Figuring things out?...
In the last week or so I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what the ideas are behind my paintings. It’s easy to just coast along and paint without really challenging myself on why I paint and what makes my paintings different, and what I can do to focus the content of my work. Last week I was trying to talk to a friend about my work and was feeling pretty incoherent and a little lazy about my painting. I found myself unable to defend my paintings as interesting landscapes. I like to think they are relevant to contemporary art today, but I have always had a love hate relationship with both the contemporary art world and the more traditional realist painters. The more traditional landscapes can be boring; devoid of idea or aspiration for deeper meaning. But on the other hand, the work I see in contemporary galleries (which I am way less in touch with now, than I was when I lived in NY, so my impressions are admittedly dated) can come across as soulless and unexciting visually. I’ve decided in the last few years that I want to walk a line in between those two. I think we can pick the part of the art world that most interests us and try to find a home there. My home in the art world doesn’t feel all of that populated these days, but it would be a place between traditional realism and contemporary work, where beauty and sincerity still matter, where art can also challenge the viewer and demand a bit more thought from it’s audience, and the most important thing is striving to find what’s missing in one’s work to make it more resonant.I want to make paintings that are visually exciting, technically well done, paintings that relish in the beauty of what paint can do, but also sometimes stray into subject matter that is less typical. I want to paint any damn thing that interests me, whether it is a lighthouse, or a dumpster. And I want to find a way to make that scene interesting in a new way, for myself and for others. I want to paint because of the passion and excitement I have for painting and the world I live in.
As I’ve been thinking about these ideas I’ve noticed that the things that make me want to paint are fairly vague and unfocused, and I want to work on bringing those ideas to a finer point. As I paint this spring, I want to think about what the underlying motivations are behind my work, and try to clarify these thoughts in a way that will help me focus and develop my work. This is something that everyone should probably be doing all of the time, but it seems to me that things like this come and go as a focus of attention. Right now it’s in the front of my mind.
Posted on Tuesday March 31, 2009 | 7 Comments
7 Responses to “Figuring things out?”
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Hope you don’t think you are whistling in the wind, Colin. I for one find your comments interesting as I reflect also on what the heck I am doing and why. I sometimes envy people who know exactly what they want to acheive, whether in business, life or art. I’m nearly 60 and am still trying to work it out. Some artists seem to hit their stride and style/content – and of course we admire them for it. Rothko, Cezanne, Mondrian. All instantly recognisable. Maybe I would be helped by looking up and understanding notable artists whose work, was/is eclectic and very varied – perhaps reflecting journey and search more than what appears to me to be an ability to settle on a genre and then explore and express within that self-defined channel. I don’t know of any off-hand. Perhaps that’s why they are not so well-known!
Here’s something I have sensed recently for myself however – it’s time to let go my never-ending search for technical capability and do something with what I already have. I’ve come to this not just through painting but via a concentrated attempt in the last two years to get a good understanding of philosophy. However, the more I read, the more I realize there is yet to read and understand. Perhaps when I’ve just read that book on Derrida, THEN, I’ll try and philosphize! Whoops, how did I get there? Anyway Colin, keep musing. Following your blog BTW is like getting my own personal weather report on your part of the world. Still a bit of snow around. Amazing in comparision with Cambridge UK where the clocks have gone forward to summer time, spring is in the air, and your President is about to fly in to Stansted airport tomorrow – not far from here.
Hi Noel,
Thanks for the note. I spend alot of time thinking about my paintings and what they mean, and I’ve been trying to figure out what steps I have to take to keep improving. There is a balance between the thing you mentioned, of letting go while I paint, and then looking critically and thoughtfully after the fact. Even though the artists we respect the most appear to have chosen a subject and worked within it, I would be willing to bet that they were all filled with doubts also. I think that’s what makes them so good… their desire to achieve more.
Snow is still around, but the crocuses are peaking out too!
Love your work and I really like your comments about the soul-searching as it concerns your paintings. It really struck a cord with me.
I can’t remember how I found your blog, but your paintings are very appealing to me. They do move assuredly along that line between traditional and contemporary, or whatever one might want to call it. I am eager for spring so I can paint outside, and I wish that this spring will bring you new revelations.
Hi Mary and Bob,
Thanks so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it. I’m glad you find some value here.
Yes Bob, I am also thrilled to have spring coming along. It’s still a bit chilly here, but we are getting some warm days when I can go out and focus on painting on site again. Here’s hoping we all find some new revelations in our work.
So well put, Colin! Exactly what I’ve been thinking but couldn’t have said it as well.
Perhaps your soul searching is not as complicated as a first glance suggests? You are an artist. You are a painter. You are gifted. Natural ability often creates complacency, laziness and questions. Repeated accolades can interfere with thoughtfulness, feeling and meaning to your art works. I watched you paint the Boat House one spring day. The fluidity and ease you demonstrated with each stroke is rare.
You have the born talent to decide to move ahead with purpose; a purpose you will need to find and with luck enjoy.