The main Mondrian page has become rather cluttered with more than a year of recent additions and so all but the last few will be consigned to this archive.
June 2014 -
Dean Yeagle's super homage to B323Broadway Boogie Woogie.
August 2013 - There are two PM-related projects on the cards at this time: homages to Segal's homage; and a copy of Marlow Moss's painting from the Sotheby's sale.
June 2013 Marlow Moss news, a Sotheby's sale and an exhibition in St Ives. Further details here.
March 2013 - Perhaps something of a cultural dumbing down compared to previous posts, nevertheless, two pairs of Mondrian sunglasses are worth a mention. On the left, from Cutler & Gross for £350 and on the right from Ray-Ban, yours for £135. Both out of my budget.
March 2013 - Mondrian's Horoscope - An interesting article by Dr. Marty Bax on horoscopes prepared by Adriaan van de Vijsel (a fellow Theosophist) in 1911 and 1912. Mondrian kept these until his death and they were recently given to Netherlands Institute for Art History as part of the Harry Holtzman Estate. Bax uses the documents to comment both on PMs circle in Amsterdam at the time and his subsequent life choices.
March 2013 - Comic artist Andrew Wales has drawn my attention to a series of pieces on artists' meetings, including one featuring Mondrian and Calder.
He asked for suggestions of and other meetings between PM and other artists, to which I replied,
Hi Andy
That's a great and original idea.
As regards suggestions for others:
1. I have a (not terribly serious) theory that Winifred Nicholson (who escorted PM from Paris to London) planted the seed for his later works through a painting of her kids on holiday at the Isle of Wight. See here.
2. Ben Nicholson left Winifred for Barbara Hepworth and that pair helped look after him in London. There is a tale (I'm not sure how true) that as they were leaving London with their kids for the West Country to avoid the bombing, they passed Mondrian in the street and invited him to leave with them. It is interesting to speculate how his late works would have differed (not to mention how long he would have lived) had he taken their offer.
3. Another from the References page concerns PM and Jackson Pollock - I'm not sure whether they met, but I can look into that.
4. Two notable photographers photographed him in his studios in Paris and NY. Kertesz produced several memorable images (esp. pipe & glasses and Chez Mondrian). Arnold Newman produced some great portraits, Mondrian gave him a couple of sketches and they sold for $5m from Newman's estate, details here.
I'll try to think of some more.
I think I'm right in saying that he avoided meeting Picasso, but I'd have to track down the reference, and that's the opposite of what you want.
There is a film of Mondrian and Calder playing with kittens - I saw it at a Paris exhibition but have never found it online.
There are many accounts of visits to his studios in Paris, London and NY which I can dig out - let me know how much you want.
If you do anything with my first suggestion, I'd love to have the original for the Collection, as long as it's inexpensive.
I'll add a link to your blog from the site if that's ok.
But he didn't seem much impressed with my ideas. Perhaps the Nicholsons and Hepworths are not famous enough and snappers don't count.
January 2013 The Yves Saint Laurent dresses of the 60s (see the clothes page) probably contributed significantly to the growing iconic status of PM's work. One of the most elegant manifestations was the series of photographs of Isabel Eberstadt by Frederick Eberstadt . I bought one today (8th).
A bumper addition by email from E Ferrucci, shown right.
It might take me some time to track those down.
The Partridge Family should be here too - I've had a model bus for many years.
In the PBS Arthur episode Binky Barnes Art Expert they have a Mondrian display.
In Sesame Street episode Bears are showing Boogie Woogie Mondrian.
In Star Trek the Next Generation Data shows Mondrian picture in these episodes The Offspring, Hero Worship, A matter of time, In theory, Quality of life,
In the Monkees ep a la Mode episode they have a Mondrian Style picture.
September 2012 - B262 has been stolen as part of a $10M haul from the Santa Monica home of financier Jeffrey Gundlach.
It was recovered a few days later after a $1M reward was offered.m
August 2012 - Mondrian Pastiches, books playing with the works of various artists, most of which include a Mondrian. A new page here.
August 2012 - Where are they now? The locations of all Mondrian's paintings are listed here.
Mondrian's Dog
I had a beer with Charles Darwent, author of Mondrian in London, today (12th July). He reports that the Mondriaanhuis has a photograph of PM's pet dog. The name was (something along the lines of, phonetically) Beppé, though being Dutch the option of a more complex spelling was taken. More news when available and apologies for British linguacentricity.
[1st Aug] The Mondriaanhuis has confirmed the story, "Unfortunately we don't have much information on the subject. I can only tell you that Mondriaan owned a dog named Beppie when he lived in Uden en Amsterdam. This would be around 1904-1906. The photo your friend was refering to is not available in digital form and can be found in archives in The Netherlands. If you decide to look for the photo just should know that it isn't Mondriaan and his dog, bus Albert van den Briel and Mondriaan's dog."
Heidi Mulder's Mondrian Nude 1, Oil/Acrylic on canvas, 100cmx100cm.
From the artist, The painting shows an interaction with Piet Mondrian's work. Composition in Red, Blue and Yellow. The artwork derives from chaos and a lack of order in my own mind and external life resulting in a need to pare back and simplify my world and to become more spiritually connected. Emotion-based watery lines unlike Mondrian's more controlled technique now have been overlapped with an organic, feminine self-portrait.
Mondrian Nude 2, Oil/Acrylic on canvas, 100cmx100cm
The aerial view shows the artist looking at herself and has an almost ‘astral’ quality. The white background represents the purity and cleanliness of personal spirit. The lines that intersect through the figure represent that we are not solid beings and that we are indeed spirit inhabiting a physical body. Perhaps the aim of this painting is to describe the interaction of the feminine and masculine or even the interaction of physical and spiritual existence.
February 2012 - Mondrian on film. The 2010 Paris exhibition included a film of PM with Calder and a kitten and I have stumbled upon another 16-second film of Mondrian and B323here.
February 2012 - Thanks to Yvonne Louis for sending me a dedicated copy of A Brush with Mondrian.
January 2012 - [It's time to remind one and all of the merit and qualities of Marlow Moss, Mondrian's friend and reciprocal influence.]
January 2012 - I have built a Reitveld-influenced desk which is sufficiently De Stijl to get on this page. More details here.
January 2011 - Mondrian inflation - I stumbled upon some interesting comparisons on the prices paid for Mondrian paintings, summarised here
January 2011 - a lovely start to the year with this striking monument at Winterswijk, based on B269. Found on flickr, the photographer is Jeanne Kliemesch. The reverse of the monument is shown here
December 2010 - A first, so far as I am aware, of Mondriaan deployed in the art of dance (or should that be dance deployed in the art of Mondriaan?). Further details from the Penguin Dance Company
November 2010 - I have a New Theory on Winifred Nicholson's potential influence on Mondrian's later works. Read it here
November 2010 - Michael Sciam has written extensively on the subject of Mondrian's stylistic development. I hope to add some more details later, but in the meantime, Michael has kindly consented to my using some images from his site to fill some gaps in The Pictures.
August 2010 - The Pictures, Phase I is pretty much complete, albeit nine years late.
August 2010 - I indulged in a stained glass window course at Lead & Light and, of course, my first piece is a small Mondrian (followed by a minor Rothko to pass the time), leading to a Large Mondrian to go over our front door. Further details here.
July 2010 - Mondrian Brooch, by emiko-o. Details here
July 2010 - John Dankworth's Million $ Collection, jazz reactions to art, includes a piece Composition with Colour. More details here.
May 2010 - Tate Modern has been celebrating its 10th anniversary and BBC Radio 4 joined in with a special on the subject. An interview with the first director of the gallery revealed that the first picture to be hung in Tate Modern was a Mondrian. More details here.
November 2009, András Mikó requested a reciprocal link for his Porn or Art , which I did, but it is no longer available. This is his penetrating homage which he kindly provided without the original text.
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