what now? & drawing a day ~ week 25


drawing a day ~ week 25 Originally uploaded by dressform.

ah.... gray.... such a minimal and monochromatic palette.... it seems like the lines are 20 million times more important....

it feels very good to have the whole wall works thing behind me... i can't thank you all enough for your wonderfuly support comments and well-wishes.... i wish you could have all come! it would have made it so much fun for me!! i have such a hard time at openings. they are loud, and you talk so much and just feel akward as you watch people looking at your work.... but it seemed like my work was well received which is a relief! i will post more picks of the installation here and on flickr, but for now i'll just show you the outfit:
outfit

i also kind of always feel a big ?now what? after a show... i know retarded, but true.... what comes next? some rest, but in the studio?? what??? can i catch up on everything that got left behind???

so.... onto the idea of talent.... i had been thinking about it for a spell... then mav started posting about art [read all 3 parts if you haven't already] and then regina's latest post on whip-up included some thoughts on talent . her thoughts were that sometimes those who feel like they have no artistic or creative ability often make the most interesting and meaningful things. i wholeheartedly agree.... in my teaching experience there is often a freshness - as if the lack of exposure to the big wide artworld actually makes the work more personal. this is not always the case, and i do think that if you want to really be a "professional" artist [live, breathe, think art, show your work...] then you need to expose yourself to the larger dialogue - to the theory - to the concepts that other artists in the world are attacking.... to multiple points of view and styles of making

but it all got me to thinking. what IS talent? is it something that can be learned? do you need talent in order to participate in something seriously? can you be truly multi-talented or is it better if you focus [on music, on art, on computers, on math....]? can someone bestow talent? can you see the talent in yourself? if the "right" person points out talent are others more likely to agree? are there degrees of talent [american idol singing talent vs. billie holiday talent]? do you feel special when you spot talent?

then i was reading middlesex [oh yes - it has been the slowest it's ever taken me to read something - but i actually got thru it bit by bit... it's a very engaging read... should we discuss??] and fell in love with this one passage where jeffrey eugenides is describing the main characters response to the girl that he/she has a crush on. the girl [referred to only as the Obscure Object - perfect i think!] is about to go on stage for a play and he/she says this:

I peeked out from the curtains and saw the Object waiting to go on. I had never seen her so serious before, so concentrated. Talent is a kind of intelligence. As she waited to go on, the Obscure Object was coming into hers.

i love the idea of talent being a type of intelligence and that you can perceive it.... that you can come into your own.... yes i know i asked lots of questions [with out answers... are you sensing a theme to the way my mind works?] - what do YOU think? i'd love to know!

happy valentines day tomorrow for those of you who like to celebrate it!!

and oh! nikkishell interviewed me for whipup if you are curious... i was quite honored to be asked.... there will soon be a few more why we blogs as well... next time i post i'll add them!

Comments

Anonymous said…
love the bed dollie and the poppies
ohh and talent - so many great questions, I think I will have to process for awhile.
LadyLinoleum said…
I read your interview and it's brilliant!

I believe that for some talent is innate. I also believe that talent may also be latent in many individuals. And finally, I believe that many people can exhibit creativity without necessarily being talented. It's a matter of degree per individual.

It's an incredibly intriguing subject for me and I appreciate the dialog!
mati rose said…
this question feels ripe for me in the art school critique environment. the word talent feels so loaded. it is linked with judgement. she's talented, him not so much... when you're looking around the walls. i do think people are more inclined to do certain things... i first wrote naturally... and that brings up more questions. i perceive talent as the ability to link the heart, head, eye and hand like an orchestra and go fourth. for right now at least. thanks for bringing the idea to the table!
Anonymous said…
I love your interview details!!!! By the way, cute "pink-y" outfit!!!
Jan Halvarson said…
so much to ponder....i think i'll marinate this (as hula would say)... but a very interesting topic.

LOVE the opening outfit and so glad the wall was well received!
You look amazing lisa..such a great outfit! Very glad to hear the opening went well..I totally understand that big comedown after finishing a project..so hard to know what to do next!

The more I have thought about talent over the years..the more I have become to think of it, generally, like beauty, 'in the eye of the beholder'..of course I think some people are just so talented everone finds their work beautiful in some way..such a hard one. It's like 'taste' as well..such hard things to answer and quantify. Not that answering these questions is the point!:) xx
Anonymous said…
I still have to take a close look at your drawings on flickr and haven't read the interview yet (it's after midnight and I'm almost falling asleep typing), but talent is a huge topic... I think it's easier for those who have one talent they can focus on because they know what they are doing and which way they are going. The ones with more than one talent can be easily distracted if they are not super organized...on the other hand I think that the different talents usually compliment and influence each other...maybe talent is in fact the ability to soak up different impressions and being able to convert them into some kind of art...painting, cooking, singing...opposed to others who can enjoy it but can't create something with it...maybe talent is a catalyst? And people who are not schooled in arts probably create amazing things because they are not restricted...they don't follow rules because they don't know them...there is no right or wrong, just a feeling.
I'm so glad the show went so well - but I knew it would! Your grandma picked a lovely ovely outfit.
Hugs, A.
Anonymous said…
ovely? ;)
two trees said…
ah, dear lisa...i loved this post! i think i will read it again later. i am loving all of the great questions that are being posed of late...i'm more inspired to blog and connect when these types of discussion are drifting through our crafty neighborhood. can't wait to read your interview! and your shirt is quite wonderful!...stay in the moment and take some time to enjoy where you are at right now. so looking forward to what comes next...
shari said…
Lots of good questions, Lisa. I've been thinking about ( and blogging about) dabbling vs. focusing your energy in one specific direction. Looking forward to hearing more thoughts on talent...good discussion so far. Thank you for opening the door!
andrea said…
okay, so much to say... where to begin? so I'll just list it:

1. congrats on the show...! so glad to hear it went well. wish I could've been there (so many of us wished we could... do you feel the love?)

2. love the red blouse. gorgeous on you.

3. need to think more on the subject of talent. my thoughts are a little scattered. interesting subject, though. a vein of thought worth pursuing.

4. it took me FOREVER to get into 'middlesex'... not sure why, because it's an intriguing story, too much stopping and starting, I guess. at any rate, once I did get into it, I was SUCKED IN. loved the passage you included regarding the obscure object... yes, let's discuss!
Anonymous said…
this was a great post and i am in love with your drawings.
Anonymous said…
Loved, loved, loved this post.

Here are my thoughts -

Yay to the show! You're awesome. Will check out Flickr pics after when I am done work.

Love your thoughts on talent...

Middlesex - agonoizingly slow read but so worthwhile and satisfying!!

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