Abstract Art Blog

My Two Passions: Art and Writing

Shouldn't it be, "art and literature," not "art and writing"?  Or perhaps "making art and literature."  But that sounds too egotistical, as if by the mere act of "writing," one were making "literature."  In the visual arts we have eliminated the separation between "fine art" and "crafts," haven't we?

Maybe not.  I knew exactly when I crossed that line in the 1970s when I started a leather-craft business making belts and handbags for sale at craft shows, and then automated a little bit and hired employees in order to sell through retail stores.  I knew I was no longer making fine art.

Is the difference in the artist's intention, or in the unique quality of items made?  If each creation is one-of-a-kind, then we are more likely to call it fine art.  Yet, that doesn't really resolve the issue.

When I was going to college and art school in the early 1960s, these questions were important.  An artist was a priest of sorts, who could help us transcend this mundane life.  Or an interpreter of culture, who could help us understand our position in it.  Anyone who was simply making pretty pictures was an "amateur" or "Sunday painter."

The act of writing seems less fraught with this tension.  One writes in private for months or years, and it is only upon publication that the question of literature comes up.  And today there are many outlets for publication (internet journals and magazines, blogs, print-on-demand publishing, etc.) besides traditional publishing houses.  Having an audience who reads what we write is often gratifying enough without an official critic's blessing.

A Year of Making Art: Day 89

July 17, 2007  Day 89

I made my drawing for the 17th, and did some painting, but I forgot to write about it.  This morning I was tempted to fake it and write the entry as if it were yesterday.  But then I remembered my promise to myself to be "honest" in this art blog.  There are many incentives not to be, but the only one I consider valid is the protection of other people's private lives.

I'm not good at that.  Since I reveal my own life freely, I tend to include those around me.  The families and friends of writers are used to this occupational hazard.  Adrian is accepting of it, and so is my sister Laura.  But others are more sensitive.

My drawing for the 17th is in blacks and grays, which I periodically find is an antidote to all the color:

  Drawing #90  14" x 11"

(Note:  There is a gap between the dates I'm writing and posting because I had to give myself time to get ahead in case we travel and I'm not able to post.)

Green as a Theme

It is interesting how we are influenced, even in non-representational abstract art, by the events going on around us.  With the effects of global warming and impending devastation to our planet, thinking "green" has been swirling around my unconsious as well as my conscious thoughts.

I don't usually choose colors for their symbolic or thematic impact, yet the intensity and quantity of  green in some of my paintings lately seems to me to be significant.  Of course green had many connotations of life, vegetation, and the "natural" world long before the green political movement began.  Green has always been prominent in my work.  Perhaps now I am simply more consciously aware of its significance. 

Three green paintings currently on my art website are Green Is Good, The Importance of Being Green, and Seeing You This Way:

A green-themed painting I just finished is "Green Here and There: "

In the first three paintings, green overwhelms the canvas.  In the last, its effect is more subtle, but still dominates. 

Noticing what I've done with green makes me want to explore this theme further.  We'll see.  I don't usually start with a plan of action. 

 

The Art of Art Criticism

One change I've noted in art reviews over the years is that critics will often forgo judging the art in favor of describing it on its own terms.  One reason for this change may be that art is so eclectic today.  There is no single school or style in ascendancy.

There is also no universal authority on what is good or bad art, but rather arguments being made for the value of a particular artist's work within the parameters of what that artist is trying to accomplish.  Yet critics have personal tastes, and will naturally tend to promote the art they love and dismiss what they consider trivial.

One of the tools many critics use is context.  They attempt to place the art within its cultural history, explaining the influences it has come out of and relating it to other contemporaries working in a similar mode.  If an artist is making folk-art, for example, the work needs to be discussed in that context, not compared to a video installation.

I know that I am absolutely prejudiced in favor of non-objective abstract art, because it's the kind of art I make and have a continuing relationship with.  I tend to look at all art from this perspective, noting its painterly effects, the interest of its surface, the movement and composition, its force, energy, and so forth.

I have no aspirations to be an art critic, especially knowing how prejudiced I am toward abstract art.  I can appreciate other art for its craftsmanship, cleverness or emotional impact, but I tend to always judge first by squinting to check out the composition.

Another aspect of art reviewing is audience.  When writing for a national or international art publication, critics will be considering the value of the art based on a larger playing field than a writer for a regional or small city publication.  Yet even in a small city, some of the artists who live there may be as serious about their work as an artist competing in New York City or London.  They may appreciate a reviewer who can put their work in a larger context.  The reader of a small newspaper, however, may simply want to know what a local show is about, and in that case a descriptive review would be more helpful than a judgmental one.

If one has to choose between looking at more art or reading more art reviews, I vote for looking at more art.  I think we will learn more through our visual processing of the art, and the words to describe this experience can come later. 

Art Blog Preview: Robin Ann Walker

Robin Ann Walker is a professional fine artist living in Dallas, Texas.  You can view her colorful, energetic, always-changing art on her website at Art-Girls.com.  Robin works in acrylics, and often includes her photographic images in her work.  She also combines non-traditional materials and techniques to create her contemporary art. 

Robin's art blog at http://artgirls.blogspot.com/ tells the story of her professional life as an artist.  It's great fun to see the challenges she faces with a new project and to find out how she solves these problems.  She recently completed a commission which involved painting people, and complained that she'd never done that before.  When her client reminded her that they were just "shapes and colors," that took the pressure off. 

Some of my favorite pieces of Robin's are the paintings in her "Abstract" gallery at http://art-girls.com/Abstract/AbstractMenu.html.  Follow this link to view the step-by-step process by which Robin created an 8 ft. by 10 ft. abstract painting commissioned by the Baylor Hospital in Plano Texas:  http://art-girls.com/Abstract/Baylor.html.

There's plenty to see on Robin's website and to learn about her work on her blog, so take a look.

Art Blog Preview: The Thinking Eye

I'm writing today on my notebook computer because the hard drive on my main computer bit the dust.  The Dell technician is due to arrive any minute to replace the hard drive, and then I'll find out how well (or not) my back-up system worked.  Frightening!

But I want to preview Arthur Whitman's blog, The Thinking Eye, today.  Arthur writes insightfully about art on view locally (in Ithaca, New York) as well as nationally.  He has an undergraduate degree in studio art, and his own painting is visually exciting. 

What I like about Arthur's blog is his willingness to tackle art issues in a way that is obviously informed, yet direct and clear.  What I mean is that he can deal with theoretical issues, but his writing is not academic or abstract.  He isn't trying to impress us with jargon.

Maybe if he goes to graduate school, all that will change?  In the meantime, take a look at The Thinking Eye and enjoy.