“Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask ‘how’, while others of a more curious nature will ask ‘why’. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information.”
Man Ray
The conundrum of art and explaining it! I have to own up to being part of the spectrum of people who ask how? and what? I love process; I love understanding how people do things and put together different materials and techniques. I get onto that journey and wander down that path and really enjoy the enquiry.
On the other hand I am always interested in the story - I want to know the motivation, the notions, the ideas, the expression; why this piece? in this way? So I think I fall pretty much along the length of the spectrum - fascinated by both the why? and the how?
Showing some of the 'how.'..but oh, the 'why' is so precious here as well...
Man Ray
The conundrum of art and explaining it! I have to own up to being part of the spectrum of people who ask how? and what? I love process; I love understanding how people do things and put together different materials and techniques. I get onto that journey and wander down that path and really enjoy the enquiry.
On the other hand I am always interested in the story - I want to know the motivation, the notions, the ideas, the expression; why this piece? in this way? So I think I fall pretty much along the length of the spectrum - fascinated by both the why? and the how?
Showing some of the 'how.'..but oh, the 'why' is so precious here as well...
I love seeing the back of stitched cloth, the marks made without intent, when I was a young hippie living in an old dairy shed with no electrictiy or running water & embroidering by 12 candlelight the back of the work was always a rat's nest of threads, one of the best things I have learned from Jude Hill over at Spirit Cloth is to cut short threads, the other is never put a pin in your mouth but if you do swallow one by accident standing on your head can get it out!
ReplyDeleteI agree re the short threads Mo - all the backs were trimmed down to hardly any length...not so sure about the swallowing of pins - the solution sounds intriguing!
Delete“Understanding the how and why is part of the whole enjoyment of art to me. LOVE that stitching” - Jo Murray
ReplyDeleteIt's true isn't it Jo? They are a pigeon pair - the how and the why both matter...
DeleteIf you don't learn how to do the 'how's then you end up trying to express the 'why's with a limited vocalulary. But if you explore both then one feeds the other
ReplyDeleteOooh I love that notion jam - so perfectly expressed! If we don't practice the how; the why isn't honoured!
DeleteSpookily I have an image like this.... piece I made and love the look of the back. Remind me of gran who always turned my work over to see what the back was like. Sometimes the Why is simple a matter of can't NOT do it, something inside drives the need.
ReplyDeleteI love looking at the back of things too Beverley. I u yo are right as well - some things just have to be made, and that is the only why we have!
DeleteTwo of my favorite things ... stitched letters and the asemic view of the b-side (with a tip of the hat to Mo who gave me that insight)
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to keep gathering notions from the comments as we go...asemic writing I love and you are so right about that here Liz - love it!
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