Category: Art Talk

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Everyone is an artist – Joseph Beuys

I am thinking about art a lot. My art & where it is going. Some key words that stick: iconic – see the Buildings category for example. I want more of the iconic stuff. I need the Christchurch Cathederal. And people, I like to do portraits of people I am reading about or watching on video. Hand is another word, and Line. I like to see my hand in the lines, & I like strong lines, I try to return to more painterly stuff but keep adding lines.

Iconis is one of a list of words I have all pointing in the same direction, Kahn might say Monumental, Jung, archetypal, Moreno psychodramatic. In fact Moreno described the Psychodrama method as: “Exploring truth by dramatic means.” Here I explore truth by the means of lines by my hand. I don’t care if that sounds grandiose! I make no claims though for how successful I am, or that I am there.

Here is another I have just done, I have done about six, not sure which one to post:

#469 Joseph Beuys
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This one best caught a look in his face that speaks to me.

I like the boldness & the social engagement. He had wacky ideas, everything is creative, everything is art. There is some truth in that, everything arises from a mysterious source. He seems to consciously make himself the work of art, by creating a persona. Now that is something I quite like, but it is not me. No pseudonyms, no new roles. I am tempted sometimes… I wonder if I could create an artist and do the art from that new role. But no, I just am who I am & that is OK. There are a couple of pictures here by Prince Charles though.

He was in the Fluxus movement as was Yoko Ono. I listened to her son Sean on a podcast the other day, and he spoke of how he was inspired by his mother – you don’t need to be an expert to do art, you can just go for it. He made a movie of his separation with his girlfriend, with her in it! I can see the links!

Wikipedia

Joseph Beuys Online Guide

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Bunker 1

#467 Bunker 1
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Kate & I have been on some great walks in the Port Hills of Christchurch lately. Above Lyttelton are some old concrete structures, I’ll call them bunkers. The were part of the defences against the Japanese who almost invaded New Zealand in WWII. They are quite beautiful sitting there on the hillside. The remind me of Lois Khan buildings (though I have only seen pix) – and I want to draw more of these buildings with minimalist strong lines. Basic stuff. One Khan image done a while back – Salk Interior.

The sketches are from the photos I took, and here are some more pix, to contextualise the sketches.

Continue reading “Bunker 1”

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Expect Nothing

#465 Expect Nothing
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11″ x 8.5″ image on 13″ x 19″ archival mat paper.

A vigorous time with digital lead pencil.

Later

In the comments below Jan asked how it might look in negative. Here it is – with a little sepia thrown in. Better if you ask me. Thanks Jan.

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Exploring Ten Zen Seconds

I read this from Eric Maisel in the interview on Catherine’s Blog (read that interview):

First, the creating ought to come first each day – that’s a big secret and a big deal. When we get to our novel at five a.m. and write for an hour, then we have made some meaning on that day and face the meaninglessness of some of our daily pursuits with much more equanimity. If, on the other hand, we spend a meaningless day and THEN try to get to our writing, we are usually both worn out mentally and drained existentially, since we have been with “too little” meaning all day long.

Well, immediately I have a few questions! Really I’d like to know the answer to this:

What if you are not a “morning person”? I get to work in the nick of time in the morning, work all day, and then create mostly at night. Not ideal! I love my work, and I love the night-shift too. Is there a better way?

Secondly and perhaps more importantly, Eric, when you say “creating ought to come first” I initially read it as creating ought to come first in your life. I don’t think you said that, but it is an interesting notion. I subscribe to it in a Joseph Campbell “follow your bliss” way. What do you think?

I will be reflecting on the TZS for the next day & emailing Eric my questions, stay tuned.

I also want to apply the method to some sketching…

If I breathe into a few of these I can see it will help!

1. (I am completely) (stopping)
2. (I expect) (nothing)
3. (I am) (doing my work)
4. (I trust) (my resources)
5. (I feel) (supported)
6. (I embrace) (this moment)
7. (I am free) (of the past)
8. (I make) (my meaning)
9. (I am open) (to joy)
10. (I am equal) (to this challenge)
11. (I am) (taking action)
12. (I return) (with strength)

One little doubt creeps in… I have done quite a few sketches while less than centred, plenty of them, from a dark place or from an agitated self. Bursting, Blacker to mention just two. These have been satisfying. My creative work centers me. I imagine you have explored this nook of the creativity phenomena Eric, and I’m interested in your comments.

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yBas, Stuckist, Remodern, amodern, Tracey Emin

Remodernist Manifesto

Good stuff, but I still don’t relate.

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Early on in this blog a friend thought this project was ‘amodern’, I prefer that to remodern, post modern, stuckist…

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At the origin of Stuckism (in that it is a reaction to her art & calling her ex stuck) is Tracey Emin who is famous for stuff like the unmade bed. Ok, sounds like bullshit, but I can see it in the larger context of her art which takes autobiographical art, (“naked blogging” as I do here to a very mild degree) to the ultimate edge. She exhibits her life, her bed mates names, her underwear, her contraception coil. I think she has some guts, and she does follow through on a concept.

Images, links follow.

Continue reading “yBas, Stuckist, Remodern, amodern, Tracey Emin”

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Debate?

Contemporary art is mostly crap, cynical, driven by the market, bullshit.

Mathew Collings & Robert Hughes might agree. They differ in that Collings might add that some of the crap is better than other crap.

Some quotes & images follow.

Continue reading “Debate?”

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Update, Matthew Collings – artist, critic, presenter, links to interview, more about art talk.

Hi there, glad you found my site, or have returned, a rambling post coming up…

I update older posts from time to time, Just added more info about one of my podcasts.

I listened to a Kim Hill interview with Matthew Collings I strongly recommend it, you can download it from the link. Kim gets a good conversation going. Main theme: is great art possible today?, especially in painting. Or is it at best a clever satirical footnote. He seem to think it is the latter. He respects highly another critic: Clement Greenberg who was originally quite radical and anti-capitalist, then, according to Collings saw the problems with society as “deeper”.

Now that is an interesting idea. If it is not capitalism but deeper, and I think it is, how can we hold that and not dissolve into despair, even clever despair is not much use. Perhaps despair is a layer to go beyond & not around. Going around it is usually just boring, sentimental, pollyanna, feel good. Hope is not what is required either.

I am motivated to read those essays by Greenberg (see link above). While on the topic of criticism and art talk, Robert Hughes comes up and he has some interesting comment about the differences he has with Hughes.

Interview with Collings, 3.am

Salon interview with Collings.

An anti Collings comment – makes sense too.

Mathew Collings & wife Emma Biggs Collaborative art.

Article on Hughes, Guardian

A Collings/Biggs art work follows

Continue reading “Update, Matthew Collings – artist, critic, presenter, links to interview, more about art talk.”

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Playing Pollock 1

#306 Playing Pollock 1
Click for larger image.

This and the next few were done using a really funny flash animated tool on the web: Here Have a go! I confess, in the past, having some disdain for splashing paint as Pollock did. That changed in two steps. One was seeing an original in the Dunedin art gallery about 5 years go. It was quite a small painting and the texture was created with small splashes. The painting was subtle and finely executed, notions I would not have associated with Pollock through my media fed ignorance. The second thing was the Ed Harris movie. Maybe he was more unlikeable in real life, and his wife may be more instrumental in the development of the form than portrayed, but the one thing I love & it is shown well in the movie, was the way he danced his paintings into life, he moved with grace, Ed Harris took years to learn that for the film.

So, here are a few playfully splashed, using the Flash toy. Thanks to whoever made the software.

 

 

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Crossroads

#0115 Crossroads

Allowing abstract forms to emerge, to delete some, to let one influence another is one of my “styles” here. So accepting this doodle as a Crossroad of feeling the tension between two things is one step that led to the next few.

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Available in a limited edition of 25 prints, pigment ink on archival paper.

This print is available exclusively through the Allen Gallery in Chelsea New York. If you would like to purchase a print please contact Michel Allen.

image

See prints from the Thousand Sketches exclusive to the Allen Gallery

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