"I'm not chasing the art world and what it's supposed to be, I'm trying to find what I'm supposed to be...
That's what I've been doing for 50 years."
- Nathan Oliveira
Nathan O. has a piece up in the new de young museum that i love for it's expressive dark gestural qualities. i figured out that he's 78 and might still teach at stanford, so there's a fighting chance i could really contact him:)
i'm having a weird time trying to mesh my quirky kid's book characters with my expressive charcoal drawings, etc. do they need to co-exist? should i develop 2 "styles"? so much contradictary info out there on illustration. i also am having, as you've read before, this quandry about STYLE and am i a painter or illustrator? and how to demarcate the two, and i guess in this world of ours... market myself?
my art director teacher says "you don't need a style, you're too young, but make things consistent". ack? he also says there is no difference between painting and illustration and that i'm overthinking everything.
my life drawing teacher is coming from the other side and allowing me to see that perhaps the difference between painting and illustration is it's intention and accessibility. do i want to communicate clearly? i sort of like keeping my art a bit mysterious and forcing the reader to spend more time looking.
i just have to remember that the answers are in the art, and myself. and in time. 50 years for mr. oliveira.
i'm having a show with a bunch of girls in february, we call ourselves "art club", and excitingly they are all older than me and also in my school! imagine that, we all have 3's in our numbers. so we sometimes joke that we're the old ladies amidst the nine-TEEN year olds. anyhow, i think we're going to call it: "go into your self"... which is a quote from the poet rilke. i'm psyched! we're trying to think of ways to incorporate handmade wallpaper onto the background of all of the walls. maybe silkscreened. any ideas? we're also looking for a shag carpet.
what i love about collaborative art making is that it feels like the closest thing to being 8 and bringing your barbies over to your friends house and making elaborate scenes. y'know?
i'm feeling chatty right now, but really i'm stressed and in finals, so i might not be much of a chatty person for the next week. pardon me. i am so so so so excited to be sitting in maine by the woodstove in a week!!! did i mention i have bug bites all over? my neck, back, tummy... fleas? spider bites? bed bugs? i'm a bit freaking out. it may be stress induced welts. not sure, but it's a swell way to be when you're trying to concentrate on drawing. wish me luck please:)
5 comments:
I really, really can't wait to see you!! Things are stressful here, too, and I look forward to being home and carefree. By the way, we need a new Christmas Eve tradition...what will we do with ourselves???
Dear Mati, I wish you luck... just writing this quick note to say that I contacted Elliot in Melbourne, and I'm staying with him at the moment (just found a room today, but can only move in there next week) and he's the most welcoming and friendly person ever. Say thank you for the contact to Hugh!
It's great to read your blog, so many ideas and thoughts, I love it.
Kisses to SF, and don't stress. You're great
Jeanine
Mati, good luck on your finals! and have a fantastic trip to maine. im in vermont - and it just snowed and OH how i love it. it makes everything feel so much more festive!
Love Mr.O's approach to art.
Good luck with your finals, and the upcoming show! I think the Rilke-inspired theme will yield some amazing pieces. The collaboration sounds like it'll be very enjoyable. Have fun with it :)
hives? try some aloe vera gel on the welts for quick relief. one of the best presents to your household is an aloe vera plant you can sit on your kitchen counter. you just pluck one of her chubby leaves and squeeze out the gel. instant medicine! (I have one and I call her "Juana", after my maternal grandmother :)
I struggle with the same questions as an artist. I am a commercial illustrator but now transitioning into...what? fine art? painting? collage? visual art? It is tricky, but I'm having a great time exploring it all.
Post a Comment