I thought as we've been talking about Hopper I'd search out some images. I think it's something about the frozen stillness; what is it that makes the characters look frozen instead of looking "captured"- as though the images were photos? They look posed.. When the subject is looking at the painter, that's one way of doing it, but what about the others? The straight backs, the rigidity of how they're standind/sitting? Or is it the light? A bit too bright, everything a bit too angular and "placed"?
I've been trying to tie down my ideas today and starting to feel the time pressure now that we're over halfway through. Sean and I will be exhibiting at Pony Bar in Munich on the 10th Feb, just before we leave. Hamish, you will be able to exhibit something there on the 17th March I think. It's a platform event for an evening, with a week-long exhibition following on.
I feel like I'm re-examining the whole context, content and aesthetic of my work. I like to have rules to use as a starting point and feel like I've come to a point where I'm having to re-discoved my reasons for doing things. I guess I'm trying to look at the foundations of my practice again in order to have a firmer base to build from over the next few years; but in the process I'm feeling a bit shaky! It's confusing to start to question everything, but necessary I think sometimes. I need to identify what has changed.
At the same time, I'm wrestling with the question of whether rules are a good base for my practice anyway? I feel in some ways that I should re-approach each work from a completely free and fresh place... I don't want to impose limits on myself... And yet I feel that boundaries are necessary in order to be able to explore ideas in depth. I guess these two approaches can co-exist withought negating each other, which is where I need to be heading, and the reality (as usual) is in finding a balance- neither black nor white but a working equilibrium.
And so for the next few days I will be wrestling with about a dozen threads I'd like to persue, and trying to clarify in my mind how to bring these elements together and define something work-able.
Again, I'm thinking about windows, theatricality, frozen moments, knitting (weaving), editting, portraits, distancing, truth, birds of paradise...
Hmm. As you said Hamish, I'm thinking and then typing. I hope this makes some sort of sense, it's all a bit jumbled for me today, but I feel like I'm gradually ironing out the tangle.
You also asked where the others are up to.
They all tend to work with their context and particularly in collaborations of various types with groups of people. As the official theme is "migration" they're for the most part meeting migrant groups/individuals for the time being. So everyone's still got time on their hands really as we try to forge on with our accelerated stay.
We had a group meeting on sunday and spent a lot of time talking about the format of the truck and the inclusion of archive boxes (for objects and documentation as well and exhibition artworks).
Do you play anything Jay? Hamish- There have been numerous requests that you bring your saxophone!
2 comments:
wow! cool, i completley forgot about taking my saxophone with me. Music in the villa did pop into my head when the residency came up...but oh yeah, my saxophone..cool, yeah, how easy is it to take an instrument with you on the plane..i'll look into it.
And Hopper. is it something to do with the fact that the figures and everything is painted. I know other painters capture scenes and dynamism, but there is something in the way Hopper paints these people and their surroundings. They are almost carved out, no, more like they are built up, things worked out. You feel Hopper has had time to contemplate the scene, distilling it to the essence.
I like Hopper in the way i can find my own feelings comming through in the characters, maybe empathizing with their predicament. Though you never know quite what that is...so it's open for you to imagine one...or more let it stir your own feelings. The blank, frozen feel of the characters and scenes helps bring this out. Maybe capturing is more to do with a specific moment, like 'wow, you really captured that thing we can all remember or recognize'....hopper looks at the other bit...people thinking about that moment, or what next...well, you can go on and on with hopper, which is why he's great.
Post a Comment