Ad Reinhardt by Victoria Taylor-Gore

My friend Randy asked me to make a video about Reinhardt...this is my humble attempt. Ad Reinhardt was an Abstract Expressionist painter that worked in New York from the 1930's to the 1960's. The passages in the video are from a poem called "The More Loving One" by W. H. Auden that Reinhardt copied on one of his many pages of notes on art. It is hard to appreciate the subtle color nuances in his paintings from photographs, so I hope you will see Reinhardt's work in person someday :)

The part of the poem that I used in the video is:

Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.

Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total darkness sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.


Hear W. H. Auden read the entire poem: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7474255


Reinhardt claimed that his "black" or "ultimate" paintings were the "last paintings" that anyone can paint. To me the poem by W.H. Auden reflects the mystery of his minimal work.


The music is "Edge of Love" by Mindy Smith.

My website: http://www.victoriataylorgore.com

Category:

Education

Tags:

• art
• painting
• ad
• reinhardt
• color
• field
• minimalism
• abstract
• expressionism

[bbstrwhte]

with the photographs and the poem and the music you have managed to capture some of mystery that surrounds this profound artist

[vtg60]

@bbstrwhte Thanks so much - I appreciate it! Vicky

[Whatever3114]

Beautiful video of a very sensitive artist

[vtg60]

@Whatever3114 Thank so much!

[smvictory]

Very beautiful.

[vtg60]

@smvictory Thank you so much!  Vicky

[vtg60]

@smurfkarl Thanks so much! Seeing his work in person is essential to understand the subtle magic - have a wonderful time at the exhibition!

[smurfkarl]

Lovely video! Shows great respect. Thanks!

Strange enough, but around 30 of his paintings (including more than a dozen of his 'last paintings') are to see in an exhibition at Josef Albers Museum Quadrat in Bottrop/ Germany till Jan 09, 2011.Since both, Albers and Reinhardt, worked at Yale University in 1952/ 53 and were bound by lifelong respect, Reinhardts paintings are accompanied in the exhibition by a number of works by Albers.

It's worth a visit or two! I joined a guided tour today. Great!

[vtg60]

@ThroughArts Thanks so much!

[vtg60]

@egris00 I love Reinhardt too - so glad you liked the video - thanks! Vicky