art and artiface and a learning curve

if you haven't gone already - be sure and check out shari's post on ship of fools . i want to sit and finish this book so badly - but i can't.... sigh

so i didn't get full blown sick, but i have a lovely hacking cough. everything always goes right to my chest.... not what you wanted to know about huh? at least i have a decent amount of energy and don't feel ill....

the title of this post you ask? well.... liesl asked me how i felt about the whole drawing a day experience. how my drawings had changed or what i might have learned. it's hard to verbalize the experience. it became such a part of my daily routine and i have really noticed NOT making the drawings the last 2 weeks. NOT thinking about what color was coming up next... what i feel most grateful for was that it afforded me the opportunity to experiment in a way that i don't normally feel comfortable doing in the studio. i took risks with imagery and ideas. i left things alone. i left my mistakes - i left a lot of empty space - i put down the first or the last thought that popped into my head. i didn't over think things.

in terms of my other work i think it made me open up my visual vocabulary. it definitely sparked the doily installations and the bed/chair drawings. drawing {almost} every day made me realize that as an artist my biggest desire is to work everyday. that i wish i could somehow have the luxury of more time to dedicate to my studio. that discipline can be a big part of your practice.... and hightly motivating. meaning when you really force yourself to do something - even if you are tired, even if it doesn't come out well - you sort of stay on track. i was able to get into studio mode much quicker when i did a full day to be there. that in a way you CAN think of artists like athletes [oh mr. barney] and that the drawing a day was my training.

i am definitely going to figure out another project to do - but i don't think it will be daily. maybe weekly? because the other thing i learned was that as much as i enjoyed doing this - it's nice to have that little bit of time back... i can use it for other things!

i also have been thinking a lot about contemporary art and conceptualism. this was sparked 1. by the panel i was on thurs. evening. and 2. by the BFA critique i went to at school yesterday. thurs night we talked about how in current art practices conceptualism to some degree is key. how we all in essence want a piece of art to MEAN something. two artists on the panel do work that is performative in nature so what we SEE is a residue or a documentation of the work. a question was raised: is this how we KNOW that you've done the piece? is the piece in the residue or is it in the performance itself or both? can you then "fake" the documentation and would that matter? could you lie about a doing a piece and still get "credit" for it? could that add a layer to the work - enhancing it? can any discipline "fake it" [or is it harder to fake a painting??]

speaking of faking - in the critique a very genuine hard working student is in the throws of a dilemma - he's a painter who loves lucien freud but doesn't think that his work is to that level. [it's not - but it's rare that someone's IS]. what does he do as an aritst who loves painting, but is unsure of painting's relavance in the world? and if he wants to get into to grad school what should he use to apply with? how can he engage in a contemporary art practice that is interesting? so he was working on the idea of the diptych trying to express one thought in two ways - and also with his heritage - as a chinese american - he started bringing in propaganda poster imagery. but the painting that was the best in his studio was one the corner of a mother and daughter. [at least myself and 2 other teachers thought it was the best]. and he didn't like it. he said it was borning and not honest. that's when the discussion really got interesting. boring b/c it looks like other paintings? but it was beautiful and arresting and full of emotion. not honest b/c he didn't take the photo or it wasn't about someone/something that he knew. how to convince him that THAT PAINTING was more true and spoke about his love of paint and narrative in a much more honest way than the other works that were derived from his own photographs or had asian people in it ??? .... and because of that it WASN'T boring. i think he also thought it came too easy - that little painting - as if great work has to be a struggle. sometimes... most definitely, but other times - when you are free and in the moment and it is easy - the best things happen. in a way, though, he's at a great point - confused, biting off more than he can chew... floundering through what it means to be a young artist in the world. i really felt as though if he could wade through this muck - his art would be better for it.

and so.... i guess we all need to keep wading through the muck, huh? sorry for such a long art babble post.... i'll leave you with one photo [anyone know what kind of plant this is??]. i'm going outside... it's 85 degrees and breezy and i want to feel the grass in my toes!