what is this place?
what is this blog supposed to be all about?
me? my practice? both?
sometimes its title haunts me. sometimes i fear it pushes me in a direction i shouldn't go.
in school, i became pretty good at separating myself from the work in a sense. i could talk about the work without referencing myself, my life, my history... and, for the most part, that was definitely the best way to go about it. it's hard to find that elusive line between giving enough background and insight in to the work and giving away too much. sometimes, it's much more comfortable to talk about the theoretical premise of the work rather than attempt to define it in terms of my own emotions and experiences. i guess i'm beginning to worry that i've talked too much, been too free with certain bits of information.
the work that i'm most attracted to is work that can play in both fields- at one turn it is all big-brained intellectualism and analytical prowess, at the next it is emotional and romantic, poetic. i want my work to operate that way as well and i think, sometimes, it does... until i open my big mouth.
the work is, will always be, more important than my self. of course my experiences are largely responsible for the aesthetic i cater to and the images i'm attracted to, but does that really matter? do i need to explain where my defaults come from? do i need to situate my technique in my own psychology? hmmmmmm. one of my mentors would issue an angry and annoyed 'NO!'.
what do you think? should an artist wear their heart on their sleeve or should they let some things remain silent and unseen? is the work somehow enriched by receiving insider information or does it detract from it?
it is the awkward dance between public and private selves.
5 comments:
I'll be back girl this is a good conversation and things I think about a whole too. I don't think you have a big mouth and I'll tell you the first thing I thought when I saw your painting above of the house with the picket fence was I know this art, I know this house. I pretty sure there are many people who can strongly relate to your art , that's powerful to reach people and you got yourself some serious technical skills too . But I think it's the reaching people that ultimately makes our work go beyond us. I watched The Power of Art with Simon Schama
in April and was pretty raw with emotion and thoughts for a few days after. I haven't been to art school so this is something I need to look at more, contemplate and define ? in my own art. But then again I don't want to feel like I'm censoring myself in any way. I'll be back ......
yes, come back! i'd love to know what others think about this. it helps to know how others navigate through this particular issue.
thank you for your confidence in my work. it means the world to me. it really does. really, really, really. :)
I've been watching a documentary called What Remains about photographer Sally Mann...she is best known for her haunting, imperfect, long exposure photos of her children and her farm.
I really like how she sees art in her immediate world, in the domestic--what is right around me, closest to me drives my work as well. However, I don't think the viewer has to know the source of the inspiration to "get" the work--it's better if there is a bit of mystery!
Great conversation here.
the storialist-
i saw the Art21 short on Sally Mann. super powerful, private, personal work. and the veiwer can see how personal the images are without any extra insight from the artist herself. she's a wonderful example of how one artist navigates this grey area gracefully, intelligently. thank you! and i definitely agree with you- there's something to be said for maintaining a bit of mystery. something must remain private, sacred, unseen. there is definitely something known as 'too much information' and it begins to be a turn-off. my private traumas or losses or turmoils should not be put on display as if it were a painting... or even necessary in terms of understanding the work. maybe tid-bits are the best way to go... or learning how to talk about private experiences in a way that actually does inform the work rather than come across as barfing up childhood pains, etc.
art is a form of therapy of course but it's also much, much more than that. it is not 'only' self-expression. it must go further than that. and it is a balancing act that i'm not quite sure how to proceed with.
sometimes i get ahead of myself. i like to talk and share and make new lines of connection, but i don't want to end up damaging my work somehow because i've given away too much.
wonderful conversation. thank you so much!
keep it coming guys! :)
p.s Heather-
your latest blog entry about the old woman was so poignant and well thought out, it is a perfect example of being able to ride the line between public and private selves. it was poetic and smart and you never took it to a place were the story became melo-dramatic. it was so beautiful, insightful, a work of art itself.
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