Reflections on the interface of Sculpture, painting and drawing- Brian Keeler
Above- "Laocoon" a bronze by Herb Simon, inspired by the marble of the same name in the Vatican Museum in Rome. The theme is from ancient Greek Mythology of Laocoon wrestling with a serpent. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts- is the message he sought to warn the ancient Trojans about and was punished by the Gods for his impertinence.
A Life in the Arts- Herb Simon
It was indeed an inspiring and revelatory visit to the Everhart Museum in Scranton, PA for the closing (reception) for the retrospective exhibit of Herb Simon's work spanning several decades. Herb has been a long time fixture and presence of the art scene in northeastern Pennsylvania. His time as the head of the art department at Wilkes University from 1969 to 1992 is how he is known to many. Of course, his work, which has been shown in galleries and museums in the region, is how many others encountered his art.
I am fascinated by the interface of sculpture and painting, and Herb's work takes its place here in this centuries-long dialogue and sometimes contentious relationship. We may think of the debate in the Renaissance with artists like Leonardo and Michelangelo squaring off in defense of their art. Leonardo opted for the more dignified art (in his view) of painting and Michelangelo defended the art of marble carving. But Herb's work gives a contemporary window on how the two arts can be more compatible if not actually supportive.
The play with spatial relationships comes to the fore in viewing his work. The large aluminum assemblages that are displayed on the walls illustrate this aspect as do many of the other works on pedestals. Even one of the drawings, titled "Two Orientations" depicting buildings shows the interior and exterior in a parallel manner that echoes the space revealed inside metal cubes displayed on sculptural stands. And wonderfully witty pieces such as the bronze self-portrait (shown below) that is riddled with holes to resemble a swiss cheese artifact invite us to see the works not just as forms but with spatial interiors. Another bronze head in the show approaches this idea in a way that recalls the images of M.C. Escher with the heads unraveling like a peeled orange.
Above- A bronze self portrait by Herb Simon.
But the wit and wonder mentioned in this essay's title are the take away that enlivens us with similar elation at the quotidian. I told Herb that my favorite piece was the sculptural creation called, "Accident on the Stairs." It also seems not to be a subject that would lend itself to the sculptural medium. But Herb pulls it off nicely. Taking an everyday occurrence and finding the humor and surprise in the subject is the accomplishment here. The aesthetic in a way is similar to the Ashcan School or even Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup can silk screen prints- as both take the everyday and humble artifacts of our lives and with some effort and attention find the muse in them and make art. We come away and may find many aspects of the humdrum brimming with potential. We may think of literary corollaries too, such as James Joyce's novel Ulysses which takes the banal life of Leopold Blum to be worth chronicling.
Above- An aluminum sculpture by Herb Simon- displayed on the wall at the Everhart.
Above- "Accident on the Stairs" an alumunium and rusted steel work by Herb Simon.
We can see Herb taking some inspiration from masterpieces of western art in such works that use the work of the Italian sculptor, Antonio Canova, or the ancient contorting marble of Laocoon or a portrait of George Washington. The Canova marble,which is in the Met in NYC is reinvented in a bronze by Simon, titled, "Cupid and Psyche." The intriguing aspect for this piece and the bronze Laocoon by Simon is that they are rendered in ribbon-like strips manipulated into the figures. So they have a flat aspect, yet they take up space and show the essence of the originals. Another aluminum piece on a pedestal is the work titled, "Triangle to Square" which takes these simple geometries and shows them interfacing and relating, so we see spatial relationships. As if to show that our own culture can provide fodder for creations, Simon has a figurative work, titled "Batman and Robin" (shown below) that allows the dynamic duo of comic strips and film to stand on a pedestal near the heroes of ancient Greece.
Above- A bronze titled "Batman and Robin in the City."
But back to the quotidian and the wit. There is another piece that takes the common cigarette and ashtray as the central motif. Who would think that such products could be viewed for the artistic merit? And vyeing for top honors is the utilitarian spade or garden shovel hung on the wall with a perfectly cut circle in the scoop- aptly titled, "Dysfunctional Shovel." I loved this piece for its delightful charm and verve. We may recall similar approaches to sculpture in the work of Marcel Duchamp, who took a urinal, turned it upside down and displayed it in a museum for us to re-regard in a new context. Or even closer in similarity would be the huge steel sculpture of the clothes pin by Claes Oldenburg- now on view on a Philadelphia street. And the sculpture of Frank Stella is evoked somewhat too, as both Simon and Stella ask us to question whether a work is three dimensional, coming into our space and breaking the sacred picture plane or remaining on the wall.
Herb has had a long and productive career. He hails from Nashville, Tennessee the son of an optometrist. Born the year of Lindberg's famous hop across the Atlantic, in 1927 he did not actively begin art explorations until his time in the U.S. Navy from 1946 to 47. But then he took some classes where he studied with some of the heavy weights of American artists including, Robert Motherwell, Hans Hoffman and Henry Varnum Poor. He also studied with Phillip Guston at NYU in 1950. Simon attended the Brooklyn Museum of Art School and also studied at the Skowhegan School in Maine. There are a couple of oils in the Everhart show that reveal the influence of the famous "Push-Pull" approach to painting that Hans Hoffman popularized. I would have loved to hear how Hoffman articulated and instructed in this process. But I also wonder what kind of technique the abstract expressionists like Motherwell could impart. Or considering Guston's cartoonish and cheesy provocations, one easily speculates about the content of his teaching. This was the milieu during that era and Herb Simon forged his own vision and came to his own visual voice.
One of the guests to the Everhart show who signed in the guest book, put in the comment section, "I don't get it." I countered, that "I get it" and enjoyed the show and hopefully articulated some of those appreciations here.
Continuing his study, Simon took a long excursion to Europe to study art on his own in 1957. He visited Italy, England, Holland, France and Austria. It was at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna where he encountered a painting which remains one of his favorites, Bruegel's "Hunters in the Snow."
Herb regards this era from the late 1940's through the late 1960's (his formative years) in American art as somewhat of a challenge for an artist though, as abstract expressionism was at its apogee and the training in traditional representational art was at its nadir. Herb mentions that he reached an impasse in painting and the excitement of the medium was not there. So, we can see how Herb gravitated toward a type of sculpture which is at once realistic and at other times completely abstract. Even though abstract expressionism was all the rage with artists like Joan Mitchell and Jackson Pollock we could keep in mind that other artists like Andrew Wyeth, Harvey Dinnerstein, Phillip Pearlstein and others kept the fires of realism burning during this same period. Simon seems to effectively bridge the gap while working in both and shows that they need not be so at odds.
The show at the Everhart has a number of etchings that Herb completed after retiring from Wilkes University. He studied printmaking with the woman who assumed his duties there at Wilkes, Sharon Cosgrove. Herb's etchings show a wonderful understanding of this traditional form of printmaking that is labor intensive and exacting. We recall the works of many artists whose work in printmaking has been part of the western tradition of realism including; Rembrandt, Edward Hopper or Martin Lewis.
Above. - Herb Simon and Keeler at the closing reception of Herb's retrospective exhibition.
The show at the Everhart was wonderfully installed in a spacious gallery at the top of the stairs by the curator, James Lansing. Those of us who saw the show appreciate the function of this museum in honoring artists and presenting their work to the public. While there we availed ourselves also of some works from the permanent collection in the adjacent galleries. Two artists who spent their careers in Scranton, Hope Horn and John Willard Raught, have some wonderful paintings on view.
Of course, attending openings and closings receptions is a nice way to connect with friends, other artists, gallerists and patrons of the arts.
I 've known Herb for some years- perhaps over 30. Sometime during that time Herb came to my studio in Wyalusing where he posed for an alla-prima portrait, which is the term for a one-sitting oil portrait. We chatted and talked about many things during the two hour session- one was the famous attribute of Andrea Del Sarto- who some called; "il pittore sensa errore" -the painter without fault.
To view a short video interview with Herb- part one, go to this link-
Part Two- Interview with Herb-
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