abstract art and politics

[Kobayashi]

One of my favorite paintings is "Guardians of the Secret" by Jackson Pollock. I have a print of it and see something new every time I look at it.

[Moleculo]

What do you think of the General Lee? Sort of playfully dances across the banjo strings of the mind, no?

[PoleFighter]

I love abstract art. Jackson Pollock is like visual music to me. I love the rhythm of his work. I also appreciate Miro, especially the blue series. This kind of art appeals to me because it picks out the essentials of beuty, like color, geometry, rhythm and composition. I rarely get anything out of art that attempts to depict something real with the maximum possible accuracy.

BTW I'm probably a moderate by US standards.

[Cassius]

[Moleculo]

It's obvious that your ignorance of the "process" kept you from being mesmerized by the black dot.

[PO9]

I had the benefit of living less than an hour from the Cleveland Museum of Art. I'd go at least 8 times a year, I went through the po-mo exhibits once, ONCE. My eyes hurt. I wanted to cry. Someone thought a big penciled grid on canvas (abstract representation of a city) was worthy of display in an art museum as prestigious as Cleveland's. Another piece was a canvas with a black dot. Then there was a plethora of multi-colored "paintings" that looked as if a muppet had vomited on them. I felt an incredible urge to hunt down these "artists" and slap them silly (as if they weren't already silly enough).

[danno]

that's the thing, it has to be a passion, perhaps in the same way you could see martial arts, which you might be happy to put a lot of time into cos ya luv it.

if you're an artist and you want to sell the occasional picture, then fine... but if your motivation as a painter is simply to make money then you are going to be sorely disappointed.

getting a job to earn money is easier and more rewarding (economically AND spiritually) than painting for money, even if you're working at maccas. you CAN'T just be an artist... it's like someone doing BJJ 3 times a week then saying "fuck this, i'm going to quit my job and train full time". it just isn't going to work.

oil painting isn't as important a medium in everyday life anymore. we communicate in different ways now - TV, film, magazines, etc... it has been very difficult to be employed or commissioned as a painter since photography happened.

still, there are many brilliant works around which are either great paintings, or of great historical importance. and there are people who are big fans of painting, new and old, and are prepared to pay a lot of money for it. these people are generally pretty informed about art. then there are others who can see the emperors new clothes.

but if you are going to be a commercial artist, graphic designer, multimedia designer, video editor etc then you might be able to get a job.

[Moleculo]

But can you attest to their MOTIVATIONS...

If they weren't "doing it for the money" then it would be a hobby.

And yes, I agree that there are people who are driven to paint 24/7 but that only means that they are demented and/or too lazy to break down and get a real job.

It's hard to be pretentious with a fast food hat on.

[danno]

i don't know who the hell would take that seriously.

even if you manage to sell a few paintings worth $2000 $3000 it's not enough to live off. i know people who can sell a painting for $6000+ (and yes a decent picture) but they still can't live off it at all and need to work in other jobs.

[Moleculo]

From shawnmcnulty.com:

"To promote his work, McNulty utilized the Internet, which has proven a successful method of reaching numerous collectors all over the world, among whom are former President Bill Clinton and former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura."

Now there are two idividuals with uncompromizing taste.




Hey, this one's only $1600.00 US!

[Moleculo]

The more pretentious and ambiguous one's artist's statement is, the better the odds.

[danno]

I agree with your first assertion but to say that you somehow know the intentions of all or even most other "artists" in the world means that you are either not thinking it through or just plain gullible. Let's hope it's the former.

i didn't say that, but i do have a pretty decent understanding of art. what i mean is that you can't just make a piece of shit and then sell it for millions. people have to believe your work is worth something, and to do that you either have to work very hard or be very, very lucky. as in one in 20 million lucky.

[Moleculo]

most abstract art people do now is rubbish, but there is abstract art i like.

people think that artists do abstract shit just to make money, but trust me - it doesn't work like that.

I agree with your first assertion but to say that you somehow know the intentions of all or even most other "artists" in the world means that you are either not thinking it through or just plain gullible. Let's hope it's the former.

[danno]

This one represents my inner pain.

*laughs the fuck out loud!*

i'm a leftie with a fine arts degree.

most abstract art people do now is rubbish, but there is abstract art i like.

people think that artists do abstract shit just to make money, but trust me - it doesn't work like that.

abstract means "to take the essential elements from". it's has the same meaning as when the word is used in science.

[Rhamma]

What sort of artist?

Graphic artist since before computers (when we were called commercial artists), I have worked as a scenic painter for a few years. I have a BFA and a minor in art history.

I currently work as a government contractor doing training lessons for on computers.