Tuesday, February 14, 2012

DREAM IMAGES IN MODERN ART/ 'That Old Dream Green Man' by Eric Whollem/ FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONISM



THAT OLD DREAM GREEN MAN
1984
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
9" x 6"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

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See my posts on the subject of DREAMS:

THE VIDEO BELOW
PRESENTS MORE OF MY
ART THAT DEALS WITH THE DREAM WORLD


CONCOW MAIDU INDIAN RELIGION                   
by Eric Whollem                                  

ISLAND OF THE WINDS/ A Surrealistic Abstraction by Eric Whollem/ FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION



ISLAND OF THE WINDS
1984
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Private Collection
9" x 6"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Some might say that this work hearkens to a degree to the works of Duchamp,
the French surrealist painter. Others may see affinities to the arts of the Huichol
Indians of Mexico. I have taken liberties with traditional forms of pictographic
art as is found in prehistoric petroglyphs.

"The Isle of Dreams' is a journey into the collective unconsciousness of humanity.

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See more of my posts of ABSTRACT PAINTINGS:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

THE ABORIGINAL TRIAD
by Eric Whollem

THE VIDEO BELOW
SHOWS MORE OF MY
FIGURATIVE ART

ERIC WHOLLEM                              

GEOLOGICAL BIRDS/ A visionary figurative painting by Eric Whollem/ CONTEMPORARY ART/ 'Visionary Metamorphosis'



GEOLOGICAL BIRDS
1985
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
9" x 6"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

VISIONARY METAMORPHOSIS

I have long been a rock hound, having an interest in minerals.
My father was the president of the local gem and mineral society;
and we often went on mining expeditions into the mountains of
California.

This painting shows the metamorphosis of birds and other beings
into stone composites. This is, of course, essentially a surrealistic
approach to art.

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See my online image gallery of PAINTINGS:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

BIRD PHILOSOPHY
by Eric Whollem

Sunday, February 12, 2012

CONTEMPORARY ART/ 'Departments of the Etheric' by Eric Whollem/ MIXED MEDIA PAINTINGS




DEPARTMENTS OF THE ETHERIC
1986
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on  paper
Collection of the artist
15" x 10"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

In this painting I have utilized pictographic means to render the image.
There is a stylized white figure in the painting; as such this work could
be categorized as a figurative expressionist work.

See more of my figurative expressionism on the links below.

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View my FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONIST posts:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE


INTUITIVE BEINGS
by Eric Whollem

THE VIDEO BELOW
SHOWS MORE OF MY
ABSTRACT ART

CONTEMPORARY ART by Eric Whollem                   

Friday, February 10, 2012

PICTOGRAPHIC ABSTRACTION/ 'Concow Nights' by Eric Whollem/ MODERN ART



CONCOW NIGHTS
1984
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
9" x 6"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

This image is a stylized representation of Native American gambling
in a roundhouse.

The Concow Maidu are the traditional inhabitants of Butte County,
California, where I lived much of my life. The language and culture of
the Maidu have provided much inspiration for my art over the years.

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See more posts dealing with PICTOGRAPHS:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

FUGUE ON MANGANGESE
by Eric Whollem

See my posts that talk about the MAIDU INDIANS:

THE VIDEO BELOW
FEATURES MORE OF MY
MIXED MEDIA PAINTINGS

ERIC WHOLLEM                                     

CALIFORNIAN CALLIGRAPHY/ A pictographic painting by Eric Whollem/ MIXED MEDIA ABSTRACTION



CALIFORNIAN CALLIGRAPHY
1984
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
9" x 6"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

This painting is one of my ongoing series of paintings that relate to
archaic styles found in Sierra Nevada Rock Art from California.

__________________

See my online image gallery of ABSTRACT ART:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

THE GUNAS
by Eric Whollem

BELOW IS A PRESENTATION OF
MORE OF MY PICTOGRAPHIC
IMAGES

ERIC WHOLLEM                                

GLYPHS OF THE GODDESS/ A linear abstraction by Eric Whollem/ MODERN ART/ Figurative Expressionism



GLYPHS OF THE GODDESS
1983
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
9" x 6"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

_______________________

See my blog posts dealing with the GODDESS:


MERMAID GODDESS
ceramic sculpture
by Eric Whollem


View my online image gallery of DIGITAL GODDESS ART:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

BIRD PERSON
by Eric Whollem

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

THE BACCHANTE'S CUP/ 'The Ancient Matriarchal Order of Greece'/ Mythographic Art by Eric Whollem/ FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION



THE BACCHANTE'S CUP
1986
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
6" x 9"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

THE ANCIENT MATRIARCHAL ORDER OF GREECE

The Baccantes were the devotees of the rites of Dionysius
in ancient Greece. Dionysius was the god of wine, of the
Bacchanal, and represented the womb principle.

In Turkey at Catal Hayuk, there are remains of perhaps the
oldest expression of civilized culture on earth, predating the
Sumerians. In a temple there bull's heads are part of the
ornamentation. The womb, with it's fallopian tubes, looks
like a bull's head. See the link below to view these relics.

In Greece the Maenads would lead the Bacchantes' rites.
The cup of the Bacchantes is a wine cup.

Originally the Greeks were Matriarchal. Invasions of Achaens
brought the cult of Apollo and overturned the oracular center
of Delphi, which in the early days was ruled by the Maenads.

In later history, Orpheus is known for contesting the rites
of Dionysius, having brought the cult of Demeter out of
Egypt.

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Read more about the BACCHANTES:

Learn about CATAL HAYUK:

See more of my ABSTRACT PAINTINGS:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE







AMASIS
mixed media on paper
by Eric Whollem

See my posts on the GODDESS:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

MINOAN GODDESS
ceramic sculpture
by Eric Whollem

THE VIDEO BELOW SHOWS MORE OF
MY GODDESS ART
AS INTERPRETED
GRAPHICALLY ON
FAUX POSTAGE STAMPS

CINDERELLA STAMPS FROM AMPHORA              

Saturday, February 4, 2012

INTERFUSION/ 'The Sybils of the Ancient World'/ A geometric figurative pictographic abstraction by Eric Whollem/ CONTEMPORARY ART



INTERFUSION
1984
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
6" x 9"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

The Sybils of the Ancient World

This painting is based upon my studies of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.
I have always been fascinated by his depictions of the Sibyls of the ancient
world.

He depicted the Cumaen Sybil, representing the prophetic spirit of Italy; the
Erythrean Sybil, symbolizing the ancient Hellenic oracle of Turkey; the Persian Sybil;
the Delphic Sybil (representing the oracle of Delphi); and the Libyan Sybil.  Libya
is one of the archaic names of Africa.This was the quintessence of the Renaissance~
seeing the egalitarian status of the wisdom of all the cultures of the world, and
placing them on a par with the icons of the Judeo~Christian system.

Michelangelo helped to codify what became Humanism through these
allegories.

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See my online image gallery of ABSTRACT ART:
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE


GARDEN OF THE NIGHT
by Eric Whollem

Read more about the ancient SYBILS:

Friday, February 3, 2012

Figurative Expressionist Drawings/ APPROACHES TO CONTEMPORARY ART/ India ink resist by Eric Whollem



NONHESITANT ACME
1986
by Eric Whollem
India ink and parafin on paper
Colllection of the artist
11" x 17"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

This drawing exemplfies the calligraphic approach of Zen Buddhist
drawing, where deliberation and ideation is eliminated from the mind
of the artist. My approach to figurative art has certain affinities to the
West Coast School of Figurative Expressionism, as in my college days
I studied in the art department of U.C. Berkeley.


THE AUSTRALIAN
1986
by Eric Whollem
India ink and parafin on paper
Collection of the artist
11" x 17"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

This drawing is, of course, a tribute to the Australian Aborigines,
whose earth paints and pictographic art has contributed so much to
the human art experience. I have made paints from natural earth,
charcoal, wood bark, and ash since 1973. Many of my paintings
are executed in a style based on preshistoric petroglyphs.



THE HUNTRESS
1986
by Eric Whollem
India ink and parafin on paper
Collection of the artist
11" x 17"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

The Goddess traditions of ancient Europe, especially as interpreted
by Marija Gimbutas have deeply affected my art. This is a pictographic
rendition of Artemis or Diana.


THE ARCHAI
1986
by Eric Whollem
India ink and parafin on paper
Collection of the artist
11" x 17"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

The Archai are the designations of the angels in Gnostic theology.
My favorite scripture from the Nag Hammadi scriptures uncovered
in Egypt is 'The Hypostasis of the Archons.'

The archaic art of Ethiopia, also of the Coptic tradition, has many
images that recall 'The Archai.'

__________________________

See my online image gallery of DRAWINGS:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

COUNTERPOINT IN BLACK GRAY AND WHITE
by Eric Whollem


Read more about the West Coast School of Figurative Expressionism:

See my posts on MARIJA GIMBUTAS:

THE VIDEO
BELOW SHOWS MORE OF
MY ART

ERIC WHOLLEM                               

Monday, January 30, 2012

HOMMAGE TO HENRY MOORE'S DRAWINGS FROM WWII/ 'Woman in Blankets' by Eric Whollem, 1985/ Figurative Expressionism



WOMAN IN BLANKETS
1985
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
9" x 6"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

HOMMAGE TO HENRY MOORE'S DRAWINGS FROM WWII

The British sculptor, Henry Moore, created a series of drawings that showed
reclining figures in underground bomb shelters during World War II. The above
drawing pays hommage to these classic drawings, known for their sculptural
qualities.

My drawing above was executed with a palette knife drawn through layered
parafin and gouache.

The painting below (previously posted on my blog) is a portion of my inquiry
into the reclining figure theme:


NOTHING UPON AWAKENING
1988
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

 
Most of my sculptures are highly textured, with lots of detailed surface treatment.
Below is a sample of my sculptural works.


AGAPE
ceramic sculpture
by Eric Whollem
Photo copyright by the artist



THE WHITE GODDESS
ceramic sculpture
by Eric Whollem
Photo copyright by the artist



EARTH GODDESS
ceramic sculpture
by Eric Whollem
Photo copyright by the artist


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                                                                                               See my blog posts of DRAWINGS:

View my online image gallery of FIGURATIVE CERAMIC SCULPTURES:

THIS VIDEO
SHOWS MORE OF MY
SCULPTURE

ERIC WHOLLEM                                

Read more about HENRY MOORE:


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

TRIPLE GODDESS/ Contemporary Goddess Art by Eric Whollem/ FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION




TRIPLE GODDESS
1985
by Eric Whollem
mixed media on paper
Collection of the artist
9" x 6"
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

______________________________

See my posts about the GODDESS:

CLICK ON IMAGES TO  ENLARGE


EARTH MOTHER
earth paints on panel
by Eric Whollem

See my complete online image gallery of DIGITAL GODDESS ART:

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

BIRD PERSON
by Eric Whollem

See my complete online image gallery of CERAMIC SCULPTURES for more Goddess icons:


DAUGHTER OF THE MOUNTAIN
by Eric Whollem