.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}
   Welcome to my blog! I'll be posting thoughts about art, photos, happenings, and other things that strike me--and hopefully my readers--as interesting. And please visit my website by clicking the link to the right--thanks!

   Also please check out my second blog, The Painting Archives to see older (pre-2004) paintings for sale.


Wednesday, November 30, 2011
  synthesis


A friend recently asked me, somewhat rhetorically, how do you teach about abstraction in a workshop? It's a hard question...although in the few days allotted to me, I show the work of a number of abstract artists, talk about my own process and ideas--and, in my Level 2 classes, address conceptual concerns directly--there is no time to delve deeply into this topic.

Yet without background knowledge and a context in which to place it, abstraction can seem fairly meaningless… limited to moving paint around until something looks cool. Which is certainly a start, but where to go from there?

A conceptual basis of some sort seems to me the key to working in a fresh and original way –the work needs to arise from a personal center —perhaps rooted in specific, definable ideas, but more likely in a synthesis of source material of multiple origins...personal experience, memory, emotion, intriguing aspects of the visual world, perhaps some area of study such as science or mathematics...plus an awareness of art from other times and places, and that of accomplished contemporaries. (See last week's post for further thoughts on the importance of knowing a bit of art history.)

The artist must also bring into play all the basic elements of art—color, composition, alignment of form and content, and all the rest--since technical accomplishment is a given for strong work.

To me it is this synthesis that marks a mature artist. The ability to create an interesting visual stew from the many ingredients of a complex life is a skill that takes years. It’s a compelling challenge—at its heart is the powerful idea of creating meaning out of one’s own experience.



Sean Scully’s work (above) is an excellent example of this synthesis of many aspects of life, distilled into powerful painting. It works as strong formal abstraction, as process oriented painting, and as personal expression. His sources for ideas are as diverse as the stone walls in the Irish Aran Islands, the way that Irish society has in his words become more “chequered,” his many travels worldwide, his sense of spirituality, impressions of historical painters, human relationships, and many other aspects of life--some of which I'd guess are difficult to define, if he is anything like the rest of us! (For an interesting, in-depth interview, click here.)

Knowing something about how Scully works and thinks opens up a broad view of abstract painting that is inspiring and energizing. It is this exciting, encompassing view of what abstraction can address that compels my own work.

(Above, a recent 20”x16” painting, as yet untitled…sources for this painting are in the process itself, the rich textures of the Irish landscape, rust and weathered wood, thoughts about aging...)
 
Comments:
Well said, Rebecca! My work didn't start coming together until I started framing it for myself (and others) in a metaphorical context so that I had something to guide me in its creation. Just pushing paint around is not enough to result in good work, but I don't know that this is taught enough or practiced enough.
 
Great post Rebecca. The painting is pretty good too :)
 
Great comments Rebecca. It is inspiring and very helpful to read your views about abstraction and how to bring meaning into my own work and how to better understand the work of other artists. Thanks...keep it coming!
 
You do absolutely beautiful work.
 
Nice post Rebecca. Well done.

Is the Sean Scully photo from his show in Madison?
 
thanks everyone!

and Jan, no I haven't made it down to see that show yet--will soon!!
 
I finished my art teaching career in an International Baccalaureate program at a high school. The elements of art were taught but the students work was graded at least as much if not more on the process and how it related to cultural exploration and the meaning behind the work. Interestingly many of the students moved to abstraction while exploring ways to express big ideas.
 
I think we are all plumbing the depth of our connections--to the personal, in terms of images, ideas and emotions that move us and to our awareness of the explorations of other artists. Thanks for bringing these issues up, for reminding us that abstraction goes deep, is based in something other than the surface
 
Very meaty commentary and I will be reading it again and again. Great expression of a complex topic. I've been working on a book concept but I'm frustrated by the publishing industry's formulaic technique+project format. What I want to teach is 'why' you do it, not 'how' you do it. Thanks for the inspiration.
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

       www.rebeccacrowell.com




     September 2005 /      October 2005 /      November 2005 /      December 2005 /      January 2006 /      February 2006 /      March 2006 /      April 2006 /      May 2006 /      June 2006 /      July 2006 /      August 2006 /      September 2006 /      October 2006 /      November 2006 /      December 2006 /      January 2007 /      February 2007 /      March 2007 /      April 2007 /      May 2007 /      June 2007 /      July 2007 /      August 2007 /      September 2007 /      October 2007 /      November 2007 /      December 2007 /      January 2008 /      February 2008 /      March 2008 /      April 2008 /      May 2008 /      June 2008 /      July 2008 /      August 2008 /      September 2008 /      October 2008 /      November 2008 /      December 2008 /      January 2009 /      February 2009 /      March 2009 /      April 2009 /      May 2009 /      June 2009 /      July 2009 /      August 2009 /      September 2009 /      October 2009 /      November 2009 /      December 2009 /      January 2010 /      February 2010 /      March 2010 /      April 2010 /      May 2010 /      June 2010 /      July 2010 /      August 2010 /      September 2010 /      October 2010 /      November 2010 /      December 2010 /      January 2011 /      February 2011 /      March 2011 /      April 2011 /      May 2011 /      June 2011 /      July 2011 /      August 2011 /      September 2011 /      October 2011 /      November 2011 /      December 2011 /      January 2012 /      February 2012 /      March 2012 /      April 2012 /      May 2012 /      June 2012 /      July 2012 /      August 2012 /      September 2012 /      October 2012 /      November 2012 /      December 2012 /      January 2013 /      February 2013 /      March 2013 /      April 2013 /      May 2013 /      June 2013 /      July 2013 /      August 2013 /      September 2013 /      October 2013 /      November 2013 /      December 2013 /      January 2014 /      February 2014 /      March 2014 /      April 2014 /      May 2014 /      June 2014 /      July 2014 /      August 2014 /      September 2014 /      October 2014 /      November 2014 /      December 2014 /      January 2015 /      February 2015 /      March 2015 /      April 2015 /      May 2015 /      June 2015 /      July 2015 /      August 2015 /      September 2015 /      October 2015 /      November 2015 /      December 2015 /      January 2016 /      February 2016 /      March 2016 /      April 2016 /      June 2016 /      July 2016 /      August 2016 /      September 2016 /      October 2016 /      November 2016 /      December 2016 /      January 2017 /      February 2017 /      March 2017 /      May 2017 /      June 2017 /      July 2017 /      August 2017 /      September 2017 /      October 2017 /      November 2017 /      December 2017 /      January 2018 /      March 2018 /      April 2018 /      May 2018 /      June 2018 /      August 2018 /      September 2018 /      October 2018 /      November 2018 /      December 2018 /      February 2019 /      April 2019 /      May 2019 /      June 2019 /      July 2019 /      August 2019 /      September 2019 /      October 2019 /      December 2019 /      January 2020 /      March 2020 /      April 2020 /      May 2020 /      June 2020 /      August 2020 /      October 2020 /      January 2021 /      March 2021 /      May 2021 /      September 2021 /

       Rebecca Crowell