"To enjoy freedom, we have to control ourselves."
–Virginia Woolf--
As things have been slowly evolving, illusions have become the new reality. We are living in a double-sided world; One where all is fine and back to normal and where the mere mention of COVID19 elicits non-substantiated remarks and another one where people are starting to come out of isolation albeit while following the guidelines established by medical professionals and public health officials.
These have not been easy times. In the United States, we are nearing the 100,000 death mark, and while some are comparing the numbers with other official numbers relating to deaths by accidents, heart disease, the flu, and others, we must not forget that these numbers of deaths have occurred in 4 months. The truth is, there could have been less if only the ones in charge would have listened to the ones who said what should be done. I can but express sadness for all the lives lost during this time.
However, today, we must err on the side of caution and think not only about ourselves but also about others. This is so much bigger than just us, and it looks like some of "We the People" have forgotten the basics of human decency, morality, and respect. If you believe it is your right to do this and that without protection, it is also my right to be safe and healthy. Again, you may be negative or asymptomatic, but I may catch it and not be able to fight it. If you are willing to take the chance and [Sic] "die if you must," I have the right to want to live a bit longer and to choose to not succumb to the disease. It is, as always, imperative to think before you act.
"I do not think it matters whether one agrees or not as long as one is forced to think." ― wrote Vanessa Bell in Selected Letters Of Vanessa Bell.
There are no better words to introduce this prolific artist who, in essence, wrote little about her art, nor is there much writing about it from other people who knew her at the time. Therefore, without such commentary, we can enjoy her art entirely on its own terms.
Born into a Victorian upper-middle-class literary family on May 30, 1879, she was the elder daughter of Sir Leslie Stephen and Julia Prinsep Duckworth and the sister of famous author Virginia Woolf (nee Stephen). The complicated family dynamic into which Vanessa Stephen was born would foreshadow the complex relationships she would have throughout her life.[₂] A painter and designer, she was a founding member of the Bloomsbury group. In this group, aesthetic and philosophical questions in a spirit of agnosticism were discussed. The Bloomsbury group included writers, philosophers, economists, art critics, and more whose works and outlook deeply influenced literature, aesthetics, criticism, and economics as well as modern attitudes towards feminism, pacifism, and sexuality. [₁] A well-known quote, attributed to Dorothy Parker, is "they lived in squares, painted in circles and loved in triangles." It never constituted a school. Instead, its significance lies in the extraordinary number of persons associated with it.
To see her Art : ©Vanessa Bell.
Bell's art was initially inspired by Post-Impressionist art; She emulated the bold forms and bright colors in her works. In the years to come, Bell directed her attention toward a more abstract form of art. Her work denotes the abstract influences of other abstract painters, but it is an innate understanding of Matisse's art that genuinely put her ahead of the curve when it came to many of her counterparts. As you all know, I am an avid admirer of Matisse and I find Bell’s work enchanting
Although she took her husband's name, Vanessa Bell's marriage was far from conventional. Both she and her husband had multiple lovers throughout their union. Unlike many female artists of the period, she was able to balance the demands of motherhood with that of her career and continued to be active as a professional artist throughout her life. Along with Fry and Grant (her two lovers), Bell founded the Omega Workshops in 1913 in an attempt to produce commercial products focusing on paintings, ceramics, fabrics, furniture, and stained-glass designs. They also hosted exhibitions of participating artists' work. Bell experimented with abstraction, but most of her work contains a figurative element. It is clean, simple, with lovely color schemes. She died at age 81 on Apr 07, 1961. An interesting tidbit: When Duncan Grant (her lover and the biological father of her daughter Angelica) died in 1978, he was buried next to her.
Bell's art was initially inspired by Post-Impressionist art; She emulated the bold forms and bright colors in her works. In the years to come, Bell directed her attention toward a more abstract's form of art. Her work denotes the abstract influences of other abstract painters, but it is an innate understanding of Matisse's art that genuinely put her ahead of the curve when it came to many of her counterparts. As you all know, I am an avid admirer of Matisse and I find Bell’s work enchanting.
Although she took her husband's name, Vanessa Bell's marriage was far from conventional. Both she and her husband had multiple lovers throughout their union. Unlike many female artists of the period, she was able to balance the demands of motherhood with that of her career and continued to be active as a professional artist throughout her life. Along with Fry and Grant (her two lovers), Bell founded the Omega Workshops in 1913 in an attempt to produce commercial products focusing on paintings, ceramics, fabrics, furniture, and stained-glass designs. They also hosted exhibitions of participating artists' work. Bell experimented with abstraction, but most of her work contains a figurative element. It is clean, simple, with lovely color schemes. She died at age 81 on Apr 07, 1961. An interesting tidbit: When Duncan Grant (her lover and the biological father of her daughter Angelica) died in 1978, he was buried next to her.
Today also marks the first manned shuttle launch since July 2011 to the international space station in an American made shuttle. NASA picked the astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, each of whom has two space-shuttle missions under his belt, to pilot SpaceX's experimental test flight, which is called Demo-2. I wish the safe travels as I wish you all a happy and healthy fortnight. As always, be kind and be helpful. Do the right thing. Respect each other. Keep each other safe and healthy. A little may go a long way. Until next time peoples of the page. Namaste!
##VanessaBell #PostImpressionism #VirginiaWoolf #Covid19 #Matisse #NLew @reflections18
[₁] [₂] https://www.theartstory.org/artist/bell-vanessa/life-and-legacy/
http://www.artnet.com/artists/vanessa-bell/
https://www.famouspainters.net/vanessa-bell/
https://www.theartstory.org/artist/bell-vanessa/artworks/
“If you are willing to take the chance, the view from the .... https://lettersfromhannah.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/%E2%80%9Cif-you-are-willing-to-take-the-chance-the-view-from-the-other-side-is-spectacular%E2%80%9D%E2%80%94grey%E2%80%99s-anatomy/
PBS Series - "Howard's End" - AARP Online Community. https://community.aarp.org/t5/TV-Talk/PBS-Series-quot-Howard-s-End-quot/td-p/2216679
Note from author: ALL IMAGES shown in this column are courtesy of NLew/Reflectionsandstuff. All Vanessa Bell artwork is copyrighted as is all artwork of NLew. It is used here under the creative commons license for instructional purposes/non-commercial use without modifications of which the sole purpose is the sharing of Art only. Please respect this and do not misuse them. Take a moment to visit and subscribe to the mailing list on our website @ www.reflectionsandstuff.com. It will ensure you never miss an update. It is FREE and your email will never be shared with anyone without your consent. Check it out. Enjoy the site. Please note that if you want to copy/use any material/photo from this website you may need permission of the owner/s. Again, respect copyrights please. Never forget to mention the original source. As always, I am thankful for your patronage.
Nota del autor: TODAS LAS IMÁGENES que se muestran en esta columna son la propriedad de NLew/Reflectionsandstuff y de Vanessa Bell y estan prestadas bajo la licencia Creative Commons para fines de instrucción únicamente o uso leal. Puede utilizarlas con una licencia CC para un uso no comercial sin modificaciones cuyo único propósito es compartir el arte. Respeta y desaliento el uso indebido. Disfruta del sitio. Tenga en cuenta que si desea copiar / usar cualquier material / foto de este sitio web, es posible que necesite permiso del propietario/s. Nuevamente, respete los derechos de autor por favor. Nunca olviden mencionar la fuente original. Como siempre, estoy agradecida por su patrocinio.
