June 2006 126th Issue

Hua Hin Events

H.E. General Prem Tinsulanonda, President of the Privy Council and Statesman, stayed at the Dusit Resort, Hua Hin following an audience with HM the King. Upon his arrival at the resort, Gen Prem was welcomed by Chatri Sophonpanich, Chairman of Dusit Thani Public Company Limited, and Victor Sukseree (left), the resort's General Manager.

Dr. Narongchai Akrasanee enjoys the moment at the Palm Hills 4th invitational Golf Tournament, and before the match with John Stanton

Staff and customers at Crawfords in Cha Am celebrate St George's Day in fine style, complete with a British Bulldog

Bosco, the restaurant at Springfield Village has a grand opening party

Coco 51 restaurant is lit up at it's opening night

The Hua Hin Mountain Bike Classic - King's Cup, organised by Hua Hin Cyling Club, Wang Klai Kang won Cycling Club and TAT, and sponsored by Hua Hin Bike. Thanks to Philip Bladen for the photo.

Hua Hin Online Community

The growth of Hua Hin comes under the microscope this month as discussions wage on about the good and bad of all the development. It seems like there is a new business, restaurant, bar or guesthouse appearing on the scene everyday; this can only mean good things for the local economy, however a few of the long timers like to reminisce over the Hua Hin of old. As the impacts of a rapidly developing city are analyzed comparisons are made between Hua Hin and other large tourist resorts in the Kingdom.

On the animal front are thoughts on the escalating numbers of canines on the streets and a few good tips on what to do if confronted by a few of them. A few concerns are aired over the possibility of encountering jellyfish and what to do if stung by one. As always there was no shortage of weather predictions as people plan their holidays in Hua Hin.

We welcome our latest sponsor, The Market Bar, which offers a watering hole in the midst of Hua Hin night market. As we run up to the World Cup predictions and plans are made to view the matches in favourite venues around town.

More property debates as the current price levels are scrutinized and good advice is offered to potential buyers; come to Hua Hin, rent for a while and have a look around before jumping in at the deep end. This is a really popular section as it gives readers the opportunity to ask questions and get un-biased answers from people that have done the research, bought property already, or have decided to continue renting.

German restaurants, English breakfasts and Korean BBQs are the hot topics in the feeding section with no shortage of recommendations and personal favourites.

More discussion on the Hua Hin Jazz Festival and the absence of the beer park this year as the theme moves towards “jazz on the beach” with two large stages at both major hotels. Sailing, golf coaching and the cricket sixes also get some discussion.

Plenty to talk about on the road with a trip report from Chumphon, taxis from Bangkok and getting to Khorat among the highlights. The most sensitive issue was the topic on riding motorbikes in Thailand, one that nearly everyone has an opinion on, be careful out there and make sure you wear that helmet at all times, your head is worth more than 200 baht.

There were a few questions on money transfers and ATMs in town and more on trying to speed up your internet connection, which is an ongoing frustration for anyone living in Hua Hin. There were a number of requests for shopping with items ranging from Thai silk to mosquito screens to big shoes!

HHAD forums are the definitive online message boards and discussions for the area, there are sections for finding and booking accommodation, seeking out bargains, and exploring the local area and beyond. There is also a nightlife section for the night owls, a restaurant and feeding guide along with an online meeting point for visa runners and clubs. The ever popular “Ask the expats” section is great for quickly getting the answers you need from the people that live here.

Logon and find out what is happening in Hua Hin:

Jazz

The idea that His Majesty the King will be seen on the beach grooving away to the sounds of the 5th annual Hua Hin Jazz Festival is highly unlikely, but thousands of his people will during the first weekend in June. We are sure that they will join in raising a glass of Heineken, the event's main sponsors, to both the smooth sounds of the musicians, and more importantly to salute their beloved monarch on the auspicious occasion of his 60th year as head of state. Make sure you don't miss this unique, free event!

BILL BRUFORD was born 17th May, 1949 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England, and is an influential drummer known for his forceful, highly precise, polyrhythmic style. He shot to fame in the early Seventies as the original drummer for Yes, playing on their first two albums as well as the seminal LPs The Yes Album, Fragile and Close To The Edge, but he stunned fans by quitting the band at the height of their success in 1972, accepting an invitation from Robert Fripp to join King Crimson, which he had wanted to join for quite some time. During the 1970's and 80's Bruford remained with the band in its various guises and through it's disbanding and reforming. Bruford also spent a year touring with Genesis and Gong, and would rejoin Yes briefly in 1991 and 1992 for the “Union” album and tour. He was once again with King Crimson until the late 90's, but then quit to concentrate on his other projects.

Bruford is perhaps most famous for having revolutionized drumming through the use of electronic drums and melodic drumming. While Bruford has gone on to form his own jazz band, Earthworks, he continues to collaborate with many musicians, including one-time Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz and bassist Tony Levin.

Bill Bruford's Earthworks have released 8 albums plus a compilation of the first 4 albums and a live DVD. The most recent release was a live album from 2004 called ‘Random Acts Of Happiness'. For more information please visit http://www.billbruford.com.

Bill Bruford's Earthworks will perform at the Hua Hin Jazz Festival on the Sofitel beachfront stage, on 2nd June 2006, scheduled for an 8.30 pm start.

SEKPOL UNSAMRAN (Koh) has been a regular at the Jazz Festival and on the Thai music scene, and has released 3 albums so far, the most recent being ‘The Other Side Of Koh' from 2004. Koh Mr Saxman has played all over Asia and even has a fan club in Japan! He often guests on other artists' albums as well as playing live with them, such as Anne Weerapass and Boy Thai.

Check out this talented Thai jazzman at http://www.kohmrsaxman.com/.

Koh Mr Saxman will perform at the Hua Hin Jazz Festival on the Hilton beachfront stage, on 2nd June 2006, scheduled for a 10 pm start.

MALENE MORTENSEN (born May 23, 1982) first appeared on the music scene on a Danish TV show in 2001, and followed that up by representing Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2002. Despite her performance there not winning much favour with the judges, in 2003 she released her debut album, ‘Paradise', revolving around modern jazz, and was supported by three of Denmark's best known jazz musicians: Niels Lan Doky (piano), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass) and Alex Riel (drums). It topped the Danish Jazz charts and was followed up in 2005 by ‘Date With A Dream'. You can find out more about the Danish singer at http://www.malenemortensen.dk/.

Malene Mortensen will perform at the Hua Hin Jazz Festival on the Hilton beachfront stage, on 4th June 2006, scheduled for an 8.45 pm start.

Simply the coolest King

On 9th June 1946 Thailand experienced a change that radically affected the country, and has continued to do so to the present day. That change was the naming of heir-apparent Prince Bhumibol as the successor to King Rama VIII, who had died that same day. The Prince was now Phrabath Somdej Phra Paramindara Maha Bhumibol Adulyadej Mahitarathibej Ramathibodi Chakrinaruebej Sayammindhrathiraj Boromnartborpit; in short, King Rama IX. At the age of just 19, His Majesty was to embark on a journey with his people that none of them could possibly have imagined.

In 1946 Thailand was a predominantly agricultural country of just over 17 million people, and little trade with the rest of the world. Today it has a population fast approaching 70 million, a GDP ranked as 22nd in the world, with exports totalling over $110 billion. Agriculture, and in particular rice farming, is still a major employer with nearly half of the working population involved in that sector, but tourism and services now accounts for nearly 40% of the workforce.

The last sixty years are not just an economic story though; there have been several periods of political instability, threats to the country's democracy and tensions with neighbouring countries. It has also had natural and man-made disasters, with the tsunami at the end of 2004 being the most recent. Throughout all these struggles, His Majesty the King has been the rock that the Thai people have clung to, and when necessary he has intervened in the political arena to good effect, most recently in the dispute between the opposing factions surrounding the Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Many things have changed in Thailand during the reign of His Majesty, but at the same time there have been a few key factors that have been reinforced; firstly, the major Thai religion, Buddhism has been strongly supported while still allowing other beliefs to flourish, best shown by the generosity of spirit displayed by most Thais; secondly, the importance of family has remained a constant for the Thais, despite being scattered across the country and sometimes the world by economic expansion and success; thirdly, the ever present sense of fun or sanook that is best symbolised by the Songkran festival; and finally, the love, trust and adoration the Thai people have for their King, and the respect that is shown all over the world for His Majesty, the longest reigning monarch in the world.

As this month also features the Jazz Festival in Hua Hin, one thing relating to His Majesty personally is particularly relevant; his skill at playing, and his love of jazz. For six decades, His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej has inspired, entertained and encouraged the Thai people in countless ways. One of these is through music, and His Majesty's songs, ranging from jazz to classical to patriotic anthems, have been performed not just in Thailand but also internationally by some of the world's leading musicians and orchestras.

Many Saturday nights throughout the year are marked in Klai Kangwol Palace at Hua Hin beach by a gathering of 10 musicians, led by His Majesty on saxophone, who are called the Au Sau Wan Suk Band. This band, and previous incarnations of it, used to play every Friday in a weekly radio broadcast of concerts from university and public stages that ran from the early 1950s through to the 1970s. The range of music they played spanned many styles and composers, including The King, who has up to date composed 48 pieces, many of which have been played by top jazz musicians. Over several decades, the King's Au Sau Wan Suk Band has received such international jazz idols as Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Jack Teagarden, James Moody, Benny Carter, Les Brown, Maynard Ferguson, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and many more as guest musicians for impromptu sessions.

His two jam sessions with Benny Goodman in New York were reported in Time in its June 18, 1960, edition:

“His Majesty went to dinner with the King of Swing, Benny Goodman, (and 94 others) at the suburban estate of New York's Governor Nelson Rockefeller.... For 90 minutes after dinner, King Bhumibol and Benny led a foot-stomping, starch-melting jam session. Next day, the King toted a sax up to the 22nd story roof garden above Benny's Manhattan House apartment for the fulfilment of a jazzman's dream.... The King stood there toe-to-toe for two hours, paid his royal respects to The Sheik of Araby (in 17 ear drumming choruses), savoured Honeysuckle Rose, swung low On the Sunny Side of the Street....”

His musical exploits are typical of his reign, and it is very hard to argue with what the great jazz icon Lionel Hampton was quoted (in the article “The King of Jazz,” by Harry Rolnick, published in Sawasdee magazine in 1987) as saying:

“He is simply the coolest king in the land.”

Thailand is planning a multi-million-dollar facelift for more than 150 historical and religious sites to mark King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60 years as monarch, officials have said. Sites slated for the 30 million dollar restoration project included Buddhist wats, Sikh temples, mosques and churches “because the king is the patron of all religions and faiths,” said Sorajak Kasemsuwan, assistant in the prime minister's office.

Sorajak said the nationwide renovations would include Bangkok's Bovoranivet temple, where the king was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1956, as well as the capital's Wat Praramkao Kanchanapisek.

“Wat Praramkao Kanchanapisek is a special case,” said Sorajak. “It is only nine years old, and we are focusing on sites older than 60 years, but the king was especially involved with the construction.”

THE PRINCESS MOTHER'S MEDICINE VOLUNTEER FOUNDATION

During the course of the period October 2005 to May 2006 the Foundation has sponsored teams of dentists and associated technicians to visit remote rural villages to provide free dental treatment to the inhabitants. Due to the nature of the terrain encountered the Off-Roaders Federation of Thailand has supported the visits by providing seasoned off-roaders to assist when difficulties are encountered. Other organisations involved have been the Ministries of Education, Health and Defence, the Police, with Toyota Motors providing four-wheel drive vehicles that have been expertly fitted out to contain all the needs of the dental teams. Following an initial trip into the Kanchanaburi area that was designed to acquaint and train the new four-wheeler teams into the techniques of off-roading, a further 28 trips have been carried out. From October 2005 to May 2006 all trips have been in the provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Tak and Nan. The programme will be continued. The writer has been involved from the initial training trip to subsequent trips up country. Apart from the above mentioned project The Off-Roaders Federation of Thailand embarks on numerous charitable projects throughout the country. In addition, in times of disaster such as the Tsunami and the deep flooding in Pranburi, supplies were taken by four-wheelers to areas of difficult access. A local team from Cha Am, Hua Hin, Pranburi and Bang Saphan visit remote villages in the area helping in particular rural schools, and sponsorship in cash or kind is always appreciated. Sponsorship decals will be carried on all vehicles if provided. Any persons or organisations interested in providing sponsorship or joining in off-road trips can contact the following:

Colin Webb 01-874 6864 Khun Siree 05-181 4410 Be forwarned however that the vehicle interior can get very wet and bodywork may be scratched.

The Big Dolphin makes a splash

Name: Prom Meesawat

Height: 1.84 metres

Weight: 110 kilogram's

Right handed

Date of birth: 21/7/1984

Place of birth: Hua Hin, Thailand

At first glance, if you were asked what sport Prom Meesawat excelled in, one might be tempted to say rugby or pool, as he certainly does not look like your typical professional golfer.

Prom is a big guy, not just by Thai comparisons either, but this belies the talent so obviously present in the ‘Big Dolphin', a nickname conjured up in the last couple of years by some friendly journalists both because of his size and the fact that he hails from the coastal resort of Hua Hin. ‘Lo Mah Yak', which is this same nickname in Thai, was a little reticent in using this however when he was interviewed by the Observer and seems to prefer the name bestowed on him by his family, Prom. Hua Hin is still the place the family lives, (although Prom admitted that he spends more time in Bangkok or on tour during the season) and their homes are within walking distance of the Royal Hua Hin Golf Club. His mother worked at the club, while his father Suthep is also a pro golfer, and was the first Thai to win the Thailand Open in 1991. He still plays, on the Asian Seniors Tour, and Prom admits that his path into golf was set from an early age. “It was just natural for me to start playing because of my Mum and Dad and where I grew up, I was surrounded by golf.”

He was only three years old when he first started swinging “with a set of plastic clubs in the garden!” Prom is an only child but as is common in Thailand he has numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. “My cousin caddies for me sometimes, and he can play but doesn't like to.” His Mum attends many of his tournaments, and he expects that many of the family will come when he plays in a big tournament in the future.

To give some encouragement to less able players, we asked Prom what his first ever score over 18 holes was; “I shot 110 at the Royal Hua Hin when I was 7 years old in a junior tournament.” And what was the most number of balls he has lost in a round? “Many times I go round with the same ball even for a whole tournament, but my worst time was when I was younger and learning to play and I might lose up to 5 or 6 balls.” We also asked if the ever-increasing length of the holes and courses was a problem; “I'm not a really long hitter but quite straight. I hit the driver about 280 yards, sometimes over 300, but I think that's enough – I don't need to try for more, just make sure it is accurate. It also depends a lot on the wind and the landing area.”

He won his first ever tournament when he was 11; “it was a Junior tournament at the Royal Gem course near Bangkok. I got a trophy and entrance to the Asia Pacific Junior tournament in Hong Kong (1996) which I also won.” Following a glittering amateur career with loads of titles including victories in the World Junior Amateur Championships in 1997 and 2002, Prom turned professional at the end of 2003 upon the advice of current world number one Vijay Singh. His associates, including his long-time sponsor Santi Bhirombhakdi, had wanted him to study in a US university and play golf there. Santi, president of Boon Rawd Brewery, producer of Singha beer, is a friend of Charlie Niyomkul, owner of the famous Tamarind Thai restaurant in Atlanta who is close to Singh.

Charlie introduced Prom to the Fijian who suggested that the young Thai should turn professional immediately. “We met at his Florida home. He knew that I did not want to continue my studies. So he said I should turn professional and play on the Asian Tour to gain experience and strength before trying to move to another level.” Prom earned his Asian Tour card in 2004.

His role model when he was growing up was fellow Thai professional Prayad Marksaeng, who is also from Hua Hin; “When I was young and came home from school, I always saw him chipping greens, and watched him every day and thought I want to do that”. However he says that Ernie Els is his favourite player “He's a big guy like me, and he has a great swing, very smooth”. When asked what his favourite course is, unsurprisingly it is the course where he won his two Junior World Championships in 1997 and 2002, Torrey Pines in San Diego. He also lists two Thai courses - Alpine and Thana City, both near Bangkok – as ones he likes playing. His ambition to succeed shows through when asked which courses he wants to play in the future; “Augusta in the Masters, and East Lake in Atlanta”. The pedigree of the first is well known, and the latter Georgia course was where they held the 1963 Ryder Cup, and is famous for being the home course of the legendary Bobby Jones, who completed the Grand Slam of golf, winning the United States Amateur, United States Open, British Amateur, and British Open in the same year, 1930.

At the age of 21 he has already seen many golf courses throughout the world; “I have played in Scotland a couple of times, Aberdeen, and visited St Andrews and Carnoustie and caddied for Tongchai Jaidee” In fact it is Tongchai's caddy, Posom Meeposom, also a professional, who has helped him with his mental game, an area that had troubled him in the past. Prom had always had a natural aptitude at sport - “I have a natural eye for most ball sports and like to play anything” – but often cracked under pressure in the final round. His recent breakthrough Asian Tour win at the rain-shortened SK Telecom Open in Seoul, South Korea has helped to eradicate that demon, although Prom admits that he was helped by events there. The tournament was media hyped because of the teenage sensation Michelle Wie taking part and Prom says, “It was good for me that there was a lot of attention on her and on the last group who had some Koreans playing, so it took the pressure off me. I didn't get to meet Michelle Wie but she is a very good player. I'm not sure if it is a good idea now to have men and women competing together though.” Prom shot a three-day total of 15-under-par 201, three strokes clear of India's Jeev Milkha Singh and Korean duo of Hong Song-sang and Lee Seung-ho, and 13 shots clear of Wie.

Prom admits that the weakest part of his game is his putting, “The problem I have had in the past was just getting a feeling for the greens, but now I have won in Korea I am more confident about that.” He has a favourite club that indicates the area he is confident in, “My lob wedge, I think my short game is probably the best part of my game”. As with many professional athletes, Prom doesn't just leave everything to his ability and hard work, he also tries to appease the gods of superstition, “I always put my left shoe on first, and I always try to wear a white shirt in the 1st and 2nd rounds and then red in the 3rd round and then grey or white in the final round.”

He certainly does work hard at his game, as shown when asked what his normal day comprised when not on tour; “Early morning, around 6.30 I go jogging, before it gets too hot for about 30 minutes. Before 9 I go to the range and hit balls for around 3 or 4 hours, then have some lunch, and sometimes I have breakfast before the range, sometimes not. Then I may play 9 or 18 holes around 3 o'clock. Sometimes I will play a round in the morning and practice in the afternoon. Then go home and rest!” This amounts to some 40 hours a week of golf practice when he is not on tour, although he does allow himself some time out. “I have that routine every day except Sundays, and to relax away from golf I watch movies and play games on a Playstation. I only get one or two days away at a time and then it's back on the tour.” Prom revealed something of the life of a golfer on tour when we asked him if there was anything outside of golf that he would like to do; “I can't imagine my life without golf, so no there is nothing else, but one day when I am finished with playing golf so much, I would like to travel around the world. Even though I travel a lot now I only see the inside of hotel rooms and the golf course, so I would like to see more of these places I visit. It is really nice when I come home and I am with my family and can see my friends.”

On a lighter note, we asked about any embarrassing, now amusing, moments he had faced on the golf course; “During the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand 2004, my first year there when I was a pro, I played with Miguel Jiminez. My putter is a centre shaft, and my shoes are classics that have partially wooden soles; my second shot on a par 4 was a putt of about 2 or 3 feet and I missed it. I was angry and hit my putter hard against my shoe, but just in the wrong spot, and broke my putter! I had to play 10 more holes without a putter, and this was the second round and I am trying to make the cut. I used a wood on some holes and my wedge on others and finished the round. Before with the putter I was 2 over par, and after I was 2 under par!” He has, of course, since got a new putter and currently uses Titleist clubs. Prom is also becoming a bit of a hole-in-one specialist;

“Yes –I have had three! 1997 Royal Hua Hin 4th hole on my birthday, 2005 in the BMW Asian Open, Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club 17th hole and I won a notebook computer, not too bad, and the last one was March this year at the TCL Classic, Yalong Bay Golf Club, Sanya in China.”

Did you find it hard to play in front of an audience the first few times, and does it affect you now?

“When I was 14 or 15 and I played in a tournament in Japan, the Korean Open, I was nervous, my hands were shaking and sweating. I teed off not too bad, just slightly to the right. But now it's not too much of a problem.” How do you celebrate, both on the course when you have made a crucial putt, and off it, after a tournament win? “I kind of put two hands in the air, just a normal reaction to something good, but after a win nothing much – I don't drink so not even a glass of beer from my sponsors Singha!”

Sponsorship is a big part of all professional sport so we asked Prom about that; “Right now I am only sponsored by Singha, but people can contact me or my manager if they are interested in doing so.” (See contact details at the end of the article). The sponsors would have been delighted with your win in Korea but were you relieved or surprised by it? “When I got to the 18th for the last time I knew I had won already, but I hadn't thought it was going to happen to me when it did, so really I was quite surprised. I thought maybe in a few years but not so soon.”

Prom thinks that the golf scene in Thailand is very promising with several good young players coming up, in addition to the ‘old guard' who have paved the way; “Definitely Chinarat Phadungsil, who already turned professional last year and who plays on the Asian PGA tour with me, and a couple of juniors are coming up. Also Prayad's cousin but he didn't qualify for the tour yet.”

He has a busy few weeks ahead following his maiden tour win, and he is hoping that he can consolidate on that and achieve a top 5 finish in the Asian Order of Merit; “I will have played in the Macau Open and the Philippines Open by the time your magazine comes out and then in the second week of June I play in Koh Samui. The tour then takes a break for one and a half months. I think the next tournament after that will be sometime in August.”

Prom Meesawat has been touted as a rising star since he turned professional, and has now proved those pundits right, earlier than either he or they could have expected. He is a quietly confident but unassuming young man, and looks as if he is going to follow in his father's footsteps and more – let's keep our fingers crossed in Hua Hin that his dream comes true and that we are all glued to a TV in the not too distant future as he putts in the Masters at Augusta.

If you want to contact Prom about sponsorship, please contact him via the details below:

Mobile phone – 01-735-6171

Email – dolphin_prom@hotmail.com

Manager (Pimporn) – 01-818-7397

Art & Culture

Impressionism was a 19th century art movement that began as a loose association of Paris-based artists who began publicly exhibiting their art in the 1860s. The name of the movement is derived from Claude Monet's Impression, Sunrise (Impression, soleil levant). Critic Louis Leroy inadvertently coined the term in a satiric review published in Le Charivari. The influence of Impressionist thought spread beyond the art world, leading to Impressionist music and Impressionist literature.

Characteristics of impressionist painting include visible brushstrokes, light colours, open composition, emphasis on light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary subject matter, and unusual visual angles. Impressionism also describes art done in this style, but outside of the late 19th century time period.

IMPERESSIONISM & POST-IMPRESSIONISM

OVERVIEW

Radicals in their time, early impressionists broke the picture-making rules of academic painting. They began by painting driven by colours, rather than by line, drawing from the work of painters such as Eugene Delacroix. They also began from unique working methods, such as painting outside of the studio for subjects such as the still life and portrait. The techniques of impressionism gradually grew more specific to the movement, and encompassed what its adherents argued was a different way of seeing. They painted “en plein air” (outdoors) rather than in a studio as was the custom, capturing the momentary and transient aspects of sunlight.

By the last years of the 19th century, the public came to believe that these artists had captured a fresh and original vision that was highly skilled, even if it did not meet with approval of the artistic establishment. The impressionists looked to beauty in candid poses and compositions, in the play of light and in a bright and varied use of colour.

Impressionist paintings feature short, “broken” brush strokes of pure, untinted and unmixed colour. Compositions are simplified and innovative, and the emphasis is on overall effect rather than upon details. The brushstrokes increasingly became visible and part of the composition, as opposed to the then current technique of having an almost smooth surface of the canvas without visible brush strokes. Impressionism rose at the same time that other painters were also exploring methods of painting that moved away from the subjects, forms and norms that dominated the art market at that time, for example Edvard Munch.

By placing the centre of artistic creation as the eye that views the subject, rather than the subject, and by creating a welter of techniques and forms, Impressionism became seminal to various movements in painting which would come after, including Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism and individual painters that were not part of an exact school, such as Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cezanne.

BEGINNINGS

In an atmosphere of change as Emperor Napoleon III rebuilt Paris and waged war, the Académie des beaux-arts dominated the French art scene in the middle of the 19th century. Art at the time was considered a conservative enterprise whose innovations fell within the Académie's defined borders. The Académie set the standards for French painting.

In addition to dictating the content of paintings (historical subjects, religious themes, and portraits were valued), the Académie commanded which techniques artists used. They valued sombre, conservative colours. Refined images, mirroring reality when closely examined, were esteemed. The Académie encouraged artists to eliminate all traces of brush strokes — essentially isolating art from the artist's personality, emotions, and working techniques.

The Académie held an annual art show — Salon de Paris, and artists whose work displayed in the show won prizes and garnered commissions to create more art. Only art selected by the Académie jury was exhibited in the show. The standards of the juries about suitable art for the salon reflected the values of the Académie.

The young artists painted in a lighter and brighter style than most of the generation before them, extending the realism style of Gustave Courbet, Winslow Homer and the Barbizon school. They submitted their art to the Salon, and the juries rejected the pieces. A core group of them, Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir and Alfred Sisley, studied under Charles Gleyre. The three of them became friends and often painted together.

In 1863, the jury rejected The Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l'herbe) by Édouard Manet primarily because it depicted a nude woman with two clothed men on a picnic. According to the jury, nudes were acceptable in historical and allegorical paintings, but to show them in common settings was forbidden. Manet felt humiliated by the sharply worded rejection of the jury, which set off a firestorm among many French artists. Although Manet did not consider himself an impressionist, he led discussions at Café Guerbois where the impressionists gathered, and influenced the explorations of the artistic group.

After seeing the rejected works in 1863, Emperor Napoleon III decreed that the public be allowed to judge the work themselves, and the Salon des Refusés (Salon of the Refused) was organized.

For years art critics rebuked the Salon des Refusés, and in 1874 the impressionists (though not yet known by the name) organized their own exhibition.

After seeing the show, critic Louis Leroy (an engraver, painter, and successful playwright), wrote a scathing review in the Le Charivari newspaper. Targeting a painting by a then obscure artist he titled his article, The Exhibition of the Impressionists. Leroy declared that Impression, Sunrise (Impression, soleil levant) by Claude Monet was at most a sketch and could hardly be termed a finished work.

Leroy wrote, in the form of a dialog between viewers.....Impression - I was certain of it. I was just telling myself that, since I was impressed, there had to be some impression in it ... and what freedom, what ease of workmanship! Wallpaper in its embryonic state is more finished than that seascape.

The term “impressionists” gained favour with the artists, not as a term of derision, but as a badge of honour. The techniques and standards within the movement varied, but the spirit of rebellion and independence bound the movement together.

IMPRESSIONIST TECHNIQUES

Short, thick strokes of paint in a sketchy way, allowing the painter to capture and emphasize the essence of the subject rather than its details.

They left brush strokes on the canvas, adding a new dimension of familiarity with the personality of the artist for the viewer to enjoy.

Colours with as little pigment mixing as possible, allowing the eye of the viewer to optically mix the colours as they looked at the canvas, and providing a vibrant experience for the viewer.

Impressionists did not shade (mix with black) their colours in order to obtain darker pigments. Instead, when the artists needed darker shades, they mixed with complementary colours. (Black was used, but only as a colour in its own right.)

They painted wet paint into the wet paint instead of waiting for successive applications to dry, producing softer edges and intermingling of colour.

Impressionist avoided the use of thin paints to create glazes, which earlier artists built up carefully to produce effects. Rather, the impressionists put paint down thickly and did not rely upon layering.

Impressionists discovered or emphasized aspects of the play of natural light, including an acute awareness of how colours reflect from object to object.

In outdoor paintings, they boldly painted shadows with the blue of the sky as it reflected onto surfaces, giving a sense of freshness and openness that was not captured in painting previously. (Blue shadows on snow inspired the technique.) They worked “en plein air” (outdoors)

Previous artists occasionally used these techniques, but impressionists employed them constantly. Earlier examples are found in the works of Frans Hals, Peter Paul Rubens, John Constable, Theodore Rousseau, Gustave Courbet, Camille Corot, Eugene Boudin, and Eugène Delacroix.

Impressionists took advantage of the mid-century introduction of premixed paints in tubes (resembling modern toothpaste tubes), which allowed artists to work more spontaneously both outdoors and indoors. Previously, each painter made his or her own paints by grinding and mixing dry pigment powders with linseed oil.

CONTENT AND COMPOSITION

Even though, historically, painting was viewed as primarily a way to depict historical and religious subjects in a rather formal manner, painters portrayed everyday subjects. Many 17th century Dutch painters, like Jan Steen, focused on common subjects, but their works showed the influences of traditional composition in arrangement of the scene. When impressionism began, there was interest among the artists in mundane subject matter, and a new method of capturing images became available. Photography was gaining popularity, and as cameras became more portable, photographs became more candid. Photography inspired impressionists to capture the moment, not only in the fleeting lights of a landscape, but in the day-to-day lives of people.

Photography and popular Japanese art prints (Japonism) combined to introduce to impressionists odd “snapshot” angles, and unconventional compositions.

Edgar Degas' The Dance Class (La classe de danse) shows both influences. A dancer is caught in adjusting her costume, and the lower right quadrant of the picture contains empty floor space.

POST-IMPRESSIONISM

Post-Impressionism developed from Impressionism. From the 1880s several artists began to develop different precepts for the use of colour, pattern, form and line, derived from the Impressionist example: Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat, Paul Cezanne and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Their work is known as Post-impressionism. Some of the original Impressionist artists also ventured into this new territory, particularly Camille Pissarro, and even Monet abandoned strict “plein air” painting. Despite this, the work of the original Impressionist painters is categorised under Impressionism.

Post-impressionism was both an extension of impressionism and a rejection of its limitations. Post-impressionists continued using vivid colours, thick application of paint, distinctive brushstrokes and real-life subject matter, but they emphasized geometric shapes and figures more. Although they often exhibited together, they were not a cohesive movement. They worked in geographically disparate regions and in various stylistic categories, such as fauvism and cubism.

Art critic Roger Fry first used the term to describe the Les Nabis group.

IMPRESSIONIST ARTISTS

VALENTIN SEROV

LUCY A. BACON

FRÉDÉRIC BAZILLE

JEAN BERAUD

MARY CASSATT

KONSTANTIN SOMOV

GUSTAVE CAILLEBOTTE

PAUL CEZANNE

(Cezanne later broke away from the Impressionists)

LOVIS CORINTH

LÉON BAKST

EDGAR DEGAS

PAUL-HENRI DUBERGER

GEORGE WHARTON EDWARDS

FREDERICK CARL FRIESEKE

VASILI VASILYEVICH VERESHCHAGIN

EVA GONZALÈS

ARMAND GUILLAUMIN

NAZMI ZIYA GÜRAN

CHILDE HASSAM

ALEXANDRE BENOIS

WILSON IRVINE

JOHAN JONGKIND

LAURA MUNTZ LYALL

MAX LIEBERMANN

ÉDOUARD MANET

(Manet did not regard himself as

impressionist, but is generally considered one)

JACOB MARIS

WILLEM MARIS

ANTON MAUVE

WILLARD METCALF

CLAUDE MONET

BERTHE MORISOT

WILLIAM MCGREGOR PAXTON

LILLA CABOT PERRY

CAMILLE PISSARRO

PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR

THEODORE ROBINSON

AUGUSTE RODIN

ZINAIDA SEREBRYAKOVA

ALFRED SISLEY

JOHN HENRY TWACHTMAN

J. ALDEN WEIR

KONSTANTIN YUON

POST IMPRESSIONIST ARTISTS

PAUL CÉZANNE

PAUL GAUGUIN

HENRI DE TOULOUSE

HARRY LACHMAN

HENRI ROUSSEAU

GEORGES SEURAT

HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

VINCENT VAN GOGH

Features

this month

regulars

stories

free ads

sports

golf

funnies

info

back issues