Art is a Solitary Thing

Art is a solitary thing. Or so it seems.

I spend countless hours thinking, pondering, considering, all before I start a new piece. I turn it around and around and upside-down in my head, and then I might or might not make the piece. Sometimes just making it in my head is enough. Other times I’ll take it through to fruition, only to make another version, and then another. And sometimes it comes out right the first time.

The next step would be for the piece to find its way into a gallery. Which is exactly what happened to Wishful Thinking, a piece I made this past summer.

Lori Johns invited me to exhibit work in her gallery, C. Emerson Fine Arts in St. Petersburg Florida, and so Wishful Thinking was moved from my studio and out into the universe. Scary business, as I have mentioned in previous posts. Akin to running naked in public when one bares their soul for all to see.

But sometimes in that move out into the universe you connect with other people. It is then you realize that art isn’t solitary at all. Possibly the work was made in solitude, but that doesn’t make it solitary, rather it becomes a path to other people. Art can open a line of communication that might otherwise not happen. It brings you together with people, not apart from them.

It’s a very cool thing to experience.

Thank you, Luis, for your insightful post. http://art-taco.blogspot.com/

It’s baaaaack

Remember the content vs pretty musings a while back? It’s baaaaack.

I did make some “pretty” work this past summer along with a bunch of other pieces (it was a very productive summer!), and I like them. It’s not work I could show in all galleries, but isn’t that always the case? Correct work for correct venue? Yes indeed, it is the way it works.

But back to my earlier blog post.

This past summer I was flipping through the Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine, http://www.clothpaperscissors.com, and saw a reader challenge. Hmmm, I wondered, why not? Most of my work is large and problematic to ship (read expensive), and sometimes requires special installation as well, so if I were to take the challenge, downsizing would be in order. And maybe something a little different, like bright colors, possibly something more mainstream. Hmmmmm.

I let my brain toss around these different requirements a bit as I went to work daily in the studio. Some of the smaller dresses were better than others (naturally!!!), and some I never finished, but below are a few of the finished pieces.

I went ahead and submitted three of them to the magazine challenge and lo and behold, I am one of the finalists. Pretty cool, yes? It’s a solitary job working in the studio, so knowing other people connect with my work is encouraging. And oh so very nice. :D

I hope you have a creative day!

Wishful Thinking

I’ve got an opening tonight at C. Emerson Fine Art in St. Petersburg which makes me consider this whole career called art. It is like running around naked, me thinks, showing your work/soul to the world. Takes great courage, don’t you think?

I’m happy with the piece, and that is truly the most important thing, but it’s out there and that opens the door for comments. Which is fine but still leaves one feeling a touch vulnerable. All part of the process though and I accept that and try to take it all in stride.

The piece is called Wishful Thinking, so I think I’ll blow out a candle and make a wish.

Can’t tell though, then it wouldn’t come true.

Have a happy and creative day!

http://www.blogger.com/www.c-emersonfinearts.com/exhibitions.html

Content vs. Pretty

Is angst necessary for good art? Or even just serious content? I wonder sometimes.

I’m not so thrilled when my Mom calls my work cute, CUTE!, but understand the source and tolerate it with good spirits. But do I want other people calling my work cute? Definitive no. But still, sometimes the work comes out pretty, if not necessarily cute. What to do, what to do?

Keep making art, me thinks.

Yep, sometimes it will be pretty and sometimes it will have social content and sometimes it’ll be in between. I don’t want to sensor myself or I’ll freeze up in a nanosecond. Just keep working. Pen to paper, brush to canvas, insert here whatever mediums or materials apply. Just keep working. In the end, it’ll all be okay. And if not, toss it out.

Here is a “serious” one, based on stoning as capital punishment in Iran, among other places. It is about Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s conviction of adultery (ah, the Scarlet Letter appears again in my work. Tessie lurks in the back of my mind.) and murder.

Do you feel a cute one coming on? To be continued…

Photographing Work

Photographing work is a necessary evil in this business, me thinks. It’s not something I personally enjoy doing, and I find it very hard to take the time to do. But once I do take the time I certainly enjoy seeing and contemplating the work in print. I think it puts space between me and the work and I can look at it from a different angle, for lack of a better word.

Here’s one I’m contemplating now. It’s another version of Melanie (Some People Say I Done Alright for a Girl), this time in black and white. The previous one has the roller skates, which ties it closer to the original song by Melanie. I like to do a concept in different ways, just to work through all of my ideas. Since I am a twin, I find it very hard to see just one of anything. Multiples are a must for me!

I’ve got more to share and will do so as the day go by.

Have a creative day!

Save The Date

C. Emerson Fine Arts

909 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, FL

Friday, April 30th

6:00 to 9:00

Some People Say I Done Alright for a Girl

A call came recently for a show about bicycles.

Hmmm, I thought, would I be able to use those wheels I found ages ago in the trash dump?

Quite by accident, I also found a pair of vintage roller skates on EBay while searching for something else. Kismet at work.

Soon I was humming the words to “Brand New Key” by Melanie Safka and a new dress was born. It all came together quickly, which happens if I listen carefully to my intuition.

I think the blue pom-poms on the skates are fantastic and they inspired the blue trim and tulle.

I edited the song down to one line, “Some people say I done alright for a girl,” which is all that is needed, I think, but feel free to sing the whole song, if you are so inclined!