Unexpected Inspiration

xtragedy — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:26:08 +0000

Sometimes we find inspiration in places and through means that we do not expect. I am not saying that I found inspiration in some off the wall place. Actually I found it at a museum and in art class. The artists that I was introduced to were amazing, but it was not so much their art that inspired me as the fact that each of them worked in mediums and methods that I had not even considered. First there was Louise Nevelson. She is famous for creating sculpture from found objects, not so unheard of, but it was the way that she used the objects that was so miraculous to me. She used the objects in relation to each other to create fascinating compositions. The objects themselves had no bearing on the work, they were simply means to form space. In fact she would paint the finished pieces either black, white, or gold, thus making the objects uniform and the space between even more important. Next there was Lesley Dill. I was not in any way excited to see this exhibit. I had a misinformed notion of what I was going to encounter, but what I saw got my wheels spinning. It was the execution and materials again. She had used cloth, hair, metal and words to create these delicate expressions. I was not especially blown away with the work itself, but the fact that she could use these materials in the way that she had gave me a feeling of permission. Permission to try things that maybe I would not have thought of before. The final piece of the puzzle came last Saturday. I was at class with Moe and saw a book lying on his dining room table. As soon as I opened it I was so unbelievably blown away. The artist is Lee Bontecou. I had no idea that work that good and original existed. Her older pieces were made by welding metal armatures and then wiring canvas over them, creating, what I would call, a cyber bio-mech black hole that sucks you in and won’t let go. Moe told me that I was not to have seen that book until later on in my lessons. I believe that he was right about that. I was instantly inspired. The thought is that possibly I was not ready to see this work because he knew that I would aspire to that level. She used methods that were, again, foreign to me. The point to this missive is that I am beginning to understand that there are no limits to what I can do. I don’t have to fit everything into a neat little box in order to be valid. Looking back on my work I see that I am guilty of that, but as I am now learning, I can do anything. First I intend to get all the rules down. Then I am going to stomp them to pieces and see if they will fit together in a totally new way. Wish me luck

A long stressful time

xtragedy — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:00:56 +0000

There have been one or two changes in my life since I last updated my site. Part of the reason it took so long to do so is that my home ip address got blocked from my own website, and not being a computer person I could not figure out how to fix that, even after asking for help from the host. So, there will no longer be any posts From The Trailer Park, because I am done with the Trailer Park. We finally have our own house. Now it will be posts from Tag Asylum. Also I have a new job. That came about back in October. I am now employed at iGNiS Glass Studio, and Christopher Mosey Glass Studio http://www.christophermosey.com (basicallythe same place, there are two names because the gallery is separated from the artists studio). Chris has turned out to be a pretty great boss, and I am really enjoying being around a totally different art form. I get to sit here and watch glass being blown all day and hope that they don’t catch the building, or themselves on fire. Kerrick Johnson http://www.kerrickjohnson.com/ and Bruce Benefield also work with Chris doing the glass, and they are amazing glass artists in their own rights. Oh, and don’t forget Shadow May http://www.shadowpottery.com/, who is an awesome potter that has his studio behind us. Rachel White is our brilliant Gallery Manager and she has labeled everything since she has been here, including the dog. Oh, and I am the office manager,,,don’t ask how that happened, turns out I am pretty good at it….It’s been pretty cool being here in the middle of the Southside and watching the art scene start to take shape. It has a ways to go, but I hope that in the end it will all work out for us. Ok, end of commercial. So basically I have been just running in circles for a few months, but maybe it is about to settle down. The trailer is sold, I am moved (but not unpacked) and I am so frickin’ ready to get some painting done. The only place that I am showing right now is here at iGNiS, 1800 Rossville Ave. Chattanooga, TN 37408. I am thinking about maybe doing Finster Fest, and Four Bridges next year though. We shall see, and I will let you know.

painstudios.net » From TAG Asylum

Unexpected Inspiration

A long stressful time