enough said....
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Why art "prodigies" no longer exist and we can't compare "talent" in art.
First things first, I am an advocate that "raw talent" does not determine success, hard work does. Anyone can get better at anything. There are thousands of articles based on thousands of studies that show practice and hard work is the biggest indicator of success. People are not born as "math people" or "art people" or "sports people." There is no genetic code that will automatically make you incapable of doing something.
I agree that there are some people out there who have an edge. First they have an innate desire to do whatever is it they will be awesome at. Not all of us are aware of what we can really shine at, simply because we don't always get to try everything. I might have the makings of the worlds greatest basket weaver but I don't plan on spending my time to find out.
Now AFTER someone decides they love something, it may turn out they have a god given gift in that area, like Stephen Hawking or Usain Bolt. There will always be the occasional genius, however, the majority of us, the 999 999 out of a million, are in the same boat of only becoming great (not necessarily the best in the world) at what we practice. Oh, and when I say practice, I mean practice really, really, really, hard.
I have pictures of my art growing up. From what I see, I would be your average kid, but as I got older, the gap between my skills and other children skills widened. I just liked what I did, and with the right encouragement, worked hard and got better at it. There is a huge jump in my skills from ages 12 - 14. This is because I started practicing on my own, a few hours a week.
Grade 7 ( This took me a long time to draw I remember copying the picture off the cover of a card I got for Christmas)
Grade 9 (we had do an acrylic painting of a wildlife photo)
In fact many of the people we consider "prodigies" were sent away at the ages of 8-10 to do absolutely nothing but study one specific field. If you look at a history of education, the current model of "study a bit of everything" until your 18 then specialize, has only been around for a short time.
Michelangelo was sent away at 13 to study under the masters. So when you see something sculpted by the 18 year old Michelangelo, remember, he had already clocked at least 10 000 hours (assuming he only studied 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, it was probably way more) in his art education. 10 000 has been marked as the number of hours it takes to master a craft. Michelangelo spent 10 000 hours under some of the best teachers of his time. When you think about it, how can we realistically compare "prodigies" from history to "prodigies" today. I certainly didn't have the advantage of 10 000 hours under an accomplished artist before turning eighteen.
No, what I had during the same time span was probably like 700-900 hours of an untrained humanities teacher stumbling her way through a middle school art class, a high school teacher with over 200 students to monitor per semester, and good old fashioned practice by myself. Sad to say, out off all the kids I knew growing up, I spent way more time on art than they did. Students who don't study on their own, even with projects, realistically get less than 500 hours, taking art for 2 years in middle school, (no homework) and 3 years in high school with an additional 3 hours of homework per week (which is a very high estimate for homework volume for an art class)
So the next time you think you or your kid, doesn't have a "talent" for art, stop being so harsh! Encourage practice, remind them that they can't compare themselves to unrealistic standards set by a different form of education. My husband has to do that for me all the time.
Now if they don't want to practice and still complain they suck that's a different story......
I agree that there are some people out there who have an edge. First they have an innate desire to do whatever is it they will be awesome at. Not all of us are aware of what we can really shine at, simply because we don't always get to try everything. I might have the makings of the worlds greatest basket weaver but I don't plan on spending my time to find out.
Now AFTER someone decides they love something, it may turn out they have a god given gift in that area, like Stephen Hawking or Usain Bolt. There will always be the occasional genius, however, the majority of us, the 999 999 out of a million, are in the same boat of only becoming great (not necessarily the best in the world) at what we practice. Oh, and when I say practice, I mean practice really, really, really, hard.
I have pictures of my art growing up. From what I see, I would be your average kid, but as I got older, the gap between my skills and other children skills widened. I just liked what I did, and with the right encouragement, worked hard and got better at it. There is a huge jump in my skills from ages 12 - 14. This is because I started practicing on my own, a few hours a week.
Grade 9 (we had do an acrylic painting of a wildlife photo)
In fact many of the people we consider "prodigies" were sent away at the ages of 8-10 to do absolutely nothing but study one specific field. If you look at a history of education, the current model of "study a bit of everything" until your 18 then specialize, has only been around for a short time.
Michelangelo was sent away at 13 to study under the masters. So when you see something sculpted by the 18 year old Michelangelo, remember, he had already clocked at least 10 000 hours (assuming he only studied 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, it was probably way more) in his art education. 10 000 has been marked as the number of hours it takes to master a craft. Michelangelo spent 10 000 hours under some of the best teachers of his time. When you think about it, how can we realistically compare "prodigies" from history to "prodigies" today. I certainly didn't have the advantage of 10 000 hours under an accomplished artist before turning eighteen.
No, what I had during the same time span was probably like 700-900 hours of an untrained humanities teacher stumbling her way through a middle school art class, a high school teacher with over 200 students to monitor per semester, and good old fashioned practice by myself. Sad to say, out off all the kids I knew growing up, I spent way more time on art than they did. Students who don't study on their own, even with projects, realistically get less than 500 hours, taking art for 2 years in middle school, (no homework) and 3 years in high school with an additional 3 hours of homework per week (which is a very high estimate for homework volume for an art class)
So the next time you think you or your kid, doesn't have a "talent" for art, stop being so harsh! Encourage practice, remind them that they can't compare themselves to unrealistic standards set by a different form of education. My husband has to do that for me all the time.
Now if they don't want to practice and still complain they suck that's a different story......
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Myths about Artist's, Actors,and Muscians - 10 Artist Stereotypes in the Media
Well...... I have always had a problem with the way artist's are portrayed, in fact the reason why the profession of "artist" has regressed from respected to ridiculous is probably because of the many many lies and stereotypes out there about the "artistic individual." This applies to all visual artists, writers, musicians, actors, and somewhat dancing.
I get it, artists make for better movie material, because you can see, read, or hear their progress. If movies were about teenagers who loved math there wouldn't parental disapproval and no one wants to watch the intensity of solving really tough theoretical problems on a white board..... well unless its Good Will Hunting.
Anyway I shall get to it, here are 10 of the BIG MYTHS about artists, and "truths' behind them.
10. Artist do art because they can't do anything else.
MYTH: I really don't know when this became a logical thought process for people. People are not so unskilled that they can only do one thing with their lives. They way someone becomes an artist is through several steps; first, they really like art, second, they spend most of their time doing art, third, they can make enough money (or are otherwise financially supported) with their art. Those things make you an artist, and if you like it, and your lucky enough to be able to do it, then why wouldn't you? If they liked something else more than art they would do that instead. There's no reason why a sculptor couldn't also be a landscaper, the only difference is no one would think the landscaper was inept at everything else...
9. Artists are bad at other things, such as math or science because art does not play well with other interests.
MYTH: This has also confused me, but its not true about all forms of art, in fact many people believe that mathematical ability translates well into musical ability, but that's more of an exception to the rule. New Media has especially proven this Myth wrong. Many new media artists, are innovators when it comes to taking scientific advancement and integrating it into our daily lives. They work with, projections, light, sound and movement sensors, virtual reality, 3D imaging, interactive sculpture, electronic architecture, and the list goes on and on and on. Remember "Americas Got Talent' where it was a dancer/choreographer who made the technology for the Team iLuminate?
8. Artists are socially awkward because of their crazy or reclusive personalities.
MYTH: Is anybody not weird, really? No one is normal, no one is outgoing and happy all the time, but for some reason artists have this exclusive right to being "out there." As if art was some sort of reason for weirdness. The only grain of truth I can find in this is that some people might think artists are odd because we get inspired at odd times. Art isn't really a 9-5 thing, and like many other professions, you have to strike while the iron is hot, and get to work while the idea is still fresh in your memory. So if the artist you know is suddenly deep in thought, or leaves the party because he has to go home and jot something down, well, that might be odd; other than that artists are pretty normal, and there is only one crazy odd and reclusive person out of twenty other socially adjusted people.
7. Artists don't have real work ethic, they just work when they feel "inspired."
MYTH: Well, yes, I have met this breed of artists, but to be completely honest, they don't last much longer after they get out of college. Any working artist will tell you that "inspiration" is not consistent, nor is it always relevant to what your working on, and that they keep working and pushing through even when they are not inspired, just like everybody else. Artists actually need to have a really high work ethic because they are self employed. There's no boss leaning over your shoulder, and unless you push yourself, you don't make anything, and then your starve, and then you die.
6. Artist use their pain to fuel artistic works.
Myth with some Truth: First the myth part. Pain is not the only source of inspiration/drive, and its definitely not the best motivator. When artists are in pain, like everybody else, that usually leads to not wanting to do anything except heal. If you are even able to still make art, sometimes it helps, and sometimes it doesn't. The reality in this one is that pain usually leads to growth, and then to understanding/enlightenment about the situation, and a new kind of truth or perspective that the artist wants to share. So pain does not always equal lots of good art, growth and understanding does.
5. Artists are more likely to be substance abusers, and lead unhealthy lifestyles.
MYTH: I'm pretty sure this one gets around because of two reasons. 1. People think artists use substance abuse to get inspired, 2. People think artists can maintain a lifestyle that other professions wouldn't allow. Now there is a cult of post show/performance partying where there is lots of substance abuse, however, artists are no more prone to being a substance abuser than any other heavy partyers you know. So next time you meet an artist, don't assume. Also, we exercise, just like everybody else.
4. Artists are not good with relationships/unfaithful.
MYTH: No idea where this one comes from, but to date, I have found zero truth to this myth. Artists fall into the same category as everybody else in the relationship zone. I usually just chalk it up to the few artists who have sensationalized biographies.
3. After the Artist goes through a long dry spell they will suddenly produce a masterpiece out of the blue and in a very short period of time.
MYTH: Um no. Just no. All excellent art comes from practice, many drawings, sketches, studies, rehearsals, fine tuning, self editing, critique, observation and back breaking effort. The piece itself may only take to minutes to make or preform, but there is a lifetime of preparation for any masterpiece.
2. All artists have natural talent which makes them good.
MYTH: I really wish we could just get rid of the word talent. Talent exists when your still under twenty. Talent is the tiny spark, that got you started, after that you are on your own. EVERY SINGLE ARTIST WORKED THEIR BUTT OFF DURING HOURS AND HOURS OF PRACTICE! So don't act like the only difference between you and the artist is their "talent." NO the difference between you and the artist is a lifetime of practice, education, sacrifice and dedication to/for their craft. Talent is not magic fairy dust, artistic education requires the same amount of effort as any other form of education, and a successful artist, put in the same number of hours as a successful businessman. Their success did not come any easier because of "talent.' I really believe people confuse talent with style, style is individuality that is developed over years of honing ones skills.
AND NOW FOR THE BIGGEST MYTH ABOUT ARTISTS
1. Art is always enjoyable and never hard because the Artist loves making art and it comes naturally.
MYTH: I have been fighting this one my whole life, and it is the one that drives me the most insane. When did loving ones job, mean that an artist never suffered, never felt the grind of a hard days work. I'm going to speak for myself, but I am positive this applies to all artists. Yes, I love what I do, but there are days, nights, weeks, months, of exhausting work, where I am mentally and physically drained. When your an artist there are no easy solutions to problems, you want to move on, or do something else, but you can't, you have deadlines a performances coming up, and there is no one, no book, no video, who can tell you how to solve your problems, or unblock your artistic block. Also unless your Jeff Koons, or Damian Hurst, most artists don't have a factory of helpers to do the menial time consuming labor, so every project has parts of it that are all work and very little art. All working artists also commit their time to marketing and advertising. All artists lead double lives working as entrepreneurs, trying to sell their talent. Some weeks we're not doing art at all, we have to network, fill out applications, make bids to work on projects or get a booking, and did I mention the stiff competition? Mothers have kids because they love them, but that doesn't mean its sunshine and roses all the time. Point of this very long rant, you can love something, but that never makes it easy.
Well that is all for a long while, and I'm really glad to get it off my chest, phew. As a side note, I'm not saying that being an artist is the most difficult thing in the world. I just want equal respect for artists that other professionals have.
I get it, artists make for better movie material, because you can see, read, or hear their progress. If movies were about teenagers who loved math there wouldn't parental disapproval and no one wants to watch the intensity of solving really tough theoretical problems on a white board..... well unless its Good Will Hunting.
Anyway I shall get to it, here are 10 of the BIG MYTHS about artists, and "truths' behind them.
10. Artist do art because they can't do anything else.
MYTH: I really don't know when this became a logical thought process for people. People are not so unskilled that they can only do one thing with their lives. They way someone becomes an artist is through several steps; first, they really like art, second, they spend most of their time doing art, third, they can make enough money (or are otherwise financially supported) with their art. Those things make you an artist, and if you like it, and your lucky enough to be able to do it, then why wouldn't you? If they liked something else more than art they would do that instead. There's no reason why a sculptor couldn't also be a landscaper, the only difference is no one would think the landscaper was inept at everything else...
9. Artists are bad at other things, such as math or science because art does not play well with other interests.
MYTH: This has also confused me, but its not true about all forms of art, in fact many people believe that mathematical ability translates well into musical ability, but that's more of an exception to the rule. New Media has especially proven this Myth wrong. Many new media artists, are innovators when it comes to taking scientific advancement and integrating it into our daily lives. They work with, projections, light, sound and movement sensors, virtual reality, 3D imaging, interactive sculpture, electronic architecture, and the list goes on and on and on. Remember "Americas Got Talent' where it was a dancer/choreographer who made the technology for the Team iLuminate?
8. Artists are socially awkward because of their crazy or reclusive personalities.
MYTH: Is anybody not weird, really? No one is normal, no one is outgoing and happy all the time, but for some reason artists have this exclusive right to being "out there." As if art was some sort of reason for weirdness. The only grain of truth I can find in this is that some people might think artists are odd because we get inspired at odd times. Art isn't really a 9-5 thing, and like many other professions, you have to strike while the iron is hot, and get to work while the idea is still fresh in your memory. So if the artist you know is suddenly deep in thought, or leaves the party because he has to go home and jot something down, well, that might be odd; other than that artists are pretty normal, and there is only one crazy odd and reclusive person out of twenty other socially adjusted people.
7. Artists don't have real work ethic, they just work when they feel "inspired."
MYTH: Well, yes, I have met this breed of artists, but to be completely honest, they don't last much longer after they get out of college. Any working artist will tell you that "inspiration" is not consistent, nor is it always relevant to what your working on, and that they keep working and pushing through even when they are not inspired, just like everybody else. Artists actually need to have a really high work ethic because they are self employed. There's no boss leaning over your shoulder, and unless you push yourself, you don't make anything, and then your starve, and then you die.
6. Artist use their pain to fuel artistic works.
Myth with some Truth: First the myth part. Pain is not the only source of inspiration/drive, and its definitely not the best motivator. When artists are in pain, like everybody else, that usually leads to not wanting to do anything except heal. If you are even able to still make art, sometimes it helps, and sometimes it doesn't. The reality in this one is that pain usually leads to growth, and then to understanding/enlightenment about the situation, and a new kind of truth or perspective that the artist wants to share. So pain does not always equal lots of good art, growth and understanding does.
5. Artists are more likely to be substance abusers, and lead unhealthy lifestyles.
MYTH: I'm pretty sure this one gets around because of two reasons. 1. People think artists use substance abuse to get inspired, 2. People think artists can maintain a lifestyle that other professions wouldn't allow. Now there is a cult of post show/performance partying where there is lots of substance abuse, however, artists are no more prone to being a substance abuser than any other heavy partyers you know. So next time you meet an artist, don't assume. Also, we exercise, just like everybody else.
4. Artists are not good with relationships/unfaithful.
MYTH: No idea where this one comes from, but to date, I have found zero truth to this myth. Artists fall into the same category as everybody else in the relationship zone. I usually just chalk it up to the few artists who have sensationalized biographies.
3. After the Artist goes through a long dry spell they will suddenly produce a masterpiece out of the blue and in a very short period of time.
MYTH: Um no. Just no. All excellent art comes from practice, many drawings, sketches, studies, rehearsals, fine tuning, self editing, critique, observation and back breaking effort. The piece itself may only take to minutes to make or preform, but there is a lifetime of preparation for any masterpiece.
2. All artists have natural talent which makes them good.
MYTH: I really wish we could just get rid of the word talent. Talent exists when your still under twenty. Talent is the tiny spark, that got you started, after that you are on your own. EVERY SINGLE ARTIST WORKED THEIR BUTT OFF DURING HOURS AND HOURS OF PRACTICE! So don't act like the only difference between you and the artist is their "talent." NO the difference between you and the artist is a lifetime of practice, education, sacrifice and dedication to/for their craft. Talent is not magic fairy dust, artistic education requires the same amount of effort as any other form of education, and a successful artist, put in the same number of hours as a successful businessman. Their success did not come any easier because of "talent.' I really believe people confuse talent with style, style is individuality that is developed over years of honing ones skills.
AND NOW FOR THE BIGGEST MYTH ABOUT ARTISTS
1. Art is always enjoyable and never hard because the Artist loves making art and it comes naturally.
MYTH: I have been fighting this one my whole life, and it is the one that drives me the most insane. When did loving ones job, mean that an artist never suffered, never felt the grind of a hard days work. I'm going to speak for myself, but I am positive this applies to all artists. Yes, I love what I do, but there are days, nights, weeks, months, of exhausting work, where I am mentally and physically drained. When your an artist there are no easy solutions to problems, you want to move on, or do something else, but you can't, you have deadlines a performances coming up, and there is no one, no book, no video, who can tell you how to solve your problems, or unblock your artistic block. Also unless your Jeff Koons, or Damian Hurst, most artists don't have a factory of helpers to do the menial time consuming labor, so every project has parts of it that are all work and very little art. All working artists also commit their time to marketing and advertising. All artists lead double lives working as entrepreneurs, trying to sell their talent. Some weeks we're not doing art at all, we have to network, fill out applications, make bids to work on projects or get a booking, and did I mention the stiff competition? Mothers have kids because they love them, but that doesn't mean its sunshine and roses all the time. Point of this very long rant, you can love something, but that never makes it easy.
Well that is all for a long while, and I'm really glad to get it off my chest, phew. As a side note, I'm not saying that being an artist is the most difficult thing in the world. I just want equal respect for artists that other professionals have.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
BBC's The Power of Art Series - A MUST WATCH Art Documentary
Art Documentaries are one of my favorite ways to pass the time. I plan to recommend more than just these ones, but the nice thing about this series is they are all available to the public and so easily found.
What do I have to say about the BBC Series, The Power of Art?
Wow wow wow. I spent all yesterday watching every single one of these documentaries. They were absolutely excellent. These documentaries, all available on Youtube under the title, The Power of Art (BBC Series) feature 8 world changing artists. Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt David, Turner, van Gogh, Picasso, and Rothko. The narrator is a pleasure to listen to, while the reenactments of the famous artists were much better than your average documentary. I particularly enjoyed Andy Serkis as Vincent van Gogh. Andy Serkis is the actor who played Gollum in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Series, for those who might not know his name.
For anyone who wants a story with passion, history, and most of all jaw dropping, gut wrenching, visually stunning art this is for you. As someone who has been studying these artists for a very long while I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of detail and uncommon knowledge that was in these documentaries. So for your viewing pleasure, here is the video for the first documentary, and links to all the others. In addition I have included a surprise painting from two of these artists.
What do I have to say about the BBC Series, The Power of Art?
Wow wow wow. I spent all yesterday watching every single one of these documentaries. They were absolutely excellent. These documentaries, all available on Youtube under the title, The Power of Art (BBC Series) feature 8 world changing artists. Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt David, Turner, van Gogh, Picasso, and Rothko. The narrator is a pleasure to listen to, while the reenactments of the famous artists were much better than your average documentary. I particularly enjoyed Andy Serkis as Vincent van Gogh. Andy Serkis is the actor who played Gollum in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Series, for those who might not know his name.
For anyone who wants a story with passion, history, and most of all jaw dropping, gut wrenching, visually stunning art this is for you. As someone who has been studying these artists for a very long while I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of detail and uncommon knowledge that was in these documentaries. So for your viewing pleasure, here is the video for the first documentary, and links to all the others. In addition I have included a surprise painting from two of these artists.
Behold the tumultuous life of Caravaggio.
Links to the other videos
"This is not a series about things that hang on walls, it is not about decor or prettiness. It is a series about the force, the need, the passion of art
...the power of art." - BBC
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Amy Dryer - Featuring Local Talent
Amy Dryer is a local artist here in Calgary. Her works can currently be found in the Axis Gallery. She is heavily influenced by music and dance; these influence are expressed in her painting through the uses of arbitrary colour and stroke direction/weight. I want to show two of her paintings I really enjoy today.
Alley - Artist Amy Dryer
Oil on canvas
48 x 48 inches
Perhaps what is so exciting about Amy's work is that it pleasantly mixes the everyday with vibrant movement and unusual color. We can recognize as unique scenes of Canadian and even Calgarian lifestyle. She transforms her images from static to full of life as we see her brush skip across the canvas. The stokes flick, jump, and play with each other. The use of complementary colours keeps the marks from blending into each other; this creates an unusual lifting effect as some colours do not truly rest or lay flat on the canvas. Her painterly movement pulls use down the alley way, giving the illusion of walking or driving down the road as the scenery move by.
Oil on canvas
48 x 60 inches
This subject of two dancers lends itself well to Amy's painting style as she keeps her brush constantly moving. Mirroring the fluidity and spontaneity of the dancers. Ebb and flow of colour and composition creates diagonals, giving the painting motion. Keeping the dancers undefined and using multiple contour lines makes it as though the viewer is reading a series of impressions; of where the dancers have been, where they might be now, and the direction they are going.
As always please discussion of the art is welcome in the comments section. - Frances
Friday, March 29, 2013
Anselm Kiefer - Why you need to know this guy!
Anselm Kiefer - You don`t need to know the biography of every artist that you encounter in order to understand their work, but Kiefer didn`t have your average life. Born at the end of world war II (1945) in Germany Kiefer has spent most of his artistic life talking about German culture which was lost during the rule of the Third Reich. Through his photography, his sculpture and his painting you can feel the profound sorrow of Kiefer. Now jumping straight into the art.
The stats on this painting`:
Source: http://www.sfmoma.org/explore/collection/artwork/171#ixzz2OwFUONx5
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Lets talk. So what does a massive pyramid have to do with post war Germany? The tale of Osiris and Isis, is that they were husband and wife Egyptian Gods. Osiris, God of the underworld, was brutally murdered by his brother set, after which his wife Isis went about gathering all of his scattered remains to resurrect him. This story parallels the tale of Germany, the nation. its customs, its history, metaphorically shredded and scattered, and then at the end of the war, the hopeful but distraught must gather the remnants and cobble their beloved memories together again. Imagine the pain of Isis, as she searched for what was left of her husband.
The painting itself is absolutely massive, 3.8m by 5.6m in size. The formal elements are huge, overwhelming even. Looking at the dark tumultuous sky we feel despair and foreboding, the task at hand seeming impossible. How does one go about repairing a pyramid, the base missing huge chunks, the top being so far away. The thick layers of paint create such a strong pull, such a essence of the third dimension, we understand the task is not easy. The embedded objects add to the sense of decay, as though they have fallen off the canvas and out towards us. The loose quality of his strokes give the feeling that at any moment it could all come crumbling down.
A pyramid fallen into such as state also represents the absence of a powerful leader. The emptiness and loss that comes from having one's ruler, destroyed and discredited. Good or bad, having someone you can follow taken from you, or to feel that your trust and loyalty was for naught, is an overwhelming heartache.
This is another painting I love. It is very reminiscent of his photography.
Anselm Kiefer’s Der Wolken heitere Stimmung (2011). Oil, emulsion, acrylic, shellac and lead on canvas
Kiefer paints a number of these burnt field paintings. Is very hard to see a farm burnt down to such and extent, the field once full of life and bounty reduced to charred remains. You feel death. Something about the huge size of these paintings is that they begin to look all the more real. The painting envelops you in the space. You are the one standing in the field. The viewer questions, who is responsible, looking at the miles and miles just meaninglessly destroyed. Even covered in snow, we see the white spray over heard like a reminder of the smoke that once hung over the field. It just makes one feel so hollow. With Kiefer, we really get that less real is more real, the way he uses paint make my heart want to cry out for the injustice of it all. The lack of detail seems to be what gives the scene more credibility.
Now the stethoscope. An odd addition one might think; however we find it talks a lot on the subject of death. Any farmer would say that the land and its produce is the heart of a nation. Its natural beauty which is so integral to the lives of its citizens. If one is to consider the importance of a pulse, the steady rhythmic beating that keeps the blood flowing; what if someone was to come in and tear down the natural order of things, to cut off the pulse of life. How is the land to replenish itself and its people then. The burnt farm is which symbolizes hope and life, is the nation personified, in my opinion the stethoscope makes this clear.
That`s all for now. I hope you all go out and look up some more of Kiefer`s works. He certainly deserves more space than this. Happy Artings - Frances
_
The stats on this painting`:
Osiris und Isis (Osiris and Isis)
1985-1987
painting | oil and acrylic emulsion with additional three-dimensional mediaSource: http://www.sfmoma.org/explore/collection/artwork/171#ixzz2OwFUONx5
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Lets talk. So what does a massive pyramid have to do with post war Germany? The tale of Osiris and Isis, is that they were husband and wife Egyptian Gods. Osiris, God of the underworld, was brutally murdered by his brother set, after which his wife Isis went about gathering all of his scattered remains to resurrect him. This story parallels the tale of Germany, the nation. its customs, its history, metaphorically shredded and scattered, and then at the end of the war, the hopeful but distraught must gather the remnants and cobble their beloved memories together again. Imagine the pain of Isis, as she searched for what was left of her husband.
The painting itself is absolutely massive, 3.8m by 5.6m in size. The formal elements are huge, overwhelming even. Looking at the dark tumultuous sky we feel despair and foreboding, the task at hand seeming impossible. How does one go about repairing a pyramid, the base missing huge chunks, the top being so far away. The thick layers of paint create such a strong pull, such a essence of the third dimension, we understand the task is not easy. The embedded objects add to the sense of decay, as though they have fallen off the canvas and out towards us. The loose quality of his strokes give the feeling that at any moment it could all come crumbling down.
A pyramid fallen into such as state also represents the absence of a powerful leader. The emptiness and loss that comes from having one's ruler, destroyed and discredited. Good or bad, having someone you can follow taken from you, or to feel that your trust and loyalty was for naught, is an overwhelming heartache.
This is another painting I love. It is very reminiscent of his photography.
Anselm Kiefer’s Der Wolken heitere Stimmung (2011). Oil, emulsion, acrylic, shellac and lead on canvas
Kiefer paints a number of these burnt field paintings. Is very hard to see a farm burnt down to such and extent, the field once full of life and bounty reduced to charred remains. You feel death. Something about the huge size of these paintings is that they begin to look all the more real. The painting envelops you in the space. You are the one standing in the field. The viewer questions, who is responsible, looking at the miles and miles just meaninglessly destroyed. Even covered in snow, we see the white spray over heard like a reminder of the smoke that once hung over the field. It just makes one feel so hollow. With Kiefer, we really get that less real is more real, the way he uses paint make my heart want to cry out for the injustice of it all. The lack of detail seems to be what gives the scene more credibility.
Now the stethoscope. An odd addition one might think; however we find it talks a lot on the subject of death. Any farmer would say that the land and its produce is the heart of a nation. Its natural beauty which is so integral to the lives of its citizens. If one is to consider the importance of a pulse, the steady rhythmic beating that keeps the blood flowing; what if someone was to come in and tear down the natural order of things, to cut off the pulse of life. How is the land to replenish itself and its people then. The burnt farm is which symbolizes hope and life, is the nation personified, in my opinion the stethoscope makes this clear.
That`s all for now. I hope you all go out and look up some more of Kiefer`s works. He certainly deserves more space than this. Happy Artings - Frances
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Debut of the Art Talk Blog
Hello to all who have seen www.francesrush.com and to those who have not. The difference between this blog and my website is that it will feature other artists, and only occasionally talk about my work. I want to share all that I have gained in my artistic education from discussing art history, artistic methods, to contemporary artists both known and unknown. I also want to help broaden the scope of the online artist connoisseur as I become increasingly aware of the fact that people looking for good art online don't find it. Instead they are flooded with kitsch cat drawings, anime doodles, and over wrought portrait pencil drawings. Not to say that these don't have value as technical studies, hey I do a portrait in pencil now and then to keep my hands and eyes sharp, but they simply are not the best stuff out their that the art world has to offer. There is art out there, that is mind blowing, technically stunning, thought provoking, and hits you somewhere deep deep inside, its gut wrenching.
You will find yourself being inspired, and being enlightened. Get the best of what the art world has to offer, and if you can't do it at abroad or at school, you can start with here.
You will find yourself being inspired, and being enlightened. Get the best of what the art world has to offer, and if you can't do it at abroad or at school, you can start with here.
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