Monday, August 31, 2009
Last Day of August
So its the last day of August. Can you believe how quickly the summer has escaped, much less the year 2009? Time just marches along quickly when you're not looking. There was so much I wanted to do this year, and now there's hardly any year left.
The AGO was lovely yesterday. I personally would have preferred a larger contemporary artwork area, but that would be my preference for art created by the living. Something about spending my time with the thoughts and ideas of predominantly dead people gets to be a little unnerving after a while. But the displays are great; I'm sure that's just me.
Was perusing and catching up on TED.com just recently (I really like this site/blog) about this 'engineer/artist' that was lamenting rather loudly that his efforts were not being recognized by ArtForum and other established art circles, and he felt truly irrated by this 'oversight'. He couldn't fathom a recourse to sound reasoning on the part of the artworld, other than perhaps their ignorance of electronic media. (Oh, I should note that he created a program that allows people to record the positive and negatives shapes produced as their bodies moved.)
Wandering around the art gallery, it is obvious that an art museum/institution is focussed on people and their inate reactions - in this case, within the artistic community - on the culture and community they live within, just as a tradition museum is focussed on the the history of man and culture itself. This is where the difference lies between the two. The historic museum is more the math, the unconscious reaction of man on his environment: this happened when, this is the tangible evidence, here is the record. The other, the art institution, is the conscious reaction of man on his environment: this is what people thought about what was happening at this point in time, this is what they created and then attempt to understand why.
Its a major difference, and probably the most obvious answer to this poor sod. What he has created is a marvellous piece of ingenuity, a tool to facilitate interaction between man and machine. The reason he's not being recognized in major art institutions would lean more towards the fact that he has no particular purpose, no thoughts or ambition towards artistic merits of this tool. What he needs is an artist to show him what it could be used for.
This, of course, by no means lessens the interest in this lovely little piece of code he's written. Perhaps I should comment directly on the site, but decided not too. But I do think artists could do much with the harnessing of engineers sometimes.
Anyway, it crossed my mind whilst wandering through the AGO. My favourite piece? "Dancing Peasants" by Adriaen Pietersz Van de Verme. Done in the 1635, believe it or not. Its simply a marvel to behold. Have never heard of him before, but this piece just sang out from the wall.
The AGO was lovely yesterday. I personally would have preferred a larger contemporary artwork area, but that would be my preference for art created by the living. Something about spending my time with the thoughts and ideas of predominantly dead people gets to be a little unnerving after a while. But the displays are great; I'm sure that's just me.
Was perusing and catching up on TED.com just recently (I really like this site/blog) about this 'engineer/artist' that was lamenting rather loudly that his efforts were not being recognized by ArtForum and other established art circles, and he felt truly irrated by this 'oversight'. He couldn't fathom a recourse to sound reasoning on the part of the artworld, other than perhaps their ignorance of electronic media. (Oh, I should note that he created a program that allows people to record the positive and negatives shapes produced as their bodies moved.)
Wandering around the art gallery, it is obvious that an art museum/institution is focussed on people and their inate reactions - in this case, within the artistic community - on the culture and community they live within, just as a tradition museum is focussed on the the history of man and culture itself. This is where the difference lies between the two. The historic museum is more the math, the unconscious reaction of man on his environment: this happened when, this is the tangible evidence, here is the record. The other, the art institution, is the conscious reaction of man on his environment: this is what people thought about what was happening at this point in time, this is what they created and then attempt to understand why.
Its a major difference, and probably the most obvious answer to this poor sod. What he has created is a marvellous piece of ingenuity, a tool to facilitate interaction between man and machine. The reason he's not being recognized in major art institutions would lean more towards the fact that he has no particular purpose, no thoughts or ambition towards artistic merits of this tool. What he needs is an artist to show him what it could be used for.
This, of course, by no means lessens the interest in this lovely little piece of code he's written. Perhaps I should comment directly on the site, but decided not too. But I do think artists could do much with the harnessing of engineers sometimes.
Anyway, it crossed my mind whilst wandering through the AGO. My favourite piece? "Dancing Peasants" by Adriaen Pietersz Van de Verme. Done in the 1635, believe it or not. Its simply a marvel to behold. Have never heard of him before, but this piece just sang out from the wall.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
From the AGO Today
Enjoying a Limonata and pastry at the Cafe in the Level 5 AGO this afternoon. Very nice. Saw the remainder of the 'Surreal Things' Exhibit and have been spending some time in the Canadiana Galleries. Recommended to anyone. Lots of thinking; will have to contemplate some before noting specifics.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Work in Progress
This is what I'm working on now, and although its not finished I do think its potential still exists. Just taking a moment to ourselves right now, to collect thoughts on where its going. Georgie thinks we should take time for a walk and think, instead of sitting staring it the work under the lights. Funny that. Sometimes I believe he is the only one that truly could put up with an artists strange working habits, even though he couldn't fathom why.
I'm contemplating the textures actually. Can't really explain this, so I won't.
Working in Oil on Paper
Just playing this weekend with oils on paper. Kinda sketching and painting at the same time, playing with the brushes really. Very relaxing. The oppressive humidity seems to have backed off for now, making the air breathable again.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Friday in the City
Just returned home from a languishing day off from regular life, rather past my bedtime I might add. Was out and about during the afternoon, having been raped by the government yet again at the Ministry of Transportation for fees unknown, so perused my favourite art store in preparation for some much needed time in front of a canvas. Or perhaps handmade paper, as I found some fabulous ones that did follow me home.
My wonderful friend Anna-Banana decided to get me a membership to the AGO in celebration of my birthday this week - yippee! - so we ended up there late in day for a quick walk through. It’s the first time I’ve been there since they officially re-opened. Very posh. Cute guy at the front, all dashing in his little uniform. Very friendly. Was a great experience except for the ridiculous closing time of 5:30pm. What’s with that? What else in the world ends at 5:30pm? It’s Friday night. I had hours to spend and they were tossing people out before the day even ended.
Saw much of the ‘Surreal Things’ exhibit. It could have been so much more really. But interesting. Not enough paintings, obviously, for my taste. Angelika Hoerle passed me like a comet all right, and Seiwert-Hoerle-Arntz were generally intriguing. Ok, I liked the oils. There is something about just looking at a painting, for me, that makes the world slow and intensify. I don’t know why. They involve me like nothing else. Just being there made me long for my brushes and the smells of my studio.
By the time we were making our way to the Canadiana galleries they were chiming the little bells and ushering us out. Damn. So I’ll go back next Saturday, because now I just feel like working. Since I’m back in the studio now, I had planned to go off to sleep and up early in the morning to work, but now that I’m here, think I’ll just work for a bit. My eyes are a little fuzzy. Perhaps a nap on the sofa in the studio, then work straight after. I try not to sleep in the studio during weeknights, cause it makes getting to work a little strenuous, but I have days left before I’m back to corporate sensibility (oxymoron? Hmmm).
I felt mood this afternoon. Saw it. Tasted it. But it wasn’t mine. I have to find my own now.
My wonderful friend Anna-Banana decided to get me a membership to the AGO in celebration of my birthday this week - yippee! - so we ended up there late in day for a quick walk through. It’s the first time I’ve been there since they officially re-opened. Very posh. Cute guy at the front, all dashing in his little uniform. Very friendly. Was a great experience except for the ridiculous closing time of 5:30pm. What’s with that? What else in the world ends at 5:30pm? It’s Friday night. I had hours to spend and they were tossing people out before the day even ended.
Saw much of the ‘Surreal Things’ exhibit. It could have been so much more really. But interesting. Not enough paintings, obviously, for my taste. Angelika Hoerle passed me like a comet all right, and Seiwert-Hoerle-Arntz were generally intriguing. Ok, I liked the oils. There is something about just looking at a painting, for me, that makes the world slow and intensify. I don’t know why. They involve me like nothing else. Just being there made me long for my brushes and the smells of my studio.
By the time we were making our way to the Canadiana galleries they were chiming the little bells and ushering us out. Damn. So I’ll go back next Saturday, because now I just feel like working. Since I’m back in the studio now, I had planned to go off to sleep and up early in the morning to work, but now that I’m here, think I’ll just work for a bit. My eyes are a little fuzzy. Perhaps a nap on the sofa in the studio, then work straight after. I try not to sleep in the studio during weeknights, cause it makes getting to work a little strenuous, but I have days left before I’m back to corporate sensibility (oxymoron? Hmmm).
I felt mood this afternoon. Saw it. Tasted it. But it wasn’t mine. I have to find my own now.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Rough Draft of Landscape Chessboard
Gonna have to paint this on board; this is just the paper draft.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Cheap Text Editor in Blogging
I have decided that I really, really hate the text editor associated with blogging. Have had two blogs deleted this week while trying to change the font to arial and then post, only to have no option to “undo”. What kind of cheap software does not allow undo in this century? I’m really mad. My happiness with this medium is gone.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Busy Working Again
A fast note that I'm busy working again in the studio. Love it when the sun shines outside, but it just hasn't been happening enough here in Toronto this summer. Finishing off the several chess boards but have already started in on a couple of paintings. Since I was unable to firmly decide which one to paint, I decided to work on several at once. This is actually quite effective, especially when working in oils. I need new canvases though. And there is this lovely little sketchbook from Montreal that was just tantilizing me from the art store last weekend when I was in. Need versus want ... I left it there. Hoping that when my birthday arrives in a few weeks I will have less willpower. Saturday, August 1, 2009
Great Photos by SM
Just sharing some great pics from a friend SM. Don't know if he wants photo credits, but his pics are terrific. They make my little chessmen look even more cool ....
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