I hope I'm doing this right...
My first entry will include two visual artists that are inspiring me currently, and two tangents. I know there are only supposed to be three, but I am equally excited about both. They cover two areas I'm very concerned with: the first area being craft/skill. Previous instructors have labeled me as a "traditionalist, old school," and so on. I know this is condemned among art majors and instructors today, but it's very important to me. I believe that skill comes before concept. I also believe that skill will make one's work more powerful, because it is easier for the viewer to tolerate. That being said, here is a professor of mine who pushed me into understanding how important skill is. I can't tell you how many canvases I scraped down to start over under his instruction. His passion for drawing and painting served as fuel for my passion for printmaking and drawing. His name is Patrick Lee. Here is his website. Please go through some of his old posts, his figure drawing is incredible:
http://patrickleefineart.blogspot.com/
Modesto! is a friend of mine who does printmaking in Pittsburgh. His artwork is incredible. He is actually my boyfriend's (also a printmaker) boss, and we had the opportunity to display some work with him in a show. Lately he's been making a lot of collage centered around childhood, but in a lighthearted way. His design, subject matter, and use of colors cause me to want to make prints, even when I feel burned out.
http://www.modestoprints.com/
Right now I'm studying Biblical Hebrew. Language in general is an inspiration for me, and hopefully I will find ways to incorporate it into my work. The Hebrew alphabet is the "original" alphabet for all languages except Korean. My professor shows us how it developed into Greek, and so on. It completely amazes me, though I'm not sure why. I often feel dissatisfied with the English language. The origins and development of language is intriguing, and I find myself thinking about it more than I should. Just for fun, here's a link for a youtube video explaining the Hebrew alphabet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz_m118Yheg&feature=related
Another topic I find myself thinking about is parental love, or lack thereof, and how we define it as Americans. So, the book Mother Love by Rita Dove inspires me. I would highly suggest reading it-but if you do, make sure you read it a few times and slowly. She describes well the amount of suffering we can inflict on one another as humans, through the lenses of American culture, using Persephone, Demeter, and Hades as her narrators:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0393314448/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=10203432945&ref=pd_sl_k69vulcwr_b
I hope that made sense.
Lena,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. Your examples are really inspiring. I appreciate that you mentioned skills in this first posting. A great idea never saved a bad print, right? I am not going to call you "traditionalist"… until I see it. Having a great set of skills, in printmaking is a principle. Having a good set of skills in making/creating is truly priceless. In that way of thinking- we are all ‘traditionalists’, because we simply have to using printmaking techniques and methods. You might think of yourself in terms of an ‘old school’, but truly- each subject matter is approached with an idea, even if you approach it with a ‘good chiaroscuro’ in mind.
I think you might expand from that shell, since I see the shift in your thinking (in your examples) - right to Biblical Hebrew. Language is fascinating. Exploring is fascinating; looking for familiar?
I strangely excited to see what you will create this semester. Your four references are so different form each other, yet I can see a tiny teeny string of thoughts binding them together. Hopefully soon all of it will transform into a cohesive body of work…
I am looking forward to your proposal.