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| Photo from Internet |
Janet Fish is a contemporary realist who revitalized the still-life genre during the period when Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism were dominating the art world. She is known for paintings of colorful objects with reflective surfaces, but some of her paintings emphasize objects with complex, overlapping patterns and few reflections. All her paintings are harmonious compositions that vibrate with energy and light.
Janet was born into a family of artists. Her grandfather was a fairly well-known American Impressionist, Clark Voorhees. Her father was a professor of art history; her mother was a sculptor; her sister was a photographer. She knew from an early age that she wanted to continue the tradition.
Janet was born into a family of artists. Her grandfather was a fairly well-known American Impressionist, Clark Voorhees. Her father was a professor of art history; her mother was a sculptor; her sister was a photographer. She knew from an early age that she wanted to continue the tradition.
Fish earned a B.F.A. from Smith, and she was one of the first women to win an M.F.A. from Yale.
One of her instructors at Yale was Alex Katz, a figurative artist who was bucking the trend toward abstract and conceptual work; he became a life-long mentor.
She had intended to teach college level art, but met with rejection because she was a woman; this was in the late 1960s. Instead, she went to New York and took odd jobs to keep herself going until she reached a certain level of success.
Janet had her first big exhibitions in the 1970s and her career has extended 4 decades so far.
She works from life, instead of from photos.
Her work is now shown in major art venues throughout the world. Her paintings are frankly gorgeous and visually stimulating.
Private life:
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| Janet Fish, Charles Parness, with younger artist Anne Goffin Smith / from her blog |
Janet's first marriage was to an artist. Her second was to a non-artist.
For a long while she has been living with an artist named Charles Parness. Here's a funny case of role reversal: Parness paints curious and funny self-portraits, but his career is ignored.
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| Charles Parness Fish Tales, |
Janet and Charles divide their time between a loft in Soho, in New York City, and a farmhouse in rural Vermont.
Our photos of Janet's art:
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| Bouquet of Tulips, 1982 Butler Dan's photo, 2006 |
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| Still Life with Open Book, 1990 Kemper / Jan's photo, 2013 |
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| Cows, 1990 Albrecht-Kemper / Jan's photo, 2013 |
Internet Examples:
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| Untitled (Two Packages of Pears), 1969 Internet |
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| Goldfish and Autumn Leaves, 1979 Cantor / Internet |
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| Raspberries and Goldfish, 1981 Internet |
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| Still Life with Open Book, 1990 Kemper / Jan's photo |
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| Balloons, 1999 50 x 100 inches Internet |
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| Cows, 1990 Albrecht-Kemper / Jan's photo |
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| Plastic Boxes, 2007 Internet |
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| Blue Decanter, Polka-dot bowl, Suzani, 2009 |
