Monday, February 23, 2009

Art Space Talk Quotes #1

Reading past interviews I realize that there is information contained within the myartspace.com Art Space Talk interview series that may be of benefit to followers of the blog-- or anyone else who discovers the Myartspace Blog. I have decided to post a series of entries containing quotes that spotlight the advice, suggestions, and general thoughts that various artists have offered during my interviews with them.

Links to these entries will be included on the Advice for Artists entry as well-- which will be regularly updated. My hope is that the quotes series will help readers with research or that they will serve as advice for artists from artists. You can read the Art Space Talk series of interviews by visiting, www.myartspace.com/interviews. Enjoy.

Concerning the meaning, process, and creation of art:

“Paintings are memories. Memories of the painter who painted them. Memories that can be shared as well. Paintings are things to remember things by. For example, I see my work as auto-biographical. It is all auto-biographical.” -- James Rosenquist

“Process and systems are part of what my art is about. That is, I invent, find, and borrow ways of making painterly statements, which reflect my person to the extent that I am able to reach into that core of my being. It’s a kind of self-analysis that requires a balance between the rational and the intuited.” -- Thornton Willis

“The process is very important in my work. It is intrinsic. Through the doing more ideas occur. I am an extremely kinesthetic person., very physical. I learn everything through my body, through doing. I will take notes when working, often writing on the walls of my studio. I have learned that my work HAS to go through some period of chaos or struggle . Without chaos the painting is lifeless.” -- Connie Noyes

“Any artistic creation is the result of the combination of so many factors: the artist’s predisposition to be passionate about a subject and desire to communicate this, in whatever form is paramount; a great deal of hard work and preparation; to remain true to yourself, as you perceive this truth.” -- Lala Meredith-Vula

“The complexity of the language of images is disguised by the ease and rapidity with which we read them. I've tried to make work that is as transparent and simple as possible. No matter how much I strip away the result is always more complex to me than I expect.” -- Michael Craig-Martin

“I’ve been working with ink for many years. I also use oil based materials for monoprinting which is a technique that I love. It involves the unexpected which I find interesting, the most surprising things can happen through the smallest bit of pressure on the page.” -- Whitney McVeigh

“I always felt an urge to create. I think we are born with this impulse. Some of my life experiences also influence my work. I try to talk about difficult things in a lighthearted manner for I find that the problem comes when life is taken too seriously." -- Yuliya Lanina

“Art is a covenant relationship between spirit, the artist and the viewer. The artist, if he or she has an inspiring spiritual experience, has a responsibility to translate and transmit that experience as closely as possible so as to evoke a similar experience in the viewer.” -- Alex Grey

“I like to work with my hands, to press -- to rub --as much as I do enjoy working with the brushes and pigment. The substantive nature of the wood panels allows me to use the full force and range of my body – to use as light or as extreme a touch as I wish.” -- Elana Gutmann

“I never make sketches. Everything is developed in an intuitive manner. The approach I developed growing up is derived from a mush of ideas from expressionism and the Beats. In painting, one act creates the idea of the next - it is a conversation of sorts which slowly turns into a frustrating puzzle with my own limited nature” -- Christian Schumann

Feel free to comment about any of the quotes listed above. Can you relate to their words? Do you take a different position? You can read the Art Space Talk series of interviews by visiting, www.myartspace.com/interviews. Enjoy.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
Myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
New York Art Exchange
www.nyaxe.com

2 comments:

TSL said...

I enjoyed this compilation of quotes, Brian, thanks for it.
I definitely relate to a couple of artists, specifically Christian Schumann and Connie Noyes. Christian Schumann speaks of never making sketches, everything developed in an intuitive manner, one act creates the idea of the next. Connie Noyes says her work has to go through some period of chaos or struggle because without that the painting is lifeless. I identify completely with both artists in that I never make sketches prior to painting portraits (gasp) or abstracts. I may do a sketch as a work of art itself, but never preliminary to a work. Chaos is a huge part of my abstract work. I am all over the place, but the trick is the final product must not be evidence of that

BRIAN ELSTON said...

Art is when you quit thinking about what you are creating and your 'self' leaves the room leaving your mind to unconsciously to create.