You got some explaining to do……

Nothing but....a gesture sketch

That phrase for my title of this post feels like the perfect way to introduce this blog topic about artist statements. In the cleaning process of late, I came across a file of old papers. Some of which were my tests given to my students when I taught HS art. What a hoot! Evidently I was pretty tough and expected a lot. Yes, I did administer them to myself last night and passed, skipping the essays of course. But those were not what I was glad to find. I had been looking for my 2001 “Artists Statement” that I used for the first time the “women” series (or my colorful acrylics of ladies as you all call them) was shown to the public as a collection. That would have been at Stark State on the 2^nd floor (opening 2 days after Sept 11^th).  For the record, I really dislike the overall artist statement used to explain a body of work and define/defend its existence to others and prefer to elaborate on each piece of art instead. So what follows is the exact text of that 2001 statement….evidently my first foray into all out snarkiness.

“One of those necessary evils of being an artist and having an exhibition is to provide an ‘artist’s statement’. Seems odd actually since musicians do not stand up and announce why they are playing what they are, and dancers don’t stop and say why they chose a certain leg movement for each note, but for some reason, visual art requires and explanation to the viewer as to why we do what we do. So I spent a delightful morning on the internet researching how to write an ‘artist’s statement’. It was a very enlightening experience. First I am to do some warm up exercises most of which consist of reading dictionary and thesaurus entries, sharpening a pencil and locating an egg timer. You see, if I were to use simple words with too few syllables, people might not understand how complicated my work is supposed to be. Commas are essential, too. Not enough phrases and the meaning will be too obvious, so the more phrases I can connect into one sentence, the more confused the viewer will be and I will appear to be a very complex thinker. The next step is to close the eyes and wander one’s mind. I call that daydreaming, but when writing an ‘artist statement’ I am supposed to ‘escort my inner critic through the room of my creativity’ – (do I have to clean it up first?). Another recommendation was to ‘imagine your work coming alive and speaking to you, how does it feel?’ – (hmmm, tired of hanging around?). 

Since these sources were not proving helpful, I decided to read other artists’ ‘statements’ to see how they approached the concept. My favorite was the painter who that said…’I don’t use an artist’s statement, I just want to tell you why I paint…’ – (isn’t that what an artist’s statement is?). Another good read was one entitled ‘artist statement by an original artist’ – (as opposed to what, a copier?). Not finding much success there either, I checked all those ‘how-to-do just about anything’ books that one accumulates. Unfortunately, I found that artist statements are one of the things on that ‘just about’ list. My extensive library of art books weren’t much help either. Seems that the most important artists have someone else write their statement for them, and it helps if there are a lot of letters after their names because they can skip warm up exercise number one. I did find some statements in gallery books I picked up on a trip to NYC; but I don’t think some of those people consulted a dictionary (or spell check for that matter) and by the time I figured out what they thought they were saying, my inner critic had left the building. So, I guess I will have to attempt this so that you the viewer will have some deep philosophical understanding of why I paint what I do…(however, the paintings seem pretty straight forward to me if you read the title).

…..and so it went.

Another treasure (with a big yellow markers smilie face on it) proves that art scams were alive and well before the email inquiries from traveling businessmen who saw your works online and want them shipped overseas…  A letter dated December 2003 says….

Dear Ms Krew (note the missing punctuation) , then in all caps…YOUR NOMINATION AS INTERNATIONAL VISUAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR (no punctuation)  The International Biographical Centre of Cambridge, England is delighted to confirm your nomination as an (in bold this time) International Visual Artist of the Year for 2004. Blah blah blah about the selection process (only a “few illustrious individuals” get chosen you know) which makes me eligible to display an “appealing Commemorative Pictorial Testimonial, a gold-gilt Medal of Excellence or an authoritative Official Sash of Office (oh yeah I am ALL over that last one!!!)  Nothing says authority like a sash which also happens to be “hand finished” and costs $325 US dollars. If I want all three, it is only $895 US (and this is 2003 pricing). Also included was a sheet to fill out that had spots for contact info for 14 others who I feel deserve this honor! Well sorry friends, but only one of us can sashay around the arts district in my hand finished authoritative sash and gold gilt medal carrying my commemorative plaque with its testimonial and my photo as International Visual Artist of the Year! The best part though?...THEY spelled my name right!   Needless to say, I filed this back in with my International Women Artists of America (what?) and the National Women’s Museum nomination for something or other that only cost a couple of hundred bucks…..  

Nope, I will settle for being selected to receive a full reimbursement for a faulty dehumidifier that worked just fine so we actually got to use it for free for 4 years. 

I have to admit, that sash was pretty snazzy looking though.

Tangled Memories by Marcy Axelband and Michele Waalkes at Translations Art Gallery

Dark water...deep water, where does it go?

I was not sure what to expect from this exhibit when I first read the subject matter/theme for their show. I went in with no preconceived idea of the imagery each artist would use to depict the very personal journey these women experienced as their fathers descended into the depths of Alzheimer's.

Both Marcy and Michele are frequent exhibitors in this area so we know what “style” they will show, but each artist transcended even their own presentations with this body of work. I was moved and you will be too. Not just by their words and their laying bare of souls, but by how these shared moments are something all of us have or will experience as well, in our own families or by association with a disease or condition that share the same losses.

Both women have provided a context statement as to the progress of the disease. Michele’s father passed away years ago and Marcy’s is still living, but no longer someone who knows her. These stories alone are enough to wrench your heart. Amazing how little we know about the people whom we see on a regular basis. I am glad to know they have each other as someone to share the journey and who understands the pain, frustration and sadness that comes from this disease. A show by only one of them would not have been as forceful because it is this “yeah, it happened to me too” mentality, and which could happen to any one of us, that equalizes us to sharing in and absorbing their message. You can’t miss the fear in their voices either, the fear that one of them could be next based on what we know about the hereditary factor of the illness. But for now, let us relish in the artwork they have created to bring their souls out into the open, to honor the men who inspired the work, and to pay tribute to the moments which are given ever so briefly to us on this earth.

I have debated upon the best way to make comments so you the viewer/reader can best feel what I did, but my usual method seemed too shallow. Instead, I have my scribbled and crumpled papers in front of me and will merely copy here what I wrote at the time.  A little James Joyce stream of consciousness if you will as that seems most appropriate.

*haunted eyes….”I still see you” (by Marcy A) they look so empty, but are they? Who is to know? 

*Tangled memories vessel “a snarl of dead ends and detours” a collection of photos on sheer paper cut into strips and stuffed into a pouch/bowl of translucent fabric…our brains are like this, soft pouches full of stuff which makes no sense to anyone, cannot be seen and yet fills our every cell with information. Where does it go? When and how does it get there? If we don’t let it out, does it not really exist? Are our inner memories visual and our outer memories text? 

*Marcy’s Tangled Memories canvas…. I see a face, several of them actually in the murky surface. Is this intentional or not? Is it happenstance that someone is “in there” but not everyone can see them? Is a person still in their own mind in a conscious and logical context that is fine for the body that houses it, but those on the “outside” do not know this person? Are they screaming “do you see me? I am here…”

*Marcy’s “My Dad” which is a portrait and “Torment’ which is also a portrait are side by side, the same colors are used, but one is together and realistic and the other is exploded, the same person, a different mind, I can see her frustration in this one….this one is personal. It was cathartic but painful at the same time. Did she cry while painting it? I would have.

*the juxtapositions are amazing. Did they work on these units together or match them up later, finding common ground? “Refuge” by Michele, the lantern and the light used to depict the memory of reading a psalm. Next to it is “There is always room for love” by M.A. The figure has upraised arms, a spiritual gesture. Is the hug for God, for Marcy or something else? Is he holding on, reaching out? Did these two pieces happen organically?

*The infinite loop of post it notes, reminders on little slips of paper, good God we all do that! What does it mean? Yes, I get it, memories are spiraling down and away, lost but for those little slips of paper. Tiny yellow canvases with modern hieroglyphics… 

*So many questions! “When a surviving parent loses the memories of (the) child (and their childhood), who gives the child context?”   Michele refers to Alzheimer’s as the funeral that never ends….how true. I never thought of it that way. The piece entitled “Almost”…a close up of a fence grid that symbolizes the mind able to see beyond but unable to reach, the distance out of focus but aware that it is there. We have all had a moment like that…could it be?

*Sorting of nails from screws to occupy/exercise the mind with a simple and repetitive task that would suit a four year old as well.  Scary. Sad.

And so went my notes and observations. Not even partway down the first wall and I knew I had to own a piece of this show…perhaps to help preserve the memories of M and M beyond their own walls?, to share the burden?, I am not sure, but one of their creations is now mine.

I spoke earlier of associations and shared symptoms/situations. As my own dad has descended into deafness, while reading some of the stories, I realized that they sounded familiar. What seemed intolerable and annoying at the time now has a new context for me for which I thank these brave women for pointing out. Sure as I found a common ground, I believe others will too as they apply these daughters’ memories to their own lives. Both women have siblings to share their burden and offer support….I envy that, but we all have our art to ease our souls and we are all blessed that they allowed us to see into their world through surface, text and imagery, making artwork for us to better understand the loss of the intangible.

Translations Gallery hours are Wed – Sat noon to 5pm. Make this show a must see.

Studio 30 Annex Showcase at 2nd April Galerie

Art by Max Shumaker for his Art Merit Badge

Fellow artists out there….don’t you just hate this conversation that happens just about every time you meet someone new? 

Them “So what do you do?”

Me “I am an artist.”

Them “What type of art do you do?”

Me (in my head of course….) “Fabulous and for sale”   (reality) “I have three lines of work so I paint, draw and create…..(get cut off)”

Them “What do you paint?”

Me (in my head) “Paintings…duh”  (reality) “Social commentary about women through the use of humor.”

Them “What do you paint with?”

Me (in my head) “a paintbrush….add snarky comment here”  (reality) “Acrylic, so do you invest in art?”

Them “No, I don’t really get art, it all looks like [insert an adjective here]  to me.”

Me “Where’s the bar?”

This line of small talk happens so often that it is a wonder my tongue isn’t bit clear through my now. But I always get to thinking….what is “art” now anyway? That is way too long of a discussion to tackle here. And then I wonder, for whom do we make this stuff? There are the retail art producers and the exhibition art producers. It would be wonderful if those were one and the same, but alas, they are not.  There is a certain freedom (and growth factor) that comes with making art for ourselves, because we want to, and which speaks to our own soul and not those of anybody else’s standards.

Since the grass has not needed to be cut in months, my contemplative time is spent driving long distances hauling a trailer full of art for someone else’s commentary. I was still pondering the issue of “why” when I happened to pass by Studio 30 at 2^nd April earlier today.  Studio 30 is the name given to our first floor room that now functions as a 30 day showcase of works by whomever happens to want the space each month. Right now, it highlights 19 pieces by 4 artists who work in our annex building. Interesting sidelight here…..I have really only heard of one, Casey Williams, and talked to another, Holly Riley which is odd, because I’ve been active in this local art scene for 20 years, long before the arts became a district, and thought I knew all the names. Which got me to thinking about how we promote / identify our artists who are in the grand tally of AiS “artists and galleries” in promotional materials. Again, no time for that here. Back to the bloggy part…..

Each of these artists has something to share and a distinctive voice in their visual approach. Will everybody like it? Well look at how many types of cars are on the market, wines on the shelf, movies in the theater and stations on TV. If we all liked the same stuff then would variety be so prevalent in every facet of our existence? Frankly, I don’t think they should give a damn what anybody thinks because these artists are doing exactly what they should be doing….making work they like, expressing thoughts and ideas and even following good presentation practices such as using titles, short bios, prices and signatures. There are some pretty seasoned art veterans out there who don’t even do this. The work of these four will grow and change and evolve as time passes, it happens to all of us. For now, I found something worth noting in each of their presentations.

Casey Williams shows four large canvases featuring one over-sized and simplified figure in each. They are not refined portraits or even developed to the point of final surfaces but each is direct and very current to the genre of his generation. Casey is growing his skill set, look at the right hand of Bruce Lee, the nose of Albert Einstein and the eyes of Uma. Those areas are raw and direct with minimal strokes used for the application of his paint where he exhibits a confidence in his mark making that will someday fill his whole canvas. They are small sections showing a sophisticated hand. I found the Jim Henson and Kermit a bit more thought provoking that he may have intended. Yes, the Henson figure is “off” but the guy made puppets and I like how his face is sort of like a puppet too, that is rather clever. Maybe it is the Kermit who holding a stuffed Henson? Final note on hanging, well played Casey (does that make me sound hip with the kids or what?)….Albert looks at Kermit, and Um and Bruce share a stare.

Holly Riley from Trance-itions has only two pieces on view, both her first foray back into painting. I had seen them before when she stopped by my space and was glad to see she put them “out there” for others to see. She painted from her heart and inner spirit as many do. She even made direct contact with the canvas by adding yarn (can’t do that with a brush, the glue gums up the bristles) which is a tactile connection that collage artists also enjoy. I hope she keeps her clean and clear connection to painting because once one is “trained’ (or whatever word you want to use for being indoctrinated into the ways of the pros) it is extremely difficult to undo the learned, and pull out the latent.

Lois Lee of Wood Wonders has four wall hung wood creations that showcase her abilities to cut and piece this media together, work with color and consider negative shapes. Not everyone has room in their homes for large pieces no matter what the media so these four let people see a sample of what can be found over at their annex location…remember, this is an annex artists show to get patrons over to the other side of the building and realize that there are people downtown every day, working in their off the beaten path and sometimes cold studios.

Finally, M Jason Yovanovich of Ontos Studio has 9 canvases on the walls. He specializes in non-representational surfaces, not abstractions.  The titles are “Abstract”, that is the title people, even though in artistic terms they are not. So what are they? Who cares, they are colorful and tactile and just rather fun to look at. I enjoying coming up with “that looks like a ____” explanations. Those blanks included magnified marbleized paper, microscope views of cell structures, reflections in muddy puddles, and so forth. A little bit of Pollock perhaps at times, but who has not wanted to just fling some paint around and see what happens? This type of work, which many think is easy and simple, is not, when it is done well. He has an understanding of the surface. This layering of different applications and colors requires some knowledge as to when to stop and where to enhance. Again, nothing so large that people can’t start to build a collection of locals. And somebody already has because a sold sign is posted. I would love to see his work on canvases that are over 6 feet. Imagine the visual impact or even take all the smaller canvases, attach them together and add one more unifying layer of paint somehow.  Such possibilities!

This display is not meant to be an “exhibition” in all that connotation of planning and prep. This is a display by some under the radar artists who are working hard at doing what they like to do. We must never forget or discount the dozens of people that enable one person to be on the medal podium. I applaud their guts to put their work out there and show who they are and what they do, whether anybody likes it or not. The Second April Annex is open for business.