Margaret Keane - a famous American artist who is known thanks to his amazing portrait of women and children with big eyes.

Margaret D. Kh. Kean was born in 1927 in Callow, Tennessee. Her paintings began to be popular in the 50s, but for a long time sold under the name of her husband Walter Kina. Since in those days in society existed a biased attitude towards female art, and no one perceived him seriously, it was decided to issue an artist's husband for the author. Only in 1986, after the divorce and third marriage, Margaret Kean decided and announced that all the paintings, the author of which Walter was still considered, actually wrote. Since Walter refused to recognize this fact, Margaret filed on him to court. After a long trial, the judge proposed to write a portrait of a child with big eyes right in the courtroom. Walter referred to the pain in the shoulder, and Margaret took only 53 minutes to submit the completed work. The court recognized the author of all paintings by Margaret Keen and appointed compensation to pay 4 million dollars. Four years later, the Federal Court of Appeal canceled compensation, but left authorship for Margaret.

Tim Burton is a famous director who was impressed with the history of a talented artist, removed the film, which called "big eyes", telling about the life of Margaret Keen, her family and her paintings. The film was released on wide screens in 2014, became very popular, received many positive feedback and received the Golden Globe award in the category "Best Women's Role".

Margaret D. Keane Keane is an American artist who has become famous thanks to the portraits of women and children, a distinctive feature of which is an image of hyperbulous big eyes. Margaret was born in 1927 in the state of Tennessee and continues to create his paintings to this day.

In the 60s of the 20th century, sold the work under the name of her husband Walter Kein. Which was a skillful Deller and a good advertiser. Pictures acquired worldwide fame and published on everything that could be. Family Kinov also opened her own gallery, but at some point Margaret was tired of constant lies and the need to hide himself and their creativity. Therefore, in 1986, she officially announced the authentic authorship of his works, after which it was forced to speak in court against the former spouse. During the hearing, the judge demanded from Margaret and Walter to write a portrait of a child with characteristic big eyes; Walter Kin refused, referring to the pain in his shoulder, and Margaret on writing the work took only 53 minutes. The court recognized the authorship of the artist, after which she received 4 million dollars compensation.

The secret of big eyes. Big eyes, why?

Always "why, why?". These questions, it seems to me, later found their reflection in the eyes of children in my paintings, which seemed to be addressed to the whole world. That is why children have big eyes. The look was described as penetrating into the soul. They seemed to reflect the spiritual alienation of most people today, their longing for something outside of what this system offers.

Stylistically, the work of Margaret Keene can be divided into two stages. The first stage is the time when she lived with Walter and signed his work with his name. This stage is characterized by dark tones and saddles. After the escape of Margaret in Hawaii, the recruitment to the witnesses of the Jehovahist Church and the restoration of their own behalf, the style of work Margaret changes. Pictures are becoming lighter, faces, albeit with big eyes, become happy and peaceful.

Posters of Margaret paintings were converted by millions of copies, and decorated the interior of many houses. About how it is better to decorate the interior with paintings, we recommend reading in this article:

Currently, Margaret and her husband live in Northern California. Margaret continues to read the Bible every day, she is now 87 years old and now she has an episodic role of the old woman, sitting on the bench.

The biography of Margaret Keen was based on the film Tim Burton "Big Eyes", which was released on the screens in Russia on January 8, 2015.

"I hope that the film will help people, never lie. Never! One tiny lie can turn into terrible, terrible things. "

Quotes Margaret Kin

"Get your rights, be brave, and not afraid."

"I painted what was in my heart, and I think it touches the hearts of other people. We are all born with this desire to find out why we are here and there is God, and these big eyes were in search of answers. "

Pictures Margaret Kin.

In the 1950s, the paintings of Walter Kina became incredibly popular in the USA. They were most often depicted by children and women with exaggeratedly large and sad eyes.

In 1965, Walter Kina was already called one of the most successful artists of that time. Many celebrities ordered their portraits who were invariably in an unusual and original style, called later Big Eyes (big eyes). Kein's works have replenished private and state-owned artistic collections worldwide.
In an interview with the well-known American magazine Life, Kean said that inspiration to draw sad and thoughtful children with big eyes because of the memories of children experienced horrors of war.

A Sound of Thunder!

In 1970, Margaret Keen, Walter Kina's spouse, with which he divorced in 1965, said that the author of famous paintings was she who!
The disputes about the authorship continued until Walter in an interview with USA Today stated that Margaret did such an assumption, as I thought that Walter died.
Margaret filed to court. The judge demanded from the former spouses in front of the jury to draw a portrait of a child in a characteristic style. Walter referred to pain in his shoulder and refused, and Margaret drew a picture in 53 minutes. After subsequent legal proceedings, the court recognized the authorship of Margaret Keen. The court awarded $ 4 million. Compensation, but from them Margaret did not receive a cent.

So the world and found out about a talented artist with a unique style!

For 10 years of marriage with Walter Kin, Margaret was a hostage of his talent. By nature, Margaret was closed and shy, never reread her husband, and felt happy only when I draw. Walter, genius marketing, took advantage of this. He sold pictures of his wife under his name. Once Walter threatened to kill her and her daughter from the first marriage, if she tells who is a true director of the pictures. Until 1970, Walter Kin continued to receive millionsian fees for selling paintings, their reproduction, printing of postcards, etc., until he lost Margaret.

The first thing that attracts attention in the works of Margaret Keen is big eyes filled with many emotions. According to her, she wanted to display the eternal issues of humanity about the meaning of life and herself: why there is grief and death if God is kind, why we live, what is the meaning of life ...

source AnydayLife.com
Edited Alem Gallery.
Photo found on the net.

BIG EYES.
Film Tim Burton

The larger connoisseur and collector of the paintings by Margaret is the director Tim Burton. In 2014, his film "Big Eyes" came out. Margaret Kean is divorced with her husband, takes her daughter with him and goes to a big city, conquer the peaks. There, seduced by pleasant speeches, she comes out for a less successful artist Walter Kina. And he, at first, from the best motives, issued the authorship of the "big-eyed" paintings by Margaret for his own. So they caused a more pleasant impression of critics and buyers, besides, Margaret knew so little about the world of art ... That's just now all the glory goes to her husband, and the artist as if the slave on the Galen by day draws popular canvases.

In addition to issues of emancipation, challenging the Creator, the construction of the image, the picture opens the question of when art becomes just a stamping? Margaret Kee has become one of the attorney pop art - bright and so popular in the wide masses of the type of art. Surprisingly, the phenomenon of pop art would not have happened, do not be at the ingenious artist of the ingenious image and the Walter seller. And even if everything ended with the brief exploitation of his own wife, without him Margaret simply not to get such a take-off and not only because of male prejudices - it did not have the envy, that wishes of glory, the recognition was filled with Walter.

The film opens up a spacious for a very interesting discussion about married relations. The charming walter becomes a monster ... But isn't Margaret herself that he allows him? Are not good earned in many ways thanks to him, she then sides and creates. In fact, if the monster would see us Walter, we memorize it in real life?

An interesting fact: In the episodic role in the film, you can see the very healthy Margaret Kin (old woman on a bench). Moreover, she approved the candidacy of Amy Adams to fulfill himself in his youth and remained very pleased with her game. And I can only admire the game of Christoph's roller!

With all his camera, the film "Big Eyes" turned out to be very colorful and not completely simple, how it seems at first glance.

Reduced Alem Gallery
Full text of the article here: http://kinotime.org/news/retsenziya-na-film-bolshie-glaza

In the early 1960s, about American artist Margaret Kein, few people knew, but her husband Walter Kene was laitting on the waves of success. At that time, it was his authorship that sent sentimental portraits of sad kids with eyes as a saucer, which were probably among the best-selling art objects in the Western world. They can be loved or called a talentless Maznoy, but, undoubtedly, they took their niche in American pop culture. Over time, of course, it was revealed that the big-eyed children actually drawn Walter Kina's wife, Margaret, who worked in virtual slavery, supporting her husband's success. Her story was based on the new biographical film of the director Tim Burton "Big Eyes".

It all started in Berlin in 1946. Young American named Walter Keen came to Europe to learn the artist's skill. At that time, he had repeatedly watched the unfortunate largest children, fiercely fighting for the remains of food found in the garbage. Later he would write: "As if prompting with deep despair, I did the sketches of these dirty, torn out of little victims of the war with their bruises, thesistered minds and bodies, tangled hair and the magazine noses. Here, my life, like the artist, began seriously.

Fifteen years later, Kin became a sensation in the world of art. An American one-story suburb just started to grow up, and millions of people suddenly had a lot of empty space on the walls that needed to fill something. Those who wanted to decorate the dwelling with optimistic fantasies, chose pictures with dogs playing poker. But most liked something more melancholic. And they preferred sad large-sized Walter children. Some of the kids in the paintings kept in the hands of poodles with the same huge and sad eyes. Others were sitting on flower glands. Sometimes they were dressed as harlequins or ballerinas. And they all seemed like innocent and seeking.

Walter himself was not at all melancholic. According to his biographers, Adam, Perfreus and Nelson cell, he was always not averse to drink, loved women and himself. For example, as Walter describes his first meeting with Margaret in his memoirs "Kina Mir", published in 1983: "I like your paintings," she said to me. - You are the greatest artist, whom I met in my life. Children on your work are so sad. I hurt on them to look. The sadness that you depict on the faces of the children is so living that I want to touch them. " "No," I replied, "never touch my paintings." This imaginary conversation probably took place at the open-air art exhibition in San Francisco in 1955. Walter then was still an unknown artist. He would not become a phenomenon and in the next few years, if it were not for this acquaintance. In the evening of the same day, as they say in his memoirs, Margaret told him: "You are the best lover in the world." And soon they got married.

As for Margaret itself, her memories of their first meeting are completely different. But this is true, Walter was the charm itself and completely struck her at that exhibition in 1955. The first two years of their marriage flew happily and cloudlessly, but then everything changed dramatically. The center of the Walter Universe in the middle of the 1950s was the club of Hipsters The Hungry I in San Francisco. While the scene was played by such comedors as Lenny Bruce and Bill Corpi, Kin, before the entrance, sold his paintings with the largest children. One evening Margaret decided to go to the club with him. Walter ordered her to sit alone in the corner, and he himself talked lively with buyers, demonstrating paintings. And here, someone from the visitors came to Margaret and asked: "Do you also draw?". She was very surprised and suddenly struck by a terrible guess: "Did he give her job for his own?" So it turned out. He spent his patrons with three boxes of lies. And drawing paintings with largelaze children, and everything is up to one, it is Margaret. Walter can and looked at the sad, emaciated children in the post-war Berlin, but he definitely did not paint them, simply because he did not know. Margaret was out of herself. When the spouses returned home, she demanded immediately stop this deception. But in the end, nothing happened. During the next decade, Margaret kept silence and nodded in respectful admiration when Walter sank to journalists, telling that with the time of El Greco, he was the best artist depicting his eyes. What happened between spouses? Why did she agree to it? In that ill-fated evening on returning from Hungry I, Walter said: "We need money. People willingly buy a picture if they think that they communicate directly with the artist. They would not like to know that I can't draw, but all this art is my wife. And now too late. Since everyone is confident that I draw big eyes, and here we suddenly say that it is you, it will be with a sense, they will start to sue us. " He suggested a wife an elementary solution to solve the problem: "Teach me to draw biglashy children." And she tried, but it turned out to be an impossible task. Walter did not go out, and in annoyance he accused his wife that she teach him badly. Margaret felt that he was trapped. Of course, she thought to throw her husband, but was afraid in the end to remain without a livelihood with a small daughter in her arms. Therefore, Margaret decided not torturing the water, but quietly sail along the flow.

By the beginning of the 1960s, the reproductions and postcards with drawings were sold by millions. Slightly in every store there were shopping racks, from which huge eyes looked at the buyers. Stars like Natalie Wood, Joan Crawford, Din Martin, Jerry Lewis and Kim Novak bought originals of work. Margaret herself did not see money. She just drawn. Although, by that time, the family moved to a spacious house with a swimming pool, gate and serving. Therefore, she did not have to worry about anything, it was only required to draw. And Walter enjoyed the rays of the glory and the charms of secular life. "Almost always three or four people flooded with Nagishm in our pool, he screamed in his memoirs. - All slept with each other. Sometimes I went to sleep, and there I was already waiting for three girls in bed. " Visiting Walter was the participants of The Beach Boys, Maurice Chevalé and Howard Kil, but Margaret rarely saw someone from celebrities, because she painted for 16 hours a day. According to her, even the servants did not know how everything actually is, because the door to her studio was always locked, and the curtains hung on the windows. When Walter was not at home, he called himself hourly, wanting to make sure that Margaret did not leave anywhere. It greatly brushed into a prison sentence. She had no friends, but she preferred anything about love affairs of her husband, and she was already deeply noting for it. Walter, like a capricious customer, constantly pressed on her so that she worked more productively: then draw a child in a clown suit, then do two on a rocking horse, yes quickly. Margaret has become something like a conveyor.

One day, Walter came to mind the idea of \u200b\u200ba huge picture, his masterpiece, which will turn in the UN's building or somewhere else. Margaret was just a month. This "masterpiece" was called "tomorrow forever". Hundreds of big-eyed children of different religions were depicted with traditionally sad glances standing by a column, which stretched to the horizon itself. The organizers of the World Exhibition of 1964, held in New York, hung a picture in the Pavilion of Education. Walter was very proud of this achievement. He was so inflated from his own significance that he told in memoirs, about how the late grandmother told him in a dream: "Michelangelo offered to include you in our chosen circle, claiming that your masterpiece" tomorrow "will forever live forever in the hearts and The minds of people, like his work in the Sistine Chapel. "

Artist John Canada, probably, Michelangelo was not in a dream, because in his review "Tomorrow forever" on the pages of the newspaper New York Times, he wrote: "On this tasteless, Haltur is shown about hundreds of children, therefore, this is somewhere a hundred times Worse than an average of all the works of Kina. " We hurned by such a response, the organizers of the World Exhibition hurried to remove the picture from the exposition. "Walter was in bearing," Margaret recalls. - I was hurt when there were nasty about the paintings. When people argued that it was nothing more than sentimental nonsense. Some even could not look at them without disgust. I do not know where this negative reaction come from. After all, they loved them very much! They liked little children and even babies. " In the end, Margaret burned out from someone else's opinion. "I will just draw what I want," she said to himself. Judging by the stories of the artist about her unexpected life, creative inspiration was simply nowhere to take. She herself claims that these sad children actually were her deep feelings that she could not express in any other way.

After ten years of marriage, eight of which were just hell for his wife, the spouses divorced. Margaret promised Walter, which will continue to draw for him. And she kept the word for some time. But by making two or three dozen paintings with big eyes, she suddenly Ospella, deciding to get out of the shadows. And in October 1970, Margaret told her story to the reporter of the UPI news agency. Walter immediately moved to an attack, swearing that big eyes were his work, and generously looked insults, calling Margaret "sexually concerned about an alcoholic and a psychopath", which, according to him, he once caught her having sex with several automotive parking workers. "He was and, though, was knotted," Margaret recalls. "I could not believe that he hates me so much."

Margaret has witnessed Jehovah. She moved to Hawaii and began writing large-eyed children floating in the azure sea with tropical fish. In these Hawaii, you can see that careful smiles began to appear on the faces of children. The further life of Walter was not so happy. He moved to a fishing hut in La California and began to drink from morning to evening. Several reporters who were still interested in her fate, he stated that Margaret entered into collusion with Jehovah's Witnesses to fool him. One journalist from USA Today published a story about Walter's distinguished position, in which the imaginary artist claimed that his ex-wife said that they had drawn some of his paintings, because he thought he had already died. Margaret submitted to Walter to the court for slander. The judge demanded from both to draw a child with big eyes, right there, in the meeting room. Margaret took 53 minutes to work. And Walter refused, complained about pain in his shoulder. Of course, Margaret won the trial. She suggested $ 4 million from a former husband, but did not see a penny of them, because Walter was all cut. A court psychologist diagnosed his mental state called a delusional disorder. This meant that Kin did not breathe at all, he was sincerely convinced that he was the author of the paintings.

Walter died in 2000. In recent years, he refused alcohol. In his memoirs, KIN wrote that the sobriety was his "new awakening away from the world of drinking, sexual beauties, parties and customers of paintings." From which it is easy to conclude that he strongly formerly former days.

By the 1970s, large eyes fell into disfavor. Monotonous paintings with sad children, in the end, the participation of the public. Acklessly Woody Allen put a bold point, having risening big eyes in his film "Sleeping", where I portrayed a ridiculous sample of the world of the future, in which they were read.

And now a certain Renaissance has come. Tim Burton, in which there are several works of works in the artistic collection, removed the "big eyes" baiopic with Amy Adams and Christoph's roller starring. Kinokarttina reached the rental in 2014. At the real Margaret Kean, which is now 89 years old, even there is Kameo in the film: Little old lady sitting on a park bench. Surely after the premiere will break up the audience to the Pictures with the Breeding Sad Children. Many representatives of the modern generation until this afraid were not even familiar with this story. And, as usual, the opinions of the public about the works are shared. Some contemptuously call pictures with a relaxed hackturoy, and others will gladly hang one of the heavy-eyed reproductions on the wall of their housing.

Inspiration to the post served to watch the film Tim Berton. For those who are interested in this story I advise you to watch the movie big eyes.

Today, the characters of her paintings are biglands, as if alien children know and love many. From the side of today's life of a 90-year-old artist seems idyllic, but it all began not rosy.

Her paintings - but not she herself - had a huge success in the 1960s. Then Margaret Kean worked at sixteen hours a day behind the launched windows in full isolation from the surrounding world - while the authorship attributed her husband to his husband who did not possess the artistic talent, but formerly an extraordinary business and a clever manipulator.

The deception revealed at the trial in 1986, at which the artist not only declared his rights to these works, but also was able to prove his authorship, drawing right in the hall of the meeting of the Bolshable Baby.

After the trials of the year, the public was divided into two camps: some accused Margaret Kean in weakness and infantality, others admired her courage and dedication. And still the question of what prompted a talented healthy young woman for many years is unquestioned to obey her husband and agree on a voluntary gate, remains open.

Charming Walter

With his future husband, Walter Kyin Margaret met at the art exhibition in San Francisco. According to her own words, Walter literally radiated charm. And how much is it difficult to charm a lonely woman with a small child in your arms? At this time, Margaret desperately tried to earn at least a little money, fearing that a former husband would pick her daughter from her. Walter, though not possessed the artist's talent, but, undoubtedly, had other no less important qualities - he was an excellent marketer. In his mind, the plan was quickly ripe as to monetize Margaret talent. Therefore, having decided not to miss such a favorable party, Walter, not thinking, married a novice artist.

With the permission of his wife, he began selling her canvas next to the entrance to one of the clubs in San Francisco. Portraits of children with exaggeratedly large naive eyes were interested in people who wished them to buy them. The shelling success of the paintings by Margaret, who followed this, could not even foresee her husband. The peak of popularity fell on the first half of the 1960s, while the original artists were originally soldered with lightning speed for fabulous sums. For those who could not afford to acquire a script, Walter found a much less expensive alternative - in every kiosk began to sell reproductions of the calendars of his wife in the form of greeting cards, calendars and posters that dispel multimillion editions. Moreover, the enterprising spouse Margaret used not only paper carriers - the big-eyed crumbs were portrayed even on kitchen aprons.

The husband puts his signature under her portrait, Margaret did not know immediately. And when she finally guessed and demanded to fix everything immediately, he received fierce rebuff from him. Walter declared a discouraged wife that everything went too far and if he was confessed in herbs, they would have to be sued to the end of their days with outraged buyers of her paintings, requiring returning money. Finally convinced Margaret to keep silence his argument that a woman in the field of art society would never perceive seriously.

"Flaxiding folk creativity"

A timid and insecure Margaret, which from childhood he felt like a lonely and unfortunate, powerful reveling undeserved glory Walter was easy to keep in complete obedience. Convincing her that she does not know how to behave in society, Walter forbade his wife to appear in the secular rounds, and if nevertheless, sometimes for the sake of decency, she had to be present on them, he stopped all attempts to make a conversation with some of the guests . He also represented his wife as his subset, mixing paint for him. All his pain and loneliness Margaret transferred to the canvas: the children and women with sad eyes with a saucer reflected her inner deep experiences with a saucer. In work, she painfully searched for answers to the questions: why so much evil in the world, why close people bring so much grief.

Like any artist, truly enthusiastic work, Margaret was more worried about how much income bring her works - at that time Walter earned them millions of dollars, while not giving his wife a cue, - and what reaction they cause from the audience . Unfortunately, not everyone admired the sad characters of paintings by Margaret Keen, there were also an opponents of her creativity. Among them, American Cardinal Timothy Michael Dollaan, who called them the "folk folk creativity", as well as the leading American art critic, the author and historian of art John Kenedea, separated by Margaret "tomorrow forever" in his article in the New York Times . Above this picture depicting an endless column of children of different nationalities, stretching to the horizon itself, Kean worked for a day. As a result of the "tasteless smellar" - such an unhealthy definition made an art critic to the work of the artist - removed from the walls in the Education Pavilion at the Expo International Exhibition in 1964 in New York.

From big money and glory at Walter Kina literally climbed the mind - later psychiatrists diagnose heavily mental disorder. Threatening to deal with Margaret and her daughter, he forced his wife writing more and more calens, dictating her that they should be drawn. Their house in San Francisco was flooded by slutty girls, who did not put Margaret in penny, preferring her at all to notice her. At times, she stumbled upon them in a married bedroom, then she had to go to the basement. Such a humiliating position completely exhausted it. Having gathered with the forces, she together with her daughter moved to live in Hawaii. Settling next to the picturesque Hawaiian beach Vaikiki, located in the Honolulu area on the southern shore of Oahu Island, she for the first time in many years gained peace of mind. But Walter and in this paradise place was not going to leave her alone: \u200b\u200bMargaret continued to write and send the paintings to him.

"A couple of sweet demons"

Finally, a religious organization "Witnesses of Jehovah" helped her to break the relationship with her Tiran, who was united in a woman confidence in their own power. The spiritually strengthened Margaret married a sports writer Dana Mcguaira, he told him about his misadventures. Supported by her husband and members of a religious organization, Kin came to the local radio, where he stated the person who is actually the author of paintings with big eyes. Her presentation made the effect of a broken bomb. "A couple of sweet demons" - so journalists dubbed Chet Keen, for the sentimental paintings of which, in their opinion, were launched greedy and vile people. But Margaret, according to her own admission, never wanted to sue the former husband money, she just wanted to stop deceiving people. By the way, she never received four million dollars from him, because Walter Kin is all cash earned from the sale of her canvases, droked on fashionable resorts. Despite this, anger to him Margaret, according to her, does not feel, but on the contrary, he considers himself guilty in everything that happened to them.

"Big eyes"

Eyes in the sex facial from the Zombi-shaped girl of Sally in the animated painting "Nightmare Before Christmas", disproportionately the huge glasses of Cordic Condira Willie Vonks in the fantasy film "Charlie and Chocolate Factory" - it is easy to see that in many works of the American film director Tim Walter Burton, a connection is traced from The work of Margaret Kean. Oddly enough, but an eccentric Hollywood producer, famous for films full of black humor, crazy about the bulk of the artist. In addition, Burton has their most extensive collection.

Friendship with the artist and sincere interest in her work prompted Tyma Burton to shoot the film "Large Eyes", so plausible telling about the Family Dram of the Quen's couple that Margaret could not watch him without tears. According to the artist, it was most struck by the game of the Austrian actor Christoph Waltz, who performed the role of Walter Kina in the film. He not only externally looked like him, but the masterfully adopted his manner to speak, habits and arrogant behavior. After watching "big eyes", an elderly woman came to her twilight, it was especially difficult for her to watch the game embodied her on the screen Amy Lu Adams. After a day, Margaret, as she says, managed to free themselves from the memories survived on her, and she began to take this film as fantastic. By the way, on one of the personnel you can see two Margaret - the young diligently draws at the easel, and the elderly sits on a bench with a book in his hands.

The crazy film director Tim Burton loves to make macabric elements in his films, such as the dance of skeletons in the cartoon "Corpse of the Bride". The quiet family film "Big Eyes" did not exception. In one of the episodes, the main character begins hallucinations - it begins to see in the store of all people with huge eyes. It looks like it, to put it mildly, creepy.

This year, Margaret Kean will be 91 years old, despite the old age, it continues to draw paintings. Only children at them now do not cry. On one of my cloths - "Love changes the world" - the artist portrayed how her creativity changed after parting with Walter: On the left side of the work, kids are drawn with sad, full of despair with their eyes, on the right - laughing boys and girls who literally glow from happiness .