What Does the Term Celebrity Mean And How Do We Use It - Case Study Example

Celebrity Is A Much Used Term, What Does It Mean And How Do We Use It? Chosen artist: Frank Auerbach. In modern culture artists enjoy an ambivalent status. They are occasionally invited to appear and present their works in magnificent galleries and exhibitions, having their works collected and sold for huge sums of money across the globe. The very best living artists are pursued by the press, and encouraged to participate in the modern phenomenon which is known as “celebrity.” Artists such as Tracy Emin and Damian Hirst are photographed and interviewed at every opportunity, and this satisfies the public’s lust for sensation and trivial entertainment. Artists, and especially talented ones, are extraordinary people who can provide ordinary people with role models, targets for criticism, and even for abuse and displeasure. Artists are expected to be outrageous, exceptional, and in some ways the enfants terribles of a highly regulated middle class society. This celebrity status is not the experience of the majority of artists, however, since most of them like the generations of talented painters, sculptors and designers in past centuries, struggle to make a living from their art, and are destined to live their lives in obscurity. Often it is chance that provides talented artists with the training and funds that allow potential to become reality. Society does not often recognise great art, and when it does, a person’s life is transformed beyond recognition. Celebrity is nowadays a tool that is in service to the marketing companies, and the big businesses who aim to make serious money out of art. The painter Frank Auerbach was originally born in Germany but he has spent most of his life in London and is considered a British artist. As a child the young Frank Auerbach suffered greatly because of the Nazi persecution of the Jews. His Jewish parents sent him to England just before the outbreak of the second world war because they were worried about his safety. They were themselves later transported to a concentration camp and killed, leaving Frank alone at a boarding school in England, being assisted by British people who sympathised with the Jewish people. (Hughes, R., 1990, pp. 20-65) At school he showed great talent as an artist and with a combination of determination, luck, and kind support of people who recognised his talent he managed to enrol in art school and perfect his technique. His graduation show of 1955 caused something of a stir, and it resulted in several early works being spotted by the gallerist Helen Lessore of the Beaux Art Gallery. (Sylvester, 1956, p. 64) Impressed with his paintings, and especially the dark geometric forms of the building sites which were scattered all around post war London and which were one of his favourite subjects (Auerbach, 1953-1954) she offered him a one man show. This in turn caused a stir in the press, and brought Auerbach to the attention of the arts scene. A report in the press remarked that this exhibition was “the most impressive first one-man show by an English painter since Francis Bacon in 1949.” (Sylvester, 1956, p. 64) The work of Frank Auerbach has been well received ever since then, and he has become famous because of it. Critics are still generally well disposed towards him: “He is one of the most impressive painters living today” Norman Rosenthal of the British Royal Academy (O’Mahony, 2001, p. 6) This does not mean, however, that he personally enjoys the benefits of celebrity status. He has now reached the top of his profession and could pursue a celebrity lifestyle of receptions, parties and public appearances, but he prefers to stay in his studio, working hard. Art, for him is work, and the public relations side of it is a burden to him: “Auberbach has remained stoically oblivious to all this… he still shuns the art world, dislikes the fuss of exhibitions and only reluctantly agreed to the current one at the Royal Academy.” (O’Mahony, 2001, p. 6) The fact remains, however, that Auerbach is one of the most celebrated artists in Britain. A radio interviewer pointed out that this more to do with the individuality of his work, than of his person: “It’s very recognisable, as indeed Auerbach’s pictures are – they’re only in oil or charcoal, occasionally acrylic now, only portraits of a very limited number of sitters, or of landscapes around Camden Town in north London.” (Tusa and Auerbach, undated). Some artists find a certain style, and then it becomes for them a deliberate and personal signature, and something that they consciously stamp their name upon, making sure that people recognize their work. Auerbach’s use of thick paint, using a technique called impasto is often remarked upon in this way, as if it is his trademark. Auerbach himself, however, does not seem to be aware of the self-marketing aspects of his own techniques. The Tusa interview tries to draw out this point when Tusa says “… as drips are to Jackson Pollock and spots are to Seurat, so gashes of thick paint are to Auerbach…” (Tusa and Auerbach, undated). Auerbach responds with a typical emphasis on the work of art, and not is recognition factor: “I’m not much aware of it … it’s a by-product and I can’t, I don’t disavow it and I’m not ashamed of it and nor am I interested in other people’s thick paintings – it’s not the essence of the matter.” (Tusa and Auerbach, undated) This remark betrays Auerbach’s obsessive concentration on his own work, and what it signifies, with an emphasis on the end result and not the peripheral issues. He clearly is not interested in what others think of it, nor indeed in competition from other contemporary artists working in similar techniques or subject areas. What motivates Auerbach to look at other artists is the attraction of truly great art. He admired Picasso, Rembrandt, Michelangelo and Giotto. The portrait was one of Auerbach’s main areas of work and he had few sitters but many different variations on this theme. Figure 1 below shows a portrait of his long term lover Stella West in monochrome colours. One of the consequences of Auerbach’s tragic loss of his parents as a child was that he suffered quite serious levels of poverty as a young man, and he could not afford proper painting facilities and equipment. The portrait in figure 1 is Figure 1: Head of E.O.W. IV Source: national galleries.org not in the least flattering, but it has a magnetism caused perhaps by the thick, bold lines and the measured expression on the face that is just visible. The face is located to the right of centre, suggesting something slightly discordant, and it may be that the stark lines are an attempt to capture the stormy relationship that the couple had with each other. It has an obsessive, and yet fascinating pull and in its spare use of colour it concentrates attention on the form and above all the texture of the painting. Despite being raw and rugged, it does not look unfinished, and this is a hallmark of Auerbach’s style. He is a very physical painter, and the viewer can visualise his three dimensional struggle with the paint on the surface. In some ways it resembles a sculpture, rising out of the flat surface, and this gives the image great power. Auerback was rightly praised for this, and other works in the same vein, because it makes no compromises towards the vanity of the sitter, or any buyer commissioning the work. It is purely the artist’s struggle with the medium to represent pure emotion in a controlled way. Just as the background of the holocaust must have left its mark on the young man’s psyche, so its legacy of poverty left its bleak mark on his technique. It is possible to read very strong subconscious messages through this painting, and this would have made a big impression in the baby-boomer generation of the early sixties when many young artists were experimenting with far lighter themes and brighter techniques. Auerbach’s portraits are oblivious to current fashions, looking instead deep inside himself and his sitter to find something more eternal. Looking at some of his landscape works it is again possible to detect the layers and layers of effort that he uses to try and get closer and closer to the ideal picture that he half-senses in his mind. The painting in figure 2, for example shows a typical Auerbach landscape. The pint is laid on thickly, and dark uprights appear to rise out of the bland foreground. Figure 2: Primrose Hill: High Summer Source: nationalgalleries.org In Figure 3, there is again a thick layering of paint, but in this case and the expressionist style stretches the landscape almost but not quite into an abstract painting: Figure 3: Primrose Hill: Spring Sunshine Source: nationalgalleries.org The palette has been extended somewhat to include reds and blues, against a muddy ochre and cream base, and one can trace richer black and red horizontal lines. The notes available on the national galleries website point out that the work was painted in 1961-1962 and that it used mainly brown tones but then aside and Auerbach completely re-worked it in 1964 using a range of brighter colours. This shows that that the artist maintains an on-going relationship with his art, even after it has been finished, hung and displayed in a public place. He simply recaptured the image and overlaid it with afterthoughts, much like a landscape being visited by the seasons. Tones and contrasts change, but the basic structures remain the same. Different paintings reflect these changes, and sometimes even the same painting does this in its several consecutive versions. When looking at some of Auerbach’s drawings, it is can be even easier to see the subtle emotions of his work, because the lines are finer, and there is a calmer impression in terms of technique, if not in theme. A charcoal drawing of his favourite sitter, Stella West demonstrates this in figure 4. Figure 4: Head of E.O.W. Source: www.tate.org.uk The image is more clearly representative than the painting in figure 1, but it is still rather stark and monochrome, with a fixed facial expression and stiff pose. Background is minimal, and attention focuses on the strangely expressionless eyes and the geometric patches and scars which litter the surface of the paper. The Tate gallery’s notes to this drawing, describe the lengthy production process of the work: “This drawing was made entirely from life and took almost 70 sittings… As a result of this long process the paper became torn and abraded and necessitated the patch visible in the drawing.” (Auerbach, 1959-60) It is as if the artist has injured his subject while wrestling with the material world to find a way of representing her truthfully. There is a strange kind of devotion in the layers of work and re-work, and this is part of the drawing’s mystique. The post-war world, for Auerbach, is battered and broken, and yet he battles on trying to make art out of the poor materials at his disposal. This is no smiling beauty, but rather a stern and strong survivor figure and one can only speculate what this must have meant to Auerbach. The figure is distant, unseeing and difficult to categorize in terms of the age of the sitter. There may be echoes, perhaps, of the mother he could hardly have remembered, as well as the lover who faithfully sat through all those hours with him as he laboured on the drawing. It is clear from viewing the examples above that Auerbach was, from the beginning, almost the opposite of a commercial artist. He seems completely pre-occupied with himself, his small circle of acquaintances, and the area immediately surrounding his home and workplace. The way that Auerbach talks about other people, particularly critics and teachers, suggests that he actually despises celebrity, and sees it as an unnecessary distraction from the serious work of painting. When asked what advice he would give to a young artist setting out from art school he replied: “I think that one has certain deep feelings which express themselves in a plastic way… there must be some experience that is your own, and not to give a damn about what anybody else says to you.” (Tusa and Auerbach, undated). This statement implies that the only criticism or praise that Auerbach rates as important is his own. As an older man Auerbach has become, if anything, even more obsessed with work, and even less concerned with the celebrity world outside his narrow field of vision: “As one gets older, ghastly humility begins to creep up and one realises that one has less time. My only ambition is to make one memorable image. And then from there I hope to make another memorable image. And pray to God to make another. That’s all.” (Auerbach, quoted in O’Mahony, 2001, p. 6) In conclusion, therefore, it is necessary to view Auerbach as a celebrated artist with a big qualification: what he seeks is not the short term popular fame and celebrity of television appearances and gossip columns. Auerbach wants to be measured against the greatest artists of all time, and that is why he struggles so obsessively with working and reworking his portraits and landscapes. He is an example to all artists young and old because he demonstrates a talent and above all a commitment to his art that is truly timeless. Many machines and techniques in the modern world make the production and reproduction of art much faster and easier than it used to be in the times of the old masters. Even since Picasso’s day painting materials have become easier to access and use. Auerbach will have none of this, however, and takes no shortcuts. His physical connection with his chosen media requires a long apprenticeship and a lifelong labour of love. This effort and devotion is what makes Auerbach truly great, and what will ensure his place in the art history books. References Auerbach, F. 1953-54. St Pauls Building Site. [Painting] Oil on board. 91.50 x 122.00 cm. Marlborough Fine Art. Viewable online at: http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/online_az/4:322/result/0/387?initial=A&artistId=2691&artistName=Frank%20Auerbach&submit=1 Auerbach, F. 1959. Primrose Hill: High Summer. [Painting] Auerbach, F. 1959-1960. Head of E.O.W. [Drawing] Charcoal watercolour and collage on paper. 787 x 581 mm. Viewable online at: http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=642&tabview=work Auerbach, F. 1961. Head of E. O. W. IV. [Painting] Oil on Plywood. 59.80 x 56.80 cm. Malborough Fine Art. Viewable online at: http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/online_az/4:322/result/0/388?initial=A&artistId=2691&artistName=Frank%20Auerbach&submit=1 Auerbach, F. 1961-62/1964. Primrose Hill: Spring Sunshine. [Painting] Oil on board. 112.50 x 140.00 cm. Malborough Fine Art. Viewable online at: http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/online_az/4:322/result/0/389?initial=A&artistId=2691&artistName=Frank%20Auerbach&submit=1 Berger, J. 14th January 1956. Several Exhibitions. New Scientist, Vol 51, no1297, p. 43. Hughes, R. 1990. Frank Auerbach. London: Thames and Hudson. O’Mahony, J. 15th September 2001. Surfaces and Depths. The Guardian, p. 6. Sylvester, D. 12th January 1956. Young English Painting. The Listener, Vol 55, no 1402, p. 64. Tusa, J. and Auerbach, F. Undated. Transcript of the John Tusa Interview with Frank Auerbach on BBC Radio 3. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/johntusainterview/auerbach_transcript.shtml Read More