Whilst scrolling aimlessly through my Instagram page I had the thought that the throwaway society that we have now begun to live in has rubbed off on the way we choose to view art. Instead of picking up a book or committing some time to visit a gallery a phone or tablet is an easier option, what I mean is this kind of sucks the quality out of the whole experience of looking at art…standing where the artist had once stood, it’s astounding how different art can look in the flesh when compared to its image on a screen. An obvious statement but so true. Who has not been staggered by the sheer scale of a painting or sculpture before in the past or even how painterly some appears, subtle chisel marks or how a piece operates in a certain space…all this is lost on a screen.
For the record I think about the internet and social media as a fantastically powerful tool for the artist, but I also think it has some pitfalls as well – how big (or small) are they – I don’t know so I decided to explore this thought a little.
Pro. Massive potential exposure to a global audience, galleries, collectors etc…all at the touch of a button.
Pro or con. Now I’m not too sure what camp this falls into? Social media allows and the internet in general allows the viewer to scroll quickly through images without really looking at the work, I could say that this opens the art world to individuals that would not normally step foot into a gallery but the thing with stepping foot into a gallery is that the viewer is likely to appreciate the work more, the size, the craftsmanship, the tiny details and texture. Even an extreme zoom facility doesn’t even come close to an “in the flesh” view.
Pro. Networking opportunities with other artists or people interested in things or themes that an artist works with.
Pro. Seeing what other artists are doing that would otherwise be inaccessible- for instance artists in far flung countries with no or no exposure.
Con. Even more competition from artists all over the world.
Moving on from that brief brainstorming of thoughts…
In other news I have managed to finish a large drawing (photo annoyingly to follow at some point), the work on it has been intersected with work on other large pieces and some smaller ones as well (as I have said before keeping several pieces on the go at once keeps the studio fresh and I always look forward to working on each one). Along with the conquer of this drawing I have also reworked two smaller sketches.
Sometimes I feel as if I could stay in my studio all night, tonight was one of those nights, I usually work in there at the weekends and several week nights after work and become so engrossed in what I am doing that I have to tear myself away so as to be able to function the next day at work. Tonight I worked with absolutely no interruption, I literally sat down and seconds later the pen was weaving about the paper. It was a very pure drawing experience, the essence of why I love – really love what I do.
I was alone and focused completely on each line I navigated through the plethora of other marks, as the lines pulled and pushed and pushed their way onto the paper my vision was tunnelled on what, how and why I would do next? I have had the privilege of conducting some of the most fluid and lucid drawing since I have had a studio – long may it continue…
Thank you as always for reading.
