Ben Lewis so eloquently described exactly what I've been feeling about some of the overpriced dross that has been occupying the contemporary art world in the past decade in his wonderful Times online article a couple of days ago. It never ceases to amaze me what people will accept if someone in authority tells then to think like this, or buy that, behave in a certain way. Society is far too easily led! We have the wealth of civilisation and knowledge at our over educated fingertips, yet why is it, when it comes to many things like purchasing art, reading wonderful literature, or deciphering what the newsreader is blurbing out on the 6pm nightly news, people loose their brains, powers of reasoning go out the window...just vanish into thin air. I've been watching totally bemused for a number of years now, no-talent artists producing 1000s of multiples of the same work, selling as many as they can produce, with poor quality materials and no sense of anything at all. I hope the current state of the economy will reset people's thinking power and they'll begin to question again. Ask the questions that need to be asked, fall in love with a work of art because it means something to them and feel that they will never part with it for as long as they shall live. Much more preferable to asking how much will this artwork be worth in five years, meaning how much money are you as an artist going to make for me. Its just disgusting, it makes me sick.
I believe in creating art for the right reasons, because you want to create as a method of expression, not to make a dollar. This is why I have always worked full-time in another profession, to support my art, so as not to be in the position of painting for money, I cannot bare that scenario. Nor can I stand myself to just walk up to the easel and blindly paint just because I can. It is not a good way to conduct your art career (except when you are just out of art school and finding your feet), to exhibit just because its your turn in your galleries cycle. You must have something to say, it is for this reason, I sometimes don't paint, it is always on my mind, but I don't see the point of painting to fill an exhibition just because your dealers space needs 30 paintings to fill it. Its just not on, it is better to have 10 large, well constructed images, that are the best that you can do at the time, with a couple of studies on the walls, than more dross for the mill. I also feel that painting is a continuum throughout your life, whilst your subject matter may change over time, it is still this journey, one that I started when I was about 5 or 6 years old in earnest. I've always wanted to paint, I feel unsettled if I don't paint, all those things swimming around in my head just waiting to get out, its almost a cathartic process, that I need to go through.
I look forward to seeing the spin out to a more credible and honest art world in the future.
About Me
- This Painting Life
- Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Australian Artist, Dianne Gall, graduated from the South Australian School of Art over 20 years ago and has had numerous Solo Exhibitions and dozens of group shows. Her work is widely held in private as well as public collections.
SMALL PAINTINGS FOR SALE - This Small Painting Life
Visit my small paintings, affordable art site Click Here You will find a variety of subject matter as I paint what I feel like! Its going to be fun, everything from landscapes to toys, cars, objects, flowers...the artworks are painted on Art Boards™ Archival Oil Primed Linen Canvas Panels that have slots for easy hanging.
7 comments:
Dianne, I can't agree with you more. I do hope the scene is changing and I feel it is. The silly stuff will fall to the wayside. Can you resend the link about Detroit. I couldn't open it. You two are always an inspiration to me.
Not only do I agree with but so does Donald Kuspit. Have you read his book The End of Art? He has had enough of the current art scene. I find that much installation art leaves much to be desired.
I've just return from Spain, where I visited two Contemporary Art Galleries, and I could not agree with you more. These galleries are goverment funded, so the artists are encourage to produce this trash, because they probably got a grant to do so.
Seeing a family with a baby in a stroller and a child of 4 or 5 year old holding to her mother's hand as they are visiting the galleries that include homo erotic fantasies (of the artist) with photographs of models urinating, exposing themselves, or in sexual situations, as if you are almost looking at a Peep show.... I just think that it has gone to far. For those kids, it's like innocence lost.
What was depicted in many of the photos, if they would happen in a public space in real life, those people would get arrested. Just because it's on a gallery wall, does it make it art or more acceptable?
Eckhart Tolle mentions in his book, The Power of Now, ''Because we live in such a mind dominated culture, most modern art, architecture, music and litterature are devoid of beauty, of the inner essence, with very few exceptions. The reason is that the people who create those things cannot - even for a moment - free themselves from their mind. So they are never in touch with that place within where true creativity and beauty arise. The mind left to itself creates monstrosities, and not only in art galleries. Look at our urban landscapes and industrial wastelands. No civilization has ever produced so much ugliness''.
Amen to what you have said.
I too think it is fading out a bit but as life is a pendulum who knows but what it will return. I truely believe government funding drives the drivel.
Interesting blog. I will return to look it over more closely.
Hi Dianne.
Well said.
I saw some William Blake etchings displayed at the Art Gallery of NSW the other day, and though they were tiny, they contained worlds.
Each had more intelligence and heart in that tiny area than all the immense acreage of contemporary canvas on other walls put together.
Very inspiring.
Dianne,
So happy to have found your recent blog! Will you be blogging on the inspirations that overcame you at ICML? I do think I must!
Cheers, Bonnie
Thankyou all for your comments, it is nice to think about these things and read your views. I'll be posting some more things in a few days...
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