A new examination of a fascinating group of paintings from a pioneering mid-century artist In 1960 Eva Hesse (1936–1970) created an unusual group of oil paintings that, when considered in contrast to her sculptural assemblages from 1965 to 1970, foretell her desire to embody emotional states in abstract form. Contrary to existing scholarship, which suggests that these works represent a form of self-deprecation, this book seeks to consider these “spectre” paintings as manifestations of a private, haunted interiority in the context of the artist’s burgeoning maturity.
The paintings in the spectre campaign comprise two distinct categories. The first, a selection of small-scale oil on Masonite paintings, depicts two or three loosely rendered figures positioned in vacant pictorial spaces. These gaunt forms portray an apparent disconnection between one body and another; and yet, the pictorial drama of the works would be incomplete without the presence of each figure. The second group of paintings imbues a more perplexing psychological state, as characters alternately take on the forms of alien-like creatures or as close resemblances to the artist herself. Through an enlightening assessment of these underappreciated works, readers will gain new insight into their pivotal role in Hesse’s oeuvre.

Eva Hesse Spectres 1960

Arts & Photography

McKinnon, E. Luanne

History & Criticism

Yale University Press

Painted Dialogue celebrates in the form of an artistic retrospective the past twenty-plus years of paintings of Michael Von Helms. A non-figurative abstractionist, Von Helms describes his paintings as dialogs between his inner self and a higher power. Upon entering his studio, Von Helms forgets everything but that which is before him and draws no references from anything but the canvases on which he paints. He surrenders himself to the journey for he says, "In the end it is not about attaining, but more about attempting. In my attempt I come face to face with the old realities of myself, and then, through 'hard payment,' rearrange and reconfigure simultaneously my inner self and the two dimensional surface of the work in progress." The evolution of Von Helms's work has moved from the straight, simple yet dramatic petroglyph-like images of the '80s into the sophisticated, energetic bold-color canvasses of the '90s. Today he may repaint a single canvas as many as five times, giving his paintings a surface of thick and thin overlays with a palpable sense of edge and energy. Von Helms says, "When my process is pushed hard enough, long enough, the work and I seem to turn around a point and slip into a state of resolution. The curtain comes down, the play is finished. For the moment, all confusion, unknowing, and tension has been exhausted. Darkness is made visible. The emotions within me, the world outside, and the painting are all, at last, united. There is communication. It becomes a kind of salvation."

Michael Von Helms: Painted Dialogue

FrescoBooks / SF Design, llc

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Books by McKinnon, E. Luanne

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by McKinnon, E. Luanne. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Eva Hesse Spectres 1960

Michael Von Helms: Painted Dialogue