What is Art?

Update for this weeks time in the studio…

“Too much bad Art”

This was inspired from looking at Art that is presented in the Art world such as Martin Creed, lights going on and off Work no.227. The response I get from people out of the studio when I talk to them, is what the hell? How the hell is that Art? As a result Art as simplistic as this could be classed as bad Art. I personally thinks its extremely clever and intellectual. I believe it reflects Art itself. Because of its simplistic state of existence it confuses viewers and makes them think of justifications for it, therefore making it successful, as there is no straight reason for it.

“I wanna impress but protest”

This is from two parts of my mind. I want to make Art, for example my wall, but I want to impress my viewers? I don’t feel my wall impresses viewers. So how do I balance my work to cover all of these elements? I find some viewers are very shallow when viewing Art and take it for its appearance? This is why I choose to use bright colors in my wall work, as its is pleasing to view through the eyes?

“Wtf is Art”

This is the most important one. This is because this was the first thing I said which triggered all my work to start questioning the Art world.

When I was younger I used to paint pictures all the time on my bedroom floor. I thought I was making Art. I had a naive mind, were I just drew what I felt with no motive story or reason behind it.

Then I went to university. We had a summer project to make some Art and I found myself looking for reasons to make Art. This is were the quote “Forced Art” comes from. To make Art work, it should not be forced.

I suppose I am lost in this spiral of the Art World. I find that the work I produce now about questioning Art is my path to find who I am and were I stand in the Art world.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Recap

I need to recap and find were I am, so here goes..

I was looking at my studio wall all-together as one. As iv slowly been putting these words and quotes onto my white wall, iv found it’s turned into a piece of Art itself.

It follows the theme in which I have strongly kept to throughout my works as Art about Art, questioning Art and what it is. I keep trying to make pieces of Art to represent Art but as I established in my blog words are the only way I feel I can express my ideas and thoughts about Art.

I want people to look at Art differently and start questioning Art. In response to my work I want people to discuses the questions that have always been in the back of a viewers mind when viewing a piece of Art.

This piece will hopefully relate to other Artist’s in regards to, the questions an Artist battles with to find their purpose and place in the Art world.

The Art world is a very confusing place. Thiers no rule book, and no right from wrong. I am questioning this, and addressing it through my work. I am aiming to do this through explicit statements in regards to Art to establish a more direct approach to connect with my viewers.

This work has elements of conceptualism. This is something in which I do like to stay close to, as I do believe Art is a conceptual process. Interpretation and relation for the viewer when looking at a piece of Art I find are the basics to a piece of Art being successful.

When the viewer reads the words I have presented and interprets them through their mind, is the moment the Art becomes alive and gains a purpose. When other elements of questioning arise, would be a level of success for my Art. Regardless if the viewer agrees or disagrees.

The viewer has no choice but to interact with my Art work. However they do have a choice how much they want to interact. Naturally, when the viewer is presented with the words and quotes, they will start to read them as a process of interpretation. Naturally when we see words we just read it in our minds.

Even though my words are conceptual, they do have many physical elements presented with it. I hand cut every single letter that is on the wall. Therefore there is a lot of skill and patients, which is presented.

Skill is another element which is questioned a lot in the Art world. Is skill needed or is the idea good enough alone? This piece of Art brings all these elements as a piece of Art, to represent Art itself. It kind of stands in the middle of the two worlds of idea and skill.

It shows some aesthetically pleasing elements, which I do find is a good element to have in an Art work because as an Artist you always want people to be attracted to your work. If it’s the extremeness of it not being attractive or being attractive. I find if an artwork dose not have much to it, it’s just that, there is no middle ground in the Art world.

In conclusion I’m hoping with the viewers it will spark a thinking process, which would be elements of intellectual pleasure. With the thinking, process I’m hoping the viewer will encounter, I’m hoping this will spark conversations. Then BAM I have connected and interacted with my viewer, which I find is the most important element.

This is like science, Art is rather like science. Iv found its not just about putting something in front of your audience as a piece of Art. Its about thinking of all the equations and elements to put together to produce something successful.

So basically im going full steam ahead with the wall! Lets see what doors this project opens.

PRESENTATION

I have been thinking about the presentation of my work. At the moment, I am presenting my words on my white studio space wall. It looks a bit bombarding as the words expand.

Do I want this effect? Or do I want to present them in a more organized way? This is something that I will need to address.

For now I just need to get the words out, bang them out onto the wall and eventually new doors will open for idea’s of improvements, so I will keep it going until I come to the door.

Some Artist research!

Christopher wool

Christopher wool originally made me think of the presentation of my collection of words and quotes.

When I look at his work I like its individuality of each sentence.

Do I want to present my words as one or together?

He uses text sometimes from films and disrupts the way the viewer reads the words by putting them in different positions. White and black is a color theme that is maintained throughout his work. He uses black-stenciled letters on a white canvas to produce his final pieces.

I think using the colors’ black and white helps Christopher Wool maintain his directness. Directness is an element I would like to have in my own work.

I am using a random color theme in my work and It makes me think, does the color arrangement in my work take away directness and seriousness?

Would people take my work seriously?

When I view Christopher Wools work, I feel seriousness and professionalism from it before I take a step further into connecting with it.

I WANT THIS!!

Jenny Holzer

Jenny Holzer uses a lot of text regarding political issues in her work. She presents a lot of her work containing text as a poster style.

– Does that mean people just view her work as posters?

I want the words to be presented as they are and nothing else but words.

However, what is interesting is a series of work she did, “No Title” 1979-82. Holzer took snips from an essay she wrote called “inflammatory Essays” in 1979 and put it on to different colors’ of square backgrounds.

In my work, I am taking quotes and statements from things I talk and learn about regarding the Art world and presenting them as my work.

Maybe I should right an essay on my thoughts on Art?

I suppose my blog kind of takes this type of form?.

More Knowledge and research needed!!

• 
• 

MY MENIFESTO

My studio wall seems to be presenting itself as a manifesto. My words are my manifesto, my interpretation on Art and my questions that I find accruing in the Art world from discussions and thoughts from myself.

Here is an update from a few words iv been adding to my wall in the last couple of days. I have added a small explanation (below) as to how i got the idea for the word, but I am not sure if i should expand a bit more? i want the words to talk for themselves from the viewers interpretation so I can gain some interaction from it. I cant do all of the work!!

THIS IS MY LANGUAGE

I am presenting my Art from my language, as my language. Artist’s regardless of medium present their own language to the viewers. Their language is their Art and If you look deep enough, their Art will contain a load of language which is responsible for its existence.

WHO PUT ART IN ARTIFICIAL

Art is Artificial due to its hand-made elements or just an object that is forced to be presented as a piece of Art.

LUCKY ART

Art is lucky. If your in the right place at the right time, presenting to the right people it could determine an Artists success. It all comes down to luck.

FREE THERAPY

For an Artist they only usually make Art about something they can closely relate to them selves. So Art results in a kind of therapy for the Artist.

WHAT MAKES GOOD ART

Its quit funny because there is no rule book. There is no right for wrong. There is no straight answers in Art, it all seems to be one big discussion and presentations of ideas that are presented to the world. Art is like an eye, which presents things from different perspectives.

IS IT ART NOW, NOW IS IT ART, IS IT NOW ART

This piece is questioning, at what point does a piece of Art become a piece of Art.

Its just an idea but because I have now presented it as Art its a work of Art itself.

Is it now Art? (Because you (viewer) made it Art)

Is it Art now? (Because I (Artist) said it was Art)

Now is it Art? (Because it is in a Gallery/Museum)

• 
• 
• 
• 

**Idea** 24^th February 2014

I did a list of Art is a..

Here are some explanations for why I chose these words.

Bare in mind I am not saying these statements are what Art is; I am simply questioning and trying to make the viewer think about Art from a different perspective.

The confidence this piece expresses through its color and the words “Art is a” will trigger debate and conversations.

Metaphor- Art generally is an object to express or represent another idea. This is what I talk about quit a lot, how Art is a representation of something else.

Corruption – what I mean by corruption is, corruption of the mind. Art is created through the viewer’s own mind. The viewers have their own ideas and interpretations from what is presented in front of them. Therefore, the Art that is presented influences the viewer to think a particular way. In that effect, does the Artist have some sort of power to influence the way a viewer sees things? If so who’s in power of the Art? The viewer or the Artist?

Unoriginal – is Art unoriginal? An idea from a piece of Art comes from inspirations and influences from something else?

Language – Art is a language, Art is a way of thinking, seeing and expressing. Art is used as language to express other emotions and thoughts, this also links in with Art being a metaphor.

While thinking about this I thought of the word integrity, is it important for an Artist to make Art with integrity? As a viewer would you know if it wasn’t?, I may add this word to my list.

Bruce Nauman

Bruce Nauman “One Hundred live and die” (1984) inspired the idea of a list. (Their you go, does that make my work unoriginal?) I like the idea of the words not existing until the viewer reads them. The idea and purpose of my work also wont exist until the viewer interacts with it.

By doing a list, it’s a good way to present triggers of thought.

Bruce Naumans work also has an aesthetically pleasing element to it. This is interesting because would his list be as successful if their was no attractiveness through the neon lights? The colors and different typography used in my work should also give of this element.

Wait, was that a contradiction? I am talking about my work not existing but then the appearance. Lets face it Art is one big contradiction, wait that’s another word to add to my list!!

• 
• 
•