abstract
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Bischoff, who in 1976 told Paul Karlstrom: “I’m still supporting myself by teaching,” had only two one man shows before his first New York show at Staempfli Gallery in 1960, including a 1955 show at the Paul Kantor Gallery in Los Angeles from which nothing sold. In contrast, leading artists in New York benefitted from a booming art market. For example, Willem de Kooning’s 1959 New York show sold out on the first day, bringing in about $150,000 (about $1.2 million dollars today, when adjusted for inflation).
Of course, de Kooning was a sensation, but many other New York artists sold well while California artists struggled. In this situation, decently paying teaching jobs were a rare and precious commodity. When it was rumored in 1955 that David Park had been offered $10,000 per year to teach at UC Berkeley, artist Nathan Oliveira – who at the time was earning $2.50 per hour teaching art 18 hours per week – thought that Park had been given “the opportunity of a lifetime.” As it turns out, Park’s actual starting annual salary was $5,300.00.
Elmer Bischoff
Orange Sweater
1955
Oil on canvas
48 ½ in. x 57 in.
SFMoMA collections
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Many artists do start with realism because it helps build foundational skills like observation, proportion, and technique. Over time, some move toward abstraction as they become more interested in expressing ideas, emotions, or experimenting with form and color beyond literal representation.
However, not all artists follow this trajectory. Some dive straight into abstraction, while others stick with realism their entire lives. It really depends on the artist’s interests, influences, and creative journey.
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“Unlike the artists behind many of Shaw’s thrift-store paintings, the “bad painters” of art history were often technically skilled. They made a conscious decision to ignore the standards of good taste and good style, which wasn’t always intuitive.”
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“What a funny thing painting is. The abstract painters always insist on their connection with the visible reality, while the so called figurative artists insist that what they really care about, is the abstract qualities of life.”
Marlene Dumas (b. 1953)
The White Disease
signed, titled and dated ‘The White disease Marlene Dumas 1985’ (on the reverse)
oil on canvas
51 3/8 x 43½ in. (130.5 x 110.5 cm.)
Painted in 1985.
Price realised
USD 998,500
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what happens when you let your art be ‘influenced’ by other artists? – Tara Leaver
“And the big daddy that I learned from all this: I actually CAN’T paint like other artists, and nor do I want to. That’s the best thing this exercise has taught me over the years; it’s fun to experiment, to try out what other artists are doing, but if I only ever did that I’d be unfulfilled and dissatisfied. I’d be surrounded by a vegetarian buffet and craving steak.”
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“Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is.”
Jackson Pollock
Number 28, 1949
signed and dated ‘Jackson Pollock 49’ (lower left)
enamel on canvas mounted on Masonite
12 7/8 x 13 in. (32.5 x 33 cm.)
Painted in 1949.
Price realised
USD 6,705,000
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“Painting is a means of translating what is intangible into something that can be grasped visually.”
Elmer Nelson Bischoff (American, 1916-1991)
Girls, Ocean, Mirror
signed, titled and dated ‘Elmer Bischoff/ Girls, Ocean, Mirror/ 10/61’ (on the reverse)
oil on canvas
53 ¾ x 72 in. (136.5 x 182.9 cm.)
Price realised
USD 100,000
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“Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth.”
— Pablo Picasso
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The Rothko Conspiracy – Suicide & Scams In The Art World (1983)
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“The job of the artist is to make the world visible.”
David Park (1911-1960)
Boy in Striped Shirt
signed and dated ‘Park 59’ (upper left); titled ‘BOY IN STRIPED SHIRT’ (on the overlap)
oil on canvas
50 x 36 in. (127 x 91.4 cm.)
Painted in 1959.
Price realised
USD 1,323,750
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“It’s instinctive in a certain kind of painting…It’s like a nervous system. It’s not described, it’s happening. The feeling is going on with the task. The line is the feeling, from a soft thing, a dreamy thing, to something hard, something arid, something lonely, something ending, something beginning.” — Cy Twombly
Cy Twombly (1928-2011)
Untitled
signed and dated ‘Cy Twombly 1970’ (on the reverse)
oil based house paint and wax crayon on canvas
61 ¼ x 74 ¾ in. (155.5 x 190 cm.)
Executed in 1970.
Price realised
USD 69,605,000
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“Everybody starts by imitating their heroes. For me it was Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters.”
— Keith Richards
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How to deal with an art copycat – ARTiful: painting demos
“Then you can choose to take the high road, consider that imitation is a form of flattery so to speak and decide to not spend too much energy on the issue. Publicize your art as much as you can and make it sure serious buyers and art galleries know that your style is genuinely yours. Copycats usually get tired after a while: after all there is not much personal satisfaction in copying and they will often go from copying one artist to copying another. What they are copying is also something you did in the past, and because you are the creative force behind the art that is being copied, you often moved on to the next step in your art journey being always one step ahead. You own the creative tools, they are just replicating an end product.”