Untitled (Diptych) by Mary Ann Aitken is a pair of paintings; one entirely abstract and the other a hybrid of representational and abstract elements. The left-side painting is a cacaphonous all over composition of brushstrokes layered in the artist’s signature primary colors. In the same color scheme, the right-side painting portrays a still life with an arrangement of flowers as its focal point, with marks and splatter spilling from the left-side composition into the right. The color palette unites the pair of works, placing them in conversation despite their stylistic opposition. As in most of her work, the paint is layered on thick in an impasto style. Because of the slow-drying nature of oil paint, Aitken would wait days at a time for a single layer to dry before working the next layer, demonstrating a degree of patience with the medium similar to that of old masters. Time and effort are evidenced in her strokes, the visible brushwork reminds the viewer of the labor of its construction, rather than presenting a seamless representation of its subject.
Mary Ann Aitken was known to be very private about her art practice; she was considered somewhat of an outsider by her peers affiliated with the second wave of Detroit’s Cass Corridor arts movement. Aitken created observational paintings that transcribed ubiquitous imagery of still lifes and street views, some from near her parents’ home and others looking out the window of her studio. She typically employed colors reminiscent of everyday objects in ways that rendered her abstracted views of quotidian scenes unfamiliar. Aitken always followed the same routine in building up her paintings, beginning with flat strokes, then adding numerous layers over the course of months or years. Aitken’s paintings are immensely personal, yet approachable because of her use of images from everyday life.
Compositions such as Tree on Keystone (2011) become hyperreal versions of their real-world equivalents...
From ferns to meteorites: new book explores the beautiful mysteries of nature printing Art market Museums & heritage Exhibitions Books Podcasts Columns Technology Adventures with Van Gogh Search Search Books review From ferns to meteorites: new book explores the beautiful mysteries of nature printing A rare collection of images created by the impressions of natural objects Tabitha Barber 8 December 2023 Share Image by Alois Auer Von Welsbach, a pioneer of nature printing who likened his discovery to the invention of writing and the Gutenberg press Vienna, Kaiserlich-Königlichen Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1854...
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What This Find Says About Gender in Ancient Culture | Art & Object Skip to main content Subscribe to our free e-letter! Webform Your Email Address Role Art Collector/Enthusiast Artist Art World Professional Academic Country USA Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua & Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Ascension Island Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia & Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Canary Islands Cape Verde Caribbean Netherlands Cayman Islands Central African Republic Ceuta & Melilla Chad Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo - Brazzaville Congo - Kinshasa Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d’Ivoire Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard & McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong SAR China Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao SAR China Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar (Burma) Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Outlying Oceania Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Réunion Samoa San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka St...