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#1 2012-01-21 12:02:30
- Blucher
- Knows His Ivy Onions
- Posts: 976
The Plain, Simple Beauty Of Norman Rockwell
Went up the valley this afternoon, to one of Derbyshire's biggest secondhand bookshops. (Geoff Blore, over in Nottingham, is great, but parking is a little difficult). I picked up a lovely book on Norman Rockwell's America, published back in the 70s. Some terrific Ivy images, including Rosie The Riveter wearing cuffed Levis, red ribbed socks and penny loafers. Lots of saddle bucks on display; an overall air of non-partisan enjoyment of the American scene (although there are some thought-provoking Civil Rights images, too). He painted Stevenson, Kennedy, Goldwater, Johnson, Nixon, Reagan. He painted Americans eating and Americans praying.
He painted Americans.
#2 2012-01-21 15:23:39
- woofboxer
- Devil's Ivy Advocate
- From: The Lost County of Middlesex
- Posts: 7959
Re: The Plain, Simple Beauty Of Norman Rockwell
http://www.nrm.org/
Stockbridge MA - well worth a vist.
'I'm not that keen on the Average Look .......ever'.
John Simons
Achievements: banned from the Ivy Style FB Group
#3 2012-01-25 12:52:08
- SubtleCool
- Ivy, but subtle with it.
- Posts: 289
Re: The Plain, Simple Beauty Of Norman Rockwell
God, I love Rockwell. Did anyone go to the show at the Dulwich Gallery a little while back? They covered one long corridor wall with every cover he did for the Saturday Evening Post. I was there for simply ages.
Me? Conspicuous? Lady, I'm the invisible man.
#4 2012-01-26 05:22:50
- Moose Maclennan
- Ivy Inspiration
- From: Hernando's Hideaway
- Posts: 4577
Re: The Plain, Simple Beauty Of Norman Rockwell
#6 2012-01-26 06:07:31
- Sal
- Ivyist At Large
- Posts: 524
Re: The Plain, Simple Beauty Of Norman Rockwell
There was a substantial chunk about him and the museum on some programme about American art on BBC4 a couple of months back. It might be available on the internet somewhere.
#7 2012-01-26 07:09:42
- Staceyboy
- Ivy Archivist
- Posts: 936
Re: The Plain, Simple Beauty Of Norman Rockwell
http://thetownoutside.tumblr.com
#8 2012-01-26 09:04:36
- Blucher
- Knows His Ivy Onions
- Posts: 976
Re: The Plain, Simple Beauty Of Norman Rockwell
I'd forgotten about that. Sadly, I remember 'Rocky and Bullwinkle' from DC comics better.
#10 2012-01-31 03:11:57
- Johnsutan
- Member
- Posts: 10
Re: The Plain, Simple Beauty Of Norman Rockwell
I think that beauty is the God gifted thing which a person can not have itself . Here are some tips for having beauty as follows
Eat normal foods instead of junk foods
Exercise also do well
Drink water as possible as you can
Johnsutan
#11 2012-01-31 03:14:48
- Oo Bop Sh'bam
- Ivy Iconoclast
- From: within.
- Posts: 4067
Re: The Plain, Simple Beauty Of Norman Rockwell
Shooey?
''If I can't share my faith in Christ here, I'd just as soon not have to put up with people advocating drug use.''
#12 2012-01-31 03:15:17
- Blucher
- Knows His Ivy Onions
- Posts: 976
Re: The Plain, Simple Beauty Of Norman Rockwell
^ There is something in what you say. 'You Are What You Eat'?
#13 2021-12-21 06:53:45
- A Fine Sadness
- Member
- Posts: 3009
Re: The Plain, Simple Beauty Of Norman Rockwell
For any Americans who might be looking in, for me it's always about America, often about Rockwell (more, I should say, than Hopper or Pollock). Digging Rockwell led me to collect many arcane aspects of Americana - which I still do, although to a slightly lesser extent than pre-2012. I love my Harvard key-ring, my glass ashtray from some defunct diner in New Jersey, my framed ads for Stetson hats. memories of American clothing worn, worn out and disposed of.
I also love old movies with William Powell, Carole Lombard and Claudette Colbert.
Never quite got on with 'Bilko', though. Or 'Cheers'.
#14 2021-12-21 07:33:17
- Tworussellstreet
- Member
- Posts: 599
Re: The Plain, Simple Beauty Of Norman Rockwell
My artist friends introduced me to Norman Rockwell. As well as enjoying his depictions of American life they were great admirers of his illustrative skills - utterly peerless in their opinion. So their enthusiasm stayed with me and I went to that Dulwich Picture Gallery show and had a jolly pleasant afternoon. But, as wonderful as the pictures are as an evocative of sweetness and light (and great clothes), they are complete hokum. He set up every painting - chose stereotypes and dressed them and posed them and painted his invention in that glorious detail of his. So there's nothing remotely real, no genuine documentary at all. He had a vision and he rendered it magnificently. On the darker side I do feel that works like Rockwell's have helped reinforce the American sense of self, as a pure, innocent and well-meaning nation representing goodness, surrounded by the other representing malice and deceit. It's the fuel that spurs on the morons who stormed the Capitol Building. And I feel the British have it too. We are the good people, fighting against the forces of darkness. All complete bullshit of course. But I do still love Norman - no-one could paint a brown penny loafer like him.
Last edited by Tworussellstreet (2021-12-21 07:37:38)
#15 2021-12-21 08:25:58
- A Fine Sadness
- Member
- Posts: 3009
Re: The Plain, Simple Beauty Of Norman Rockwell
'Hokum'. I love that word. Art has so much of it.