Personally, I strained around the painting and took every angle I could to look at it, not necessarily knowing what I was looking for. It was the focal point of the gallery and I regret to this day having left my poster of the piece at a former residence. Schiele, I knew for his nudes. Now that I am half way though this book, I am even more intrigued and delighted to stare at what Gustave Klimt too called a Master. Things I never knew about Schiele: He was arested on indecent acts with a child and for his drawings. Unlike these days, models then were nothing more than prostitutes, no matter their age. During the trial, several pieces were destroyed. He did go free after about 2 weeks in jail.
I look at Schiele's work and I wonder where the hell is the structure in mine. Althoguh painting and drawing are two different things, there has to be a relience on a framework somewhere. What renditions of the pepper plant in oil, have given way to contrast studies in color. Painting for color takes a different tactic and now I feel the need to confine myself by palette. Ben Rubin, a former teacher from undergrad, told me as we were at the Cleveland Museum of Art to look deeply at Soutine. Soutine is able to drape and slash every color of the rainbow on to the canvas and it works. Was it the gray and brwon leveling ground? Was it the well thought out design? Soutine's painting was that of sides of meat hanging off of hooks. In contrast, I'd feel like a fool trying to use the whole range of color in one piece, but there are way to unify the action.
Back to Schiele.... I feel the need to draw more and longer when I look at his pieces. Though they seem simple in their singular concentration on the human form, it seem deceptive intheir complexity because of the senstivity to line in the gouche and sketchiness he takes in oils.
Just to remember, as long as I continue to work, things will peice themselves together unintentionally in a body of work. Selection show the intent.