It always seems like we compare the artist we see locally to someone who is more well known. It happens to me as an artist.

WRITTEN BY: David Dauer

So here I am doing the same thing to Robert Brodesky and William de Kooning. Both William de Kooning and Robert Brodesky are amazing talents. In each of their works, you can see the bold strokes and marks on their surfaces. The color calls to you, the action on the canvas continues. I’m sure if we were able to see them working it would be like an aerobics exercise class or a contemporary dance.

It almost seems like Brodesky and de Kooning were cut from the same cloth, just attacking the imagery in slightly different ways. Brodesky, figurative, and de Kooning, abstract. If you read about de Kooning you will find that both landscape and the human figure are always at the center of his work. Although known for the abstract work he did paint human forms, notably in a series during the early 1950s called Women.

After looking at both artist’s work let me know if you also believe that there are strong ties that bind them.

William de Kooning – de Kooning was a Dutch-born artist (1904-1997) who became a US citizen in 1962 after moving to the states in 1926. After World War II he painted in the style that came to be referred to as Abstract Expressionism or Action Painting and was associated with a group of painters known as the New York School.

This quote below by de Kooning struck me because it is something most artists do including myself and Bob Brodesky…

“Every so often, a painter has to destroy painting. Cezanne did it, Picasso did it with Cubism. Then Pollock did it. He busted our idea of a picture all to hell. Then there could be new paintings again.”

To learn more about William de Kooning click HERE.

Robert Brodesky – Brodesky is a Milton, Massachusetts based artist who was born in New York and studied art at the Brooklyn Museum Art School, the State University of New York at Binghamton, and the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Brodesky’s work features human figures captured in a particular instant, a pivotal moment when something changes. The viewer is invited to participate, enter the moment, and offer his or her own take on the situation and where it might lead. His style—expressive and gestural—focuses on the dynamics of human relationships and is drawn from his own personal experience.

Brodesky says, “I like working big—a canvas big enough to allow me to be expansive and physical. Painting is my way to not be quiet, a way to let people know me, and how I view the world. I paint as an extension of the moment; the process is less cerebral and more emotional. Someone might describe it as action painting – painting exceptionally but not fully aware of what is happening. Painting is a lifeline; it’s music that lifts me up.”

To learn more about Robert Brodesky’s work go to his website by clicking HERE. You can also find many examples of his work on his Instagram page.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a slightly edited version of an article written by David Dauer. It was written and is used with permission by the artist/writer David Dauer. He may be contacted through his website at http://www.dbdauerstudiostore.com or directly via email to david@dbdauerstudio.com

David Dauer was a guest on PODCAST EPISODE 30

The original article appeared here.  Our goal is to document the stories of the contemporary artists among us and those who have passed on either unnoticed or unremembered in a single location or repository.  There are many other stories out there like this one. It is our goal to seek out and find these other stories before they fade from memory.