The Syllabus for class can be found here.
The first group of readings for class, beginning 08/30/13 can be found below.
This group of readings will be discussed in our second class meeting, 9/06/13.
A thoughtful, critical response to the readings will always be due by midnight on the Wednesday preceding our Friday evening class. The first group of comments should be posted in the comments section of this post by midnight, 9/04/13! Please note which readings are required and which are optional. I will also be posting articles almost daily to a weekly section that will be called "FRESH." The "FRESH" section will be included below the weekly readings and will be updated throughout the week. (see below) The section will include links to interesting artists websites, gallery info, current criticism and general articles that I feel may be applicable to the current studio practice of anyone in the class. Keep an eye out, check back regularly & feel free to post info as well!
Please begin each post with your full name, not a "blogger nick-name."
Please click on the "comments" button below and post your response.
Looking forward to a productive Fall semester and to meeting you all!
Warm regards,
Terri
Week 1: WRITING
01 Artist Statments - G. Brown.pdf
01a Philip Guston Talking, 1978.pdf
01b Eva Hesse.pdf
01c I am for an Art..., Claes Oldenburg, 1961.pdf
01d Bridget Riley - Untitled Statement, 1968.pdf
01e Robert Ryman - Untitled Statements, 1983.pdf
Optional:
01opt An Art History Professor Explains..., Ethan Ryan, 2007.pdf
01opt Writing About Visual Art, David Carrier.pdf
Kathy Butterly
Info for the juried exhibition opportunity can be found here.We will begin the semester making "cups" in honor of Kathy Butterly, a Moore College of Art & Design graduate, class of 1986 & a 2013 Visionary Woman Award recipient. Kathy Butterly will be on campus from 9am-3pm on Thursday, September 19th. Events are being planned for students to meet with her. My hope is that this will be a fun side project that may also result in an exhibition opportunity. Entering the exhibition is not mandatory.
Some images of Butterly's work can be seen below.
ReplyDeleteArtist Statement:
I agree that an Artist Statement is very important. I do not want the public deciding what my work is about without any information from me. As an artist I want to be given credit for (hopefully) having a smart conceptual background in my work. I want the audience to believe that I have substance. I plan on trying the exercise of having a professor or friend visit my studio and speak about my work with prompting questions from me. Its hard to say what type of statement would be most appropriate for my upcoming body of work, but it was good to read about the different types and have them broken down.
Phillip Guston
I definitely think it is weird to say painters should not talk. I would hope that any decent artist should have something meaningful to say about their work. Maybe leaving some information out to allow for some mystery could be a useful tool and a good compromise. So many artists choose to exist as a jargony elitist. I do not feel that this is a positive decision because it is a poor reflection of artists. I liked hearing Guston speak about his work in a reflective casual way, it was very insightful.
Eva Hesse
This untitled statement is really beautiful. Hesse has such amazing insights, she was a powerful writer and artist, she really has a way with words. These journalistic writings are really easy to read, and they are powerful. Hesse’s statement is revolutionary now, so I can't imagine what it was like to read it in the time it was written. Her writings and artworks feed off one another and give each other merit.
I Am for An Art
This format is easy to read but its also a bit abstract and repetitive. I do not find this as compelling, and it is harder for me to connect with the material.
Bridget Riley
I really appreciate Riley’s reflection. She is in touch with her process and why she is making certain choices. Hearing about her practice helps me understand and connect with her work on a deeper level. Its amazing how these words can still be so relevant today.
Robert Ryman
Ryman’s comments also feel very relevant today. I appreciate his comments on artist’s entitlement. It is so important that artists never compromise their work for anyone or anything. I definitely think the art market and society put an unhealthy amount of pressure on artists. Being happy with your own work that is the most important thing. I feel that artists should assume they will not make a living off their art. Especially if they plan to be happy with the work they are doing. I enjoyed reading about his reflections on his work formally, personally, and situated in the context of what was going on in other art movements. It helped with the bigger picture.
Artist Statements: G. Brown
ReplyDeleteI feel very conflicted about artist statements and where they fit in with my own practice. On one hand, they seem to be a necessary evil. They’re frustrating to write and very often more frustrating to read. They sometimes feel forced, as if the artist sat down and tried to manipulate the dictionary into something that sounded vaguely like their work. However, I believe art should be accessible to everyone and having a clear description of intent can be very helpful to a viewer. I don’t always trust my work when I feel like it needs to be explained by me, because that makes me believe it isn’t actually conveying what I think it is. Much of my work tries to convey emotion that cannot otherwise be verbalized. If I were able to write or talk about it, I wouldn’t make visual art about it. This is probably why I’m so conflicted about artist statements. I did enjoy reading this for the less conventional types of statements, especially Sol LeWitt’s list. I hope that having that knowledge will help me eventually draft a statement I feel comfortable with.
Philip Guston Talking
I found Philip Guston’s way of discussing his work to be very refreshing. Personally, I’ve found that it is difficult for me to speak about my work because I’m too close to it, and also because I don’t want to look like I have no idea what I’m doing. I think there is a lot of pressure on artists to always come off as profound and reasonable, but sometimes I have no other reason for making certain decisions other than the fact that it felt right at the time. It was interesting to hear Guston discuss some of his artistic decisions that were very arbitrary, like his choice to make his eyes red in his self-portrait.
Eva Hesse
Eva Hesse’s statement went well with her body of work. Like her work, it is both concise and open to interpretation. It seems to say everything that needs to be said without pinning anything down to a certain meaning.
I Am For An Art: Claes Oldenburg
Oldenburg’s statement is not my favorite in terms of layout. It reads a little like a bad poem, and the repetition doesn’t help with that. However, it does complement his work in the sense that I process it in the way I perceive his work. It is obnoxious and loud, and it sometimes seems like nonsense that takes up space. The repeated phrase “I am for art” feels like a kitschy sort of mantra, which reflects his body of work, so I suppose it works for what he is trying to express.
Bridget Riley
Riley’s statement was very thought out, and she clearly understands her process and has a lot to say about every step of it. I thought the question of her objective was interesting to consider, since I am often asked what my end goal is with my work. I respect her choice to remain free of a “convenient” answer and simply present her work as exploratory.
Robert Ryman
Robert Ryman’s statement was both problematic and interesting to me. I enjoyed his thoughts on the color white and his reason for using square canvas. The statements about entitlement were a bit frustrating to me. I don’t believe that making marketable work always has to involve compromise, and making a living as an artist isn’t the most secure career path, but it shouldn’t be looked down upon either. I dislike when artists try to tell other artists how they should go about making their work or living their lives because we all work and think differently. I thought it was a strange move to make a generalized statement about other artists in one’s own artist statement.
Artist Statements: G. Brown
ReplyDeleteI am going to agree with Mellisa; artist statement are 'a necessary evil.' They seem like a lost cause, and most of the time sound like too many huge words tossed together.
On the other hand, they (sometimes) give your pieces a general framework for the viewer to start at; it gets them where you need them to be, then they can make decisions on the more specific points in the work. I also firmly believe we shouldn't point people directly where we want them to go with our works. We should want them to put in some work in figuring out what we are saying with our pieces. If I could write books explaining what I'm trying to say in my performances, there would be no reason for them.
Philip Guston Talking
I think the best line in the Guston piece was 'You know what creating really is? To have the capacity to be embarrassed' - Franz Klein.
I felt Guston was speaking honestly about not only painting, but creating. We as artists, don't always know why we create the things we do, but we have the freedom to do so. As Guston said, that is the only possession we have. This writing, even being done over 30+ years ago, caused a reaction in me that it's okay to make the decisions I make as an artist because they are mine and I have the freedom to do so.
Eva Hesse
Hesse's statement was probably the best artist statement I've ever read. She doesn't make concrete statements that say 'this work is about a & b.' Rather, she gives it a framework for the viewer to start with (as I said before in the G. Brown reading). Direct the viewer where you want them to go, then the viewer needs to input some work of their own into interpreting what they see.
I Am For An Art: Claus Oldenburg
Although I really didn't like the format of this poem (?), I have sometimes caught myself looking at the rings of a smokers' smoke and seeing the beauty in it. I think these statements are trying to look for the beauty in everyday objects (as in Oldenburgs' pieces). Kinda sounds hokey, but it's the way I feel.
Bridget Riley
The last paragraph of Riley's artist statement really struck me. She's not working 'from' something but 'towards' something. I am still reading and re-reading the final paragraph, because I know that there is something in there for me to discover. Sorry this is so vague, but the final paragraph was so beautiful, I want to delve into it more.....
Robert Ryman
Eh, I'm not sure how much I liked this; I can say the only part that gave me a second look was the way he talked about how Matisse painted and the 'sureness' behind his decisions he made.
My reasoning for me not liking the statements were because he sounds and writes like he is so sure he knows what other artist are thinking. He's making assumptions about other artists and if we were all the same, it would be a pretty boring world.
Yvonne Clark
ReplyDeleteArtist Statements
I some what agree with is writing. However, it's hard for me to determine which one parts I agree with. In the article the writer says, "Failure to produce an artist statement that adequately articulates your objetives is admitting that those "with better verbal skills" should have the limited right to remake your work however their words will allow. That I don't agree with. However, I do agree that an artist statement is a fundamental part of understanding your own esthetic. But when it comes to galleries and getting your name out there, just speaking from experience, sometime just having a strong consistent body of work is good enough.
Philip
This article made me look at creating things a little different. I feel as if I always had the basic thought pattern but just never put it into words. "They call it art afterwards you." I totally see how this can apply to a lot of work that not only I produce but many up and coming artist as well. "...freedom to do whatever you can imagine." What ever you feel like, whatever comes out of you can be and will be consider art. If just up to you to make the piece worth anyone attention. When it comes to creating I really like the quote, "the ideal is to think and to do at the same second, the same split second. A lot of the time I just try and create something that I feel people will think is clever or witty. But if I just create and not think I can get some very interesting things. Case in point, one of my previous professors here at Moore, Joe and his awful bad art project. Esthetically that was the most interesting piece to look at I've made in a while. Which goes perfectly with my last highlighted quote. "You see, I look at my paintings, {...} they baffle me too. That's all I'm painting for." And I must say after looking at his paintings. I see why he is baffled.
Eva Hesse
For some reason I feel this writing resinates with my art form. It could be very poetic but very straight forward. There were a couple things that caught my attention. "Are you worth the struggle?" For that statement to come after the thoughts about men being more "free" to do/and finish things brings what women do as something powerful that men could never understand. "Will we surmount the obstacles ?" This thought on the struggle is something I fight with often. Because I am a wife I have things that need to be taken care of. Things the I have to choose what is a priority and what isn't and if I go too far on either side of the pendulum I can either become a feminist and rebel against all things man, or I can become a slave to the traditional title of what a wife is and lose myself. This is a struggle, and now the question is ask am I worth it?
Just some quotes I find can be useful for my artist statement:
It is the unknown quality from which and where I want to go.
It accedes to its non-logical self.
It is something, it is nothing.
I am for art
This type of format can be hit or miss for me. This piece, is a miss. For me it's too abstracted. It's beyond poetry. I think it could have worked if it wasn't too bouncy. I don't feel as though the statements flow together. It almost seems as if they conflict each other.
Yvonne Clark continued,
ReplyDeleteBridget Riley
I really appreciate Riley's expression of her art development. I think fully expresses what her art is and it really helped me appreciate her art. Before I just thought it was som trippy hippie art. But of course that is when I was ignorant to the artist and her statement. One thing I can appreciate is a artist who knows why they make their art.
Robert Ryman
I tried something different with this artist. I looked up his work before I read his statement instead of after. At first I didn't really like it. But I did like the square format. I'm really attracted to that form. But once I read his statement I appreciated his endurance to continue something that one, was a dying form and two, that wasn't fully excepted because it was abstract. Because I'm a quote loving person. I can't help but mention his beautiful statement.
"If you can tune in to the frequency of what you are experiencing, you come away feeling very good. You feel sustained, and it can last several days or longer. It's a feeling of well-being. Poetry does it, music does it, painting does it. I think that's what art is, if it can convey that feeling."
Response #1
ReplyDeleteI suppose I am responding slightly differently than some of the previous posts. I've picked what I thought the most resonating words from each text and then expanded upon the cherries... Perhaps as a kindof ghost collaboration between myself and the texts; or even more selfishly, to claim their methods as my own. Like Robert Ryman and his gracious appropriation of Rothko, and Matisse, and Cézanne...
"My direction is continually conditioned by my responses to the particular work in progress at any given moment... I believe a work of art is essentially distinguished by the transformation of the elements involved... I am sometimes asked "what is your objective?"... I work "from" something rather than "towards" something." -Bridget Riley (c.1968)
Riley can say "transformation" about her work quite confidently. She's proven her ability: offering us a literal and inevitable body response to each painting. This in mind, I like the idea that these works are not predetermined, as she paints, they morph: mimetic, I would say, to the morphing that takes place inside our eye as we behold her works.
Indeed a "truth" about her own work.
As for myself, the words: "I work "from" something rather than "towards" something" are ripe for the stealing. Often I find myself most interested in the research stage of my artistic process, and slowly I am letting myself accept that the research is the work itself. Kindof a Being and Becoming. Predetermination is only death, and so I am most concerned with the moments of continuous discovery: these are not ah-ha moments, but rather a hunger-insatiable. Or perhaps even contradictorily: the infinitely rolling petite morte.
Eva Hesse agrees: "I would like the work to be non-work. This means that it would find it's way beyond my preconceptions." (I believe I am not far off if I equate my "predeterminations" to her "preconceptions".)
I am not a particular fan of Hesse's work, and certainly not of the guilt stricken letter she wrote to Ethelyn Honig. I find both abrasively antiquated.
Discovery cannot be apologetic nor shameful.
(I know I say this as I stand on her back.)
And understanding the tipping of the gendered privilege scale, I will now shamelessly quote Oldenburg's famous text: "I am for an art that embroils itself with the everyday crap and still comes out on top." I'd like to say this is applicable to Hesse's historic role, as well as the role of women artists on the whole. (I digress.)
Diverging a bit: I love the Oldenburg statement. I love it's unraveling, it's rhizomatic and tangential nature. It gives me confidence as a committed debaucher and libertine. ...As well as an artist.
On a side note (or perhaps not at all): I've always found Oldenburg's soft sculptures not just erotic but actually highly arousing. ...La petite morte?
I should attempt to conclude, it is clear that I have begun to unravel as well.
I will begin to end with Kline's words (by way of Guston): "...painting is like hands stuck in a mattress." I find this similar to the words of my composer friend, Adam Berenson: "Music is a disease." Both phrases, I think, embody the pain of articulation that creatives chronically face. This being said, I don't completely disagree with the Brown compilation in as much as the "failure to produce an artist statement...is admitting that [others] should have the unlimited right to re-make your work as their words allow." And I must say, I am openly the first to ask others to define my work (though, mostly out of pure self-serving curiosity); however, being unable to discuss one's own practice shows a lack thereof. I say this as a personal "truth".
Alex Kanzer Part 1
ReplyDeleteI'm going to do this wrong, if there is a wrong way to respond. I can't respond separately to each reading without looping myself around, so I'm going to approach this as my collective response to an anthology. I suppose this is my warning.
The artist statement may not be necessary for a work. If you want my opinion, a work of art should be successful in it's own right. If a statement is required to make me connect, the artist failed and I'm going to glaze right over. A wall text is not going to bring me back and I am not going to see it your way. An artist who cannot talk about art is not an artist. They're a lucky bastard who managed to piece together the inconsequential into something meaningful. In reality we're all just lucky bastards piecing it together as we go, but the moment a person becomes an artist is the moment they can answer why. Even if the artist makes all decisions intuitively, to say I don't know why is just bull. "I make color decisions based off of intuition and my obsession of color" is a valid answer as any. Eva Hesse responds with only as much as she wants us to know, and possibly as much as she can know about her art in words.
I don't think that the visual nature of an artist gives the artist a free pass to not talk about art. If not being verbal was a free pass then mathematicians and theorists would not write thesis papers, they'd write their formula down and let the math speak. Yet for some reason, the math cannot speak for itself. Art is the same. We cannot escape language, it is the foundation upon which we define and create our artistic language and is so heavily rooted in us, it is us. We would like to believe that we exist outside of this frame, but by definition of being human we cannot. All we can do is acknowledge that framework. We also need to acknowledge that we have our own framework, how language works within us. What writing about art does is pin art down to that framework. Viewing and experiencing art is incredibly different than describing art. We can describe the sensory experience, but only through language and the sensory experience does not go through language until it is described. An artist statement shouldn't explain the art, the art does not need explanation, it exists as is. An artist statement should give others the necessary tools to filter the art through their own framework in a way authentic to the artist. The critic has the verbal skill to analyze art, but the critic lacks the same framework as the artist and so the critic could never process and describe the work in a truly authentic way.
Alex Kanzer part 2 The best part of reading other artist's thoughts is that authenticity. That kind of honesty is paramount. You can't get that from anywhere else, and you can't explain it. Claes' list could have only come from him, it works for him and his work and I don't think anyone else could make his format of statement work for themselves. That is, unless they share his thought process, and then I am thoroughly jealous as I am also a sucker for Oldenburg's work, except the PAFA paintbrush, I hate the PAFA paintbrush. His list shows that our process and our way of thinking can come through on paper. I expect the language used to reflect the work.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't mind when we get into what I call the art-speak "ities." (Physicality, materiality, coevality, abstrusity, it's a veritable rabbit hole of made-up words.) As long as the artist's work suggests a degree of complexity and intellect, the art-speak adds credibility. The purposeful use of art-speak serves to create a certain exclusivity. It is an understanding that if you do not understand this piece, and if you need a dictionary to read the statement, this piece is not for you. I did just say, If a statement is required to make me connect, the artist failed and I'm going to glaze right over. I still agree with this sentiment, as I open myself up to the possibility that not all art is meant for me. I stand by my statement by saying, if an art is truly successful then the intended audience should be able to enjoy the work and also understand the artist statement in a way that informs the work on top of their initial experience.
I don't think it is elitist, I think it's smart. As artists we share one medium, we're working with one thing here, meaning. We make things mean things. To scoff off any language in favor of pure visual art is to deny oneself the strongest weapon an artist has, words
Posting on behalf of Nora Spillane, whose computer is being very unhelpful
ReplyDeleteArtist's Statements by Gerard Brown
I found 'Artist's Statements' to be extremely helpful in my own judgement and breakdown of my work on paper.
The direct and slightly aggressive opening paragraphs make it clear that Brown believes an artist statement is crucial to the popular success of an artist. Although, I believe art works can stand alone and speak to the viewer without the assistance of writing; this article had me look at the value of an artist's statement again. A well constructed artist's statement protects your art and makes it fully yours because you were the first to understand it, even before it became physical. In the age of the internet things are very easily twisted. Everyone has the freedom to share their opinions and do what they will with any digital image, but with an artist statement in place, your work becomes a little less vulnerable.
The only statement I had trouble seeing the benefit of (not that artist's statements can't be in place for enjoyment along with the work) was Judith Schaechter's. Anyone above a sixth grade writing level, who has had the chance to take a class in glass and/or stained glass work would be able to write out the process as she did.
Phillip Guston
Guston is so honest in his writing that I feel as though I can hear him speaking. He also covers a lot of ground, from personal studio process, to artists as friends, to struggles of creating outside of the current art movement. I appreciate how thorough his writing is. Although his musings speak only of painters and cater towards a painters' practice there were pieces of the statement that resonated with me as a..I don't know what I am but it's definitely not a painter.
He says, "the worst thing in the world is to make judgements. What I always try to do is to eliminate, as much as possible, the time span between thinking and doing". This is wonderful advice and I plan to keep it in mind as I work through my thesis. If I am remembering correctly, my own judgements are what hold my work back from its' true potential.
He also writes, "I think that probably the most potent desire for a painter, an image maker, is to see it. To see what the mind can think and imagine...". That's beautiful. I can not think of another thing I work harder to achieve than creating a true image or thing I needed to see and need others to share.
still Nora
ReplyDeleteEva Hesse
Both Eva's letter to Ethely Honig and her statement read like they were written by a young female artist of today.
Her statement is broad in relation to her work but relates easily to artists.
I am drawn to to Hesse's work, but for someone reason her statement leaves me empty. In her letter I get a sense of who she is a how she sees herself in relation to the world, while her statement throws me in circles for a moment until I am sick of being offered nothing.
Claes Oldenburg
While reading the first page of Claes' statement I tried to make a connection between all of the sentences. I became frustrated because there really isn't one, unless you settle for the boring conclusion that they all involve actions. I then decided to stop trying to understand him and just read. The rise and fall of his prose actually became enjoyable. The qualm I now have with his statement is that all of the art he is for isn't in his work. When I see his work I immediately think 'oh another large object that isn't that large in reality. That must be Claes', and then I am done and look away. The rambling and writhing structure of his statement is exciting and random and I want to know what's coming next.
Bridget Riley
Bridget Rileys' untitled statement not only accompanies her work suitably, but actually creates understanding and depth for me. Her working from something instead of working towards something is precisely my process. I think that way of working makes it difficult to write a fully calculated artist's statement because the artist has to gather and understand what the final piece is, not the idea they began with. I believe Bridget ha done it properly here.
Robert Ryman
I love how clear Ryman's statement is. Beginning with a short snippet of his personal history makes him relatable and vulnerable which leaves our minds open and accepting to the rest of his writing.
I would like to have my artist statement flow and explain in the way that his does..my past, my influences, my concerns, and what I would like people to get from my work.
His concluding paragraph that speaks about what panting should do for you, left me craving a museum or gallery trip.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteArtist statement
ReplyDeleteI believe that artist statements are very important. It’s almost a right of passage for artists. The audience definitely judges you according to your well-constructed statement. I thought the different styles were very interesting. I never really thought enough to think there were different types. The one that I can relate to the most is the Explanatory. I just feel the need to express the materials, how I use them and I guess why I use them. Reading this was very helpful because writing these can be really stressful! I don’t know about anyone else but it is really hard for me to express my thoughts and philosophies. I mostly get caught up in the fact that the public is going to read my artist statement.
Philip Guston
Painting is not at all “what you see is what you get.” There is meaning to everything in a painting! I firmly believe in Leonardo Da Vinci’s statement that painting is a thing of the mind. A painter can totally immerse themselves into their subconscious and create work! They take thoughts, feelings, philosophies, etc and express them in a different way. That is not all in anyway what you see is what you get. I really think it’s a bold statement to say that “A painting is made with colored paint on a surface and what you see is what you get.” By bold I mean absolutely dumb but that is my opinion. I understand that there are people that do not understand art. I think art is like a book. There is a choice involved you can choose to read it and understand the story or you can just look at the cover and walk away. For those that choose to look at the cover are seriously missing out!
Eva Hesse
While I was reading this letter all that came to mind was that I wonder if you could tell the difference between male artwork and female artwork. If I were to conduct this experiment I would have two pieces side by side. One would be from a male one from a female artist and then try to determine which is which. I would have someone pick the work for me. I would not want to know anything about the artists especially their gender. I want to know if there is any key difference! Maybe it’s a complete waste of time to do the experiment but I feel compelled to do it after reading this letter!
I am for an art
I found this little poem to be amusing. These sentences are funny, outrageous and contradictory. I read it with an active imagination. For instance, when I read the sentence “I am for an art that helps old lady’s across the street.” I literally pictured a Brancusi sculpture helping an old lady across the street a generic busy street. I think part of his point was for people to imagine those sentences. His bigger point was to say that everything is “an art” and that art is not just black and white. We are surrounded by it every day.
Bridget Riley
Her statement is really well said. The way she writes is how I wish I could write. After reading, I can better understand her work and connect the dots on a deeper level. I really like the following sentence. “I believe that a work of art is distinguished by the transformation of the elements involved. I mean that’s beautifully said and completely agree.
Robert Ryman
I am not quiet sure how I feel about this statement. The explanation of white was interesting. I just wish he would of explained more about the use of squares. The part that I had the biggest response to was Cezanne and his “sureness” It’s really interesting to me to think about mark making and putting feelings behind them and giving them meaning. It made me think about my artwork and my mark making.