tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241843043670237972024-03-13T05:31:47.964-04:00Katharine A. Cartwright StudioA blog dedicated to the advancement of critical thinking in artAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.comBlogger323125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-36380371043188643542013-10-05T13:42:00.001-04:002013-10-05T13:42:41.391-04:00Complementarity<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSmRDKuuDZSA5rULohZwPvMepQNoGQ-JQrc20cARLuT6I08WXqT-H5DDYJUFAc4pHEhzW3zhDRxvpzF3Rtn-FNO6H-GK9-VoWchC5ofKxKXkmkAbRqoE__0PfEErENXKmlyjRsncVeeUl/s1600/Complementarity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSmRDKuuDZSA5rULohZwPvMepQNoGQ-JQrc20cARLuT6I08WXqT-H5DDYJUFAc4pHEhzW3zhDRxvpzF3Rtn-FNO6H-GK9-VoWchC5ofKxKXkmkAbRqoE__0PfEErENXKmlyjRsncVeeUl/s320/Complementarity.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Complementarity</i><br />by Katharine A .Cartwright<br />watercolor, 26" x 20"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last month, I was reading a book about Niels Bohr and came across a short discussion of his principle "complementarity." I needed to paint this for my "Laws" series because I was so inspired by his idea. So, here's my aesthetic interpretation.<br />
<br />
This painting, along with dozens of others in my series "The Laws of Nature" will be exhibited at the UConn Art Gallery in Stamford in June 2014. Hope to see you there!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-15757621568183153782013-09-28T13:17:00.003-04:002013-09-28T13:17:59.316-04:00The Most Common Question Is ....<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwPSMulg0G_KMCp3qs6YnuMS2wFRAlCTSfKDmh0kYLbGuhbdJM8ZS5DieAF6UNy1cTVFrhOJWAQRpwirg_lJlAQa_ZkEqrTlU1bURht__1wylIgmdWbQy9hF1xsDqHE2ACXvXkNRGC5Qa/s1600/Cartwright.Weaving+the+Fabric+of+the+Universe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwPSMulg0G_KMCp3qs6YnuMS2wFRAlCTSfKDmh0kYLbGuhbdJM8ZS5DieAF6UNy1cTVFrhOJWAQRpwirg_lJlAQa_ZkEqrTlU1bURht__1wylIgmdWbQy9hF1xsDqHE2ACXvXkNRGC5Qa/s320/Cartwright.Weaving+the+Fabric+of+the+Universe.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Weaving the Fabric of the Universe</i><br />by Katharine A. Cartwright, NWS<br />watercolor, 26" x 20"</td></tr>
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The most common question people ask me is "How long did it take you to paint that?" I could supply a variety of answers, like:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><i>All of my life</i></li>
<li><i>61 years (which is all of my life)</i></li>
<li><i>About 45 hours</i></li>
<li><i>45 hours, 26 minutes and 34 seconds</i></li>
<li><i>I have no idea; I'm losing my memory</i></li>
<li><i>What did you say? I'm losing my hearing</i></li>
</ul>
<div>
or</div>
<div>
Just ignore them altogether.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
However, since most people really want to know the answer, I usually opt for the approximate hours or weeks/months. But, that really isn't an accurate answer, is it?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In fact, "all of the above" would be correct in my case.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What's the question people most commonly ask you about your work?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-29180004578633736742013-09-22T10:21:00.001-04:002013-09-22T10:21:25.185-04:00Exhibiting in China<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbHITyQCCllzkFy_dMj4iXPXb9FZ-J2h5NUE4j-1sbi5vgz9Se_QERV72H9qRw3M2X2WLIOsoIiyADBttThgKOy8F2MfwilM62Ly-8YKVWlDCwr8tRUqCosDIRh-hBXlzpyDRzqB82sSt/s1600/Fourier's+Law.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbHITyQCCllzkFy_dMj4iXPXb9FZ-J2h5NUE4j-1sbi5vgz9Se_QERV72H9qRw3M2X2WLIOsoIiyADBttThgKOy8F2MfwilM62Ly-8YKVWlDCwr8tRUqCosDIRh-hBXlzpyDRzqB82sSt/s320/Fourier's+Law.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Fourier's Law </i>by Katharine Cartwright<br />watercolor, 26" x 20"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: #fefefe; line-height: 20px;">My painting, <i>Fourier's Law, </i>has been included in this year's Shenzhen Watercolor Biennial in China. This exhibition will be hung at the Shenzhen Art Museum on December 10th. An international panel of jurors selected 260 paintings from 54 countries and regions for this exhibit, including 59 from the United States. I'm honored to be included! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fefefe; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fefefe; line-height: 20px;">Here's where you may find more information about the exhibit:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fefefe; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.shenzhenbiennial.com/">http://www.shenzhenbiennial.com/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-62852589146349746562013-07-18T06:10:00.001-04:002013-07-18T06:10:29.074-04:00Artistry at Its Source<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h7gOj8VK0C4/Uee-mvXO0LI/AAAAAAAACMc/4pJvfRRXh3Q/s1600/Cartwright,+Entry+1..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h7gOj8VK0C4/Uee-mvXO0LI/AAAAAAAACMc/4pJvfRRXh3Q/s320/Cartwright,+Entry+1..jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Archimedes' Principle </i><br />by Katharine A. Cartwright<br />watercolor, 26" x 20"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Dear readers,<br />
I wrote this article for the National Watercolor Society's summer newsletter and would like to also share it with you here. - Kathy<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
ARTISTRY AT ITS SOURCE</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Katharine A. Cartwright, NWS </div>
<br />
Noted art critic, Arthur Danto, once stated that there are two necessary criteria for something to be deemed ‘a work of art’ – it must have meaning and it must embody that meaning. If that is true, then the process of making art must begin with the artist’s idea, or concept. Without that, we painters are prone to rely upon happy accidents, mimicry, and technique. Reliance upon happy accidents leads to frustration and hinders mastery. Mimicry prevents us from speaking in our own unique voice, which is really the only chance we have to produce authentic original work. Reliance upon technique makes us good painters or technicians, but should not be confused with artistry.<br />
<br />
In order to produce original and meaningful art, it is important to recognize how we, as individuals, uniquely perceive the world around and inside of us. This requires introspection and a complete willingness to trust our own instincts. Quieting the voices of others, the influences we’ve come to trust aside from ourselves over the years, is essential to this process. It is also a very difficult step because, from youth, we are trained to follow the advice and opinions of others in authority. We learn to trust others above ourselves to develop habits, attitudes, and skills. But, in making art, there is no greater authority than oneself. Only we, as individuals, know our internal thoughts and perceptions. And, as artists, expressing our unique selves is the greatest contribution we can make to the global dialogue in art. It is also the most personally rewarding.<br />
<br />
Earlier, I used the term “quieting the voices of others” rather than silencing. The voices of our instructors and peers are essential to our development as artists. We carry those lessons with us throughout our lives. However, the process of maturation requires each of us to develop our own voice, which means that the voices of others must become quieter. This is why I paint alone, silently and intently, following the guidance of my intuition.<br />
<br />
As a painting and creativity instructor, I give great consideration to how I influence my students while helping them find their own voices. I believe that effective teaching begins with listening. In other words, my students teach me how to teach them if I’m more concerned about what they have to say rather than imposing my ideas upon them. This is a time consuming but very necessary step in the process.
Annually, the students who fly or drive in for instruction have the same expectation: to make a break-through, to find meaning and relevance in what they paint, and to make their work unique. Therefore, we don’t paint for a few days. We talk. Rather, I should say that my student talks and I listen and ask pertinent questions. I allow plenty of time for reflection and then we engage in even more conversations. Once a student clearly identifies the intended idea for a body of work, painting begins. This process cannot be rushed. Without depth and clarity of thought, there is no chance for a breakthrough that is meaningful and relevant.<br />
<br />
My process begins in the same manner that I teach my students. For instance, The Laws of Nature is a series of watercolor paintings that began two years ago after I spent much time reflecting on the idea. The overarching concept for the series is to comment on the physical laws that constrain man’s attempt to harness and utilize the energy and materials of the universe; hence, making impossible our quest to create the perfect machine run by perpetual motion.<br />
<br />
The challenge in creating this series is to rely upon my intuition to design each painting rather than physical references. The result is mechanical mindscapes that express individual physical laws. Each one is unique, and the series is entirely like no other. This is only achieved by trusting and following my intuition while rejecting, as much as is possible, any outside influence. To accomplish this, I spend hours to days contemplating a single law of physics. When a notion or image pops into my head, I quickly draft it onto a full sheet of watercolor paper in one or two hours. At the end of that time all the forms that will appear in the final painting have been drawn. This stage must be accomplished quickly so that my intuition controls my hand.<br />
<br />
Next, I develop a color strategy that unifies the complex design. To do this, I select only four to five hues. By limiting my palette I am able to unify the painting and create a more harmonious appearance despite the complexity of the competing forms. Color and value are employed in a manner enhances the flow path for the eye of the viewer. Although the painting style for this series is precise, I work very fast to facilitate intuitive control over the work.<br />
<br />
It is my reliance upon intuition that yields the best results and elevates my work from largely derivative to unique and meaningful. My voice, not another’s, is expressed. This is what makes the work unique and meaningful. Painting in a series allows both my voice and technique to mature. This particular series, which now numbers twenty-five works, will continue for many years to come and will end only when I have nothing more to say about it.
- KAC June 2012
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-46543248233452341072013-04-13T16:54:00.001-04:002013-04-13T16:54:07.859-04:00Paradigms and Purposes
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6VR9rT6vhAbfoI6JP_K3pd8djQiYCIsPNlknvTHXb7C60Z5aRviJaL9tAloHz3KqrQRujv4126u6F6GPUUy_xmtzmWxst8cceGcozDvBG6lixe3t_qBXA8MPW4PyoKfXIDYvqNQBAND3/s1600/Occam's+Razor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6VR9rT6vhAbfoI6JP_K3pd8djQiYCIsPNlknvTHXb7C60Z5aRviJaL9tAloHz3KqrQRujv4126u6F6GPUUy_xmtzmWxst8cceGcozDvBG6lixe3t_qBXA8MPW4PyoKfXIDYvqNQBAND3/s320/Occam's+Razor.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Occam's Razor</em><br />
watercolor on paper<br />
Katharine A. Cartwright, NWS<br />
prints and cards are available,<br />
see link above</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Book Review<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></em></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Art
Theory: A Very Short Introduction </span></span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">by Cynthia Freeland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chapter 2: Paradigms and purposes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Moving right along at
my present pace, which seems to match that of a snail, I’ll tackle Chapter 2.
The opening sentence is a real attention grabber: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">contemporary artists who create work using blood, urine, maggots, and
plastic surgery are successors of past artists who took sex, violence, and war
as their subjects. </i>Really? Is the correlation actually that close?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Freeland needs to find
a theory that applies to these works. In this chapter, she devotes the next
five sections to five periods in art ranging from fifth-century BCE Athens to
Andy Warhol’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brillo Box</i> in 1964. Here’s
a very brief synopsis of the evolution of “what is art?” according to Freeland:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Greeks
– art is an imitation of nature or of human life and action, including tragedy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chartres
and medieval aesthetics – art and Gothic cathedrals (the repository of art)
must emulate the characteristic of beauty which is a property of God. The three
key principles of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>gothic cathedrals:
proportion, light and allegory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Versailles
and Kant – The Greek classical motif is revisited at Versailles in
architecture, craftsmanship, and gardens. Kant emphasized the idea of “purposeviness
without purpose.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Richard
Wagner– his opera <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Parsifal</i> celebrates
suffering; the rebirth of the tragedy in art.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Andy
Warhol – his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brillo Box</i> …<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">demonstrated that anything can be a work of
art, given the right situation and theory. </i>Art that embodies meaning
becomes the new norm. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, it appears that Warhol
and his avid supporter, noted critic Arthur Danto, opened Pandora’s Box
(although I might argue that Duchamp did it first). Most everything is art now,
and most everything hangs in our museums of contemporary art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beauty is no longer required.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve spent time
reflecting upon this idea and can agree intellectually, but not emotionally.
When I create art, no matter what the overarching concept for it, I still try
to make it aesthetically pleasing. I’m enthralled with design and color. Yes, I
begin with a concept and it’s not always a pleasing thought, but the art that
expresses it is usually something beautiful to look at.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, the question for me
is not whether it’s art, but whether I want to paint it and look at it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How about you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-89542103427946895012013-04-04T07:53:00.001-04:002013-04-04T08:00:29.505-04:00What's your emotional range?<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Book
Review</span></u></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><u></u></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><u><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5aHGgSf4bReajpHKkdeCg53WVYZ96YKoTwNeEE7zMbeZD2QULI-WLhQJrZyWzrNLpAccsTcQXcrYszOBl-siL_J7-rAET97xcTsm1Oku3x0cCqhdZdnxKTPMDz7_mFmLa7zivudgGC3W8/s1600/Kirschhoffs+First+Law.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5aHGgSf4bReajpHKkdeCg53WVYZ96YKoTwNeEE7zMbeZD2QULI-WLhQJrZyWzrNLpAccsTcQXcrYszOBl-siL_J7-rAET97xcTsm1Oku3x0cCqhdZdnxKTPMDz7_mFmLa7zivudgGC3W8/s320/Kirschhoffs+First+Law.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Kirschhoff's First Law</em><br />
watercolor 26" x 20"<br />
Katharine A. Cartwright, NWS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</u></em></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Art
Theory: A Very Short Introduction </span></span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">by Cynthia Freeland</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chapter 1: Conclusion</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">After presenting the
case of Serrano and his precursor Goya, Freeland moves us toward concluding
statements by pointing out that a lot of recent art work incorporates horror. I
would agree. My trips to the galleries and museums of New York City gave me
insight into this. Quite frankly, sometimes I understood it but mostly I
wondered about the motivations of the artists. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s kind of like viewing Hollywood’s
high-body-count movies (HBC’s). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
awhile you wonder <em>what is the point</em>?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, this chapter in
Freeland’s book interests me. She begins by trying to help us
understand horror in art through the lenses of two competing theories:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1) art as communal ritual, and 2) aesthetic
theory <em>a la</em> Kant and Hume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first
theory doesn’t explain this trend, and the second only marginally. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Freeland writes: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">By pointing back to works of an important
artist from the past, Goya, I have argued that contemporary ugly or shocking
art like Serrano’s has clear precedents in the Western European canon. Art
includes not just works of formal beauty to be enjoyed by people with ‘taste’,
or works with beauty and uplifting moral messages, but also works that are ugly
and disturbing, with a shatteringly negative moral content. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This means that
Freeland will next discuss content. My favorite subject!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The questions I have
for those of you who wish to comment are: What is your reaction to horror in
works of art and do you incorporate it in your own work? Do you concern
yourself with conveying feelings other than pleasant ones in your art? What is
the emotional range of your self expression?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-65654316745608255402013-03-29T08:23:00.002-04:002013-03-29T08:23:44.886-04:00Goya - a precursor to Serrano?
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EXeXNCj0k-0/UVWHqy-_WKI/AAAAAAAACIo/8CL31gRSPjk/s1600/Image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EXeXNCj0k-0/UVWHqy-_WKI/AAAAAAAACIo/8CL31gRSPjk/s1600/Image1.jpg" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Book
Review</span></u></em><em><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></em></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Art
Theory: A Very Short Introduction </span></span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">by Cynthia Freeland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chapter 1, Section 6:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goya – a precursor?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Freeland moves us into
a discussion – a “prequel” if you will – that gives us further insight into
Serrano. She leads us into the past world of Francisco Goya y Lucientes (1746-
1828), a contemporary of Hume and Kant. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The official painter to
the King of Spain, Goya’s life endured political upheavals and wars. His works
sometimes showed it in battle scenes, symbolism through martyrs, slaughter, and
so on. His work was confrontational. It wasn’t meant to provide a pleasant
viewing experience, but rather to make a statement – to, at times, depict moral
depravity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">He said of
himself:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Censoring human errors and vices – although it seems the preserve of
oratory and poetry – may also be a worthy object of painting. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Goya personally
witnessed atrocities and he had a viewpoint to express about them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Evidently, later in
life, Goya became deaf after a serious illness. The aesthetic result of this was
his “Black Paintings” which were painted on the walls of a room in his home.
This is his most disturbing work (take a look at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saturn Devouring One of His Sons). </i>Freeland writes of these works: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It would be sheer dogma to deny that Goya
has stopped being a good artist because such works are painful or because their
moral point seems obscure.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><em></em><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, this brings us back
to Serrano and Lippard’s defense of his work (see last post). Both artists
exhibit <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">skill, training, thought, and
careful preparation.</i> So, I ask myself, does this make it art? Yes, I say.
Does this make it “good” art? What’s “good” art???</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And, what are your
thoughts?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-36316282118937182322013-03-23T20:50:00.003-04:002013-03-23T20:50:54.667-04:00Defending Serrano<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FpaGPzy4-34/UU5Nj4K2bgI/AAAAAAAACIM/awE0ISvU0Qk/s1600/Image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FpaGPzy4-34/UU5Nj4K2bgI/AAAAAAAACIM/awE0ISvU0Qk/s200/Image1.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andres Serrano</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Book
Review</span></u></em><em><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></em></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Art
Theory: A Very Short Introduction </span></span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">by Cynthia Freeland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chapter 1, Section 5:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Defending Serrano<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">OK, so we’ve discussed Serrano’s work on this blog
before, but this time it’s worth revisiting. Art theory is one of those
disciplines that sometimes seems like an intellectual cloud to me. The reason I
began this blog several years ago was to understand art theory/art history a
little better. I did this by reviewing books one section at a time and asking
you readers to discuss them with me. You did a great job and I learned a lot!
Those years were important to my present understanding. But, there’s always
more to learn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What I learned from you readers a while ago was how much
most of you dislike Serrano’s work, particularly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Piss Christ</i>. So, what defense does Freeland offer for this work?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">She cites critic Lucy
Lippard who wrote an article in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Art in
America </i>in 1990.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lippard’s analysis <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of Serrano is based upon <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(1) his work’s formal and material properties; (2) its content (the
thought or meaning it expressed); and (3) its context, or place in the Western
art tradition.</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m in! These three
criteria are the basis for defining art. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Piss Christ</i> is actually a photograph (Cibachrome)
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- a large one <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(60”x40”) - made using Serrano’s own urine
(that part doesn’t impress me). Lippard’s adjective-saturated description of
this work makes it sound great and offers a somewhat palatable interpretation. It
represents rebellion and transforms the iconic crucifix by placing it within a
different context (urine). <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">OK, I’ll buy that as
well. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But, as Lippard extends
her argument to materials, I waiver a little. She claims that because Serrano’s
cultural heritage is Honduran and Afro-Cuban, his Catholic beliefs include body
fluids as a source of religious power and strength. I’m not Catholic, so I’ll
have to take her word for it. So, she seems to think that the urine soaked
crucifix represents the artist’s condemnation of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the way that culture pays only lip service to a religion without truly
endorsing its values. </i>Really? Well, maybe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Serrano did claim that his work denounced religious institutions that
have been commercialized and cheapened and not the religion itself. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Maybe I can believe
this. And maybe Lippard’s defense of Serrano’s work is pretty convincing, even
if the work seems repulsive. But, who says art has to be attractive?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Next time, Freeland
discusses Goya as Serrano’s precursor.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What are your thoughts?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-27666066423440632562013-03-20T15:44:00.000-04:002013-03-20T15:44:03.478-04:00Kant's Legacy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_IkZDzFP1Zw/UUoRKshZFDI/AAAAAAAACHk/K2FWl79eqGo/s1600/Serrano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_IkZDzFP1Zw/UUoRKshZFDI/AAAAAAAACHk/K2FWl79eqGo/s1600/Serrano.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Holy Works</em><br />
Andres Serrano</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Book
Review</span></u></em><em><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></em></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Art
Theory: A Very Short Introduction </span></span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">by Cynthia Freeland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chapter 1, Section 4:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kant’s Legacy<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Moving along, Freeland leads us into a discussion of
Kant’s influence upon aesthetics and art theory, especially those offered by
future art writers like Clive Bell, Edward Bullough, and Clement Greenberg. The
viewpoints of all three overlapped with Kant’s ideas about aesthetics, but with
a “twist.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For instance, Bell felt that “Significant Form,”
which is created through a particular combination of lines and colors, evokes
our aesthetic emotions. He shunned the notion that art should address life or
politics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Bullough felt that you couldn’t experience art
without “psychical distance.” He <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">argued
that sexual or political subjects tend to block aesthetic consciousness. </i>I
guess thinking isn’t allowed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Greenberg (who advocated for Pollock) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">celebrated form as the quality through which
a painting or sculpture refers to its medium and to its own conditions of
creation. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, don’t
bother looking for content.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, what is Kant’s legacy? The continued notion that
art must be concerned with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">quality,
morality, beauty and form. </i>Of course, we know that isn’t the case. Look at
the works of Serrano, Mapplethorpe, and others who express what repulses us.
Their work is “art.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Next time, Freeland writes in defense of Serrano.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What are your thoughts?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-82910820130157285052013-03-15T05:52:00.003-04:002013-03-15T11:04:13.529-04:00Beauty and Disinterestedness<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPip53hE7mrkLJHaTY4PY2jX7rmGYirIlfQbCfNyw5K1UyZ2iXOvv3gG-Z6-o48Qt8z3wN99-Y-k7dx39dtjsGI1F2j3gkNOv51olZHuggdmPsJMptOjxAZgWKQ8vCoqBHLYLaZPtI0O6V/s1600/Image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPip53hE7mrkLJHaTY4PY2jX7rmGYirIlfQbCfNyw5K1UyZ2iXOvv3gG-Z6-o48Qt8z3wN99-Y-k7dx39dtjsGI1F2j3gkNOv51olZHuggdmPsJMptOjxAZgWKQ8vCoqBHLYLaZPtI0O6V/s320/Image1.jpg" width="156" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Me</em> at the Gaugin Museum in Tahiti</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><u><span style="line-height: 115%;">Book
Review</span></u></em><em><u><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></em></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Art
Theory: A Very Short Introduction </span></span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">by Cynthia Freeland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Chapter 1, Section 3:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beauty and Disinterestedness</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Last time, Freeland left us with this
cliffhanger:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kant’s way of recognizing this </i>[e.g. our ability to see beauty in
an object] <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was to say that something
beautiful has ‘purposiveness without a purpose.’”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">In this third section of Chapter 1, she explains. We
tend to assign “beauty” to an object that elicits pleasure within us rather than
because of its functionality. And, we think that everyone should agree with our
assessment. This is Kant’s “purposiveness.” He felt that the purpose of
something was distinctly different from the pleasurable sensations it illicits, and that in
order to appreciate beauty we must be <u>disinterested</u> in the purpose of the object.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">For instance, according to Kant, my judgment of
beauty in – let’s say – an apple would be contaminated if I ate the apple. I
would need to limit my appreciation to viewing and maybe touching and smelling
to derive pleasure, but not to the use of the apple which would be consumption.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Freeland uses a couple more examples to
explain this point:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">If
a viewer responds to Botticelli’s “Venus” with an erotic desire, as if she is a
pinup, he is actually not appreciating her for her beauty. And if someone
enjoys looking at a Gauguin painting of Tahiti while fantasizing about going
on vacation there, then they no longer have an aesthetic relation to its
beauty. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Kant also believed that making beautiful art
requires human genius: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the special
ability to manipulate materials so that they create harmony of faculties
causing viewers to respond with distanced enjoyment.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">So, beauty is appreciated when we’re detached from
(disinterested in) the purpose of an object and feel only an emotional response that satisfies our
imagination and intellect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">I understand Kant’s viewpoint but don’t completely
agree. I think that all the senses (including the taste of something) help us
to define beauty, and that the functionality of something can be beautiful. In
mathematics and science we often talk of “elegant solutions.” They are
beautiful. <span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Buckminster Fuller once said<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I am working
on a problem, I never think about beauty but when I have finished, if the
solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">What are your thoughts?</span>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">In the next section of Chapter 1, Freeland discusses
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kant’s legacy. </i>How did his philosophy
affect society’s view of art and what artist’s produce?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-36660889325671430272013-03-09T22:16:00.001-05:002013-03-09T22:24:52.164-05:00Taste and Beauty<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sjOt4b86bQw/UTv6j4ScZKI/AAAAAAAACF8/RfTXFOnWmN0/s1600/Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sjOt4b86bQw/UTv6j4ScZKI/AAAAAAAACF8/RfTXFOnWmN0/s320/Church.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_the_Andes" title="Heart of the Andes"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;">Heart of the Andes</span></span></a></i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frederick
Edwin Church (1859)<em><span style="font-family: "Cantarell","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<em><u><span style="font-family: "Cantarell","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Book Review</span></u></em><em><u><span style="font-family: "Cantarell","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></em><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="font-family: "Cantarell","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction </span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Cantarell","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">by
Cynthia Freeland</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chapter
1, Section 2:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taste and Beauty<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We’ve had a
lot of discussion over the years on this blog about beauty and art. Freeland’s
discussion in this second section of Chapter 1 gives us a little more insight on the topic. She begins
by offering the reader Hume and Kant’s philosophical belief <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that some works of art really are better
than others, and that some people have better taste.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hume believed that "good taste" is acquired through education and that "good art" is identified by a consensus of
the educated elite. These folks “set the standard.” As a counterpoint, Freeland states that Hume’s
critics note the fact that these elite “acquired their values through cultural
indoctrination.” Good point! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the other
hand, Kant felt that humans have the innate ability to perceive beauty and
recognize it in a work of art without the benefit of an education. This allows all of us to conclude that some
works of art are better than others. Therefore, the identification of "good art" is a matter of
taste rather than the opinion of an educated elite. I’ll interpret this to mean that Kant also felt that
beauty must be an essential element in a work of art. Otherwise, his argument
doesn’t work. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kant also
believed that people with similar sensibilities tend to agree with each other,
so I guess that the standard for good art would be set by the largest group. I'm speculating.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, Freeland
ends this section of Chapter 1 with a paradox: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kant’s way of recognizing this </i>[e.g. our ability to see beauty in
an object] <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was to say that something
beautiful has ‘purposiveness without a purpose.’”<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Section 3 of
Chapter 1 will explain.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the
meantime, perhaps we may discuss Hume and Kant’s ideas here.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What do you
think?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-89664630820035893772013-03-08T06:32:00.005-05:002013-03-08T06:36:03.489-05:00Blood and Beauty<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q1N2pWqMNlc/UTnKv0KtrYI/AAAAAAAACFc/f5_8vN7TLhg/s1600/Frida.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q1N2pWqMNlc/UTnKv0KtrYI/AAAAAAAACFc/f5_8vN7TLhg/s200/Frida.jpg" width="182" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: small;">The Two Fridas</span></em><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Frida Kahlo, 1939</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<u>Book Review</u><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="font-family: "Cantarell","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction </span></em><span style="font-family: "Cantarell","serif"; line-height: 115%;">by
Cynthia Freeland</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chapter 1:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blood and
Beauty</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In this chapter, the author poses a question: <em>Why has blood been used in
so much art?</em> Good question! I remember when my husband, after a year-long
European tour, said he couldn’t bear to see even one more work of art depicting
a bloody crucifix scene. And, that’s just the traditional
work. Today, artists use blood in a number of ways – a lot of it poured on or applied with a brush. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Freeland offers us several answers to her question:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Blood has similar physical characteristics to
paint, and it is an eye-catching hue.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Blood is symbolic: life, virginity, sacrifice,
contagion, and so on. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shock value, especially in contemporary
performance art</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is a clear division of purpose between answers 2 and
3. The former brings members of society together ritualistically where
the meaning of blood unites them in a shared belief or value. The latter often
generates shock and fear in individual viewers who may react in a number of
ways, but not uniformly. Rather than unite, this use of blood alienates the
viewers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Perhaps you can clarify and elaborate on this synthesis. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is only the first part of Chapter 1 and deserves some
reflection before moving along to the second part which considers “Taste and
beauty.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What are your thoughts?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-10989179732646206912013-03-07T10:18:00.001-05:002013-03-07T10:18:22.855-05:00Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P7mtDStMqBc/UTiu5txBZgI/AAAAAAAACFM/T1roCdHCGTM/s1600/Image2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P7mtDStMqBc/UTiu5txBZgI/AAAAAAAACFM/T1roCdHCGTM/s200/Image2.jpg" width="127" /></a>It's been a few years since I've reviewed a book on art theory and this seems like a good time to begin one. I've selected <em>Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction </em>by Cynthia Freeland. In this book, she promises to "scrutinize many different art theories: ritual theory, formalist theory, imitation theory, expression theory, cognitive thoery, and postmodern theory."</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This should be interesting and I'll begin with chapter 1 tomorrow. Hope you'll join me for a lively discussion!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-17661232491530268142013-03-04T12:45:00.002-05:002013-03-05T15:26:39.336-05:00Artistic License<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQQ6pZzs2Py0S52JuhFAUP-WHuAiVYamYTAdAnqGoM-RDWgAsrsQQFXPYEgfNlBbu6I00n6ZFnEU46TB7LcqJaFePUvOGAyzux84m3Yf-vXgKDyrCG4eXHpdCaI1aDK9PK87IFC4VWgpw/s1600/Charles'+Law+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQQ6pZzs2Py0S52JuhFAUP-WHuAiVYamYTAdAnqGoM-RDWgAsrsQQFXPYEgfNlBbu6I00n6ZFnEU46TB7LcqJaFePUvOGAyzux84m3Yf-vXgKDyrCG4eXHpdCaI1aDK9PK87IFC4VWgpw/s320/Charles'+Law+final.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Charles Law</em><br />
watercolor on paper<br />
26" x 20"<br />
Katharine A. Cartwright, NWS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Unless the painter is deliberately trying replicate
what is seen either in person or in a photograph, she is employing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">artistic license.</i> I looked up the term
in Wikipedia to learn more about it and found that, when it comes to the visual
arts, “artistic license is the way in which stylized images of an object are
different from their real life counterparts, but are still intended to be
interpreted by the viewer as representing the same thing.” This source also
defines four criteria. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Artistic license </i>is:<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Entirely at the artist’s discretion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Intended to be tolerated by the viewer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Useful for filling in gaps, whether they be factual, compositional, historical, or other gaps.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Used consciously or unconsciously, intentionally or unintentionally or in tandem.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, this makes me ponder what it is that viewers accept and,
conversely, what they don’t accept. Denis Dutton, in his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Art Instinct </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(reviewed <a href="http://k-cartwright.blogspot.com/2010/01/most-wanted-and-least-wanted-paintings.html" target="_blank">here</a> on this blog in January 2010) makes a strong case for the characteristics
that define the “most wanted and least wanted paintings.” His theory links the
evolution of humans and the human psyche to our aesthetic preferences. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without rehashing that book, I’d like to expand
his theory to include <em>artistic license</em>.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> I agree with
Dutton that we are instantly drawn to form like faces, water, landscapes, flowers and
certain colors that relate to our survival and habitat. But, I think that
we’re also drawn to acts of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">artistic license</i>.
We love looking at distortions, stylizations, surrealism, and altered hues
because I think it satisfies our imagination. Without the insertion of the
artist’s imagination into the painting process there wouldn’t be innovation and
the artist’s ideas would become worthless. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Even works of realism, which throughout time attract the most viewers, contain
distortions imposed by the painter who strives to make the best possible
composition with form, line, color, and value. The painter enhances the viewing experience by employing artistic license in a way that reaches our emotions.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> I’d like to
think that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">artistic license</i> is more
like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">artistic necessity. </i>Without it,
our work would be dull and lifeless. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What’s your
opinion?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-41680177797837905452013-02-27T06:11:00.001-05:002013-02-27T06:11:23.814-05:00Relevance<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLYckDYX_LzJdC0Bej6k7PmQ8ufBi1wP85xz-j8EE9qjWXr_1TU-FCcT-6dCXCIILuqLZf4w1x4vfELAGRxxTaxlYcUHMNbyieNqlW7TFmmQKeEFK0ocSzQZKuVv5iuOtJuvPV_kXG6Xq/s1600/Lambert's+First+Law.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLYckDYX_LzJdC0Bej6k7PmQ8ufBi1wP85xz-j8EE9qjWXr_1TU-FCcT-6dCXCIILuqLZf4w1x4vfELAGRxxTaxlYcUHMNbyieNqlW7TFmmQKeEFK0ocSzQZKuVv5iuOtJuvPV_kXG6Xq/s320/Lambert's+First+Law.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Lambert's First Law</em><br />
watercolor on paper<br />
26" x 20"<br />
Katharine A. Cartwright, NWS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other day, someone asked me if I thought that art created with traditional materials (e.g. surfaces and paints) is relevant any more. He was referring to the emergence of the use of electronic technology to create art in an age when we're so tech oriented. Everyone carries a cell phone, or I-pad, or computer .... you get the picture. Therefore, art created using or incorporating these devices is a relevant reflection of our society and interests. So, I could understand his point and believe that this type of art is relevant and very important.<br />
<br />
However, there's also a good defense for the relevance of the type of art I make using traditional materials. The concept (content) is really what makes the art, in my opinion, no matter which materials are used. Relevance comes from content. It reveals the artist's relationship with the world around her - the world she presently lives in. What could be more relevant than that?<br />
<br />
So, the question really isn't relevance but the taste and sensibility of the art patron. You can do "neat" things with electronic devices in creating art that you can't do with a brush and vice versa. <br />
<br />
What's your opinion?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-26601594573864738512013-02-23T08:05:00.000-05:002013-02-23T08:05:00.021-05:00Beating "The Law of Averages"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB43KzJtqCW9WvT0jQYsClS8-GQTgr01kj6LR0fn7QsVRIW9VIhNBlhIltomHnRxC9tOYAA4z1BIDlckeXeXSpTU9t33zkAELS5pH5bpqiqa1GIW-4JasaM08ul9-fcbG-uKAkbaB5CQQ3/s1600/Cartwright.K.Boyle's+Law..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB43KzJtqCW9WvT0jQYsClS8-GQTgr01kj6LR0fn7QsVRIW9VIhNBlhIltomHnRxC9tOYAA4z1BIDlckeXeXSpTU9t33zkAELS5pH5bpqiqa1GIW-4JasaM08ul9-fcbG-uKAkbaB5CQQ3/s320/Cartwright.K.Boyle's+Law..jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Boyle's Law</em><br />
watercolor on paper<br />
26x20"<br />
Katharine A. Cartwright, NWS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The Law of Averages</span></i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">
really isn’t a “law” but a belief that balance will eventually occur. As one
definition states: “ the law of averages is a lay term used to express a belief
that outcomes of a random event will even out within a small sample.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not scientific thinking but is
wishful thinking.<o:p></o:p></span></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">How does this “law” apply to
being a professional artist?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">We purchase art supplies, invest
in some lessons, occasionally buy advertising, and consume many of our waking
hours making and promoting our art with the belief that we’ll recoup that
expense and, if we’re lucky, make a profit. Some artists are more successful at
this than others and the balanced scales tip in their favor. They beat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Law of Averages.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">How can we do the same?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Word on the street is that
typical brick and mortar galleries are struggling and closing in droves. Not
all of them, of course, but nearly a third in this country last year alone. Many
co-op galleries have emerged and also vanity galleries that charge the artist
for space, advertising, and openings. So, we can’t look to the traditional
route for marketing our art and hope to beat the odds.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The contemporary gallery exists
in cyberspace: websites, blogs, Etsy et al., and Facebook just to name a few.
We reach more people more often. But, who and what are they buying and at what
price? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Lately, I’ve been experimenting
with these cyber venues to see what will happen. Yes, I’m still represented by
brick and mortar galleries (three of them) but I’d like greater exposure. So
far, not much has happened.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The problem is, cyberspace has
transformed the number of “galleries” from thousands (brick & mortar) to
tens of millions (websites). There’s a lot more competition and it’s harder to
reach patrons. Sometimes competition is healthy, and sometimes it’s just plain
confusing to the consumer. In this case, competition has led to price wars and
the devaluation of art in many instances.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">So, how do we beat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Law of Averages</i>? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-33639540852702076352013-02-20T08:12:00.003-05:002013-02-20T08:12:54.498-05:00Making the Time<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBaC69oASe9Y2BDhNum0Ov9OlRmO-hp1NC_XbAui7CkfnHfdWd08z8zfOl4gRlzFm9_ctd5TGJKfXk3Euzhh4tOuU1vG2aYY8wlsLbTwGD7ZLYQlpJIqGkd9b7UJZEXWEv3TakWTzimb7/s1600/Image6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBaC69oASe9Y2BDhNum0Ov9OlRmO-hp1NC_XbAui7CkfnHfdWd08z8zfOl4gRlzFm9_ctd5TGJKfXk3Euzhh4tOuU1vG2aYY8wlsLbTwGD7ZLYQlpJIqGkd9b7UJZEXWEv3TakWTzimb7/s320/Image6.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Occam's Razor</em><br />
watercolor on Arches paper<br />
26" x 20" sold<br />
Katharine A. Cartwright, NWS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
According to "Occam's Razor" the simplest explanation is always the best when all considered possibilities are equal. My painting depicts a razor slice through the complex, impractical mechanistic designs of man to reveal a <em>singularity</em> in the universe. The singularity is the simplest and purest form of energy expression that could ever exist.<br />
<br />
This is the segue to today's post: "Making the Time." The single most common complaint that I get from my students when they first come to me is that they can't find the time to paint on a regular basis and, therefore, make unsatisfactory progress. Typically, they want me to share my secret formula for success in this regard. That secret is always a big disappointment to them: <em><u>Finding</u> the time to make art on a regular basis is as simple as <u>making</u> the time.</em> <br />
<br />
In other words, it's a matter of priority. Either you think it's important enough to engage in regularly or you don't. <br />
<br />
What are your thoughts?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-61892527846096399472013-02-17T04:40:00.000-05:002013-02-17T04:42:41.755-05:00Finding Peace<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8P7Vh2i6bv8/USCilssLXzI/AAAAAAAACCU/tSOmCQ4n91U/s1600/Katharine+Cartwright+Brewster's+Law.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8P7Vh2i6bv8/USCilssLXzI/AAAAAAAACCU/tSOmCQ4n91U/s320/Katharine+Cartwright+Brewster's+Law.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Brewster's Law</em><br />
watercolor, 26"x20"<br />
Katharine A. Cartwright, NWS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There was a time when painting was an act of hope and frustration. I hoped I could get it right and I was frustrated that I didn't. Early on in my technical training in college, my painting prof told me that my work looked like something you'd find in a department store. It was technically correct and fatally flawed in concept. But, no one ever taught me about the importance of the concept back then so I just painted bucolic scenes in an impressionist style. Evidently, my college professors were allergic to that.<br />
<br />
But, I also knew that my artmaking was more important to me than a grade so I just kept marching along that path until I realized that I wasn't happy with the direction. Even I knew there was something lacking.<br />
<br />
That started me on what became a nearly four decade journey to find peace with my work. There were too many struggles along the way as I tried to find something original to say and just couldn't. Why was it so important to me to be original? Why didn't I find peace in painting whatever I wanted without consequence?<br />
<br />
Now that I've found peace with my work, the answer to these questions is apparent. Here's one way to put it: the very first painting of my <em>Laws of Nature </em>series literally poured out of me so quickly I couldn't stop it. There was no struggle at all. The same thing happened during the painting of the second, third, fourth .... twenty-ninth in the series. I'm still going and these pour out of me effortlessly. And, I'm happy with the results. I've never had to start one over or throw one away. <br />
<br />
I have peace with my painting because I'm finally saying what's actually in my head and controlled by my imagination. The <em>inner voice</em> is speaking. It wanted to be heard from the very beginning but was silenced by obeying the voices of others. Peace with artmaking is really peace with self.<br />
<br />
What do you think?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-85153655241601795162013-02-14T06:33:00.001-05:002013-02-14T06:33:05.890-05:00Art and Explanation<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iB3XIYFO0DI/URzI5T__k-I/AAAAAAAACBs/ckkpq9grq4Y/s1600/Lenz's+Law.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iB3XIYFO0DI/URzI5T__k-I/AAAAAAAACBs/ckkpq9grq4Y/s320/Lenz's+Law.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Lenz's Law</em><br />
watercolor, 20" x 26"<br />
Katharine A. Cartwright, NWS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've enjoyed reading your comments on the last post, and especially your reaction to my question about the <em>artist's statement.</em> It would be great if a work of art could just speak for itself without a dictated meaning by the artist that everyone must uniformly understand. Rather, I like the idea that meaning comes from the individual viewer. This opens up a world of possibilities.<br />
<br />
For instance, is it important for the viewer to know the definition of Lenz's Law in order to appreciate this posted painting? I would hope not. As an artist, it's my intention to use how I understand that physical law to create an aesthetic work rather than to illustrate the actual definition of the law. I'm not an illustrator.<br />
<br />
And, what about the <em>time</em> factor? Each new generation views things differently. Imagine how people viewed the <em>Mona Lisa</em> when it was first painted hundreds of years ago versus a 2013 teenager viewing the same painting. I like the fact that time can change the meaning of a painting rendering the work timeless in itself. I would like to think that if my paintings survive hundreds of years that new viewers will see them entirely differently from present viewers. Sure, art historians will want to uncover the original meaning but - <em>who cares?</em> I still think that art speaks for itself in the hearts and minds of the individual viewers despite whatever artist statement I concoct.<br />
<br />
What do you think?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-71225884314783703352013-02-09T21:43:00.001-05:002013-02-10T10:16:28.012-05:00Obligations<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lOkA3hmSMq1qR0NIvzAQN10lnOno6bEibkgIsQNa1EBhYhHKRpCJxw5Qd1tVfeEGq_CZhoc0t4jOtEUfUh-zVcc9NzDZsuoS5gXEH8ddcOPBynYLV3cxvSwc2cQeA7OqysGD_a82s4Jq/s1600/The+Law+of+Reciprocal+Actions+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lOkA3hmSMq1qR0NIvzAQN10lnOno6bEibkgIsQNa1EBhYhHKRpCJxw5Qd1tVfeEGq_CZhoc0t4jOtEUfUh-zVcc9NzDZsuoS5gXEH8ddcOPBynYLV3cxvSwc2cQeA7OqysGD_a82s4Jq/s320/The+Law+of+Reciprocal+Actions+2.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Law of Reciprocal Actions, 2</em><br />
watercolor on Arches paper<br />
Katharine A. Cartwright, NWS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Making art is a personal decision; one that is usually based upon the need to create and to feed our cravings for the aesthetic. It's a very human activity. Most people respond to music, literature, visual art and dance and require it daily. <br />
<br />
As an artist, I can think of a number of good reasons to make art that have nothing to do with others. There's something inside of me that compels me to do it. <br />
<br />
But, does making art come with obligations? I don't have an answer to this question, and maybe there isn't one. For instance, once art is created is the artist obligated to share it with others? Maybe there's no legal obligation, and certainly the artist can do what she wants, but is there a higher purpose to a work of art that requires it to be shared? Does it become more than an artist's possession once it exists?<br />
<br />
Furthermore, is an artist obligated to explain what a work means? We're always asked to provide an <em>Artist's Statement </em>for exhibitions, journals, and books. Doesn't the work speak for itself? Is an artist obligated to provide legitimacy to the work in the form of a complex statement that rarely makes sense?<br />
<br />
Finally, is an artist obligated to sell work to be called an <em>artist</em>? Is art making relegated to hobby status just because it doesn't sell? Or, if work does sell, does that really make it art and the creator an artist?<br />
<br />
In the years that I've been working as a professional artist, I've encountered feelings of obligation but am uncertain if any of them should be legitimized. <br />
What are your thoughts?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-46334661305981974042013-02-06T08:34:00.001-05:002013-02-06T08:34:20.368-05:00Formulating an Original Concept <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVzXabVclzI7l-RDV-8K-YwK_-G2LdmtIkLdLDLHxdmqotEFfSCflRYkDpX5p5RFNGMErHUJL8lv1HbDl-RNGJbCHNgWX4htNxTLo8AQt6DylT76OdK87PlUNFD1wFLVYRV5oQ6LFtrDe/s1600/Wiedemann-Franz+Law+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVzXabVclzI7l-RDV-8K-YwK_-G2LdmtIkLdLDLHxdmqotEFfSCflRYkDpX5p5RFNGMErHUJL8lv1HbDl-RNGJbCHNgWX4htNxTLo8AQt6DylT76OdK87PlUNFD1wFLVYRV5oQ6LFtrDe/s320/Wiedemann-Franz+Law+(2).jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Weidemann-Franz Law</em><br />
watercolor on paper, 26" x 20"<br />
Katharine A. Cartwright, NWS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One thing that I <strong>didn't</strong> learn at any of the three universities I attended was how to formulate an original concept for my work. No professor ever taught it. So, I spent decades perfecting technique and doing lots of imitative work without being truly original.<br />
<br />
It wasn't until I studied watercolor with <a href="http://www.susanwebbtregay.com/" target="_blank">Susan Webb Tregay</a> nearly fifteen years ago that I learned the value of original content. And, it's been the focus of my work and teaching ever since.<br />
<br />
Every year I work with both professional and amateur artists who want to make a an original statement but don't know how to find one. It's hard work and we spend several days in deep discussion and employing my process that eventually leads to a break-through. <br />
<br />
The one thing I can't emphasize enough is the importance of <em>thinking. </em>Most of us are anxious to pick up the brush too soon. We think that if we don't stand at our easels we're not making art. In fact, <u>making art</u> <u>begins with <em>thinking</em></u>. <br />
<br />
I spend far less time painting than I do thinking about it. The key to formulating an original concept is our ability to look inward toward self recognition. <br />
<br />
Your thoughts?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-68629490900020938882013-02-03T23:20:00.002-05:002013-02-03T23:26:19.613-05:00Decisions<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3VOd-jdrI8DhHNg7uXmyfpq7FVMTR4OL7SB8qloV2GhxbLd0im26cAirvrjtBYhr7XAJCfQQkB_CbEnT8mDjrZYnmloxZl8YHMnMowGEdnNoXn8MPCyitNK4IpzvVUC8qiWQEn2ndfpx/s1600/Cartwright.K+Archimedes'+Principle..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3VOd-jdrI8DhHNg7uXmyfpq7FVMTR4OL7SB8qloV2GhxbLd0im26cAirvrjtBYhr7XAJCfQQkB_CbEnT8mDjrZYnmloxZl8YHMnMowGEdnNoXn8MPCyitNK4IpzvVUC8qiWQEn2ndfpx/s320/Cartwright.K+Archimedes'+Principle..jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Archimedes' Principle</em><br />
watercolor on paper, 26" x 20"<br />
Katharine A. Cartwright</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thank you to those who have rejoined my discussions after my prolonged absence. As you know, a few years ago I reviewed over a dozen books on art theory on this blog and you enhanced my reviews with your insightful discussion. Priceless! If you're new to this blog and want to read those posts, they're archived according to author and title on the sidebar of this page. Just select the author's name to get to the book and discussion.<br />
<br />
In the couple of years that have lapsed since my book reviews, I've spent a lot of time developing this new series entitled "The Laws of Nature" and showing it at various exhibitions around the country. I've completed 28 of these so far, and have another going in my studio.<br />
<br />
What's become most obvious to me over the past half decade is the importance of decision making when it comes to art making. I'm not a great fan of happy accidents. Rather, I like to think things through and then make a decision about what to say, how to say it, and when I should stop. <br />
<br />
The decision about what to say arrives after much introspection. What is my internal perception of the external world? What single point can I make in this painting or series of related paintings? How is reality altered by my perception and how can I exaggerate that? <br />
<br />
The decision about how to say what I want to say arrives after even more deliberation. What ideosyncracies in my mark-making can I exploit to express my own unique style? What color relationships reflect the mood I want to impart to my work? What values do the same? How can I best construct forms and relationships between forms to express my idea?<br />
<br />
The decision about when to stop a painting or a series of related paintings occurs when I consciously realize that the work is becoming repetitive and I have nothing new to say about it.<br />
<br />
At that point, I must begin the decision making process again and create a new series. <br />
<br />
Some have teased and even criticized me for being so deliberate in my approach to art. The only defense I have is that I'm introspective, analytical, and meticulous and must, therefore, express who I am in my work. In other words, I won't deny who I am and I won't try to be someone else when I make art.<br />
<br />
How 'bout you?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-23884328116332155902013-02-01T20:57:00.002-05:002013-02-01T20:57:48.795-05:00How do you do it?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0ABhphCb74OUCfBZpX5Kd2N9hXTSaCMavemiRrIed8SzB88lyIQoBoAQJfmv5_pOPMa7zAunpHv9865GNu2HlGCZip6aWwf76_UzOEEjHRivSto4etV1lrUhJyyHqxG9nFtraElAnwu2/s1600/Kirschhoffs+First+Law.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0ABhphCb74OUCfBZpX5Kd2N9hXTSaCMavemiRrIed8SzB88lyIQoBoAQJfmv5_pOPMa7zAunpHv9865GNu2HlGCZip6aWwf76_UzOEEjHRivSto4etV1lrUhJyyHqxG9nFtraElAnwu2/s320/Kirschhoffs+First+Law.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kirschhoff's First Law<br />
watercolor on paper<br />
26" x 20"<br />
Katharine A. Cartwright, 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I hear this question all the time. But for me, the answer for "How do you do it?" when it comes to my art is no different from what your answer would be if the question were put to you. It's how I think.<br />
<br />
Non-objective art derives from our imagination; our ability to see the mind's eye exclusive of what's really in front of us. The mind's eye has the wonderful ability to distort reality and transform it according to our will. Everyone has that ability, so I'm no different.<br />
<br />
The real difference comes in how interested we are in our mind's eye. Do we want to spend time looking through its lens, or through someone else's? Do we imitate or "imaginate"? ( Sorry, that's not a word but it just seemed right). <br />
<br />
I like to imaginate. How 'bout you?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-20517189510111731722013-01-31T05:10:00.001-05:002013-01-31T08:14:13.429-05:00The Power of Creativity<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiTQ1k0g3r7leolXODCPrV-wwEKaQl3RXaQgihP9Lh17S3PpCU5Z8SBc381Etl2egk4pbEt61Qe5JNNuCPL-NuRpuvGfs9mRN76yhmZe_VQVE-BgQT4FPuMeJs_wQZ5x6yshrHbzbbIM4/s1600/Cartwright,Katharine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiTQ1k0g3r7leolXODCPrV-wwEKaQl3RXaQgihP9Lh17S3PpCU5Z8SBc381Etl2egk4pbEt61Qe5JNNuCPL-NuRpuvGfs9mRN76yhmZe_VQVE-BgQT4FPuMeJs_wQZ5x6yshrHbzbbIM4/s320/Cartwright,Katharine.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Ampere's Law</em><br />
watercolor on paper<br />
26" x 20"<br />
Katharine A. Cartwright, 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ever notice how some of your best artwork is produced when you allow your mind to wander, almost without direction? That's the power of creativity. <br />
<br />
Creativity in the arts depends upon one's ability to be simultaneously intuitive and analytical. It's the melding of one's spatial thinking (non-verbal) and stored knowledge. It's allowing the mind to play and still adhere to acquired skills and the results of experiments. It's shedding inhibitions and discovering the far-reaches of your mind that you often ignore or wall-off. It's having some guts and not caring about what others think!<br />
<br />
I've spent decades (nearly a half-century now) creating art and it has taken me most of that time to reach this conclusion: creativity is a powerful tool in every discipline (not just art) that leads to innovation. Without innovation, we stagnate; our society stagnates; the arts stagnate. So, why look to others to create and innovate when we have it within ourselves to do so? What's holding us back? We, ourselves.<br />
<br />
I've spent only a few years as an art instructor and have been very lucky to work with both professional and amateur artists. The number one lesson - the thing we spend the most time on - is discovering <em>what</em> to say as an individual and then how to say it in two dimensions. There's nothing more important than the artist's voice.<br />
<br />
What are your thoughts?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11037549177881696434noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324184304367023797.post-17962640173995736952012-12-11T07:25:00.002-05:002013-01-31T04:57:42.328-05:00Painting Workshop: Please Join Me!<b>FIND YOUR ARTISTIC VOICE</b>
<br />
<br />
Instructor: Katharine A. Cartwright, NWS<br />
<br />
All Levels: Beginner – Advanced
All Mediums: Watercolor, Gouache, Acrylic, Oil
<br />
June 24 – June 27, 201<br />
at the Gibson House Bed and Breakfast
Haverhill, New Hampshire
<a href="http://www.gibsonhousebb.com/index.htm">http://www.gibsonhousebb.com/index.htm</a>
<br />
3-1/2 days (M, T, W - 9 AM to 4 PM, Thurs – 9 AM to noon)
<br />
Tuition: $275
<br />
<br />
Do you need an artistic breakthrough? Do you feel confused about WHAT to paint and HOW to paint it? This workshop is designed for you! Kathy shows you how to find your own artistic voice and how to express it through masterful painting. Because all great art begins with a great concept, the purpose of this workshop is to instruct students at all ability levels on how to create unique and meaningful art.
<br />
<br />
The first day of the workshop focuses on concept development using Kathy’s proven methods. You will discover your artistic voice. Next, you’ll learn how to design a painting that best expresses your concept through the use of symbolism, design, and color. Special attention is paid to helping you create work that is technically masterful and consistent. By the week's end, you will have all the tools necessary to create unique and meaningful art for a lifetime.
<br />
<br />
You WILL NOT learn to imitate, copy, or reproduce the works of others. You WILL learn to paint like YOU - only better.
ESCAPE THE ORDINARY – BE EXTRAORDINARY!
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<br />
CONTACT: Marty Cohen, Innkeeper
<br />
341 Dartmouth College Highway
<br />
Haverhill, New Hampshire 03765
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(603) 989-3125 FREE (603) 989-3125
(800) 989-2150 FREE (800) 989-2150
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Email: gibsonhousebb@charter.net
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