of Charles Burchfield here in Texas which is how I got more familiar with him.

    Thanks for sharing.

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)