It seems that one of the re-emerging themes from the degree-course has been, to not ‘overcomplicate’ our work. It’s not that I haven’t heard this, or that I don’t fundamentally agree with the idea; but it appears that my final piece has taken on a bit of a life of its own. Without wanting to plant the idea that it’s too complicated to tutors, I can see that it may be interpreted that way. I guess that really clean, crisp and simple ideas don’t always do it for me (although at times they do), and as I am really making art for my own pleasure, I feel I have to be true to myself. I feel that my art-making has an ‘outsider art’ quality about it and ‘outsider art’ tends to stray from the normal conventions.
As I have probably mentioned in previous blogs, I am particularly inspired on by Louise Bourgeois’ (1911-2010) work. Some of her work is simple, crisp and clean, but other works are more complicated, especially her series of ‘Cells’ works. There is still a simplicity within her more complicated works, but they appear a long way from what I would consider as ‘minimalistic’. Bourgeois isn’t necessarily known as an outsider-artist, but her work is very emotional and self-referencing; I see this as very different from minimalist work that seems to be more interested in experimenting with space, light and environment for their own sake. It’s not that I am not drawn to this expression of sculpture and installation also, but I guess I seem to particularly drawn to work that deals with the pain and confusion of the human condition (because I am inherently unhappy, confused and in pain!
Louise Bourgeois, Cell (The Last Climb), 2008
At one point, my final work was planned to be a very simple zen-garden, a much more minimalist project inspired by my interest in Buddhism and Zen, but it seems that it got naturally steered from that course towards a different direction. This change in direction really made me think about the intentions behind the work that we make. My contemplation around this left me with the realisation that work is made with so many different intentions. Some artists are perhaps like scientists, experimenting with various conditions for the pleasure and knowledge of it, whilst others are making work because if they don’t, the black dog of depression is waiting to gobble them up. I make work because I have the opportunity to do so on the course and I can work (and play) with various impulses, although on honest reflection, there seems to be a lot of pain in my making. My creations can also change by the second, from one direction to another. I can see how my art mirrors my personality and how little real prolonged intention I managed to sustain from moment to moment. Contemplating my work in this way has been like a type of therapy and I think has led me to a better understanding of myself.
I also became interested in Edward Kienholz’s (1927-1994) work because I felt I could relate to it. It’s a bit messy, with quite a lot going on. It also appears quite disturbed, melancholic and very atmospheric. Kienholz could perhaps be called an outsider-artist, side-stepping the ‘norm’. Kienholz’s works are generally not clean and simple, and contain many elements within them. I find this particularly exciting…… I get a buzz when the various facets of a work overwhelm me… maybe all of these preferences tell us something about ourselves, as much as about the artist.
Edward Kienholz, The Wait, 1964-1965
The interpretation of the viewer or spectator seems almost as complex as the work itself. There is a psychological creation in the viewer alongside of the creation / work itself…… in some ways (many ways), that’s really exciting. The whole process is completely ridiculous; a person makes something that they may not even fully consciously understand themselves. Spectators / viewers will / may internalise this experience and form a subjective understanding of it; but neither the maker, nor viewer may fully understand what is there in front of them, perhaps because the human mind continuously changes…. But that something is still there in form……. That’s amazing…… (I have to go now…. The nurses are coming….)
