Concentration #2 Transcendence

5 ft x 7 ft  Charcoal

Teaching for Studio Thinking: Artist's Statement

       My reality is a tapestry of light and energy woven by ideas, visions and projections embedded in what I believe.  My work is an evolution of internal vision.  That vision anchors my life in the manifestation of events and circumstances.
       I interact with the world as if it were a canvas. Every moment is ripe with choice and possibility.  Present in each moment are threads which when consciously woven together create an intention. When intention is realized as an image its as if I’m composing reality. Weave the experience you wish to live through vision and creation. 

    My work is a series of “manifestation images” which are designed to place attention and focus on creating events in the lives of people around me.  As I work, visionary moments occur in flashes. A mark will guide me to the next mark in an intuitive dance as the composition emerges.

I work primarily with materials which have transformative qualities, fluid and changing.  This is important because the nature of the imagery is never static and often becomes something I had not initially imagined.  My creative process is a dialogue between spirit, emotion and image. .  A synthesis of what is, and what might be is realized as each image is born.

Blogs for week 3/1

3/1

This weeks are short but to the point.  Forgive me, off to NAEA and such. 

Icon

I found it interesting that Bird used 90% of this commentary to associate “icon” with religion.  While I realize this is often the case, to me this is pigeon holing the concept of “icon” and iconography. Really, it is soooo much more than that! For me, it is really about meaning.  Icon is not limited to religious imagery (even if its roots are there).  It is about the meaning one places on an image... (the whole idol thing comes into play here)

Ive gotten into the habit of finding that one sentence in the reading that intrigues or inspires me .  For this chapter it is “icons provided a movable cast of holy presences”.  OMG  the potential of that sentence for  me is huge! In my own work I can imagine a series of images which represent a big idea, developed into a series of icons... And I can see this theme extending into the classroom, in projects with my kids. In fact, it has given me some ideas for assignments around the concept of icon....!!!

Protest:

“in 2003 the tapestry version of Guernica at the United Nations was covered over during a press conference presenting the Bush administration’s case for bombing Iraq.” 

 W    O     W       

  Protest should be followed by censorship. If that action does not speak to the potency of visual art I do not know what is.  Could that have altered the way things went down, if those images had been a back drop for Bush’s plans? (Imagine if an animation artist got a hold of that footage, photo shopped the images back in and then animated them to life as Bush spoke....  Hows that for a revived protest?  )

    Some how, knowing this fact infuriates me.  Be an interesting project to do just that.  Show the speech as was... Then get the tapestry back in there and show it again and have kids (high school) comment of how imagery might change their response to the message,,,,, Or some version of this.... Share Picasso's Guernica, then listen to the speech, THEN tell them this was covered....

Ps. The Guerrilla Girls are cool... Love their motivation and hoe they powerfully confront the male dominated art world....

Personal as Political

“Good bye to the great white Male”  what? Aweiwei would not agree...(even if he isn't technically white)

SO personal as political and protest really go hand in hand (back to the Guerrilla Girls)

      I find interesting that this entry focused mainly on women.  I also find it interesting that there is no reference to other historical events which may have coincided with the issues he is speaking of (like he did with protest).  Commentary remains focused on the art itself, with out larger societal commentary (other than political, which is really the domination of the art world by men in this case)

    I wonder if this is because of projections the author may be making about the role of women in general...

    I am just curious why women were the focus of this topic (sometimes blended with other minority issues, Id love to see the Renee Cox piece)

   AS a younger artist I did identify with issues such as these. While they are valid, I don't often see my own work this way.  That said, I love artists like  Naomi Natale.  If you haven't seen her TED talk (Kathy posted this on her blog)  you should watch!

http://blog.ted.com/2010/03/17/ted_fellow_naom/

HA! Body As Surface #2

See what I mean?

TST Concentration #2 Stages/progress

Since Im far away from everyone, here is a peak at Concentration #2.  It is roughly 5 feet wide by 7 feet tall.  Not done obviously.

Mim,,,,  she sits with me while I draw.  :)

TST 2/22-3/1 Bird entries

BODY AS SURFACE

Ok...  Ive always wanted a tattoo..... A Redwood Tree which spans the length of my spine, the green extending into the shoulder blades, the roots sprouting from the small of my back growing around my rear end (this was when I was younger... Now, that would not be a pretty sight...)

Social status, group affiliation, ritual, what could be more powerful for art?  That said, I found it a little disturbing that and artist would physically alter herself to “reshape her features to resemble those in celebrated works of art, such as the forehead of the Mona Lisa.”  WHAT???? Good grief.... 

Seems to me that when someone is thinking about the body as a surface, intention is critical.  Motivation.  Some of this is permanent after all. This is not a medium to take lightly when it is permanence that is part of the equation.

         I have sometimes played with this idea (not permanence) but henna tattoos, painting tiny scenes on finger nails, etc.  None of this held significant meaning for me...  I grew up with the thought of tattoos being taboo so I didn't stray to far from it as a youth.

   Now, when I am drawing, although it is not really part of the finished product, part of the process for me is actually getting covered in charcoal dust.  After each drawing session, there are marks on my face, lines where I wiped away a hair or had an itch.  My arms, legs (clothes) are covered.  Its almost as if I am ritually coating myself as I draw... HA!  I sorta love that thought.

    Be fun to simultaneously develop a series of photographic portraits which document my face after each session... LOL

ANATOMY

“Getting under the skin”  hmmmmm

I remember vividly, reading with equal horror and fascination, the passages from “The Agony and the Ecstasy” Where Michaelagelo snuck out at night to dissect a human body (if I recall it was a homeless person who died??? Maybe Im making that up.)  I sat there inspired, wanting to know the human form that intimately, yet knowing I would NEVER survive an encounter such as that.  (I cant even have blood drawn with out passing out). Frankly, if I sit and stare too long at the Rembrandt painting I feel a little woozy.

I later solved my need to know by taking an anatomy and physiology course in undergrad, at lease going into depth in pictures was manageable, and I do believe was beneficial to my drawing of the human form.

      An interesting assignment along these lines to do with kids might be to show a contraption of some sort and have them draw how they think it works, draw the insides in action, then if possible, let them take it a part and see the real inner workings.... That would be an interesting lead in to figure work...

BODY AS MEDIUM

Not sure how I feel about this chapter.  I do wish at times Bird went more in depth to help readers appreciate the intentions behind certain things, such as the artist Marc Quinn. (which I may google later) .  I am intrigued yet disturbed by the macabre description of his work and do not understand his intention or thoughts behind it. It leaves me feeling disturbed and concerned for people who may be in his company....  (too many horror movies I guess, which, if I were to broaden my ideas about art, then maybe ICOULD appreciate this more... Hmmm))

    That said, I am familiar with some of the other artists work where the body became more of a tool, such as Richard Longs line, of course, its about far more than that, ritual, space, impact all sorts of larger themes are at work here.

    My own work... I suppose the finger prints left behind might fit here, but it is not choice. I honestly have to sit with this one longer.

TST Artists Statement/Drawing

OK... So, Ive been thinking about my artist statement...  A million thoughts and images come to mind but not a linear sentence structure.  So, as a way to push my comfort zone, (or freak me out a little) I decided to try and create a visual artists statement while trying a new material which has similar aesthetic qualities as the charcoal but most certainly has a completely different spirit and essence.  Here is the result ...  (It may yet evolve more)  This is also MUCH smaller than I usually work, which made it more challenging because when I work larger, its almost like dancing.

Graphite and Gold leaf, 18 x 30 (I think)