Cherry Pile 2c 42 x 54 inches Oil on mylar 2008
Neil Plotkin’s still lifes are a fresh take of a familiar theme, fruit and vegetables on a table. The emphasis is more on pictorial organization and expression than simply making an inventory of visual components that make fruit look familiar. The cliche of fruit on a table is further removed by the graphic tribute to Philip Guston’s late work, especially the still life paintings of cherries. These new paintings are a significant departure from his earlier cityscapes. I’m curious to see how far he will go in this new direction.
Neil also is a frequent contributor to Painting Perceptions and is traveling in Great Britain this summer and may be writing another article for us as his time permits.
Brink 30 x 15 inches Oil on mylar 2009 (Click for larger view)
Neil Plotkin said in his artist statement on his website:
“He has been exhibited nationally and internationally, both in solo shows and, by invitation, in shows such as the National Academy Museum’s Invitational Show in New York , and the “Take Home a Nude” auctions by Sotheby’s and Phillips de Pury. His work has been featured in publications such as Artinfo.com and Artist Magazine’s “20 artists under 40”.
Neil holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the University of Michigan.
You can see more of Neil Plotkin’s painting on his website. And he also has a blog Larger versions can be seen on most of these by clicking the image.
Crab Apples Oil on mylar 2009 42 x 30 inches
Line 1 v2 Oil on mylar 2010 54 x 21 inchee
Brink Oil on mylar 2010 30 x 15 inches
First Plums Oil on mylar 2009 42 x 30 inches
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Cherry pile 2 Oil on mylar 2008 42 x 30 inches 2008
Rot 42 x 54 inches
Leah’s 2007 Oil on mylar 16.5 x 12.5 inches 2008
Taxis on 37th Street 10″ x 10″
Brooklyn Bridge 2005 oil on linen 28 x 40 inches
Tug Boat 2005 oil on canvas 20 x 20 inches
Three cupcakes by Blue Wall 2005 26 x 26 inches oil on linen
5 Sour Cherries 2006 5 x 5 inches oil on wood
Painting Perceptions was started in 2009 by Larry Groff to promote the ideas, practice and experience of painters working from observation in a modernist vein from around the world through interviews, essays, videos and community. It later evolved to include imagination-based and abstract painting as well.
Good stuff Neil! I like how you place these cherries in unusual piles, which look like they could tumble down at any moment, to upset my usual expectation of the ‘static’ still-life. That, along with the almost manic paint handling and drips, give these a compositions a special vitality. It’s also interesting to see your earlier work, and how the mark-making has developed with the change in subject matter. Hope your trip’s going well and looking forward to seeing more of your work when you return from the other side of the pond
Thanks for your thoughtful comment Francis, better than what I wrote by far! I have been totally absorbed in the program here in Italy and very little time to spend online. Plus I brought an iPad with me which has glitches with using this blog and forum – so I haven’t been able to write much. Sorry to use this comment on Neil’s article to convey this info but I am unable to post to the forum. Hopefully I can post a quick article in the next few days or week.
I will post a comprehensive article when I get home as well as maybe a few interviews with the teachers here if they are agreeable. I already video taped a slide talk with Lennart Anderson that was just fabulous. I hope to put together a nice video about his work and thoughts as wel
l as the program here – as I can.