"To strain after innovation, to worry about being 'on the cutting edge' – a phrase I hate – reflects concern for a place in history or for one's career rather than for the authenticity of one's own painting."- Jane Freilicher
One of the reasons I became a designer is because I just have to do something that involves creativity. Art is a huge part of what I think about and what inspires me. If you follow me on social media, you may have noticed the “Super Cool Peeps” board on my personal Pinterest. It’s packed with images of my favorite artists or otherwise creative muses. I thought it would be an interesting change of pace to highlight one every now and then.
Jane Freilicher who passed away on December 9, 2014 at the age of 90, was sometimes referred to as “the poet’s painter”. I love the quote above and I think it's true of design as well as art. Nothing is truly 100% original. The point is to personalize what you produce in just the right way for your clients. Jane was a lifelong resident of the "Big Apple" who created her own landscapes with still life. To me they seem like a moment of tranquility layered over the vibrancy of New York City. She did also spend time on Long Island, in the Hamptons, which is another aspect of her work.
In the 1950’s Freilicher kept company with not only the leading abstract expressionists, but also many poets of the time such as Frank O’hara and John Ashbery. She was part of an informal circle of writers and artists called the New York School. Interestingly, O’Hara was the first person to purchase one of her paintings!
Freilicher could be called the quintessential Bohemian. She dropped out of school at 17 to marry a jazz musician. Jazz, poetry and art were all an integral part of who she was. She was also a rebel, choosing to paint portraits and still life at a time when Abstract Expressionism was all the rage.
Still life is not normally a big draw for me but the way in which Freilicher placed hers is intriguing. It’s the clean purity of a flower contrasting with the grimy, gritty but also living cityscapes. This is all portrayed with a sense of quiet solitude, a rising above.
You can include a bit of Jane's vision in your own artful kitchen. A lovely floral arrangement placed strategically by a window works perfectly! You can do it where ever you are and it becomes your very own creativity touchstone.
As with all artists, Jane lives on in her work which can be seen in many museums and galleries including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art and The Whitney Museum.
