Zatista The premier source for original art online

The Window Washer by Norman Rockwell on Saturdayeveningpost.com

Nowadays many people consider work something done indoors, sitting down, surrounded by sophisticated technology doing the work for them.  While the blue collar workforce is still going strong in this country, the fact is some of us will never experience the sort of physical labor far more prevalent in decades and centuries past.  Thankfully, artists of many cultures and periods have made workers their subjects, celebrating and preserving all aspects of their lives.

The Gleaners by Jean-Francois Millet on Wikipedia.org

Wikipedia defines a blue collar worker as “a member of the working class who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled, manufacturing, mining, construction, mechanical, maintenance, technical installation and many other types of physical work. Often something is physically being built or maintained.”

Power House Mechanic Working on Steam Pump by Lewis Hine on Wikipedia.org

From the field laborers of Millet to the industrial workers of Hine, men and women at work have shown up in the work of many prominent artists. They not only document moments in history, they also offer the drama of people in specific settings and circumstances, showing both their psychological and physical sides in one composition.

The End of the 14th Street Crosstown Line by Reginald Marsh on Ephemeralnewyork.com

Some noteworthy artists whose works later sold in the millions, sometimes posthumously, earned their living doing blue collar work. They resided in neighborhoods where they created fine art destined for the enjoyment of an educated elite, but in which their own economic status was closer to the struggling common man they lived alongside.

Hand Mining by Darren Thompson on Zatista.com

In more ways than one, artists can be considered part of the working class. Perhaps this is why the theme of the laborer continues to appeal, depicting direct involvement between the worker, the tools of their trade, and their environment, with the end result being something physically created where there was nothing before.  So the next time you buy original art on Zatista, remember the work in “work of art.”

Brian Sylvester is a guest blogger on WallSpin, and an artist on Zatista.

Andy Warhol image: thecityreview.com

The enduring legacy of some artists is nothing short of amazing. Take Andy Warhol, for instance. Not only did he question the very notion of what original art might be, he essentially mechanized its production. Yet today, anything he did (or didn’t do – at least not himself – as the case may be) instantly becomes a hot topic of conversation, and usually a hot commodity at the same time.

Andy Warhol image: walltowatch.com

For instance, take his little known, “Athlete Series”. Commissioned for a single collector in the late 1970s and early 80s, this collection of ten works was produced using Warhol’s standard silk screening method. While the collection, currently valued at $10 million, have a sordid history of their own, even the elements of their earliest beginnings are now considered art.

Andy Warhol image: walltowatch.com

In order to create a silk screen, an image is “burned” to a screen using emulsion fluid. Warhol, who popularized the use of the process in fine art, often used polaroids that he shot himself as the base image. From time to time, his original photographs of celebrities, or in this case, sports stars, pop up and create a stir in the art world.

Andy Warhol image: walltowatch.com

In 2009, that very thing happened with the “Athlete Series.” New York City’s Danziger Projects put together a small show of just the original polaroids from that particular cycle of work – elevating the artist’s materials to the status (if not also the value) of the final products. Before you take a look at the original New York Times article to see a slideshow of all the original polariods, see if you can identify all of the 70s sport starts above.

I guess it’s fitting that a man who was so obsessed with fame – his own and others – redefined it for artists everywhere. If only Warhol had known. Or maybe he did.

Mattise | Image: http://www.pebblebeachartheist.com

It’s gotta sting just a little bit to find out that the local sheriff is closing your case when $27 million worth of art from your art collection is still missing. That just happened recently in the exclusive California coastal enclave of Pebble Beach. As is often the case, the theft proved to be a dramatic one, full of intrigue, twists and turns – what is it with drama and stolen art?

Pollock | Image: www.pebblebeachartheist.com

The very valuable collection in this case belonged to a retired Harvard Medical School physician and his associate, and included “substantial works” by Jackson Pollock, Vermeer, van Gogh, Rembrandt, Renoir, and Miro, among other artists. At one point, the owners themselves were considered suspects, which complicated their somewhat significant insurance claim.

Miro | Image: www.pebblebeachartheist.com

Now, in the wake of an election of a new sheriff in Monterey County, the investigation has been closed due to a lack of physical evidence. Apparently, the owners are still hoping their art comes home. They have set up a website dedicated to the crime, where you can browse through the missing works and bone up on the details of the case. A $5 million reward is up for grabs if you’re inclined to do a little art sleuthing on your own.

Renoir | Image: www.pebblebeachartheist.com

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Dreamer by April Henderlong on Zatista.com

There is no shortage of high quality original art on Zatista. Behind each piece, there is an artist with a unique story. In this installment of Artist Glimpse, I had the pleasure to speak with Indiana artist, April Henderlong, who has been a Zatista member since 2010.

BS: Tell me a little about your background in the arts.
AH: I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil. Never a day in my life did I not know I wanted to be an artist. Upon graduating high school in Indiana, I immediately moved to downtown Chicago to attend the American Academy of Art. After my second year there, I transferred to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where I went on to receive a bachelors degree in traditional illustration. I’ve stuck to private sales and commissions. I draw because it makes my heart sing, and working for myself feels like the best way to tap into my individuality.

BS: Why do you like painting on wood?
AH: Wood grains are beautiful! There are so many different types of wood, all of which uniquely possess an organically delightful design. My companion is a carpenter. He cuts, sands, and brings me pieces he thinks I’d like. Since I started working with wood panels, I’ve been enamored with how I feel they add to what I draw or paint.

That Girl and Her Dog by April Henderlong

BS: What is the inspiration to keep you going?
AH: Everything above and under the sun is my inspiration to draw. I can’t think of anything that isn’t. I suppose existence is my ultimate inspiration, and ’til death do us part.

BS: Where do you see your work going next?
AH: My work has arrived at the point where it is, simply by my choice of letting it wander. I guess I’ll have to see where freedom takes my creative moods next.

Sincere by April Henderlong on Zatista.com

BS: What are your ideal working conditions?
AH: Solitude, along with hours of music, and/or alternative talk radio.

BS: How is business?
AH: I have zero complaints about business. I love being able to exhibit in galleries on the net. It gives the world a chance to see my work without me having to travel. Technology is really helping artists get their work out there, and business has been a blast!

Innocence by April Henderlong on Zatista.com

BS: What other art medium would you like to attempt or not attempt?
AH: Right now I’ve been using oils, acrylics, colored pencils, watercolors, and inks. It’s more likely that I’ll press forward with my favorites, rather than brush up on my Photoshopping skills.

Resonate by April Henderlong

BS: Do you have any advice for someone just getting started?
AH: Follow your heart!

Brian Sylvester is a guest blogger on WallSpin, and an artist on Zatista.

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If there’s a topic you can count on to get a group of people talking around a dinner table, it’s the age old favorite, “What good movies have you seen?” Since we’re not spending a leisurely evening dining together, but rather grabbing a few minutes on the Internet here and there , I thought I’d narrow the field and ask, “What good films about artists have you seen?” Indeed, there are a lot of them out there but I’d love to hear what you’ve enjoyed watching. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments section below. If you’re like me and are trying come up with new ways to dodge the spring rain and thunder storms, here are a few favorites I’d offer up for discussion if we were sitting around a table together:

Still from the movie Wasteland

Wasteland: A 2011 documentary about Brazilian contemporary artist Vik Muniz who collaborates with the ‘pickers’ of recyclable materials who live and work in the garbage from Jardim Gramacho, the world’s largest landfill on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.

Still from the movie Pollock

Pollock: A 2000 biographical which tells the life story of influential American abstract painter Jackson Pollock. Ed Harris is Pollock and Jennifer Connelly as his artist wife, Lee Krasner.

Work by Andy Goldsworthy

Rivers & Tides: A 2001 documentary about the British artist Andy Goldsworthy who creates intricate and ephemeral sculptures from natural materials such as rocks, leaves, flowers, and icicles.

Jean-Michel Basquiat

Basquiat: a 1996 biopic/drama film directed by fellow painter Julian Schnabel which is based on the life of American postmodernist/neo expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat who used his graffiti roots as a foundation to create collage-style paintings on canvas.

Sagrada Familia by Antonio Gaudi

Antonio Gaudi: A 1984 Japanese and Spanish documentary film by Hiroshi Teshigahara about the works of Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi. In this film with minimal narration, the director visits buildings and houses in Barcelona, and the Sagrada Família.

Eames: The Architect and The Painter

Eames: The Architect and The Painter: A 2011 documentary telling the story of the American husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames, widely considered America’s most important designers. Their creations include furniture, photography, interiors, and much more.

What films about artists do you recommend?

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• Jackson Pollock: Unpublished Photos(life.time.com)

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