Dropping the sack
Self-promotion has never been one of my skills, and I’m a little envious of artists to whom it comes more naturally. I find it difficult to write an artist’s statement, because my paintings ARE my statement as far as I’m concerned. In a time when lengthy and convoluted verbiage seems to have become almost a requirement for making art as well as writing about it, I fall into the dinosaur category. When I read a hefty socio-political statement of intention that suggests that the artist must be carrying the weight of the world on his/her shoulders upon entering the studio, I’m reminded of Robert DeNiro lugging that heavy sack full of armor uphill into the rain forest in “The Mission”. Drop it, Bob!
I think visual art (for the most part) is not a particularly effective route to motivating people towards social change. What is it good for? Another post, perhaps.
Read MoreSwiss Alps series
For the past six months I’ve been working on a series of paintings of the Alps using studies I made on a trip to Switzerland last August. This is a plan that’s been simmering in my brain since my last trip there twenty years ago and my last exhibit of Swiss landscapes in 1988. Interesting the changes that twenty years bring: a little less energy, a lot more painting experience, and a willingness to trust my own knowledge more and care about the outcome much less.
Read MorePresenting one’s work
I recently had a wonderful tour of the Frames Conservation Department at the Tate, where Alastair Johnson explained many of the processes that go into the restoration of antique frames as well as the creation of new frames for museum works. For an overview of how a frame is constructed (I think maybe I always thought maybe they were just extruded, like Play-Doh), take a look at this article.
It did remind me, though, how a really inappropriate frame can detract from a painting, and how a very good one can enhance it. And gold frames do not an Old Master make. Because it’s a pretty ubiquitous contemporary aesthetic, and also for reasons of economy, I’ve always used extremely simple light-colored frames. I wonder: if I really experimented to find exactly what kind of frame might most enhance my work without overpowering it, what would it be? And could I make it myself? Creating a new frame using the techniques of the past looked like a lot of fun. You could do a lot with wood and molding from the lumber store, carpenter’s glue, some clamps, and a miter saw.
It’s often easy to see when something is poorly or inappropriately presented, but studying the painting that is quietly and harmoniously supported by its frame may give some clues about how to best present one’s own work. A big question to ponder.
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