Thursday, March 10, 2016

Thursday Thoughts...

"When you’re an artist, nobody ever tells you or hits you with the magic wand of legitimacy. You have to hit your own head with your own handmade wand. And you feel stupid doing it. There’s no “correct path” to becoming a real artist. You might think you’ll gain legitimacy by going to university, getting published, getting signed to a record label…[but] it’s all in your head. You’re an artist when you say you are. And you’re a good artist when you make somebody else experience or feel something deep or unexpected". 

 Amanda Palmer, The Art of Asking

I enjoyed reading and thinking about this quote and have to agree it is really hard to hit yourself over the head with your own handmade wand to give yourself legitimacy.

I'm not sure where else it comes from though. All of the external standards or measures of artistic success and/or legitimacy are so subjective and sometimes don't necessarily mean very much at all. Which might sound like heresy in some ways.

I often think about awards and winning with art - how we know the whole process is subjective, often comparing apples with oranges and sometimes dealing with external factors/requirements (e.g. we need a local artist to win, we can't have a local artist win) that are way out of our control.

And then you or somebody you know and think does good work wins and you feel that it does offers some legitimacy of sorts!

Similarly, some people's art CVs are so impressive and overwhelming, and yet their art isn't.

In the end I think she is suggesting that we all need to be the true validators of our own work. We have to try and be objective in some way, consider our strengths and our weaknesses and work out if we are doing OK work or not.

I like the notion that if your art moves people in unexpected ways then you are a good artist - a thought worth investigating further.


Narbong (String bag) by Lorraine Connelly-Northey.

This is one in a series of traditional aboriginal string bags, made of rusted fencing wire, pipes, bed springs and tin. They moved me.

11 comments:

  1. "Make Good Art"
    Neil Gaiman from his address to the University of the Arts class of 2012
    https://vimeo.com/42372767

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    1. It is so great in so many ways Mo - does this move me closer to the mountain? I need to ask myself that question more often. Go well.

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  2. love the basket, fantastic use of materials that could have been just wasted, well done to this clever artist

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    1. She does beautiful things with old and ugly things Kate - I admire them deeply, go well.

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  3. It moves me too ... something about being fenced in and fighting your way out, or about making something good / useful (or beautiful even) out of adversity? And I'm very taken by the delicacy and fragility of this piece. It's beautiful.
    I'm on my way to seek out more work by this artist so, for me, good art definitely.

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    1. So true Margaret, it echoes so many deep stories I think. I'm glad it resonated, and I hope you have found more of her work - delicate, fragile, resilient, so many things...go well.

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  4. It's always good to hear the thoughts of other artists in terms of defining what makes an artist...it can be such a back-and-forth thing, I find. I imagine that most of us know deep down that the very act of creating - and the constant desire to create/the inability to not create - both mean that we are indeed artists. But then of course there's the whole validation/legitimacy/competition/recognition aspect - the subjectivity that you refer to. Making someone else wonder/question, i.e. "moving" another being, seems like a better measuring stick.
    And thank you for pointing out Lorraine Connelly-Northey & her work - you have inspired me to learn more.
    Happy art-making!

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    1. Thanks Lisa - so much wisdom there. Maybe the word 'artist' is too loaded and means something more to the world than that we make; so we compare ourselves to some unknown mythical figure? Who knows? I do like the notion of moving another person; that feels like you are making good art. But irrespective, I will just keep on making I think! Go well.

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  5. I think the key here is 'somebody else' - we seek out some kind of validation, a reason for striving onwards. If its big awards or an individual, it still comes down to phew someone else likes/gets my art.

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    1. Hi Beverley - it is interesting to hunk about isn't it? I think one of the reasons we do make art is for that moment when somebody else 'gets' it, and in a way, 'gets' us. I love those moments when your work reaches out and touches somebody, makes it all worthwhile in a way. Or a least adds another dimension to me making work I am happy with, proud of etc. Big phew indeed! Go well.

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I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.