I know it has been sometime since I have posted on the blog...as most of us...we have been busy with school...finals and trying to enjoy the holiday break...Which I hope that everyone has had a rockin holiday!!!
This post is a response to a previous post...We all started this blog as a place to create a space for fellow artists. This blog was created from an incredible six weeks of spending several hours together in the painting studio...enjoying the love of color and working with oils...and finding little time for sleep...but who needs sleep when your making art? Right? There was an energy that was created from that class...and when we see each other in passing...we smile and remember the great moments. One of the things that I wanted to create with this blog is the continually support and encouragement from the painting class from the summer and extended that to other students and friends that create and love art. We are a community of people in our little Fine Arts building...some of us have classes with other great artists...Invite them to the blog...We have the privilege to be instructed and taught by amazing teachers...Invite them to the blog...This is a space for artists...a space were we can post our work...tell great news...or rant about school...it is an Art space.
As we go through the process of school and build ourselves to the artists we choose to be...the friendships and relationships we make become important parts to our lives and as artists. Who knows... were they will lead to...but this blog is a great way to keep those avenues and relationships open and intact...
I hope that everyone had a great holiday!!! I'm looking forward to seeing all you guys in a week...and I look forward to being in class again with some of you!!! Thanks for all the people who have posted and I look forward to seeing new work from everyone this semester!!!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Snow
Tonight, while painting, it began snowing very lightly. Here is the view out the window of my second floor studio.
Also it is time to say goodbye to S&S.
It has been so great! but is YOURS...and stays YOURS.
Have great holidays--you've earned them.
Looking forward to seeing you all.
Elisabeth
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
What role does an artist play in our society???
This is a question that was asked in our Concepts II class. It is a question that I feel as artist we constantly ask ourselves. What role do we play in our society? Is it our personal responsibility to inform the public about the horrors and evil of our world? Isn’t that a news reports job? But don’t we publish our own thoughts and feelings about issues that are sometimes the most personal and intimate to ourselves? Are we not essentially reporting how we feel or are we informing?
As artist we have the ability to choose a medium, a process, a way to create our ideas and communicate them to whom ever we choose. How we communicate and express these ideas often have an impact on society. The work from ancient past such as the Egyptians and Greeks expressed a message to there culture. Was it there purpose and intent or did the artist that created these particular works create them for there own personal pleasure? Was it there responsibility to create work for society? In the past the church and religious beliefs helped to propel the role of the artist to a great importance. Today the thought of the two working together can be a rather terrifying idea, unless of course you are Thomas Kinkade. Is it the role of the artist to impact society? Is it the role to communicate and make a change in our world?
Andy Warhol was credited for creating the 1960’s. He was an artist that had a major influence in the arts and society during his time. Warhol’s work helped to change the way we view art and question again “What in the hell is Art?” Just as Duchamp had done in the 1920’s and so many artist continue to do today. The labels of soup cans, the photos of famous celebrities, the logos of famous companies all could be presented as art. Was it Warhol’s role to change a culture of people and artist to create and produce new forms of artwork? No. Warhol created because he was driven by his own desire to create. The result of his work helped to influence society and culture around him.
As artist we have our own personal “message” that we choose to express and communicate. Artist, like Kara Walker and William Kentridge, deal with themes and personal beliefs that are translated into incredible works of art. They choose to use images that engage the viewer in a narrative and question the role of racism in our society. The role they play is informative and expressive in their artwork. Compared to Andy Warhol they are not changing a particular time in society, but bringing awareness to the realities of the world. Warhol was doing the same thing in his artwork, but it was more playful and translated in a different context. Where these roles that they assumed or giving?
I think before we can ask the question of what an artist plays in our society, we must ask how do you define an artist? Every where we look there are various forms of artists, there are painter, sculptures, photographers, printmakers and the occasionally basket weaver. Look further and we can realize that we are surrounded by political artist, musicians, teachers, the all American business man, the computer geek, the scientists that are trying to discover the meaning of life and etc...Etc... Are theses individuals not artist? Yes. They create and express a message, a statement, and a purpose that can be looked at from various people in different societies. What role do they play? A major one that includes the diversity that helps to create our society.
As artist are role to the society is to be true and honest to ourselves. We provide an outlet to some and aggression to others. We shake the “tree” and push some to open their eyes and see the world in a different way. We are not always understood and sometimes we don’t want to be. We play in our own playground and by our own set of rules. We change things around us and rethink the same damn things over and over because it’s what we do as artist. We offend people and often we please others. We communicate a message, sometimes loud and clear and other times we leave people wondering what is it and is that art? Our role in society is to create and keep creating. Some of us choose to make “pretty” pictures and stay in our comfort zone, while others piss in a jar or shit in a can and call it art. Either way we are artists who have a great impact in our world and society.
So create...make great art...and love being an artist.
As artist we have the ability to choose a medium, a process, a way to create our ideas and communicate them to whom ever we choose. How we communicate and express these ideas often have an impact on society. The work from ancient past such as the Egyptians and Greeks expressed a message to there culture. Was it there purpose and intent or did the artist that created these particular works create them for there own personal pleasure? Was it there responsibility to create work for society? In the past the church and religious beliefs helped to propel the role of the artist to a great importance. Today the thought of the two working together can be a rather terrifying idea, unless of course you are Thomas Kinkade. Is it the role of the artist to impact society? Is it the role to communicate and make a change in our world?
Andy Warhol was credited for creating the 1960’s. He was an artist that had a major influence in the arts and society during his time. Warhol’s work helped to change the way we view art and question again “What in the hell is Art?” Just as Duchamp had done in the 1920’s and so many artist continue to do today. The labels of soup cans, the photos of famous celebrities, the logos of famous companies all could be presented as art. Was it Warhol’s role to change a culture of people and artist to create and produce new forms of artwork? No. Warhol created because he was driven by his own desire to create. The result of his work helped to influence society and culture around him.
As artist we have our own personal “message” that we choose to express and communicate. Artist, like Kara Walker and William Kentridge, deal with themes and personal beliefs that are translated into incredible works of art. They choose to use images that engage the viewer in a narrative and question the role of racism in our society. The role they play is informative and expressive in their artwork. Compared to Andy Warhol they are not changing a particular time in society, but bringing awareness to the realities of the world. Warhol was doing the same thing in his artwork, but it was more playful and translated in a different context. Where these roles that they assumed or giving?
I think before we can ask the question of what an artist plays in our society, we must ask how do you define an artist? Every where we look there are various forms of artists, there are painter, sculptures, photographers, printmakers and the occasionally basket weaver. Look further and we can realize that we are surrounded by political artist, musicians, teachers, the all American business man, the computer geek, the scientists that are trying to discover the meaning of life and etc...Etc... Are theses individuals not artist? Yes. They create and express a message, a statement, and a purpose that can be looked at from various people in different societies. What role do they play? A major one that includes the diversity that helps to create our society.
As artist are role to the society is to be true and honest to ourselves. We provide an outlet to some and aggression to others. We shake the “tree” and push some to open their eyes and see the world in a different way. We are not always understood and sometimes we don’t want to be. We play in our own playground and by our own set of rules. We change things around us and rethink the same damn things over and over because it’s what we do as artist. We offend people and often we please others. We communicate a message, sometimes loud and clear and other times we leave people wondering what is it and is that art? Our role in society is to create and keep creating. Some of us choose to make “pretty” pictures and stay in our comfort zone, while others piss in a jar or shit in a can and call it art. Either way we are artists who have a great impact in our world and society.
So create...make great art...and love being an artist.
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