(Robert Adams, West Edge of Denver, Colorado, circa 1980)This happens to me every now and then: I need out of the art world. I’ve burned out.
I didn’t go to a single art fair this weekend, which is at once a relief and guilt-making; the latter because, the voice goes, if I were really serious, I’d show my face (to whom, I’m not quite sure).
Relief because I don’t like malls under any circumstance. Relief because in order to continue making work you have to somehow believe that you’re not predictable; that there aren’t seven hundred other people who are approaching it like you are; that “they’ll” actually be able to distinguish you.
At this point I usually stop drawing for a bit, until the itch comes back. And it does. Also, I drain out the ambition, which is better for the drawing anyway.
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4 comments:
Well, I did go to the Armory Show, and I actually didn't see anything that looked a whole lot like your work. More that looked like mine, but not really. The ambience was fairly energetic, but the work was weak overall. A lot of the same oId 2ndary market art history cheek by jowl with contemporary regurgitations of same. And the the "cutting edge" wasn't very sharp. And the OCD draw-ers, painters and assemblage-ers were suffocatingly tedious. I came back with the same feeling of wanting to give it up, that there is already too much crap in the world, etc, but as there was a half-done painting waiting for me on the wall, I just got right back to work. No harm done, but I seriously doubt I will be tempted back next year.
OCD draw-ers, painters and assemblage-ers... I know what you mean! I think they're "attractive" because there's something to talk about (other than the visual)
Thanks for the update Lady Xoc!
Molly, I went and posted my Armory Show pix; I thought I'd share, since I knew you hadn't gone. It's in 3 parts, starting here.
I've discovered a couple of things: while I can't stand actually walking the show because of the mall aspect, if I let my camera do the looking for me, I can enjoy the results later; and, the disconnect between seeing the "real" thing and seeing a miniaturized, gorgeous icon of it glowing back at me from my computer screen, as well as the ability to edit, rearrange and put into a new context. I'm really to old for all this.
Hi Lady Xoc, Just seeing your link now. What a nice selection you made! Thanks so much. Like that Ruth Asawa tree!
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