Friday, August 25, 2017
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Opportunity for Artists
Deadline: September 15th, 2017
The Lawrence Arts Center invites artists to submit works on paper that are 12 inches by 12 inches. This juried exhibition celebrates contemporary art by both established and emerging artists. Works on paper can include, but are not limited to: drawing, painting on paper, hand-pulled prints, photography, digital pieces displayed as prints, photographic prints. Selected works will be hung with magnets. Juror: Hong Chun Zhang. Cash awards. Submission Deadline: September 15, 2017.
The exhibition will run Oct. 27 - Dec. 22, 2017.
Details at https://lawrenceartscenter.org/2017/07/12x12-national-juried-exhibition-call-for-submissions/
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Opportunity for DMV artists
Deadline: September 15, 2017
The Franz and Virginia Bader Fund invites grant applications from visual artists who are aged 40 years and over and who live within 150 miles of Washington, DC. Artists working in performance, video, and film are not eligible for Bader Fund grants. To download an application form, visit the Bader Fund website.
In 2016, the Bader Fund awarded seven grants totaling $105,000.
No Entry Fee.
Details: 202-288-4608 OR http://www.baderfund.org OR grants@baderfund.org
The Franz and Virginia Bader Fund invites grant applications from visual artists who are aged 40 years and over and who live within 150 miles of Washington, DC. Artists working in performance, video, and film are not eligible for Bader Fund grants. To download an application form, visit the Bader Fund website.
In 2016, the Bader Fund awarded seven grants totaling $105,000.
No Entry Fee.
Details: 202-288-4608 OR http://www.baderfund.org OR grants@baderfund.org
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Six Alternative Representation Strategies for Artists
While today’s working artists still rely on galleries to forge their path to success, artists are increasingly seeking alternative representation models in an effort to exhibit their work.
Once upon a time, the road to art fame was narrow but straightforward: artists would secure gallery representation, and this beneficial relationship, in turn, catapulted the artist toward universal recognition. Galleries guaranteed artists an exhibition on a regular basis, produced publications on the artist’s work, and expanded their collector base at a steady, gradual pace.
Fast forward to the post-internet era, a world where artist career development has irrevocably shifted along new pathways.Read the whole article by Audra Lambert here.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Wanna be a docent at the NGA?
The National Gallery of Art is recruiting docents to conduct thought-provoking and engaging tours, in English and other languages, for thousands of adult visitors from around the world, providing rich and memorable experiences with works of art in the Gallery’s collection.
New docents are expected to make a five-year commitment to the program, which includes two years of initial training, beginning in September 2018. The training program focuses on museum education and art history related to the permanent collection and incorporates workshops, in-gallery sessions, lectures, readings, and more. Docents become part of a community of learners and continue their education beyond the initial two-year training period, both formally and informally.
Those interested in applying to the program must attend an information meeting, which run from October into December. Dates, times, and registration for these meetings can be found on the Gallery’s Docents page starting on August 15. Applications are due by December 31. For more information, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page or email newdocents@nga.gov.
Applicants from all backgrounds and life experiences are welcome and encouraged to apply.
For a full press release and images, visit: https://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/press/2017/docents.html
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Saturday, August 19, 2017
2018 Post-Graduate Residency Studio at Torpedo Factory Art Center is now open
Call for Artists:
2018 Post-Graduate Residency Studio at Torpedo Factory Art Center is now open
Deadline: Sunday, September 10, 2017
Application: torpedofactory.org/artopps
Application: torpedofactory.org/artopps
Now in its fourth year, the Post-Graduate Residency Studio at the Torpedo Factory Art Center is seeking applicants for the 2018 program via torpedofactory.org/artopps. The deadline is Sunday, September 10, 2017.
This competitive program provides meaningful support for recent promising graduates who have, or will soon complete a bachelor’s or master’s art degree with an accredited program.
This year’s jurors are Christine Neptune, founder of Neptune Fine Art, Amy Cavanaugh Royce, executive director at Maryland Art Place, and Ginevra Shay, artistic director of The Contemporary Museum and curator of Rose Arcade.
This visual-arts residency is unique in the region for addressing the critical post-graduate juncture in emerging artists’ careers. It offers an opportunity for professional development and networking, as well as a chance to define their practices outside of the academic context. Submissions are open to recent graduates who attended schools from across the U.S. Applicants need to submit proof of their residence in the area and/or can demonstrate a commitment to contributing to the ongoing future of the arts in the greater Washington, D.C./Virginia/Maryland region. There continues to be no entry fee.
“This program brings the next generation of artists into the Torpedo Factory community,” said Brett John Johnson, director of the Torpedo Factory Art Center. “The program is a great example of working toward our mission of igniting the creative spirit by fostering connections among artists and the public. My hope is that we have a dynamic exchange of perspectives, techniques, and ideas throughout 2018.”
The Post-Graduate Residency Studio in located on the first floor, in Studio 12, at the Torpedo Factory. Artists can create, display, and sell work, interact with the public, and network with other artists. Residents receive a stipend during their term and have an opportunity to give an artist talk with the moderator of their choice. The program will culminate in a group exhibition in the Torpedo Factory’s contemporary exhibition space, Target Gallery, in the fall of 2018.
The resident artists are active, equal participants in the Torpedo Factory’s unique creative community. They benefit from engaging with thousands of local, national, and international visitors, collectors, and artists who pass through each year.
Questions about the residency or applications can be directed to torpedofactory@alexandriava.gov or 703.746-4570.
About the Jurors
Christine Neptune founded Neptune Fine Art in 2000 after twenty years of experience in auction houses, museums, fine art publishing, and galleries to exhibit Modern and contemporary works as well as publish new editions. She regularly meets with private clients at Gallery Neptune and Brown in Washington, D.C., and by appointment in New York City.
Amy Cavanaugh Royce has been Executive Director at Maryland Art Place (MAP) since January 2012. Prior to her work at MAP, Amy was the Vice President and COO of ARCH Development Corporation in Washington, DC where she was most notably known for co-founding Honfleur Gallery.
Ginevra Shay is an artist and curator living and working in Baltimore, Maryland. She is the Artistic Director of The Contemporary Museum in Baltimore, and curator of Rose Arcade.
About the Torpedo Factory Art Center
Founded in 1974 in an old munitions plant, the Torpedo Factory Art Center is home to the nation’s largest number of publicly accessible working artist studios under one roof. In an effort to sustain the arts in Alexandria, the Torpedo Factory is temporarily part of the City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts. Just south of Washington, D.C., the Torpedo Factory Art Center overlooks the Potomac River in the Old Town section of Alexandria, Va. Each year, more than a half million national and international visitors meet and interact with more than 160 resident artists in 82 studios and seven galleries. The Torpedo Factory Art Center is also home to The Art League Gallery and School, the Alexandria Archaeology Museum, and the Alexandria EatsPlace CafĂ© and Market. For more information, visit torpedofactory.org or follow the Torpedo Factory on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest via @torpedofactory.
Friday, August 18, 2017
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Opportunity for artists
Calling all Artists! Are you the life of the party? Do you have a desire to teach adults fun and unique arts projects? Arts on a Roll, a mobile, on-demand arts service in Prince George’s County is in search of fun loving, motivated, energetic, and experienced visual artists to lead art classes, programs, and events catered to adults ages 21 and over. Teaching artists will be lead monthly create & sip style events for the community, and also work to develop and teach activities for adult private parties and events such as birthday parties, wedding showers, babies showers, etc. Experience in various media including mosaics, glass painting, printmaking, textiles, jewelry-making and other quality craft projects is ideal.
Responsibilities:
· Serve as the lead instructor at events for up to 20 individuals of varying levels of artistic skill
· Willingness to talk and get to know everyone in the room
· Develop and write lessons for unique arts projects for 21 and over patrons
· Available for evening and weekend hours
· Must have a valid driver’s license
The ideal candidate:
· Can create a fun and entertaining environment where patrons can explore and learn unique art skills
· Must be confident with live demonstrations and providing step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow for non-artists
· Has strong time management skills and can work independently without supervision
· A problem solver who can adapt and “think on his/her feet”
To Apply
We will review as applications on an ongoing basis they are received. To apply, send a resume, cover letter and two references to Arts.OnARoll@pgparks.com.
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Humor art
Deadline: September 12, 2017
Humor can break barriers. It can change our perspective and make us receptive to new ideas. Humor helps us to communicate our message, and in doing so humor connects us. Because of this, there are many different ways to express and experience humor. Florence Quater Gallery at Southwest University of Visual Arts, is celebrating the many ways artists express themselves through humorous means. By sharing your artistic sense of humor, you can contribute to this connection by taking part in this interdisciplinary exhibition. Art will be selected for inclusion by an interdisciplinary panel of jurors. All artists over the age of 18 and practicing in the United States are eligible. For more details, please visit http://www.suva.edu/submissions
Humor can break barriers. It can change our perspective and make us receptive to new ideas. Humor helps us to communicate our message, and in doing so humor connects us. Because of this, there are many different ways to express and experience humor. Florence Quater Gallery at Southwest University of Visual Arts, is celebrating the many ways artists express themselves through humorous means. By sharing your artistic sense of humor, you can contribute to this connection by taking part in this interdisciplinary exhibition. Art will be selected for inclusion by an interdisciplinary panel of jurors. All artists over the age of 18 and practicing in the United States are eligible. For more details, please visit http://www.suva.edu/submissions
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
How a new drawing starts
For a while I have been taking images of the back of men and women to help me define a new piece... I need a "regular" image of the back of a "regular" person... which I will transport eventually into a drawing of a person at a museum looking at artwork...
This is a good example of a random lady in San Diego yesterday...
Wanna be the model for the pieces? I need several... Send me an image of you - full body and one of head and shoulders - from the back - preferably looking at a blank wall....
This is a good example of a random lady in San Diego yesterday...
Wanna be the model for the pieces? I need several... Send me an image of you - full body and one of head and shoulders - from the back - preferably looking at a blank wall....
This is the anon model |
This is more like she'll end up in my drawing |
Monday, August 14, 2017
Sunday, August 13, 2017
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Come to the panel today
Today, Saturday August 12th, Artists and Makers Studios is hosting Wendy Rosen and Carolyn Edlund, who run the Arts Business Institute out of Baltimore for a 2-day ABI workshop at Artists and Makers Studios 2 (Wilkins in Rockville).
Details here.
There is also a expert panel between 11:45 and 12:45, and I'm honored to be part of the panel, along with DMV uberartist Michael Janis. We'll be discussing all kinds of things that 21st century artists should and must know!
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. The New Marketplace – Wendy Rosen
10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Creative Marketing – Carolyn Edlund
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Lunch – Expert Panel Discussion
12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Pricing for Profit – Wendy Rosen/Carolyn Edlund
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Sales Strategies for Artists – Carolyn Edlund
See ya there!
Friday, August 11, 2017
Shiri Achu Art Exhibition: 38InPrint:Jamaica
I first came across DMV artist Shiri Achu at the Artomatic held in Potomac last year...this hard working DMV artist has a most interesting worldwide art project which now finds an iteration at The University of the West Indies in Jamaica.
From her news release:
From her news release:
Shiri Achu Art Exhibition; 38InPrint:JamaicaFri 26th Aug. – Fri 8th Sept. 2017THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES, REGIONAL HEADQUATERSHeritage road, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica, W.IPrivate view/Opening – Fri. 25th Aug 2017, 6pm onwardsClosing Party – Fri. 8th Sept. 2017, 6pm onwardsLIVE STREAM ^RAISE THE ROOF^ CAMPAIGN. 7.30pm - 8.30pmSHIRI ACHU'S FIRST ART EXHIBITION IN JAMAICA!! Excited is an understatement as Shiri eagerly prepares this debut exhibition to the people of Jamaica!!! Since her first solo exhibition 7 years ago, held at St Augustine's tower in Hackney, Shiri has been fortunate to have received the award of ‘The best artist’ in Brent; London and has exhibited in various exciting places/events/cities. These include, The Commonwealth Secretariat, The houses of Parliament, The Olympic African Village... Cities include Lisbon, Barcelona, Douala, Chiang Mai, Washington DC, Australia… to name a few.
Today, Shiri Achu is very excited to present to Kingston, Jamaica, for two weeks only, ‘38InPrint:Jamaica’.
The fourth in the InPrint series of ShiriAchuArt Exhibitions following; ‘35InPrint:LONDON’ which took place from 19th – 25th April 2014 at The Strand Gallery in central London, ‘36InPrint:DC’ which took place from 5th – 14th May 2016 at Gallery A in Central Washington DC and ‘37InPrint:AUS’, which took place from 14th July – 23rd July at Mama Jambo in Australia.
35InPrint:LONDON was great, the exhibition was attended by the Mayor of Harrow amongst many others. At 36InPrint:DC Shiri was deeply honoured to have received recognition from Congressman Chris Van Hollen ' ...in presenting the inaugural 36InPrintDC art exhibition, and with appreciation for using art to capture the spirit of Africa...' 37InPrint:AUS was fabulous. Shiri was honoured to have her art works much appreciated and many purchased by the people of Australia.
Shiri Achu’s art comes from every day, unsurprising yet unexpectedly vivid moments, times, places and objects. She seeks to capture the spirit of her subjects and make them come alive through form, colour, texture and tone. She draws insight from her travels but in general her inspiration is very broad; from natural moments captured in Africa to still objects, from the human form to the human in action.
Ever increasingly so, one of the aims of Shiri Achu’s Art is to showcase and promote the African cultures worldwide. She finds beauty in the woman carrying her child on her back and going her way, She finds beauty in the old lady who makes here ‘achu’ in her dark outdoor kitchen for her grandchildren. She finds beauty in the African fabrics, she finds beauty, envy even, in the young girl climbing the tree!! So she paints these images. For her, they are beautiful moments and for that moment, whilst she works on that piece she buries herself in the story and in the culture.
38InPrint:AUS exhibition will largely consist of 38 Framed Signed Limited Edition Shiri Achu Art Prints. Attendees will be able to purchase these limited edition signed prints at very affordable prices.
At the Opening/Private view on Friday 25th August, there will be live music. Thereafter the exhibition can be viewed everyday from 9am – 6pm when the University will be opened. The Closing party will be on Friday 8th September and it will be lived streamed.
^RAISE THE ROOF^ Campaign
Shiri Achu Art ^RAISE THE ROOF^ Campaign has been launched! Everyone everywhere is invited and urged to buy raffle tickets to enter the competition to win an original Shiri Achu painting, Midnight tradition! The proceeds from the campaign will go towards completing the Sunday school roof in Santa, Cameroon.
The worldwide, 8 weeks campaign will conclude on Friday the 8th of September, when it will be streamed live so everyone who has bought raffle tickets, can stream in to see if they are the lucky person who has won The Original Shiri Achu painting – Midnight Tradition’.
Valued at $10,000, Acrylics on Canvas, 76cmX102cm, this painting 'Midnight Tradition' was painted precisely 8 years ago in 2009. Midnight Tradition features on page 65 of the International Contemporary masters VII and was selected as a Finalist for the Cliftons Art Prize 2012, Adelaide/Australia http://www.cliftonsartprize.com/2012/adelaide
There will also be 3 runner ups winners, winning signed limited edition prints of ‘Midnight Tradition’, and 4 more people winning a combination prize. All 8 ^RAISE THE ROOF^ campaign winners will be selected starting @ 8pm At the closing of 38InPrint:Jamaica on Friday 8th of September.
Please buy raffle tickets now to enter the competition, buy from www.shiriachuart.com
or more directly from https://rafflecreator.com/pages/10983/win-original-shiri-achu-art-@-37inprintaus
WATCH ^RAISE THE ROOF^ PROMOTIONAL VIDEO HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsgVT63TpLI
Thursday, August 10, 2017
Opportunity for Artists
Deadline for submission is Wednesday, September 6, 2017
9th Annual Expressions Portrait Competition
9th Annual Expressions Portrait Competition
ArtSpace Herndon is pleased to announce the call for art for our 9th annual Expressions Portrait Co mpetition is now open and is scheduled to close Wednesday, September 6, 2017.
Artists 18 years or older residing in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, and Delaware are invited to submit original 2D or 3D portrait art. Preference will be given to works adhering to the traditional definition of portraiture: “…a painting, sculpture, or other artistic representation, in which the face and its expression is predominant with the intent to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person.”
Finalists will be featured in the Expressions Portrait Exhibit at ArtSpace Herndon October 3 through October 28, 2017. Winners of the competition will be announced during the awards reception on Saturday, October 14, 2017, 7 to 9 p.m.
32nd Annual Mayor's Arts Awards
Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) have announced the special honorees and finalists of the 32nd Annual Mayor's Arts Awards.
At the public awards ceremony in September, three individuals will be recognized as special honorees. Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, co-founder of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, will receive the Mayor's Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement. Ari Roth, artistic director of Mosaic Theatre Company, will receive the Mayor's Arts Award for Visionary Leadership. Jazz musician and educator Davey Yarborough will receive the Mayor's Arts Award for Distinguished Honor.
In addition, twenty-four individuals and organizations are finalists for Mayor's Arts Awards across six categories: Excellence in the Creative Industries, Excellence in Performing Arts, Excellence in the Humanities, Excellence in Visual Arts, The Larry Neal Writers' Award and the Mayor's Award for Arts Education. All nominees for these award categories are publically submitted.
"The individuals and organizations being honored at the 32nd Annual Mayor's Arts Awards add to the vibrancy of Washington, DC and help us define who we are as a city. Today, our creative economy is a powerful driver of economic development, helping revitalize neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for residents in all eight wards," said Mayor Bowser. "Washington, DC is rich with arts and culture, and we are proud to highlight the hardworking professionals who make life better for Washingtonians and visitors alike."
"This year's special honorees and finalists represent the depth of professionalism and talent in the District's arts and humanities communities," said Commission on the Arts and Humanities Executive Director Arthur Espinoza, Jr. "It is an honor for us to showcase their accomplishments at the Mayor's Arts Awards to the entire city."
The 32nd Annual Mayor's Arts Awards event will be presented on Thursday, September 14, 2017 at 7:00 PM at the Historic Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street NW, Washington, DC. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.dcarts.dc.gov or call 202-724-5613.
Finalists for the 32nd Annual Mayor's Arts Awards
At the public awards ceremony in September, three individuals will be recognized as special honorees. Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, co-founder of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, will receive the Mayor's Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement. Ari Roth, artistic director of Mosaic Theatre Company, will receive the Mayor's Arts Award for Visionary Leadership. Jazz musician and educator Davey Yarborough will receive the Mayor's Arts Award for Distinguished Honor.
In addition, twenty-four individuals and organizations are finalists for Mayor's Arts Awards across six categories: Excellence in the Creative Industries, Excellence in Performing Arts, Excellence in the Humanities, Excellence in Visual Arts, The Larry Neal Writers' Award and the Mayor's Award for Arts Education. All nominees for these award categories are publically submitted.
"The individuals and organizations being honored at the 32nd Annual Mayor's Arts Awards add to the vibrancy of Washington, DC and help us define who we are as a city. Today, our creative economy is a powerful driver of economic development, helping revitalize neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for residents in all eight wards," said Mayor Bowser. "Washington, DC is rich with arts and culture, and we are proud to highlight the hardworking professionals who make life better for Washingtonians and visitors alike."
"This year's special honorees and finalists represent the depth of professionalism and talent in the District's arts and humanities communities," said Commission on the Arts and Humanities Executive Director Arthur Espinoza, Jr. "It is an honor for us to showcase their accomplishments at the Mayor's Arts Awards to the entire city."
The 32nd Annual Mayor's Arts Awards event will be presented on Thursday, September 14, 2017 at 7:00 PM at the Historic Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street NW, Washington, DC. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.dcarts.dc.gov or call 202-724-5613.
Finalists for the 32nd Annual Mayor's Arts Awards
Category | Finalist |
Excellence in Creative Industries | Paul Marengo |
Studio Theatre | |
Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital | |
Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts | |
Excellence in Performing Arts | Washington Improv Theater |
The Choral Arts Society of Washington | |
Dance Place | |
Only Make Believe | |
Excellence in the Humanities | Rayceen Pendarvis |
Kitty Felde | |
Joy Ford Austin | |
Recreation Wish List Committee | |
Excellence in Visual Arts | Sondra N. Arkin |
Katherine Tzu-Ian Mann | |
Cory L. Stowers | |
Michael Crossett | |
The Larry Neal Writers' Award (Adult) | Taylor Johnson |
Brendan Williams-Childs | |
Mona Nicole Sfeir | |
Dionne Peart | |
The Mayor's Award for Arts Education | The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts |
Inner City-Inner Child | |
Young Playwright's Theater | |
Sitar Arts Center |
Wednesday, August 09, 2017
Do you need passion in order to be an artist?
There are always pleasant and enriching surprises where one least expects them.
Such as a few years ago, while I was jurying an art show in one of the Carolinas, where I found a particularly unique piece of sculpture in a show where it was all alone amongst its brethren assorted media; a seminal piece which tempted me into considering awarding it a Best in Show but ended with a lesser Honorable Mention because I thought that the artist had a lot more to explore in order to push the concept behind the work. He needed to enter the world of electricity and lights, and videos, and then he will be there.
I just saw some of his recent work and he's there now!
At that show there was also the enriching experience of meeting artists who were truly and deeply enamored of their art. And the shock of awarding a Best in Show to a small work whose merit may be overseen by most, like the flower in a dandelion is seen as a weed in a garden of manicured flowers.
And there were memorable and most unexpected images of predatory jacks-in-the-box dressed like harlequins being fed honey. They made me shiver with concern as to their creation seed, like a character in Stephen King’s “Duma Key” reacting to one of Edgar Freemantle’s hypnotic paintings.
And green trees everywhere, clean manicured lawns and mailboxes guided by Homeowner’s Association standards.
And the unexpected and welcomed surprise of having a rich conversation while being driven to the airport that struck a special chord, and triggered thoughts, both light and dark, and ideas, both harsh and moist.
Sometimes a very talented and special artist flourishes amongst a field of good artists. They stand out in a special way, viewed by some as outsiders and out layers and by others as beautiful. Like the powerful yellow of a dandelion flower is seen as a bad weed by the vastness of the majority, and also as a pretty flower by those with a delicate eye for beauty.
But beauty demands the delicacy of steel, shiny and flexible, and composed of mixed components, each strong on their own, but not as strong as when they are forced to couple together in the cauldron of molten ingredients. The scent of beauty has iron ore and coke and alloys and eventually it becomes steel.
The old conversation many years ago floated around art, beauty, and the creative process. The words and idea revolved rapidly around love for art and love for being an artist and how love helps to create art; love as a driving force.
“Not just love,” I added, “also hate.”
After some exploration of this idea, we quickly agreed that what was really needed in order to be an artist was passion.
Poets and common folk have struggled with the nearness of love to hate and the quickness of how they can be molten into one by events and perceptions. Molten like iron and coke and alloys are molten to make steel.
Can art be created from hate?
“From the hells beneath the hells, I bring you my deathly fruits,” wrote Robert Ervin Howard in his dark, some would say hateful poetry.
It is a dreadful question and one that I hadn’t really thought about much until that wonderful exchange of ideas with an unexpected kindred art soul brought it to my mind and then to my lips.
Was Goya driven by hate when he etched his horrible “Disasters of War”? I think so; but a very special kind of hate.
The same Goya who so loved the Duchess of Alba, a woman that he couldn’t have, that he painted her with brushes and paints loaded with love, and with desire, and even with direction and wishful thinking.
I think that I think that any passion can drive an artist to create meaningful and powerful art. The fervor of religion has given us some of the greatest masterpieces of art in the world, and not so curiously, as man steps away from God, so has the importance of contemporary religious art.
But it is so disturbing to me to think about pure incandescent hate as a driving force in the creativity of art.
Maybe I should diminish hate.
I hate green peppers.
I had a really good Greek salad for a lovely lunch a couple of days ago, and I was so engrossed in the conversation that I forgot to ask the waiter to skip the green peppers.
The salad was bountiful and tasty, and loaded to the brim with the offending vegetable. And the guilt of wasting food was there as I piled strips of green on the edge of my plate while consuming the rest of the salad voraciously. It’s odd how often I’m not aware that I am hungry until food is presented to me.
I eat too fast.
My mother’s aunt once told me that she chewed each bite 33 times. But then you’d spend too many precious minutes chewing food. The answer to this mundane tragedy is somewhere in between three and 33. On the other hand, she lived to be well over 100 years old, 103 or 104 I think.
I hate how allergens can penetrate your body’s defenses and torment your nose, throat and eyes and make never ending days full of physical misery. As someone whose DNA results showed me to have a significant amount of pre-Homo Sapiens DNA (I'm 2% Neanderthal and 1% Denisovan), I often wonder how my ancestral kin cavemen survived in moldy caves in a world of sneezing. They must have been killed by their companions. How can a sneezing caveman sneak silently during the hunt? And they really couldn’t be demoted to gatherers instead of hunters, because they’d be sneezing their hairy heads off as they gathered berries and nuts and roots among the pollen rich world in which they lived.
I hate that HBO cancelled “Rome” all those years ago and left us hanging with Pullo walking away with Caesarian. I hate that George Raymond Richard Martin killed Ned Stark so soon in "Game of Thrones."
I know, I know… different kinds of hate.
Still, I will never paint or draw green peppers.
Such as a few years ago, while I was jurying an art show in one of the Carolinas, where I found a particularly unique piece of sculpture in a show where it was all alone amongst its brethren assorted media; a seminal piece which tempted me into considering awarding it a Best in Show but ended with a lesser Honorable Mention because I thought that the artist had a lot more to explore in order to push the concept behind the work. He needed to enter the world of electricity and lights, and videos, and then he will be there.
I just saw some of his recent work and he's there now!
At that show there was also the enriching experience of meeting artists who were truly and deeply enamored of their art. And the shock of awarding a Best in Show to a small work whose merit may be overseen by most, like the flower in a dandelion is seen as a weed in a garden of manicured flowers.
And there were memorable and most unexpected images of predatory jacks-in-the-box dressed like harlequins being fed honey. They made me shiver with concern as to their creation seed, like a character in Stephen King’s “Duma Key” reacting to one of Edgar Freemantle’s hypnotic paintings.
And green trees everywhere, clean manicured lawns and mailboxes guided by Homeowner’s Association standards.
And the unexpected and welcomed surprise of having a rich conversation while being driven to the airport that struck a special chord, and triggered thoughts, both light and dark, and ideas, both harsh and moist.
Sometimes a very talented and special artist flourishes amongst a field of good artists. They stand out in a special way, viewed by some as outsiders and out layers and by others as beautiful. Like the powerful yellow of a dandelion flower is seen as a bad weed by the vastness of the majority, and also as a pretty flower by those with a delicate eye for beauty.
But beauty demands the delicacy of steel, shiny and flexible, and composed of mixed components, each strong on their own, but not as strong as when they are forced to couple together in the cauldron of molten ingredients. The scent of beauty has iron ore and coke and alloys and eventually it becomes steel.
The old conversation many years ago floated around art, beauty, and the creative process. The words and idea revolved rapidly around love for art and love for being an artist and how love helps to create art; love as a driving force.
“Not just love,” I added, “also hate.”
After some exploration of this idea, we quickly agreed that what was really needed in order to be an artist was passion.
Poets and common folk have struggled with the nearness of love to hate and the quickness of how they can be molten into one by events and perceptions. Molten like iron and coke and alloys are molten to make steel.
Can art be created from hate?
“From the hells beneath the hells, I bring you my deathly fruits,” wrote Robert Ervin Howard in his dark, some would say hateful poetry.
It is a dreadful question and one that I hadn’t really thought about much until that wonderful exchange of ideas with an unexpected kindred art soul brought it to my mind and then to my lips.
Was Goya driven by hate when he etched his horrible “Disasters of War”? I think so; but a very special kind of hate.
The same Goya who so loved the Duchess of Alba, a woman that he couldn’t have, that he painted her with brushes and paints loaded with love, and with desire, and even with direction and wishful thinking.
I think that I think that any passion can drive an artist to create meaningful and powerful art. The fervor of religion has given us some of the greatest masterpieces of art in the world, and not so curiously, as man steps away from God, so has the importance of contemporary religious art.
But it is so disturbing to me to think about pure incandescent hate as a driving force in the creativity of art.
Maybe I should diminish hate.
I hate green peppers.
I had a really good Greek salad for a lovely lunch a couple of days ago, and I was so engrossed in the conversation that I forgot to ask the waiter to skip the green peppers.
The salad was bountiful and tasty, and loaded to the brim with the offending vegetable. And the guilt of wasting food was there as I piled strips of green on the edge of my plate while consuming the rest of the salad voraciously. It’s odd how often I’m not aware that I am hungry until food is presented to me.
I eat too fast.
My mother’s aunt once told me that she chewed each bite 33 times. But then you’d spend too many precious minutes chewing food. The answer to this mundane tragedy is somewhere in between three and 33. On the other hand, she lived to be well over 100 years old, 103 or 104 I think.
I hate how allergens can penetrate your body’s defenses and torment your nose, throat and eyes and make never ending days full of physical misery. As someone whose DNA results showed me to have a significant amount of pre-Homo Sapiens DNA (I'm 2% Neanderthal and 1% Denisovan), I often wonder how my ancestral kin cavemen survived in moldy caves in a world of sneezing. They must have been killed by their companions. How can a sneezing caveman sneak silently during the hunt? And they really couldn’t be demoted to gatherers instead of hunters, because they’d be sneezing their hairy heads off as they gathered berries and nuts and roots among the pollen rich world in which they lived.
I hate that HBO cancelled “Rome” all those years ago and left us hanging with Pullo walking away with Caesarian. I hate that George Raymond Richard Martin killed Ned Stark so soon in "Game of Thrones."
I know, I know… different kinds of hate.
Still, I will never paint or draw green peppers.
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