Finding Inspiration

Frederic Edwin, Niagara, 1857

There are days when I need something to help me feel inspired not just to do art but to remind me why we are alive.  One of my favorite places to go is to visit an art museum.  It doesn't have to  be a big museum. It doesn't have to be a famous museum, but it does have to have art.

I find inspiration in viewing the artwork of other artists.  It doesn't matter what level of skill they have--it can be beginner art or it can be the work of Masters.  I enjoy looking at the brushstrokes. I like trying to understand the process that was used.  Sometimes, I just like to sit back and look with appreciation.  I try to look with appreciation even when I don't "like" the artwork, the colors or the "message."

Juan Gris, Ace of Clubs and Four of Diamonds, 1912

I am inspired by the creative energy that is expended in the process of making artwork.  I am inspired by the tools and techniques. I am intrigued by different mediums than those that I use.  Since I usually use many different mediums, it is sometimes difficult for me to find mediums that I don't use. One medium I have never used is oil paint.  And art galleries are a sure ticket to finding some paintings made in oil paint.  I don't have the patience to wait for art to dry and oil paints take a long time to dry.

There is something that happens when I go to a gallery where I become very calm. I like the quiet hush of a public museum.  I like the sense of reverence for the creative works of others. I can't really explain it but if you have not ever gone to an art museum, I recommend you try to take the time to truly appreciate the artwork.  Suggested tips?

Juan Honore Fragonard, Diana and Endymion, 1753/1756

1.  Take your time.  Don't go if you don't have time to go slowly to enjoy the art.  I usually will look at a single art piece for a minimum of ten or twenty minutes. I read the information that is posted next to the art or that is listed with the gallery about the art.  I look at it and ask the same questions I ask my students when I take them to the gallery (see #2).

2.  Ask questions about the art.  There are often museum guards who know a lot about the art and are willing to answer questions so long as you don't distract them from their job.  There are also docents who do tours and have tons of information about the artist and the work on display.  But you can also ask questions and see what answers you come up with.  When I teach students at a gallery, I ask them questions like, "what is this artwork's story?"  "what mediums do you think the artist used? " "what techniques did the artist used?"  "why did the artist feel moved to make this art/what was the artist hoping to convey?"

Vincent van Gogh, Farmhouse in Provence, 1888

3. Don't worry if you don't see every piece in the gallery in a single visit.  In fact, if you don't, it gives you great reasons to go back often and reboot your focus.

I wish I could better convey the feeling I get from visiting an art gallery.  If you've never gone or you go rarely, give it a try and go with an open mind.

(c) 2017, SZing, Bohemian Art Cafe.  All Rights Reserved.  Photographs of artwork courtesy of National Gallery of Art, Washington DC  via Open Access.

How much was that $1 Million Vase worth?

I've been pondering the irony of the fact that Ai Weiwei's art show in Miami was vandalized by local Miami Florida artist Maximo Caminero.  Caminero took one of the ancient, priceless Han Dynasty Chinese vases (apparently owned by Ai WeiWei, not China or its people) that Ai Weiwei's art team, under Weiwei's direction, vandalized by painting bright colored paint and he (Caminero) smashed the vases on the ground into smithereens.  

One could possibly call this performance art.  Or art imitating art.  

If you know nothing about Ai WeiWei, you might be surprised to learn that Ai and his team of artisan assistants smashed priceless antique vases as a part of a performance art statement that was filmed by Ai's team.  

I was surprised that so few of the reporting agencies that carried the story forgot to mention that this mirrored Ai's own work.  One of the few who actually got this ironic bit was the LA Times. 

Caminero says he did it because he was upset that the Perez Art Museum in Miami.  They apparently have neglected and passed over the local talents of artists who are available for the picking like the ripe fruit Florida is known for, choosing instead to seek out the art of those who are half a world away.

Having viewed Ai WeiWei's film Never Sorry, a 2012 documentary about his works and life, I value his contribution to the world, but I also see Caminero's point.  If more galleries would make more effort to show the works of local artists, the world would be even richer.  

And wouldn't it be delightful if a local gallery in China wanted to showcase a local artist from Miami and it caused a worldwide stir so that that artist's works would sell and become worth millions more than it was before the show.  Maybe, if they were really lucky, someone would come in and slash up the work.  It would make the news and the art prices for that artist would skyrocket.  Additionally, the artist would immediately gain the attention of the Art World as a Very Important Artist.  I'm just saying here that the ironies abound in this situation.

For some reason, Ai Weiwei, who some say is a better activist than artist, inspires other artists to springboard off of him.  For example, in 2011, the television show The Next Great Artist runner up Young Sun Han  used Ai WeiWei to catapult himself into a strong contender position to win the show.   Was his stack of tied up newspapers with the words 

Where is Ai Wei Wei and redaction truly art?  To me, it was. And perhaps the Art World only takes artworks seriously if they either focus on human rights issues or artists that do a figurative nose thumbing to the rules of the Art World.

Here is a very interesting report about Ai WeiWei's reaction to the destruction of the vase. The actions truly raises some serious questions for the Art World.  I particularly liked this quote "However, Mr Ai, 56, also believes that something positive may come out of the incident, namely more publicity for the art show in Miami, which so far has attracted little attention.   Now the show will be noticed," he said.  So practical of Ai.  I'm sure his show will now garner far more than the $1 Million that the broken vase was worth.

I have only one other question.  The artwork that Caminero smashed is reportedly worth $1 Million.  Is this what it was worth before Ai vandalized it by painting it?  Just curious.

Artsy is Missing Out

Just ran across an article in Forbes Magazine that has me thinking, steaming and wanting to reach out to Carter Cleveland at Artsy to say, "Hey dude, you're missing out!"

Beautiful Monster, Mixed Media. (c) SZing 2011

Artsy does not accept portfolios or have any interest (at least at this point) in the "individual artist."  While I admit that Artsy has some pretty nice features and is making headway in it's depiction of artwork, I have to say that they are FAR AWAY from their self-proclamation of being "the Amazon" of the art world.  Since they have no current interest in cataloguing or posting the artwork of artists that are not currently represented by selling art galleries they are missing out on an ENORMOUS collection of artworks not only throughout the USA but across the globe.

If all they show is the work that is always shown, if all they know are the artists that are already known, then they are missing out.  The vast majority of active artists are not represented by selling art galleries.  That does not mean that they are not artists.  Many artists are selling in a wider variety of venues and many show their artwork in museum type galleries.  To confine the "art world" to the "art gallery artist" certainly does not impress me.  Nor does it make Artsy's "artistic genome" project remotely near a success since many of the grass root genes are missing in action.

Standing Against the Crowd, Mixed Media (c) SZing 2011

The site has a fairly limited number of artworks by different artists.  And no way to filter by the artists except by using the "search" mode.  The top way it offers a search is by categorizing the price of the artwork. Hmmm.  Me thinks they are soooo missing out on the real picture.  Uh, Mr. Cleveland, let me just say the cost of a piece of art does not mean it is art nor even good art.  And the cost of the art doesn't preclude a piece from being art.  I have seen thousands of examples of artworks that cost absolutely nothing and the artists do them just because they desire that form of self expression.  Many artists give away their artworks to others (check out the Abandoned Art Group on Face Book for example! or the number of artist trading card sites that exist).  The commercial value of a piece does not make an artwork an artwork.  Each piece of art has its own intrinsic value.

I May Be Old, But I'm Still Useful, Found Objects Sculpture
(c) SZing, 2011 (Please not the NFS on the sign.  This was not for sale!!! I
made it for myself and hung it at my own home because I loved it.)

If Artsy.net really wanted to make an art genome or become the Amazon of art, they would open their doors to catalogue and display any and all art offered.

I find it disturbing that this art site and their ilk believe that they have captured the "essence" of the art world while skipping over the true essence of the art world.  The gems that they are missing are the (gack--I'm sooo tired of him) Damien Hirst's, the Pablo Picasso's,  Frieda Kahlo's, and even the Banksy's of tomorrow. But because so many artists are not "represented by a gallery" they are overlooked.  The "underground" (aka, the unrepresented artists) art world is certainly exploding and I have to hope that there are art galleries and collectors who are seeking the emerging or unsung artists to round out their known artist collection.

There is so much work out there that is not represented, but the truth is that it is representative of what is truly shaping the art world.  I find it ironic that Banksy and other artists who are currently considered tops in the world began as outsider artists and certainly were pooh-poohed by the "art world."  By the "art world" what I mean is the snooty, small minded art snobs who disregard the creative works of hundreds of thousands is not millions of artists world wide...all because their work isn't selling in the $$$ range. Did they forget that isn't what art is about? Perhaps they need to expand their vision and their definition of art and what is a successful artist?

Pieces Parts, Mixed Media Sculpture (c) SZing 2011

An art genome missing 3/4th of its genome is hardly worth the bother.  And an Art Amazon only for the very wealthy doesn't really capture the art for the masses.

Don't Just Fly...Get A Hit of Culture

In almost every area of the country, you don't have to go far (a couple of hours drive at most) to find hidden gems of artwork for the public to view.  In my case, there are many areas and I don't have go to New York City to get high quality art experiences.

In fact, I only have to drive to the Tampa International Airport, a drive of about an hour and a half.  No, I don't have an immediate plans to take a flight anywhere.  There are a surprising number of artworks on display at this airport--enough to fill a small gallery.  Today's challenge, find a hidden cache of artwork on display in a town where you never expected to see it.  And then...go see it.  You might not even have to fly to get your hit of culture.