Tuesday, July 17, 2007
We Could Be Heroes - Just For One Day
Well I wasn't that excited about my graduation ceremony yesterday, but then I got into the car and Heroes was playing on the radio and it just kinda made me excited. Even tho standing around in magenta-trimmed robes doesn't exactly make us heroic, the rousing speeches and the loud cheering certainly added to the feeling. I lead a boisterous round of applause when John Bird (alumni and founder of the Big Issue and colourful character!) announced in no uncertain terms that the world needed more artists (and not just ones that make tents!). Yep. It was memorable.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Cap, Gown, Dirty Hands
I'm proud I get my hands dirty. Not like some artists who dump stuff and call it art and then get 2 grand for it (no names, no pack drill). I make stuff. Hard graft! Yeah I only got a Desmond and I have an overdraft and debts and a HUGE guilt complex (semi-detached, suburban Mrs Jones I aint but am stuck in it), the house is full of crap I like but cant get rid of - not even on eBay - thats my work we're talking about there! - hubby says he's proud I haven't sold out but I said "Haven't sold - PERIOD! Drop the "out"!" which made him laugh but in a kind of shrug and aint the world shit way.
I've been taking advantage of the good weather at last to get my hands even dirtier: rubbing down bits of rusty stuff till all gleaming and then coating it in anti rust paint. That paint is horrible. It doesn't come off your skin until your skin cells fall off, so there I'll be tomorrow shaking hands with the great and the good with black fingers LOL. I dont care. I dont even want to be there. Whats to celebrate FFS? 4 years and a sum total of nothing has happened as a result. Just come-up-next-tuesdays taking you for a ride.
Been reading Hooky from New Orders blog. That man should write a book. Seriously. William Burroughs of the 80's (and beyond). Bit like Trainspotting to read, have to get in the mind of a Manc (icky) but its rivetting. From what I garner he's DJing or something? Will have to look out.
Dont you love that photo? He looks lovely and grizzled, but with an evil twinkle, just like a legend should!
I've been taking advantage of the good weather at last to get my hands even dirtier: rubbing down bits of rusty stuff till all gleaming and then coating it in anti rust paint. That paint is horrible. It doesn't come off your skin until your skin cells fall off, so there I'll be tomorrow shaking hands with the great and the good with black fingers LOL. I dont care. I dont even want to be there. Whats to celebrate FFS? 4 years and a sum total of nothing has happened as a result. Just come-up-next-tuesdays taking you for a ride.
Been reading Hooky from New Orders blog. That man should write a book. Seriously. William Burroughs of the 80's (and beyond). Bit like Trainspotting to read, have to get in the mind of a Manc (icky) but its rivetting. From what I garner he's DJing or something? Will have to look out.
Dont you love that photo? He looks lovely and grizzled, but with an evil twinkle, just like a legend should!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Allelopathic Artists
Oftentimes relationships between artists or creative people is described as either competitive or symbiotic.
I argue that the relatively new term "allelopathy" is a more accurate description of this relationship. Having been at art school and in curated shows I can honestly claim I have experienced this kind of phenomenon both first hand and as an observer.
Allelopathy is either described as a type of, or opposite of, symbiosis. It is categorised by the nature of both parties contribition to the relationship, that is it falls into the rough bracket of Amensalism, in which the association is disadvantageous to one member while the other is not affected. (−party harmed vs 0party neutral) Allelopathy can fall into this category.
The reason I equate the artists with plant life (not meaning to offend!) is that in the cases stated on Wikipedia one organism poisons the others domain to the extent that it has an advantage and therefore can become the dominant type in an environment that would otherwise not specifically be favourable to one type or another. The output of certain artists can take over the domain in such a way: for example, conceptual artists in the latter part of the 20th Century, YBA's. They aren't in direct competition with other artists, they just smother them! Compare the works of Damien Hurst in the art world to the leaf litter of Casuarina equisetifolia that completely suppresses germination of understory plants despite the relative openess of the canopy and ample rainfall*: beneficial factors that may encourage growth of the new emerging artists as well as maintain established ones are like the sun and the rain in the world of nature, and direct parallels can be drawn between the unconscious and the conscious organisms.
I have been in shows where we have an equal or fair share of space in the gallery, and been in group crits where everyone is on equal ground, and yet one artists presence seems to predominate and send the others into shade or infertile ground.
*although not widely acknowledged, Rhododendrons are a plant that is allelopathic - "rhodie-bashing" is a well-known activity for nature conservationists, cutting back the bushes to prevent the soil become sterilised by the dense shade, fallen leaves and the toxic roots. Victorians planted them as beautiful ornamental bushes, little knowing the affect they had. Curators and Buyers of Fine Art take note - todays attractive investment can be tomorrows pest!
I argue that the relatively new term "allelopathy" is a more accurate description of this relationship. Having been at art school and in curated shows I can honestly claim I have experienced this kind of phenomenon both first hand and as an observer.
Allelopathy is either described as a type of, or opposite of, symbiosis. It is categorised by the nature of both parties contribition to the relationship, that is it falls into the rough bracket of Amensalism, in which the association is disadvantageous to one member while the other is not affected. (−party harmed vs 0party neutral) Allelopathy can fall into this category.
The reason I equate the artists with plant life (not meaning to offend!) is that in the cases stated on Wikipedia one organism poisons the others domain to the extent that it has an advantage and therefore can become the dominant type in an environment that would otherwise not specifically be favourable to one type or another. The output of certain artists can take over the domain in such a way: for example, conceptual artists in the latter part of the 20th Century, YBA's. They aren't in direct competition with other artists, they just smother them! Compare the works of Damien Hurst in the art world to the leaf litter of Casuarina equisetifolia that completely suppresses germination of understory plants despite the relative openess of the canopy and ample rainfall*: beneficial factors that may encourage growth of the new emerging artists as well as maintain established ones are like the sun and the rain in the world of nature, and direct parallels can be drawn between the unconscious and the conscious organisms.
I have been in shows where we have an equal or fair share of space in the gallery, and been in group crits where everyone is on equal ground, and yet one artists presence seems to predominate and send the others into shade or infertile ground.
*although not widely acknowledged, Rhododendrons are a plant that is allelopathic - "rhodie-bashing" is a well-known activity for nature conservationists, cutting back the bushes to prevent the soil become sterilised by the dense shade, fallen leaves and the toxic roots. Victorians planted them as beautiful ornamental bushes, little knowing the affect they had. Curators and Buyers of Fine Art take note - todays attractive investment can be tomorrows pest!
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
The Power Of Colour
Anyone who thinks just coloured paint isn't worthwhile (look at the amount of actual paintings in colour at my degree show.. count them on the fingers of an amputee!) needs to have a look at the Sony Bravia ad on TV. Awesome! I wish I had a tower block to paint, but will have to settle for smaller scale. But there's no reason small scale use of colour cant have an impact. I'm working on it!
Another box of blank canvases arrived today but the couriers really bashed them around. Big puncture holes in the cardboard and the plastic sleeves were all split. However, the person packing the canvases into the box took a bit more care. They obviously know these things are going to be slung about by people who dont give a damn and placed them in the box backwards so that the stretchers were on the outer edge. Otherwise the surfaces would be totalled. The courier guy was a teeny bit concerned when I pointed the bloody great holes out to him, said it had only fallen on a box of dog biscuits, but opened the box to check. I am nice to service people but I swear if they were damaged the company would have paid and I'd've moaned!
I'm looking for a "proper" job, back in the TV industry. Better the devil you know. And since no-one reads this blog, buys my art for more than a few quid and gives me nothing but pitying condescending looks when I try to talk about my work or art in general, I figure I'm the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe if I was 21, single, living in Brick Lane and with an unlimited supply of confidence enhancing cocaine I might stand a chance..
Another box of blank canvases arrived today but the couriers really bashed them around. Big puncture holes in the cardboard and the plastic sleeves were all split. However, the person packing the canvases into the box took a bit more care. They obviously know these things are going to be slung about by people who dont give a damn and placed them in the box backwards so that the stretchers were on the outer edge. Otherwise the surfaces would be totalled. The courier guy was a teeny bit concerned when I pointed the bloody great holes out to him, said it had only fallen on a box of dog biscuits, but opened the box to check. I am nice to service people but I swear if they were damaged the company would have paid and I'd've moaned!
I'm looking for a "proper" job, back in the TV industry. Better the devil you know. And since no-one reads this blog, buys my art for more than a few quid and gives me nothing but pitying condescending looks when I try to talk about my work or art in general, I figure I'm the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe if I was 21, single, living in Brick Lane and with an unlimited supply of confidence enhancing cocaine I might stand a chance..
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Healers Hurt
Gonna do a bit of politics I'm afraid. But its more a reflection of Human Nature when given Responsibility.
Should anyone be surprised that the latest terrorist bombers are Doctors? Have you been to a Doctor recently? Haven't they been rather cold and stand-offish? I think when you give a person the power over life or death, there is a great temptation to use that power to rise over fellow human and choose to administer death.
Healers have a polarised view of the world in my opinion. Psychotherapists are a very good example of this, and counsellors, and other academic practitioners. They acquire some sort of authority and then believe they have some sort of right to use this to justify just about every decision and thought they have. The rest of us are just their patients, the serfs to the masters, the lower animals in the family. They have an insight into mortality that can elevate them consciously over the rest of the living race. Whatever beliefs they have must be right as they are more educated and informed than the rest of us. That is what makes these elite potentially very dangerous.
I'm an artist. I admit I know nothing. I quite like it that way!
Should anyone be surprised that the latest terrorist bombers are Doctors? Have you been to a Doctor recently? Haven't they been rather cold and stand-offish? I think when you give a person the power over life or death, there is a great temptation to use that power to rise over fellow human and choose to administer death.
Healers have a polarised view of the world in my opinion. Psychotherapists are a very good example of this, and counsellors, and other academic practitioners. They acquire some sort of authority and then believe they have some sort of right to use this to justify just about every decision and thought they have. The rest of us are just their patients, the serfs to the masters, the lower animals in the family. They have an insight into mortality that can elevate them consciously over the rest of the living race. Whatever beliefs they have must be right as they are more educated and informed than the rest of us. That is what makes these elite potentially very dangerous.
I'm an artist. I admit I know nothing. I quite like it that way!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Implacable, Embraceable You!
On the subject of an audience.
I hate when I get false hope, I hate silence. I especially hate the silence that is the harsh echo of the sound of praise.
The gallery owner has not got back in touch. You have to wonder where you went wrong in this instance, and there have been A LOT of such instances.
If creative people aren't BORN mad, then this surely MAKES them so!
The number of images and types and styles of images I have released to people is getting quite staggering now. I'm all in favour of being accessible but you have to wonder, in this age of cheap and easy reproduction, whether the "fan" is just a third party exploiting YOU as cheap labour? What happens to the photography you put on websites, for example? I dont want to have to copywright stamp everything, it just doesn't look nice, and I want genuine fans to enjoy the images.
I also want to be told WHY people decide they dont like what I do!
I hate when I get false hope, I hate silence. I especially hate the silence that is the harsh echo of the sound of praise.
The gallery owner has not got back in touch. You have to wonder where you went wrong in this instance, and there have been A LOT of such instances.
If creative people aren't BORN mad, then this surely MAKES them so!
The number of images and types and styles of images I have released to people is getting quite staggering now. I'm all in favour of being accessible but you have to wonder, in this age of cheap and easy reproduction, whether the "fan" is just a third party exploiting YOU as cheap labour? What happens to the photography you put on websites, for example? I dont want to have to copywright stamp everything, it just doesn't look nice, and I want genuine fans to enjoy the images.
I also want to be told WHY people decide they dont like what I do!
Monday, June 25, 2007
A Painters Life is Not a Happy One?
Clives James says: "There are lots of reasons to be cheerful about the world, many the result of human creativity - the difficulty is remembering not to be miserable.
Jeffrey Smart is one of several great living Australian painters who have continued the success of their now-deceased role models in carrying our unusually productive little nation's name into the international world of art. Among the illustrious dead are such names as Sidney Nolan, Russell Drysdale and Arthur Boyd. Among the resplendent living are Margaret Olley, John Olsen, and Jeffrey Smart. They are all getting on in years but they have that unquenchable sprightliness that painters so often seem to have, possibly because they lead more enjoyable lives than writers.
This last opinion of mine might have something to do with my own temperament. My feeling that I would have been a happier man if I had been a painter and indeed a happier man if I had been a gravedigger - a very useful occupation, in my view, as it was in the view of the gravedigger who met Hamlet, himself a gloomy fellow - that feeling might have something to do with a disposition towards melancholy. From the inside I don't actually feel like a wet weekend. But apparently I strike other people that way."
Painters HAPPY??
Now come on...
MAYBE if you had someone to pay your mortgage. MAYBE if you were single and could do what you want in the hours you wanted (or needed) to do them in. MAYBE if you know for sure you are doing the right thing and have a happy client base that agrees with you. MAYBE if you haven't got a car in the drive, a cat that needs watching, a husband that needs feeding and a house that needs cleaning. Or a loan that needs paying, come to that (student loan system is biased towards graduates who join management training schemes such as advertised on Hobsons, Hobsons being a very apt name, its that kind of employment or nothing - but who wants an artist working in a bank or come to that what kind of artist COULD work in a bank??).
Notice only ONE of those names is female. She must be single! Or be blessed with a laid back bohemian partner, more than likely she is a lesbian. I'll have to look it up. If she is married, its probably to a fellow creative. Otherwise where is the permission (explicit or implicit) to embrace freedom? And ignore the washing, the dust and little bits of creeping flab?
Jeffrey Smart is one of several great living Australian painters who have continued the success of their now-deceased role models in carrying our unusually productive little nation's name into the international world of art. Among the illustrious dead are such names as Sidney Nolan, Russell Drysdale and Arthur Boyd. Among the resplendent living are Margaret Olley, John Olsen, and Jeffrey Smart. They are all getting on in years but they have that unquenchable sprightliness that painters so often seem to have, possibly because they lead more enjoyable lives than writers.
This last opinion of mine might have something to do with my own temperament. My feeling that I would have been a happier man if I had been a painter and indeed a happier man if I had been a gravedigger - a very useful occupation, in my view, as it was in the view of the gravedigger who met Hamlet, himself a gloomy fellow - that feeling might have something to do with a disposition towards melancholy. From the inside I don't actually feel like a wet weekend. But apparently I strike other people that way."
Painters HAPPY??
Now come on...
MAYBE if you had someone to pay your mortgage. MAYBE if you were single and could do what you want in the hours you wanted (or needed) to do them in. MAYBE if you know for sure you are doing the right thing and have a happy client base that agrees with you. MAYBE if you haven't got a car in the drive, a cat that needs watching, a husband that needs feeding and a house that needs cleaning. Or a loan that needs paying, come to that (student loan system is biased towards graduates who join management training schemes such as advertised on Hobsons, Hobsons being a very apt name, its that kind of employment or nothing - but who wants an artist working in a bank or come to that what kind of artist COULD work in a bank??).
Notice only ONE of those names is female. She must be single! Or be blessed with a laid back bohemian partner, more than likely she is a lesbian. I'll have to look it up. If she is married, its probably to a fellow creative. Otherwise where is the permission (explicit or implicit) to embrace freedom? And ignore the washing, the dust and little bits of creeping flab?
Sunday, June 24, 2007
The Lull After The Storm
Its horribly quiet. Bit of a lack of purpose. Not that I had much of a sense of purpose in my 3rd Year (hence 2.2). Hardly my Coup De Gras my Graduate Show..
This is the final work:
Some posh bloke from a nice gallery is interested in the work I had in the catalogue. He has been on the blower. He wanted me to e-mail him some more images. I have done, with the unremitting suspicion this'll be another hot brick job.
I have to bring my work home tomorrow. It was a practical issue I had in my mind when I decided on those 5 skinny little canvases. The whole thing has been a horrible empty compromise. But then thats what life in suburbia is like..
I'll post a slideshow of a selection of the other graduates' works.
It has been said this show is better than Chelsea, Central St Martins and even the Royal College!
This is the final work:
Some posh bloke from a nice gallery is interested in the work I had in the catalogue. He has been on the blower. He wanted me to e-mail him some more images. I have done, with the unremitting suspicion this'll be another hot brick job.
I have to bring my work home tomorrow. It was a practical issue I had in my mind when I decided on those 5 skinny little canvases. The whole thing has been a horrible empty compromise. But then thats what life in suburbia is like..
I'll post a slideshow of a selection of the other graduates' works.
It has been said this show is better than Chelsea, Central St Martins and even the Royal College!
Friday, June 22, 2007
The Beeb only Rings Twice (aka Dropped Like A Hot Brick)
Well..
Some meeja bloke from BBC News 24 was supposed to be interviewing me yesterday. But no go. Not a dicky bird.
He was supposed to be phoning me back at lunchtime to confirm.
I even put the straighteners on my hair 'specially.. bastard..
Ah well.. wont be the first time I've been dropped like a hot brick, wont be the last.
It would've been really cool to have a TV crew turn up at my degree show, and just be for me.. even tho it was primarily cos of my ADHD (gonna make it WORK FOR ME.. EARN ITS KEEP!!).
Hell if the likes of Grayson Perry (abuse/transvestism) and Tracey Emin (abuse/feminism/general weirdness) can ride on the the back of so-called tragedy, why not me?
Some meeja bloke from BBC News 24 was supposed to be interviewing me yesterday. But no go. Not a dicky bird.
He was supposed to be phoning me back at lunchtime to confirm.
I even put the straighteners on my hair 'specially.. bastard..
Ah well.. wont be the first time I've been dropped like a hot brick, wont be the last.
It would've been really cool to have a TV crew turn up at my degree show, and just be for me.. even tho it was primarily cos of my ADHD (gonna make it WORK FOR ME.. EARN ITS KEEP!!).
Hell if the likes of Grayson Perry (abuse/transvestism) and Tracey Emin (abuse/feminism/general weirdness) can ride on the the back of so-called tragedy, why not me?
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Class of '07
Guess I'd better promote my degree show.
Everyone's work looks good. Its worth a visit. There's some nice ceramics that are the highlight of the art schools show this year and lots of other fanastic work too including a sculpture made entirely of black hair!!
Its probably the best free day out in London this week!
*tried to get image of front of college off their website but its not there any more, guess they think its ugly too!
Camberwell College of Arts' third year Painting Degree Show. The exhibition will take place between 16th and the 23rd of June showcasing what will be the culmination of 36 very different approaches to fine art.
See you soon.
Tuesday 19 - Saturday 23 June 2007
Tuesday - Friday 9am - 8pm; Saturday 11am - 4pm
Courses exhibiting at Peckham Road site:
BA (Hons) Ceramics
BA (Hons) Drawing
FdA Design Practice
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
BA (Hons) Illustration
BA (Hons) Painting
BA (Hons) Photography
BA (Hons) Sculpture
BA (Hons) 3D Design: Materials & Critical Practice
Courses exhibiting at Wilson Road site:
Diploma in Foundation Studies
BA (Hons) Conservation
Venues:
Camberwell College of Arts
Peckham Road
London SE5 8UF
Wilson Road
London SE5 8LU
How to get there
By Train
A train from London Bridge, Victoria, or Blackfriars station will take you to Peckham Rye or Denmark Hill which are both approximately 15 minutes' walk from the main Peckham Road site. The train journey takes approximately 10 minutes. There are also good bus connections to Camberwell from the following mainline London stations
Charing Cross: Bus 12
London Bridge: Bus 35
Paddington : Bus 36 or 436
Victoria: Bus 36 or 436
Waterloo: Bus 171
Blackfriars: Bus 63
By Underground
The following underground stations will bring you within easy reach of Camberwell
Elephant & Castle: via Bakerloo or Northern line, then Bus 12 or 171
New Cross Gate: via East London line, then Bus 36 or 171
Oval: via Northern line, then Bus 36 or 436
Vauxhall: via Victoria line, then Bus 36/436
By Road
If you are driving from central London, follow the A202 south from Victoria Station. Parking is available at the Wilson Road site.
By Air
There are five airports in or near London: City, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Stansted. All have tube, train or bus links to central London.
Look on Streetmap for directions. Its between Peckham and Camberwell on Peckham Road and the building looks like this..*
nice.. like a squalid 60's comprehensive school, but dont be put off by the exterior!
Everyone's work looks good. Its worth a visit. There's some nice ceramics that are the highlight of the art schools show this year and lots of other fanastic work too including a sculpture made entirely of black hair!!
Its probably the best free day out in London this week!
*tried to get image of front of college off their website but its not there any more, guess they think its ugly too!
My Mr Hyde
Been watching the trailers for the BBC1 drama Jekyll and I must say I was gripped and HAD to watch the first episode last night - no question.
A dark-eyed handsome man, Nesbitt's Hyde is deliciously charming and naughty. Yes, he is evil, but he's seizing the moment - and doesn't everyone REALLY want to do that?
Cool lines, great hair, crisp shirts... What more could you want?
Oh and the superhuman abilities are nice.. who wouldn't want to be able to drink like a fish then scale the outside of a building to let yourself in when you've lost your keys?!
But for me as a visual artist Nesbitt's physical duality and his rich performance is stunning.
Just look at this face, its like an animal waiting to pounce:
Wouldn't he make a great Dorian Grey, dont you think?
A dark-eyed handsome man, Nesbitt's Hyde is deliciously charming and naughty. Yes, he is evil, but he's seizing the moment - and doesn't everyone REALLY want to do that?
Cool lines, great hair, crisp shirts... What more could you want?
Oh and the superhuman abilities are nice.. who wouldn't want to be able to drink like a fish then scale the outside of a building to let yourself in when you've lost your keys?!
But for me as a visual artist Nesbitt's physical duality and his rich performance is stunning.
Just look at this face, its like an animal waiting to pounce:
Wouldn't he make a great Dorian Grey, dont you think?
Sunday, June 10, 2007
ETSY - not just a pretty face!
Hurrah! Have enough bare knowledge of HTML to be able to stick my Etsy mini-shop in the right place, with text and everything!! Ok I know a twelve year old can do it blindfold.. but still..
Its easy to dismiss such websites as "just for hobby artists", but this is such a well thought out and well presented site that it deserves a mention. Not only does it look neat and professional, but it has some very clever ideas - for example it displays a palette of colours, you can click on a colour and it comes up with a whole raft of objects and art in that colour. Pretty nifty! It could very easily be naff but I dont think it is. I err on the side of crafts anyway, and although I do flinch a bit when people ask for a painting to go with their sofa, I'm humble enough to realise thats what real life and real people are like, I'm not talented enough (or young or trendy enough) to go down the whole conceptual art route, and besides, I like the idea of appealing to ordinary people. If I was clever and socially gifted enough to be exclusive and successful that would be great, but the way it is I'll settle for inclusive and accessible.
Here's another place I frequent. No HTML code for this as yet, so you'll have to click on the link. Many of these guys are hobbyists but it is nice to share and support and be part of a virtual community, especially when you are met with so much indifference in a real-life one.
http://www.artwanted.com/artist.cfm?artid=28084
Ditto eBay. Scoff all you want!! There's people with an MA from Goldsmiths in my groups there! Just cos they dont sell to millionaires or frequently inhabit the White Cube doesn't make them any less serious or talented!
http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/hatwearinggirl
At the end of the day, it helps clear space; and if people like my paintings I'd rather see them being appreciated than locked away in my attic or a warehouse gathering dust..
Its easy to dismiss such websites as "just for hobby artists", but this is such a well thought out and well presented site that it deserves a mention. Not only does it look neat and professional, but it has some very clever ideas - for example it displays a palette of colours, you can click on a colour and it comes up with a whole raft of objects and art in that colour. Pretty nifty! It could very easily be naff but I dont think it is. I err on the side of crafts anyway, and although I do flinch a bit when people ask for a painting to go with their sofa, I'm humble enough to realise thats what real life and real people are like, I'm not talented enough (or young or trendy enough) to go down the whole conceptual art route, and besides, I like the idea of appealing to ordinary people. If I was clever and socially gifted enough to be exclusive and successful that would be great, but the way it is I'll settle for inclusive and accessible.
Here's another place I frequent. No HTML code for this as yet, so you'll have to click on the link. Many of these guys are hobbyists but it is nice to share and support and be part of a virtual community, especially when you are met with so much indifference in a real-life one.
http://www.artwanted.com/artist.cfm?artid=28084
Ditto eBay. Scoff all you want!! There's people with an MA from Goldsmiths in my groups there! Just cos they dont sell to millionaires or frequently inhabit the White Cube doesn't make them any less serious or talented!
http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/hatwearinggirl
At the end of the day, it helps clear space; and if people like my paintings I'd rather see them being appreciated than locked away in my attic or a warehouse gathering dust..
Monday, June 04, 2007
The Pursuit Of Happiness
I dont believe you can really seperate art and creativity from emotion, so sorry but I'm going to go on an emo trip here. You can always look at other blogs or websites if you get bored, but this is important to my work.
I want to comment on this story -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6711071.stm
I have been battling depression for years. But the moment things get REALLY bad, like facing bereavement, illness, unemployment - really terrible uncertainty, I feel quite elated! Reading this I realise its not so perverse, also I was told in therapy that - basically - shit happens and its OK to feel like shit when it does. Generaly day-to-day niggles wear one down, but it takes the big things to really slap you in the face and tell you to get over yourself! A good example of this is our current situation at home. My husbands good friend and business partner has only months to live after struggling with the sudden onset of terminal cancer. The whole situation of this illness came as a sudden shock, he was a fit and well man when we had the first company Christmas do. Not only does my husband face losing a great companion but also the prospect of a flourishing business, the papers to dissolve and divide the company are being signed in the next week. Yet we have had the funniest weekend - really sincere and spontaneous humour, not dark and contrived - swapping one liners like "Dawn's broken" "Oh I'll fix it later" at 4 in the morning. Sometimes you just have to sigh and accept things instead of thinking you should be singled out for more favourable treatment by some greater power. Human beings are capable of such courage in the face of adversity, look at the Blitz spirit, but sadly these days when we are being saturated by images of the ideal we find it hard to dig down and find these resources.
When we do, its amazing how much perspective you can have in the world, you realise whatever you do its not the be-all-and-end-all, puts the ego in its place, allows you to feel really oceanic and part of nature and what's going on around you. Its important to realise how precious life is, and how your plans can go a bit wrong and you can still survive, maybe go on to be stronger.
The best thing is, you can turn around to people who say "You make your own luck" and tell them they're talking bollocks, and you can do this with some authority and confidence - seriously I think people who say this are really trying to fool themselves. Failure is inevitable at some point, so is bad luck. As the saying goes - there's nothing certain in this world except death and taxes. Well it catches up with you in the end. The Inland Revenue's been on my case as well!
Life is not all wonderful. If it was, we'd be bored, we wouldn't appreciate the good times. In a nutshell - into every life a little rain must fall - and - like the grass - we need the rain to grow..
I want to comment on this story -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6711071.stm
I have been battling depression for years. But the moment things get REALLY bad, like facing bereavement, illness, unemployment - really terrible uncertainty, I feel quite elated! Reading this I realise its not so perverse, also I was told in therapy that - basically - shit happens and its OK to feel like shit when it does. Generaly day-to-day niggles wear one down, but it takes the big things to really slap you in the face and tell you to get over yourself! A good example of this is our current situation at home. My husbands good friend and business partner has only months to live after struggling with the sudden onset of terminal cancer. The whole situation of this illness came as a sudden shock, he was a fit and well man when we had the first company Christmas do. Not only does my husband face losing a great companion but also the prospect of a flourishing business, the papers to dissolve and divide the company are being signed in the next week. Yet we have had the funniest weekend - really sincere and spontaneous humour, not dark and contrived - swapping one liners like "Dawn's broken" "Oh I'll fix it later" at 4 in the morning. Sometimes you just have to sigh and accept things instead of thinking you should be singled out for more favourable treatment by some greater power. Human beings are capable of such courage in the face of adversity, look at the Blitz spirit, but sadly these days when we are being saturated by images of the ideal we find it hard to dig down and find these resources.
When we do, its amazing how much perspective you can have in the world, you realise whatever you do its not the be-all-and-end-all, puts the ego in its place, allows you to feel really oceanic and part of nature and what's going on around you. Its important to realise how precious life is, and how your plans can go a bit wrong and you can still survive, maybe go on to be stronger.
The best thing is, you can turn around to people who say "You make your own luck" and tell them they're talking bollocks, and you can do this with some authority and confidence - seriously I think people who say this are really trying to fool themselves. Failure is inevitable at some point, so is bad luck. As the saying goes - there's nothing certain in this world except death and taxes. Well it catches up with you in the end. The Inland Revenue's been on my case as well!
Life is not all wonderful. If it was, we'd be bored, we wouldn't appreciate the good times. In a nutshell - into every life a little rain must fall - and - like the grass - we need the rain to grow..
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Whatever Happened To Peepers?
End of the course and I'm just sitting here quietly disintegrating. Its painful and tiring but its necessary, something has to disintegrate before it can regenerate, and believe me I've had more regenerations than Doctor Who. Every time it seems to take longer and sap more strength, but something new will come out of the end of it, I'm pretty sure of that, lor' knows what, but something...
Here's a sneak preview of what'll be in my part of the degree show. It aint much.. but its something.
I wanted someone special to come but I have lost their details...
You know who you are.
Here's a sneak preview of what'll be in my part of the degree show. It aint much.. but its something.
I wanted someone special to come but I have lost their details...
You know who you are.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
I GOT THE MUSIC IN ME!!
I hadn't realised how important an influence just ordinary pop music is to me until I listened to a documentary about record producers from the 1980's Jolley and Swain. I knew I was really into music in the 80's and even wrote a few reviews and critiques at school for some writing project or another, and I knew I didn't just like bands because they looked pretty (I was never a Durannie or a Whammie). I liked songs more than bands, the sound of something - I realised now it was the way the sound was produced. The secret was unlocked as I listened intently while Steve Jolley and Tony Swain and the artistes they worked with unpicked every tiny bit of each song they created. I was never any good at making music myself and despite trying everything from the recorder to the bass guitar and all sorts of computer software I dont have the discipline or knowledge required to actually layer all the notes and harmonies and effects up to make something worth people taking their time out to listen to, and I really admire people who can do this, especially with the limited technology that was available back then compared to what we have now...
LINK - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/musicclub/doc_recordproducers.shtml
(I know this particular entry is a bit badly composed but its nearly that time.. Degree Show time.. and I am really tired.. have been lugging stuff backwards and forwards from college for the last fortnight, painting and worrying how the hell I'm going to collate all my research and bits together so it looks like some Body Of Work!)
LINK - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/musicclub/doc_recordproducers.shtml
(I know this particular entry is a bit badly composed but its nearly that time.. Degree Show time.. and I am really tired.. have been lugging stuff backwards and forwards from college for the last fortnight, painting and worrying how the hell I'm going to collate all my research and bits together so it looks like some Body Of Work!)
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Canvas Cam!
To encourage me to paint at regular times and hours after college, I am thinking of installing a CANVAS CAM where people can see streaming video of me working. I think this is a good idea both for people who want to see how art is made and to get me actually making stuff.. at the moment this is about all you'll see...
So I need to find out and get all the technical gubbins together, so that I can get the ball rolling. As far as I can Google I've only heard of one other artist who has a canvas-cam- in the US - no surprise there, and there's an artist in Cornwall who has a mention of it on their website but no link. It would be great to be the first UK artist to have live painting broadcast all over the world!
So I need to find out and get all the technical gubbins together, so that I can get the ball rolling. As far as I can Google I've only heard of one other artist who has a canvas-cam- in the US - no surprise there, and there's an artist in Cornwall who has a mention of it on their website but no link. It would be great to be the first UK artist to have live painting broadcast all over the world!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Dotty About Squares!
I love patterns involving spots, dots and circles.
Last term (ie before Easter and after Christmas) I did a lot of work involving repetitions of spots in spaces divided off into squares and rectangles. This was basically a continuation of an idea I had in the first year when I covered the painting corridor in a grid made of red spots and lines. I then collaged the red paper that was left with holes in it onto a black and blue canvas. Then, at home, I painted a board to look like layers of surfaces with holes in. Now I have masses of
canvases that h
ave layers of colo
ur with holes in!!
canvases that h
ave layers of colo
ur with holes in!!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Colour and the Substance of Shape
My work at the moment has been influenced by my surroundings. One artist described a recent painting as a fractured distorted version of reality where everything seemed to be collapsing on itself.
I think that's quite an accurate interpretation.
I use ideas from cubism, pop art, and German expressionism. The blues and turquoises are very Hockney-esque I think, but instead of representing water they are supposed to represent the sky blotted out by window frames and becoming caged off or fragmented. Earlier versions of this met with the criticsm that the window motif was too obvious: so I instead concentrated on the light that would pour through and get scattered on the floors, walls and objects.
Now I am taking similar arrangements of shapes and colours and applying them to a different aspect ration, a longer thinner canvas which is more like a decorative panel...
I think that's quite an accurate interpretation.
I use ideas from cubism, pop art, and German expressionism. The blues and turquoises are very Hockney-esque I think, but instead of representing water they are supposed to represent the sky blotted out by window frames and becoming caged off or fragmented. Earlier versions of this met with the criticsm that the window motif was too obvious: so I instead concentrated on the light that would pour through and get scattered on the floors, walls and objects.
Now I am taking similar arrangements of shapes and colours and applying them to a different aspect ration, a longer thinner canvas which is more like a decorative panel...
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Catching Up!!
Well. I've only just remembered my login details. Since Christmas I've been trying to update this, trying to get my details from Blogger admin and going round in circles. But it just popped into my mind finally what it was! Hardly surprising given all the stress I'm feeling about the Degree Show, Artists Statements and what the hell I'm going to do when this degree is all over...
On the other hand.. I do find blogs irritating. Why do people feel all the useless "knowledge" they've amassed is worth sharing? Unlike the self-proclaimed philosophers, conspiracy theorists, god-botherers and general purpose nutters I actually am doing this for a perfectly good reason - namely that I want to do an online art course and this is the only way the tutors are going to be able to see my sketchbook. I certainly hope some poor misguided fool isn't going to use this as a reference guide, it seems every time you Google a term these days 90% of what you get is via some dodgy blog!
On the other hand.. I do find blogs irritating. Why do people feel all the useless "knowledge" they've amassed is worth sharing? Unlike the self-proclaimed philosophers, conspiracy theorists, god-botherers and general purpose nutters I actually am doing this for a perfectly good reason - namely that I want to do an online art course and this is the only way the tutors are going to be able to see my sketchbook. I certainly hope some poor misguided fool isn't going to use this as a reference guide, it seems every time you Google a term these days 90% of what you get is via some dodgy blog!
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