AN ANALYSIS OF THE ARTIST'S WORK

Jules Engel was proficient in many mediums of artistic expression. Painting and printing were . His early works, such as “Big Top” (1945), show his interest in other European Abstractionists. Engel grew up in Eastern Europe and felt a connection towards modern artistic forms that were being expressed in early 20th century Europe. In “Big Top” one can see the influence from Mondrian and Kandinsky. Like Mondrian, Engel’s composition looks non-representational even though its title suggests something figurative. Also, Engel uses red, blue, and yellow, the primary colors that Mondrian and other artists and architects that were part of the De Stijl movement used. According to Gerald Nordland who wrote on Engel for the Paul Kantor Gallery, Engel’s early influences were very much biased by De Stijl and the Bauhaus. The influence from Kandinsky, who was connected to the Bauhaus school, is apparent in “Big Top”. While the painting is still geometrical, it is not geometrical in the sense that a Mondrian is. The bright shapes appear towards the front of the painting while the darker ones shadow them complementarily. The expression of the shapes may have also had something to do with Engel’s animation career where he was known to make abstract figures take on real movement to music.

Later in his career, one sees Engel’s paintings moving away from the biases of his early influences. His maturity as an artist can be seen in his paintings from the 1950s and 60s, which were more expressive and less geometrical. According to Nordland, the compositions are brought more towards the front of the canvas, whereas the early works take a deeper sense of space. One can see this in his use of techniques such as collage and forms of synthetic cubism. Furthermore, the paint appears thicker on the surface.

As his career progressed into the 70s, Engel had to share his time between teaching, filmmaking, and painting. He was also prolific with his lithographs at this time. One can still see the geometric forms and the sophisticated knowledge of color that Engel used all his life. His personal energy and exuberance made him a great teacher and mentor to young animators at California Institute of the Arts.

Throughout Engel’s career there is a direct relationship between the various mediums he utilized. Critics have said his paintings have a musical rhythm similar to his work for Fantasia or his abstract films. To those critiques, Engel said “Whether discussing color or sound or any of the components, it is necessary to test, to heighten what is known, and to move forward”. Engel’s knowledge of color and artistic skill was always connected to his belief that abstraction is the strongest form of expression.

AWARDS & AFFILIATIONS

1950 San Francisco Museum of Art, Purchase Prize
1951 San Francisco Museum of Art, Purchase Prize
1951 Los Angeles Country Museum, Purchase Prize
1951 Caravan Gallery, New York, First Prize: Art Digest Award
1955 California Watercolor Society, Purchase Award
1956 California Watercolor Society, Purchase Award
1957 California State Fair, Prize Award

COLLECTIONS

Los Angeles County Museum
San Diego Museum of Art
San Francisco Museum of Art

CHRONOLOGY

1915 Born in Budapest, Hungary
1937 Moved to Hollywood, California and enrolled at the Chouinard Art Institute
1938 Began work for Walt Disney
1970 Founded the Abstract Experimental Animation on Film Department for the California Institute of the Arts
2003 Dies at age 88

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Http://www.artnet.com
2. Http://www.askart.com
3. Hughes, Edan Milton. Artists in California. Shirdan Books, Michigan, 2000
4. Jules Engel. Exhibition at the Paul Kantor Gallery, May 1958
5. Jules Engel. Exhibition at Esther Robles Gallery, November 1964
6. Http://www.netropolitan.org/engel
7. Tobey Moss Galleries: Jules Engel