Most of what I see is garbage

December 28, 2014 ~ Live & Learn ~ 32 Comments

I hardly ever go to exhibitions and dislike the world of the vernissage; those crowds are the most repulsive of all. These days most art is too conceptual for me, with long descriptions pasted up on the walls of galleries. “Art” should reveal itself to audiences without written explanation. Most of what I see is garbage, sometimes literally so, like an installation with a few cardboard boxes thrown into a corner, an empty beer can and a dirty sleeping bag. This apparently represents the desperate fate of the homeless. I see an absence of dignity in contemporary art. There is too much emphasis on concept, not craft. Just as religion has been watered down by television evangelists, so has art.

~ Paul Cronin, Werner Herzog – A Guide for the Perplexed: Conversations with Paul Cronin

Credits: Photograph by Burt Glinn 1964 NYC. Ad Reinhardt painting at the Museum of Modern Art. Source: Magnum Photos via To Escape from the Commonplaces of Existence.

The Relentless Reviser

December 27, 2012December 28, 2012 ~ Live & Learn ~ 31 Comments

The path to excellence. Study the best in the field. Develop lifelong habits. Continuously revise and improve. (Kaizen.) Practice. Have a critical eye with your own work. Be sure to focus on the process as it is as important as the output. Pursue your field of passion despite the views of your critics. There are no shortcuts to excellence – it takes incredible focus and effort. Same old, same old? Yes. It worked for Matisse. And it will work for you and me.

Henri Matisse (1869-1954), along with Picasso and Duchamp, was regarded as one of three artists who helped define art and sculpture in the 20th century. There is a Matisse show on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art until March 17th, 2013. There is an exceptional review of the show in wsj.com titled The Relentless Reviser. Below I share excerpts from the review that are applicable to many of us in our fields: Continue reading “The Relentless Reviser” →

Serenity on Sunday with Marina…

August 5, 2012August 4, 2012 ~ Live & Learn ~ 9 Comments

Marina Kanavaki has been a gracious blog follower from the early days of my journey. Not sure how we connected but I’m happy we did. Marina was born in Athens, Greece. She studied art and music in Athens and London including Classical piano, jazz improvisation and classical singing. She is now a creative art director. She has had her work shown in Smith΄s Gallery (London) and painting exhibitions in Epohes gallery, in Athens.