WHY BLACK AND WHITE?

One of my connections on LinkedIn, KSCAAD, posed the following question to me recently, ”Why do you eliminate colour from your work?” It is an interesting question, and one that forced me to dig deeper than I would have expected. I enjoy looking at the works by KSCAAD. They are joyful images that allow viewers to navigate in and amongst layers of colours, lines and textures. I surround myself with similar things in everyday life. But in the studio, I choose to work in mainly in black and white.

My initial reasons: That I enjoy the visual impact of black against white, their push and pull, their versatility in enabling me to highlight areas while dissolving others into absolute darkness. Their sense of atmosphere and mystery.

But it is more than this. My work is not so much about exploring the forms I see around me, but rather, the strong, instinctive connections I feel at particular places, and with certain things. My connections are triggered by sensory information, but fed by deeper shadows. Elizabeth Lesser addresses these shadows in Broken Open. She describes them as, “The dark woods of real life”, our inner most fears, secrets, and hopes. In order to understand, honour, and heal we need to be able to access our shadows. My access point is through my art.

But why do I eliminate colour? The woods within are dark and mysterious. There is little colour, but darkness and light, black against white, dance beautifully together as one.

SHOULD ART COME FROM THE HEART?

I have struggled with a personal dilemma over the last year. Should I continue to create art that allows me to explore who I am, or should I focus my attention and energy on works I considered more commercially viable. I have always created two bodies, but finding the time to develop both, has been almost overwhelming.

Over the last four months, I have been working with art coach, Mary Edwards, trying to pull the pieces of my puzzle into some semblance of order. Mary has asked some difficult questions, forced me to pinpoint what is truly important, to me. As it turns out, both bodies of work are of equal necessity. One cannot exist without the other.

My art has, and is taking me on an incredible journey of self discovery. It is forcing me to address what lies within. The path I am following is well travelled. Many, have taken the same path as me. While the art I am producing as a result of my journey, may not appeal to all, it is my hope that it may provide some connection with others, some form of guidance or encouragement, just as the words and works of others have provided me.

So, heading into this new year, I no longer see the two bodies of works I create as separate beings. They are each and all, a reflection of who I am, where I am, and what I am learning as I traverse the pathway within.

WHEN ARE WE TOO OLD....?

I have seen a couple of recent calls for artist submissions, where age limits have been placed on the artists eligible to apply. One had placed the age limit at fifty. The other was calling for art from emerging artists under thirty. It started me thinking:

Should age be considered a defining factor when considering art?

Are we ever to old to be considered emerging?

I entered art school when I was in my late twenties, leaving teaching to do so. Life circumstances play a big part in determining what we can do, and when we can do it. It was only in my twenties, that I felt I could fully commit to art. By the time I completed my undergrad, I was in my thirties, technically an emerging artist, yet too old to submit to competitions, such as the one aforementioned. 

When are we too to old to pursue our creativity? I know artists who are in their fifties, sixties, who have only just begun their forays into art. Not because they didn’t want to, but because they are only now able.  Some would argue, if you have a need, you find a way, that creativity is not something you can place on the back burner. I would argue, the underlying need/want is often there, it just finds other outlets for release until you are able and ready.

Life experiences, knowledge, a sense of self, are all attributes developed with age. Rather than seeing these as negatives, let’s celebrate them as positives. They bring with them, authenticity, complexity and understanding. Art should be judged on merits alone. The age of the artist should never become part of the equation. 

PERFECTION IS IN THE IMPERFECTION

I was lucky recently, to take part in an art class activity with a group of nine year old students. The activity, to trace around their hand on a piece of fabric, then fill the outline of their hand, with images and symbols they felt represented empowerment. The fabric pieces were to be sewn together to create a pillow.

 Without hesitation, the students set to work. Each student confidently traced around the outline of their hand with marker and began filling the spaces within. The art created, was done so without thought of how the final product should or would look.  The pieces came from their hearts and their heads, each step made, directing the steps that would follow. They worked with what they had, rather than what they thought they should have. The results were strong, and together, visually stunning.

 As an adult, I wondered if I would have tackled this project with equal confidence. My guess; I would not have done. I would have made a preliminary outline in pencil before committing to marker, taking substantial time to think and map out what I should place in the interior. I would have wanted to make it visually perfect. 

 “Perfection is in the imperfection”. I saw this quote written on a website recently. When I tried tracking down its origin, I found, not an exact match, but many variations of:

 “ The perfection of imperfection”

“ Imperfection is perfection”

“ The perfectly imperfect”

 Perfection implies something that adheres to recognized set of rules; that looks, sounds, and appears as a shining example of what society reveres, and or, is striving to achieve. Imperfection on the other hand, intimates something that is flawed. Interestingly, when the two are combined within a singular phrase, their emphasis changes significantly.  

 That we all should be able to tackle tasks as children do, to work with what we have, and to accept things as they are, confidently and creatively; without question, without hesitation. That we should be able to intuitively accept, as children have a tendency to do, that rather than perfection being a desired state, perfection is in the imperfection.