A couple things on the brain today, I FINALLY began a new project that has been on my mind for about a year. I just could not get it off the ground --> out of my mind and onto paper. I've sourced a massive, empty photo album which I plan to fill with things, not photos, but other things. Also, on a trip to Bunnings hardware well over a year ago, I totally embarrassed my mother by snatching 2 of every colour from the Taubman's paint colours card range. Well, they gave them out for free anyway! I was planning to do some artsy-thing with this and perhaps ink? Sharpie Marker? But it never materialised... untill now. I finished a very small, nature-inspired triptych on 'Bottle Green', 'Olive Fern' and 'Olive Age'. Check it out:
Part of my massive Taubmans colour card collection :-)
And that's the triptych I have done today. Just sharpie on the cards. But I am happy with it.
This leads me to a bit of a rant I would like to go on. Recently, I was involved (with a whole bunch of my fellow Adelaide-based artists) in a wonderful one-night-only show. Massive success! Good on the organisers! I was happy to hear that one of the artists sold ALL HER WORKS on display to one buyer. My friend, who was there too but not artisitcally inclined, found out about it too, and a few nights later was going on about how the works were 'not good enough to sell'. I (diplomatically) pointed out that I really liked them. She said, yes they were nice, but they weren't even on canvas, just butcher's paper/newsprint, and they were too 'scribbly'.
It leads me to think how removed the artist is from mainstream society. Like Marx said, the artist is completely removed from the proletariat! (I'm sure that he meant it in a negative way). My friend's argument was that the works would have been good if they were a bit more 'worked on' and on proper canvas. I wanted to have it out with her, does an image on a canvas ultimately become art? Moreover, it led me to think, I dont really paint realistic things, my images are abstract/stylised. Does that mean they are worth less? Is a Van Gough no longer as valuable if he painted on a tea towel and not canvas? Quite frankly, I, personally, am not looking for a 'finished' product when I make art. "To finish a work is to kill it, to rob it of all life' (Picasso, might be a bit paraphrased). I am not a PRODUCER, I am a CREATOR. I do not produce a PRODUCT, I want to create something that is full of emotion and full of life, not something that has to look good on someone's wall.
It really annoys me when people think that art has to conform to certain standards to become art (wasn't there a whole revolution about this?). Art is art if the artist says it is. As an artist, I dont care that my works sell/dont sell. Those made only to sell, usually have less soul then those made on pure artistic impulse. Might as well buy a mass-produced print from IKEA or something. Do my colour cards have no value because they are not little canvases? They have more meaning in them than canvases I have painted for uni to go with an assignment briefing.
Such close-mindedness just makes me so angry. It makes me think there is so much left to go, to validate art as a serious thing. It really makes me sad that people are forgetting/oblivious to artists like Marcel Duchamp who spent their lives trying to make this point.
Of course, I love this friend like crazy. She is a really good friend but we do have very different points of view. I guess the reason I get so fired up about this is because this is MY life. For someone who barely goes into any galleries/Artist Run Spaces etc. its a bit rich to make such a judgement.
On a happier note, I have found this AWESOME book today in my parents' collection. Its a textbook from my dad's uni days studying mechanics, engineering and info tech. I love the graphics. Enjoy :-)
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