American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman)

American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman) is a 1968 painting by British artist David Hockney.[1] The painting is currently in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.[2] It was accessioned by the museum in 1984 after being donated by Frederic G. Pick and his wife. The painting depicts Frederick and Marcia Weisman, two American art collectors from Los Angeles.[3]

American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman)
ArtistDavid Hockney
Year1968
MediumAcrylic on canvas
Dimensions213.4 cm × 304.8 cm (84.0 in × 120.0 in)
LocationArt Institute of Chicago, Chicago
Accession1984

The piece has been displayed at the National Portrait Gallery[4] and the Royal Society of the Arts.[5]

Hockney's 1968 double portrait of Fred and Maria Weisman, American Collectors, is an intimate replication of the pair at their residence in California. Hockney uses the subjects, the objects, and his own style to recreate a mundane scene that invites both strangers and friends of the couple to ponder their dualistic home that stands as both a residence and gallery.

Context

David Hockney is a famous British artist who at the time had also made a name for himself in America. In 1964, he visited Los Angeles and then left quickly only to come back in 1966 to teach at the University of California Los Angeles.[6] Two years later Hockney began his double portraits. Initial thoughts on the painting were that it favored a dramatic and domestic scene, set out on a stage where both subjects and objects play the same role. Some critics argue that his work has no social context; however, his art does reflect a very high-class California domesticity during the 1960s when parts of California were experiencing upheaval such as the riots in Watts. A predominately black neighborhood broke out into a riot that lasted several days and more than 3,000 people were arrested. Despite his themes that ignored contemporary social upheavals, his art is continuously praised by critics.[7] In 2018, his painting Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) sold on auction for 90.3 million dollars setting a record for a living artist.

Analysis

During the 1960s, Hockney worked on a series of large double portraits. This specific subject matter was centered around this theme of relationships. A painting he worked on simultaneously with American Collectors is Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy. These double portraits were not commissioned, rather they were done purely out of the interest of the artist. American Collectors, however, reflects a change of perspective by Hockney. Previously, the objects within the double portraits did not relate to the subjects.[8] The subjects of the American Collectors painting are a woman and a man who display very different body language. The woman is facing the viewer head-on with one arm holding the other to her side. Her gesture suggests that she is shy or slightly insecure. There is also this sense of pride as she stands amongst her collection of art pieces. On the contrary the husband, who stands at a side profile with a clenched fist, seems tense and – in compositional terms – mimics a vertical theme that can be found throughout the piece. The minimal gestures of the couple create curiosity in those who are strangers to the couple and adds a humorous touch to those who, like Hockney, knew the couple.

Behind the couple, framing them as discerning art patrons, are three objects: a seated statue, a totem pole, and a stone sculpture. In the foreground of the piece sits the stone sculpture, right between the two figures. The placement of the sculpture creates a kind of balance and is aligned with the man by proof of the shadow that bounces off the two. The seated statue is placed in the center of the picture plane, creating symmetry. The seated statue and stone sculpture both are minimalistic in nature. The simple monochromatic objects differ from the very lively totem pole. The totem pole is an outlier that differentiates from the modern style, but it contains colors from the rest of the piece. The color scheme allows for the totem pole to fit in the composition coherently. The objects add depth and positive space which give the home within the painting a second use. The home not only functions as a living space but also thrives as a kind of gallery and showcase for the art.

Together both the objects and the subjects make up a simple composition of carefully balanced formal elements. The piece is flat, and depth is created using scale. The flatness is emphasized by placing the house and background on the same field with saturated blues and light shades of green. It is as if the house and background are introducing the couple in the foreground and the abundance of cool colors juxtaposes the loud pink of the woman's dress. The mere size of the painting pulls the viewer in. The painting is seven by ten feet tall which could cover the entirety of a small wall. The size demands an audience and its limited color palette is easy on the eyes. The painting was private and given to Mr. and Mrs. Weisman after Hockney had made it for them. The slight variation in the painting is what creates movement instead of the use of strokes and rhythm. At that time, Hockney did not do commissions and so he created an intimate painting for the couple. Vertical lines play a large role in the makeup of the piece. The blinds of the house and the brown lines are mimicked by the objects surrounding them such as the art pieces, the tree, and even the man. Beside the lines, as if to disrupt the piece and add depth, the ground beneath the house is paved with slanted lines and textured tiles. Hockney's painting is a collection of strategic lines and smooth colors to display an image in its simplest form with just a hint of variation to create a surreal scene.

Outside of the home having a dual purpose, this idea of duality between the objects and subjects come into play. Mrs. Weisman in the painting stands at a frontal position as if to mimic the statue behind her yet her smile is in likeness of the totem pole in the background. Mr. Weisman is standing in line with the stone statue; their relation to the art emphasizes the fact that they literally are art in the painting.[9] A symbolic feature in the painting to further extend the theme is the hand of Mr. Weisman. He stands with his fist balled up and the paint from his fist drips as if he is squeezing so hard that he is causing the paint to run down the painting. The dry humor included in the painting gave the couple character, but the real Mr. and Mrs. Weisman were not amused. The couple kept the painting for several years before giving up the painting. The painting was eventually on loan at the Pasadena Museum of Art in Germany. The painting is in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it was gifted by Mr. and Mrs. Frederic G. Picks.

References
Citations
  1. Cumming, Laura (15 November 2006). "Facing the truth about portraiture". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  2. "American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman), 1968". Art Institute of Chicago. 1984. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  3. Sozanski, Edward J. (24 June 1987). "Frederick Weisman Just Can't Get Art Off His Mind". Knight-Ridder Newspapers. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  4. "David Hockney Portraits" (PDF). National Portrait Gallery. 12 October 2006. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  5. Curtis, Sarah (1 April 1994). "General News". RSA Journal. Royal Society of the Arts.
  6. Stephens 2017, p. 253
  7. Stephens 2017, p. 68
  8. Livingstone 1987, p. 112
  9. Stangos 1977, p. 19
Works cited
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