vis archive mar 17

Old Posts Reposted

what makes art 'art', is the move in its makers heart--the move that suggests the art/gesture should be gathered out of its context so it can stand independently. This makes it possible to look at the gesture carefully, consider it in isolation, in the context it occurred in, and other related and unrelated contexts.

blue skin of a red heart

'jan 02 definitions'

negative:
fear (v. caused by unstable center)
dominion (n. desire of an ego)
lagging (v. uneven pacing between action and ideal)

semi-negative:
cater (v. act according to the wishes of others)
force (n. used to get what is desired)
counter (v. argue by negating)
course (n. pre-plan)
motion (n. undignified)
lover (n. preconceived)

neutral:
culture (n. illusion of real bonds)
round (n. mimicking shape of circle)
cavern (n. dark cave)

dual:
demon (n. physical form of fear)

positive:
less (editing to find only that which is required)
doubt (n. act of being unsure)


shringar:

lips
eyes
ears
fingers
cheeks
nose

wrists
ankles
toes
waist
neck

CoBrA Museum & Guerrilla Art Classes

Piet Ouborg, Luisterend in beweging
1948, oil on canvas, 60 x 90,5 cm

I visited the Cobra Museum (close to Amsterdam) on Sunday. It was such a treat to visit a museum and see some powerful paintings. I learned quite a bit about the revolutionary CoBrA avante-garde movement started by artists from 'Co'penhagen, 'Br'ussels, and 'A'msterdam, active from 1949-51. The movement marked a conscious break from traditional art in the Netherlands and hence was rather influential. I love their free use of form and color, and especially their borrowing from Paul Klee--who has always been rather a favorite of mine.

Also, it was very helpful to see some paintings in person instead of just online. When you see a painting in person, you can move close and away, be more aware of texture, and scale. Personally I realized how differently everyone uses texture, and that some people can push texture to an emotional plane. Strange I just wrote 'people' and not 'artists.' In fact, somewhere, in a brochure or a museum writeup, one of the Cobra artists had been quoted saying something like, "We have to get everyone painting. Everyone is a painter, whether they know it or not..." I realized the group was quite revolutionary when I read that! It made me smile too (I imagined breaking into a bank/ military base, holding everyone on gunpoint, demanding they each paint a painting right then and there. A guerrilla art class.)

Lucebert, Spanish dance, 1961, oil on canvas, 100 x 150 cm

Constant, Two Birds, 1949
oil on canvas, 82 x 63 cm

Egill Jacobsen, Rød maske, 1943
oil on canvas, 85 x 65 cm

vis archive may 16

what is precious.
what is growing.

studio may 13

studio apr 11

studio apr 08

studio apr 07

studio apr 06

studio apr 05

incomplete, 50cm x 70cm

studio april 01 (and a note)

I haven't posted for a couple weeks nearly: I was down with the flu! It is with an odd mixture of feelings that I return to my studio now. Mostly I need to work now to feel a 100%.

studio mar 23

studio mar 17