George Tooker- The Waiting Room
Painting is an attempt to come to terms with life. There are as many solutions as there are human beings.
–George Tooker
To the point. In my mind, at least.
Thought I’d share a few paintings from George Tooker (1920-2011), a painter whose works never failed to make me pause and consider it whenever I came across one. There is always an air of mystery in his scenes that I find intriguing His handling of the faces and hands in his figurative work has a quality that reminds me of some of the great Renaissance painters– Botticelli in particular. This makes it feel familiar yet not.
Plus, there was a beautiful softness to it that came from the precision and opacity of his tempera technique. This no doubt gave it the dreamlike feel that I see in it, the same that most likely led others to label his work as Magic Realism or Surrealism.
I don’t really care what label is attached to any artist, myself included. Those are just ways for others to categorize and place artists in a broader collective.
That’s not for me to worry about. Or any other artist who is too busy trying to come to terms with life.
I am not going to go into detail on Tooker’s life. I am just introducing him to those of you who might not know his work. If it intrigues you I suggest looking deeper online.
There is also a slideshow below of Tooker’s work. It is worth a few minutes on a Monday morning.
George Tooker- Cornice 1949
George Tooker- The Government Bureau
George Tooker- Girl With a Basket
George Tooker- Subway 1950
Redtree Times 