Thursday, September 20, 2012

Archiving

This week begins the arduous task of going through work, starting early on, photographing it, categorizing it, measuring it and putting it into a data system. My art practice is life long and I have accumulated quite a lot of flotsam and jetsom from that daily ritual. As a some time lone practitioner, I have developed whole bodies of work that have not seen the light of day in many a moon and therefore haven't been engaged in a critical, relational back and forth about their meaning. These critical discussions are essential components in an artist's development. I am looking forward to reviewing the work with the new addition to my studio, the very talented Tatiana Klacsmann, a skilled professional and begin getting back into a more robust interaction with a broader world in terms of some intimate work I have made over the past 20 years. Here is the beginning.


Jacobs Ladder, 1992, 6" x 6",
pencil and watercolor on paper, private collection 
Part of the inspiration for this project stems from a resurgence in interest in this early work. This summer, Thompson Giroux Gallery in Chatham, NY showed a selection of these drawings in the group show, The Mysteries of Love and Life. I am honored to have part of this exhibition and glad to show these pieces, some for the first time ever.

Flock of Dots Skipping Rope, 1992, 6" x 6"
pencil and watercolor on paper

Form and Line Collision, 1992, 6" x 6"
pencil and watercolor

Lyrical Line Gesture #2, 1992, 6" x 6"
watercolor and pencil on paper

Lyrical Line Drawing #3, 1992, 6" x 6"
watercolor and pencil on paper

Lyrical Line Drawing, 1992, 6" x 6"
watercolor and pencil on paper
So, there is a bit of history. Next, will be more the current work, this year, this fall and also last fall. Working with ideas being generated in my studies of philosophy. Reading Hegel and thinkers writing about Hegel. Today, Lacan.

Monday, July 09, 2012

The Soul of Art


Yesterday two articles appeared online. One by Seth Godin is a blog post titled Art fears business fears art. He is right. Or is he? Is it fear? Or is it measured caution? The other article printed in the Times is about organic food and its sublation by big food in its efforts to grow and keep up with supply. Agri-food steps up when it realizes it can capitalize on the public's trust in the organic label. Organic is safe, it is free of harmful additives because government regulation prevents business from monkeying with its purity. The Times article cautions that when big business gets hold of the idea of organic it becomes compromised by its own success. Big becomes the problem. Homogeneity is inherent in the over scaling of profits and production.

Art, on the other hand, is made by the independent thinking artist working alone in the studio. Hmmm, tell me again about Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst? Wait, what about Andy Warhol oh and Titian! That renaissance painter that had a factory? These artists example how embracing business can be profitable and powerful for the artists and the world. So, what's the problem? I guess my concern, like the organic label in food, is that when art becomes part of something over scaled, it loses what makes it art. Not its purity, because I for one don't believe in purity in the first place. But maybe it loses a little bit of its soul. 

Art, like food, feeds us, nourishes us. Food feeds the body, art feeds the soul. If you don't believe in the soul, then there is not problem. But, I just think a little caution is in order. Art is powerful. When aligned with philosophy it is the single most powerful thing we have in moving people in a direction or inspiring a shift, a change, an evolutionary leap. Art embracing business, I concur, is a great idea. BUT, the artist must maintain control over the product and the message as long as possible. Eventually, it will have a life of its own but in the meantime, Pandora, be conscious.