Sunday, March 21, 2010

2012, Still Rings


London is alive with creation, that quintessential embodiment of life. The cranes of construction standing on their single leg, moving men, steel and imagination are only the most visible. Under gothic archways tribal music springs from a primal instrument made of one bow, one string, one gourd and one soulful thank you from its player as if unaware of his gift of harmonic discord between setting, music and man. A block away painters paint away the magnificent cranes with memories of times scenic past and others, their private studios create images of the future. Each creator is pulled forward, compelled. Behind it all is 2012. No one, especially artist, wants to admit it, but it is driving everyone forward. Many resist with their soft words but their actions are deafening, and I am not immune to this Olympic Fever.

When I first arrived here I expected London to provide me the treasure of subject, but I envisioned dancers, musicians and scarves blowing in the wind. I should have seen it coming. My drawings are focused on life, harmony and multiplicity. Using the Royal City to literally draw from, how could I ignore the imminence of the Olympics. I tried. I looked for a place of stillness, so I could write, draw and observe with just me and my pre-established muse, but that is not how life works. If I am truly a creator of artwork rooted in life, I cannot ignore the journey between start and finish that London is now on. Today I started my first 2012 inspired Prismatic Abstraction, “Still Rings”.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Tear Down the Wall!

Walking through double door archways into a greeting hall full of art, the ivory resonance of piano in the air, surrounded by friends and fellow art lovers, individuals becomes one with the crowd and collective unity of the Muses. It is these atmospheric social art offerings that invite the community at large to love art and see it not as only a reflection of life, but a possibility of what could be. For this specific occasion I was attending the weekly Friday Night Music Night event at the National Portrait Gallery. This night was exceptional however because it was also the Evocation of John Gibbons Portraits into the gallery (that’s a big deal by the way). He was clearly delighted with the honour and thrilled to have the beautiful musical performances serenade his evocation. After the music was finished and a few short words by organizers and artist the strangest thing happened, participants went one way and spectators went the other.

Life was so beautiful, we were resonating so powerfully. Manet, Warhol, and Duchamp rebelled against this barrier between art and people. What happened? Where did this divide come from? In no small part we do it to ourselves. It is understandably a little awkward to talk to a stranger (input years of parental warnings here). After that negative self-affirmation does the rest; “They won’t want to talk to me.”, “What will I talk about?”, “I will sound dumb.”. I know not to disagree with your mom, but all that self-induced negativity has to go. People prefer to talk to those with similar interest and at social art events everyone is there for similar reasons. As long as you picked up the artist or gallery information packet (and read it) you have something to talk about. That handy flyer is also the key to becoming an expert, for as long as your short-term memory last at least.

Don’t take my words for it though, action is what matters!

Mr. Gibbons was more than happy to talk with me about his work and being a fellow artist in London (although much more established then me). I mostly asked questions about some of my observation of his work, and he was happy to answer them. He asked me some simple questions and we eventually rapped things up after I noticed a line growing behind me. At our last chance meeting of the night he wished me good luck on my upcoming show as he walked out the door with his wife in hand.

Promise me the next social art event you go to you will find one new friend. Tear that wall down!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The Real Deal



Real art lovers look beyond the extravagant flare of fame and into the unrestrained outpouring of the infamous. That is what I am going to see this Friday at Dirty Cop in the Old Police Station Galleries in Depfort. The exhibition is a festival of what is real in art. One night a month different unknown artists openly and unrestrained share their visual muses with the world. This experimental platform for the exhibition of new work including music, film, fashion, performance and visual art, Dirty Cop Friday presents a social and informal opportunity to produce, exhibit and test within the expanding artist network of South East London.
The Old Police Station is a DIY Art Centre and cultural headquarter for the area comprised of project spaces (PoSt Projects and Volume), galleries, an on-line radio station (OpticalRadio.net), residencies, 40 artists’ studios and a fantastic cafĂ©/bar.

http://www.tempcontemp.co.uk/oldpolicestation3c.html