Transfiguration of the Common-Place
We are excited to invite you to explore Transfiguration of the Common-Place a virtual solo exhibition of Randy Klinger, a distinguished artist known for his unique blend of contemporary themes and classical techniques. Hosted by CISTA, this exhibition offers a deep dive into Klinger’s creative mind and artistic journey. Here, Randy shares his thoughts and insights on his work and artistic process.
Q. Can you share the inspiration behind the works you exhibited here?
Randy Klinger: For the past 4 years I have been making pictures in two series; one of self-portraiture, as an attempt to learn to find love and acceptance for myself, and the second of genre scenes featuring a woman alone in a room simply carrying out day-to-day tasks.
This series is based upon my love of and influenced by the 17th c. Dutch Artist Johannes Vermeer. I have been studying Vermeer's artwork since childhood, in museums, and more recently, in extreme detail, on Google Arts & Culture - seeing how he actually applied his paint. I began to wonder, "How could one create a 'Vermeer' in our own time: a woman, set in a genre-like domestic scene, attention to light and still-life objects, and find beauty and meaning for a 21st century public?”
I set about to make pictures of a woman in a genre-like domestic scene with attention to light, space, and contemporary objects and to aim at Vermeer’s level of beauty and stillness—elevating the banality of 21st-century life.
Here are some pictures inspired by the influence of Vermeer's paintings. A woman alone putting together a puzzle, or at lunch, looking at the picture of chaos in the capital of Washington on her laptop. In this way I can explore the relevance of contemporary themes in art in our time. I ask: "Could contemporary life be beautiful? It's a challenge for me ... we'll see!"
Can Vermeer's pictures be beautiful especially because the 17th c. world was beautiful: Persian carpets, hand painted maps, carved chairs, clothing made of elegant silk and furs, strands of pearls woven through carefully coiffed hair, a beautiful room with stained glass windows...?
I set about to make pictures of a woman, in a genre-like domestic scene, with attention to light, space and contemporary objects, and to aim at his level of beauty and stillness - elevating the banality of 21st c. life.
Again, I was thinking of Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" which has become as iconic as the 'Mona Lisa' - even though it was only first sold 100 years after being painted for two guilders (£20 at today's prices). Regarding my own picture, "Woman at Table", I ask myself, "What makes Vermeer's picture so iconic, so attractive? Are we no longer capable of creating an image of equal beauty?"
Since my childhood, I have believed that the objects of 21st life are intrinsically banal, imperfect, without substance, ugly .... but now, instead I am 're-polishing' and elevating these objects into museum crafts...looking for the most greatest beauty in these objects; patterns transforming an old butter dish into a thing of wonder, an old bathrobe into a princess' dress, a worn pullover into an elegant handcrafted jacket....
To learn to love the objects of our time, to re-new-vate them into objects equal to the 17th c is a psychological task for me - to learn to find beauty in the things of our own time.
Nothing engages me more than to find the beauty of our own time.
Q. What challenges have you faced during your artistic journey, and how have you overcome them?
Randy Klinger:Through my daily study of the great masters, I can get overwhelmed. I cannot create Not even 0.1% of what they did, can I do; their ingeniousness in solving visual problems, clarity of form...every brushstroke ‘adheres’ to forms. I overcome this challenge by aiming ever higher in experimenting with my compositions and expanding my ‘poetry’.
When I moved to the UK in 1992, I asked Professor Sir Ernst Gombrich to become my mentor. I met with him annually showing my artwork for his criticism. “You don’t understand form!” So off I went to Florence and studied there until I could understand his words. On another visit he explained "The Beholder’s Share”; in that the artist creates 50% of the work of art, and the viewer the other half - as the viewer’s imagination is stirred. His biting criticism sent me in a new direction: emphasis on form, and switching from oil paint to pencil: a simple Derwent HB pencil! From then on, at our sessions, we could both ‘make up’ the colours that were not there - in fact, with ‘colour palettes’ that were more explicit and evocative - we would actually see the same colours!
Studying the great masters can be overwhelming… I overcome this challenge by aiming ever higher, experimenting with my compositions, and expanding my ‘poetry.’
Q. How does your environment influence your art?
Randy Klinger:I live in rural Scotland, in an international community founded 65 years ago.
We live independently, in a house that was given to me, but also take part in a shared community life. I left NYC 33 years ago, following a small-voice that very clearly told me how and when to move to Scotland, into this community. One participates in the community as much or as little, and in the way that one feels moved or inspired to. For instance, 33 years ago I cooked for the community for 2 years, making meals for 200 people.
I started living here in small, very aged caravans, so working in oil paint did not work so well. I also felt moved to start teaching art, which I did three times a week for 15 years, then I felt a strong impulse to advance my art teaching and raised one million pounds to create an art centre (3 exhibition areas, 7 studios, carrying out exhibitions with The British Museum, The Courtauld Gallery, The National gallery and others). This was a 25-year project in which I designed, directed and taught in the centre. I brought an exhibition of Italian Renaissance drawings, Classical Greek sculpture, and 3 changing exhibitions every month. So, living in rural Scotland feels quite busy, cosmopolitan and city-like. I do not miss NYC life, but my gallery is in Chelsea, Manhattan, so I go back often.
Living in rural Scotland feels quite busy, cosmopolitan, and city-like. I do not miss NYC life, but my gallery is in Chelsea, Manhattan, so I go back often.
Q. What message or emotions do you hope to convey through your art?
Randy Klinger:I wish to create works of art that are in-between emotions. I wish for my pictures to address each person individually and to evoke a spectrum of emotions, though my purpose is, overall, to uplift the soul and spirit of the viewer, I never want to depress!
For example: I had an exhibition in the central palace in Perugia, Italy, which houses the Gallery of Umbrian Art. One day a woman came in and was overwhelmed and said, "This woman, such sadness in her face!" I agreed. Another day, another woman came up to me glowing, "This woman, such JOY!", I again agreed. It was the same painting. I wish my work to trigger deep, physically felt emotions.
When I was 7 years old, I had my first of many 'aesthetic orgasms', in which I experienced and was overwhelmed by beauty viscerally. The first was "Appalachian Spring", a modern dance by Martha Graham. I did not know what was happening to me, but I felt a wave of pleasure from my toes to the top of my head. This is the viewer's experience for which I aim in my artwork.
I wish my work to trigger deep, physically felt emotions. My purpose is overall to uplift the soul and spirit of the viewer. I never want to depress!
Q. What advice would you give to emerging artists who are just starting their careers?
Randy Klinger: Follow beauty.
Ask yourself: "What am I doing this for? What are my aims, my intentions? Is it to uplift others, to make the world a better place?"
Ask yourself: "What is Beauty? How can I make, in my own time, something of the level of beauty equal to all the ages?"
Remind yourself: "I can only have the motivation to carry out a life in the challenging career as an artist if I can experience pleasure. If not I will be merely going through the motions, and trying to sell to feel good about myself. Art without adventure, fun or pleasure, will never ignite the passions of the viewer."
Honour craft: Care about every very square millimetre of your artwork. If you believe in what you are doing, why would you not give your all to refining it?
Finally:
Ask yourself: “Why should anyone want to look at my pictures?” There are tens go thousands of artists wanting to be seen. Allow for a bird’s-eye view of your art - look objectively and invite biting criticism.
Follow beauty. Ask yourself: ‘What is Beauty? How can I make in my own time something of the level of beauty equal to all the ages?’
Join us in celebrating Randy Klinger’s artistic journey 'Transfiguration of the Common-Place'. Discover his thought-provoking works and gain insight into the mind of an artist dedicated to finding beauty in contemporary life.
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