by Julian Hamer

Cézanne’s purpose was twofold. He wanted to paint nature convincingly so as to reveal its basic structures and their relationship in space. Seldom did he abandon nature and paint solely from his imagination or fail to create a solid, well-balanced form. His second aim was to convey the unequivocal message that his pictures were flat, painted canvases, not imitations of reality. To achieve these ends, Cézanne devised his own ways of using color and rendering geometrical forms, combining then\m into a method of painting that is at once simple, intellectual and highly intuitive – one that has given us an original view of nature.

Cézannes point of departure in painting was radically different from that of his contemporaries. He was not attracted to subjects by their topical interest, charm or erotic content, their inherent drama or possible social or allegorical significance. He looked at them only as visible images beneath which there was a substructure of meaning to be found. It was only through the revelation of this meaning that the artist was able to express his deepest emotions. And the two things the revelation and the self-expression that went with it constituted the artists only reason for being.

None of them (Seurat, Gaugin and VanGogh), he felt, submitted to the hard discipline of finding the inner logic of nature in order to find the inner logic of themselves. He distrusted Courbet’s assertion that art should be a social commentary, and Delacroix’s that it should narrate literary themes. And as we have seen he distrusted from the beginning the Impressionist concern with the fleeting moment.

Several consequences followed Cézanne’s unique approach to art. One was that an inordinate amount of looking preceded the act of painting. Cézanne had to see a motif first. This is not to say that he could see the whole structure before he began to paint. In fact it was impossible for him to do so. The process of painting itself, if it went well, was a continual revelation of the inner meaning of the scene. But the artist did have to find at least a starting pint on which to build. Lacking this the scene had no significance for him.

Cézanne painted a picture in a way that was uniquely his own. It can best be described as a perpetual upsetting and restoring of balances. Cézanne began sketching in pencil the dark outer contours – the areas of shadow – of the principle forms. With the first light pencil stroke he was in effect upsetting the balance of the empty canvas, and he had to restore it with another stroke – a diagonal in one direction counterbalancing another perhaps, or a vertical counterbalancing a horizontal. An examination of the work abandoned at this early stage reveals that the rhythmical relationship of the principal masses has been established before objects have even assumed a recognizable form.

At the same time that he made these first sketching indications of contour, Cézanne began putting next to them unconnected dabs of color – a red where an apple would be, a green, complimenting the red, next to a contour that would become a vase. He was here not only modulating the forms with color so that the volumes gradually emerged from the shadowed contours, but also building a color composition. The first touch of red became, in effect the keynote of the composition: from this point on the composition grew according to what Cézanne called the “logic of color”, involving another complex scheme of balances and counterbalancing – this time of colors rather than contours – throughout the canvas. This explains why Cézanne did not pause to complete any single part or object in its entirety, literally advancing “all of the canvas at one time”.

The enigma of Modigliani’s tragic life as a self-exiled Bohemian artist in Paris must surely be rooted, as with others of his contemporary artists in the lack of recognition for his work. He pieces did not sell. He had to trade his artwork for food. Only in the retrospect of later years has it been realized that his work was very good indeed. Some of those portraits pieces really bring the soul of the subject to life through his skill with the language of color and form. It cannot have helped that he was an alcoholic and a drug addict in spite of some author’s claiming the contrary. Had his unfolding years as an artist developed in a balanced way his inspiration might have become the foundation for even more deeply profound and meaningful work. He would have matured gracefully as a man and an artist without the emotional damage that he suffered.

I have a friend who has been an artist all his life. He was fortunate to have an endowment to live on that lasted him financially for several decades. He affected the lifestyle of the Bohemian. His work did not sell well although his sculptural skill is impressive. He was sometimes disappointed that his work did not receive more acclaim but possibly the lack of recognition was also acceptable as part of his Bohemian image. In this sense his artistic work was really a life-long hobby.

I know another artist Russell Beebe, an American Indian wood carver who carves in the “totem” style. His level of skill is exceptional. His work goes far beyond that of the chainsaw carvers that churn out climbing bears and rough-hewn sketches of wildlife that have saturated the tourist market. My friend’s work is carefully hand-carved, considered and vital. It is worked out thoughtfully in every detail so that one does not tire of his creations. They are a joy forever. My friend is not a particularly astute businessman but in his later life he is receiving recognition. I think it is because of his authenticity to the sculptural discipline of his particular style and because he has developed his skill to the level of mastership.

As a young man he was not seduced by the self-indulgent romance of the Bohemian life-style. He studied under true masters of the craft and realized that to reach a level where he could enjoy stylistic freedom required profound respect and discipline. He had to develop a very real mastery of the traditions of the craft and build upon that craftsmanship towards the expression of artistic inspiration