The new splash page, for my new website, which currently only exists as a drawing. How perfect.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
somewhere
...between folkmusic, stroytelling and drawing, there is a little glowing aura of prefection, and it is this aura to which I am currently aspiring. The home made aeshteic, the raw canvas, the back to basics approach to intellectual rigour are all traits that could summarise my latest works, but somehow they are not achieveing any sense of completion, finish or perfection as guaged by the general public.
Its a funny thing. I am going against the grain, I guess, and Im producing these big drawn studies of nothing in particular.... and Im doing it for very sophisticated and solid reasons. Yet when I turn away, and when random consciousnesses gaze upon them, they apparently wither to trite stylistic illustration.
Its a shame, but not a disaster. Like the tree falling silently in the unmanned forest (which, in itself, must by now be a misnomer or imaginary scenario)my work shines its simplicity into a dark void of fashion-obsessed ignorance. An arena in which photorealism and standing or establishment go much further to garner you with praises, than humble folk art and honesty.
I have been striving for 10 years to learn the art of drawing on a final and finished scale- to a standard that would celebrate the quality of the line, the honesty of the eye and so on- and having finally achieved it I find that nobody else can see, or wants to see such rude clarity.
Like many before me I am sure- probably even my greatest hero the Shoreham Valley legend Samuel Palmer- my vision of bounty, my glory in the achievement of simplicity- will go unnoticed or merely ignored for now, and possibly evermore... but that seems no great travesty to me now really. For in its simplicity, it demands of its creator nothing more than recognition of its creation, and still less of any one else who happens to ingest its vision- it is after all merely a drawing- a simple pure and perfect drawing- a mere record on canvas of the vision of its creator in a given concentrated period of reflection. And in that zen like simplicity, in that Palmeresque moment of clarity, I find solace, and honest humility.
Its a funny thing. I am going against the grain, I guess, and Im producing these big drawn studies of nothing in particular.... and Im doing it for very sophisticated and solid reasons. Yet when I turn away, and when random consciousnesses gaze upon them, they apparently wither to trite stylistic illustration.
Its a shame, but not a disaster. Like the tree falling silently in the unmanned forest (which, in itself, must by now be a misnomer or imaginary scenario)my work shines its simplicity into a dark void of fashion-obsessed ignorance. An arena in which photorealism and standing or establishment go much further to garner you with praises, than humble folk art and honesty.
I have been striving for 10 years to learn the art of drawing on a final and finished scale- to a standard that would celebrate the quality of the line, the honesty of the eye and so on- and having finally achieved it I find that nobody else can see, or wants to see such rude clarity.
Like many before me I am sure- probably even my greatest hero the Shoreham Valley legend Samuel Palmer- my vision of bounty, my glory in the achievement of simplicity- will go unnoticed or merely ignored for now, and possibly evermore... but that seems no great travesty to me now really. For in its simplicity, it demands of its creator nothing more than recognition of its creation, and still less of any one else who happens to ingest its vision- it is after all merely a drawing- a simple pure and perfect drawing- a mere record on canvas of the vision of its creator in a given concentrated period of reflection. And in that zen like simplicity, in that Palmeresque moment of clarity, I find solace, and honest humility.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Postcard from Shanghai : Huai hai Lu
Nothing comfier, nowhere better to put down your weary head, if you are weary enough...
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
getn there
...another late night, but earlier than last night- just time to squeeze in an update. Large format canvasses going well- though the first took three times as long as I'd hoped- lots, and lots, and LOTS of drawing to do on it. Looks ok now though. Just finished a superb chinese fat kid. Well, the theme of the exhibition is 30 degrees, in honour of CHINA having opened her doors 30 years ago this year. Ill be exhibiting alongside artists from Studio Rouge as a collaboration- which is cool co they got some very cool artists on their books, like my favourite locals Chen HangFeng and Greg Girard
Teaching a full day again tomorrow, so Ill be shattered and ratty. Feeling good about the painting, though- finally resolved my urge to draw and a large scale canvas, after 10 years of trying.
Nice.
Teaching a full day again tomorrow, so Ill be shattered and ratty. Feeling good about the painting, though- finally resolved my urge to draw and a large scale canvas, after 10 years of trying.
Nice.
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