Fairfield Porter’s paintings are decidedly realistic.
They are focused on domestic scenes and interiors, landscapes and nature or portraits of friends.
There is nothing inherently radical about Porter’s paintings, and yet in their somewhat banal, objective way they were totally radical given what was considered cool and hip at the time by his contempoaries, friends and the art world.
His approach was much more true to life.
"When I paint, I think that what would satisfy me is to express what Bonnard said Renoir told him: 'make everything more beautiful. This partly means that a painting should contain a mystery, but not for mystery’s sake: a mystery that is essential to reality."
His simple renditions of domestic still life or natural settings exist merely as they are.
They have been described as paintings about paintings.
Simplistic maybe. But again consider the historical context and how revolutionary this idea was. The abstract art movement was incredibly insular and almost sought to cut itself off from the art audience. It was almost intentionally obtuse.
Art that sought to try and understand what art was.
What brilliant rebellion then from Porter, from inside the same social circle to create simple, beautiful, inclusive art that merely reflected back the simplicity of the world.
The vitality of banality
Living in Australia, I know all too well the pain of being yelled at by most of the television advertising.
A 2 minute onslaught of crash-bang-walloping sensory overload 💥
How nice then, to see something quiet and unassuming sometimes. Work that is devoid of the noise of attention seeking marketing.
Sometimes it’s nice to just be quiet.
And if you want to bust open a category, it can be far more noticeable… 🤫
Like this beaut for Discover Tasmania:
This classic from Wrigley’s has been wedged in my brain since childhood. Not only an incredible needle drop, but just a simple story beautifully told:
Been there, BK!
Reminded me of this exquisite execution from Harvey Nicks:
Miller High Life is Miller Normal Life.
And speaking of dogs…Here’s a lovely dose of reality for all pet owners:
Oh Aldi, thanks for always being down-to-earth, even if you are a bit weird.
And it’s hard to ignore the timeless realism of the shot on iPhone campaign.
It’s been real! 😅
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Thanks for reading,
Jonathan ✌️
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Want to hear more about Fairfield Porter’s revolutionary pieces of normality? Listen to his episode of Kunst Please: