Comments on: Neil Hollingsworth (update)

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:03:32 +0000

For some still life may seem boring and mundane but there is something so exacting and detailed that still draws my interest. For those of us that wish to capture life as it truly is as oppose to our interpretation of the visual, still life will always be an important foundation. People’s views and opinions vary, that’s the reason we have art.

By: M

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 03:29:58 +0000

Charley,

You say “tomayto” I say “tomauto” we are speaking of the same things. I suspect more people will like his work. It is designed for the masses. However, popularity is only a litmus test for popularity. You like the effect. I do not buy into it.

By: Karin Jurick

Karin Jurick — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 21:58:39 +0000

I look at Neil’s paintings and I hear music. I can imagine him painting with great care and sensitivity, as if all that mattered was doing the honor to whatever he chose to paint that day. There’s plently of hyper-realism done in the world of art – but Neil’s paintings have grace and heart. He is the real thing. And I thank you Charley, for giving Neil the attention he greatly deserves.

By: PD

PD — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 02:32:49 +0000

I follow his blog regularly, and the mention of Chardin seems fitting. Lately his best paintings (the bread and percolator paintings, in particular) have been reminding me of Chardin – not for the subject or style, but for the honesty, depth, and quality of expression. I think Neil’s the real thing, and it’s a total pleasure to see each new piece.

By: Douglas Pressley

Douglas Pressley — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 15:37:41 +0000

I appreciate many different styles of art. Neil Hollingsworth has developed his style by building drama and interest with everyday objects through the use of dramatic lighting and skillfull rendering of detail. He is one of my contemporary favorites — I always look forward to his posts and appreciate his work tremendously.

By: plastic

plastic — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 11:56:18 +0000

I’m into tomatos all right, I’m not into plastic tomatos :) But yes, it’s a real attention-grabber and I can understand why someone could find that attractive.

By: Charley Parker

Charley Parker — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 11:50:54 +0000

Thanks for your comments. While I agree that we could all be better painters , I don’t see Hollingsworth’s art as you do. It’s not the facile handling, “realism” or crispness that I respond to, but the visual drama of the way forms are defined by chiariscuro and the play of light in general.

Also, we’re dealing with low-resolution photographs posted on a web page. I think if you click on some of the images posted on his blog, which are linked to slightly larger versions than those on the site, you’ll see that his work is more painterly than it appears on the smaller images on the web site.

By: M

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 04:10:47 +0000

I believe Hollingsworth could be a better painter. The use of overstated highlights and consistent sharp edges only serve to attract attention. People are attracted to 3d software generated imagery for the same reasons. There is something about the clarity and apparent depth within an environment that draws you in. As a painter this is a gimmick that elicits comments like “That looks so real” and “That looks better than a photograph” from the people that cannot identify what is grabbing their attention. What “excitement” sets him apart from other painting-a-day artists is that he paints really sharp pictures. Yet they are sterile and lack the strength in feeling that someone like Duane Keiser achieves with much less precision.