With the first Second-Round Elimination match, we enter a new phase in the Infinite Art Tournament: at this level, and with every subsequent elimination round match in the left bracket, TWO artists will drop out of play.
Leaving us this week, each with respectable records of 1-2, are American minimalist Carl Andre (13 cumulative votes for, 27 against) and seventeenth-century Roman sculptor Alessandro Algardi (19-19).
Josef Albers
1888-1976
Dutch; worked in the United States
- Lost to animal specialist Jacques-Laurent Agasse in Round 1.
- Defeated early American painter Washington Allston in Left Bracket First-Round Elimination by two votes -- a one-vote swing would have resulted in a draw. YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!
- Defeated living American minimalist Carl Andre in the Left Bracket Second Round by two votes -- a one-vote swing would have resulted in a draw. YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!
Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema
1836-1912
Dutch; worked in England
- Lost narrowly to Albrecht Altdorfer in Round 1.
- Defeated Jacopo Amigoni easily in Left Bracket First-Round Elimination.
- Defeated seventeenth-century Roman sculptor Alessandro Algardi in the Left Bracket Second Round.
Vote for the artist of your choice in the comments, or any other way that works for you. Commentary and links to additional work are welcome. Polls open for at least one month past posting, but likely much longer.
13 comments:
Alma-Tedema
give me the second guy any day of the week. there is no way in hell you can call what that first guy has done talent.
This is tough - two artists that I like, but I don't really, really like. I am going to go for Alma-Tadema for blissful flower-filled scenes over Albers' simple yet well-arranged pixels (which do evoke emotion - but flowers! Flowers are great!)
Oh, gag me with a Alma-Tadema... OK, I get it. Alma-Tadema has proven he can actually draw something to look like it's supposed to. For all I know, Albers sucks at Pictionary. But really, where does Alma-Tadema rank with other people who draw people? 135th? 204th? Albers at least takes us somewhere new. And for that reason alone he get a strong vote from me.
Albers all the way!
The second guy, his work reminds me of the island from the movie Erik the Viking. So then I get silly and want to watch some Monty Python.
But the Albers work inspires me to play with shapes and shading. And I can translate it to my loom :)
One precise, clean, colorful vote for Albers, who had the vision to create art free of the cloying scent of floral garlands.
I know I'm weird, but I like Albers.
Alma-Tadema - a vote for dreams over concrete reality. Or reality that looks like something you might cast in concrete, at any rate.
I like shapes and colors, and I like precision. The craftsmanship in the (single) Albers I've seen up close and personal is impeccable (Sorry to throw you under the bus, Dr. Ken, but I'm callin' it talent!).
Although Alma-Tadema has grown on me, there's still more than a whiff of Edward Bulwer-Lytton in the subject matter and its presentation. I love Nichim's comment from the previous round: That one with the rose petals is awesome. Beautiful colors, and the look on the face of the woman on the right, like "Could you wild young things turn it down for a bit, I'm trying to have a langorous nap here," is delightful.
Another precise, clean, colorful vote for Albers!
Hmm. I thought I'd voted on these before! Maybe that's the one where my browser crashed after I composed it. Oh well. Short version: Alma-Tadema.
Albers
Those are some nicely-arranged squares
Alma-Tadema
Oh, for pity's sake.
This contest, started in July 2012, was the first of the Left Bracket Second Round Elimination series. It has been held up forever due to a lack of an opponent, which in turn was a result of the Fra Angelico/Anguissola false-tie fiasco.
You could have two much different artists. Alma-Tadema started out strong, but Albers charged back and took the lead, and when the dust settled at the end of July, it was a tie.
Then, half a year later, Alison came by in January 2013 and cast what appeared to be a winning vote for Albers.
Then, another half a year later, Alison came by in July 2013 and tried to cast a vote for Alma-Tadema, thus cancelling out her original vote and gumming up the works in a most despicable and delightful fashion.
Gentle Readers, it's a 5-5 tie. No grumbling. We shall proceed immediately to tiebreak on Thursday.
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