Escape Artists - Day 5
Day 5 of ArtEscape began in earnest as the weather “took up” for the final day and we got on with the job of finishing the paintings that had been alternately worked on and cast aside across the week. It was becoming increasingly difficult to negotiate the floorspace in our section of the Tank for the sea of paintings that was now taking shape!
I hadn’t realised how large a pile we had collectively made (probably better to describe it as a “spread” as we were trying to dry whatever we could)… until a visitor casually remarked about how many potential future Picasso’s might be kicking around the floor! He was referring of course to Peter Griffen’s mass of work which lay about everywhere… Peter stepping all over it with his paint sploshed Crocs… undeterred and in fact encouraging any stray mark that might enter the fray and develop the work! LOL
It’s definitely an attitude. And one I absolutely enjoyed. There was no room for preciousness here. The paintings were there to be made… and absolutely nothing was sacred!
Now don’t get me wrong. A lot of work may have been produced over the week… but surprisingly when it came time to cast around for something to hang in the final exhibition of works… I was at a total loss!
It was as I had predicted… expected… and hoped for… that this workshop would be about the “journey” and not the destination. (Apologies for the time-worn cliche) But now I was thinking… perhaps I should have had some end place in mind… as I cast around for something… anything… to show for myself!
Fellow artists mulling over coffee on the last day
Making matters worse was the fact that my fellow artists were not experiencing the same problem. They seemed to have no end of finished product to choose from. I had volume for sure… but substance… well… not really.
But I am always so hard on myself.
I realised then what I was doing. Although I had spent a week detaching myself from outcomes and preciousness about the produced work… I was now reverting to type and becoming precious about what I would show. Figures. I gritted my teeth and in the spirit of the workshop… made my fearless choice. (grin)
The air was beginning to fill with excitement as the day drew to a close and people scurried about everywhere finishing off the last of the work and mounting it in preparation for the final event.
There was to be a cocktail event at 5pm attended by the media scrum (a-hem) and the showing of representative works from each of the workshops. As the final show was being held over in the other Tank our group had much carting to do to haul the fruits of our labour up the hill to the other venue for hanging.
It came together really well. What could have taken hours to hang… under Peter’s expert eye… was knocked into shape in a matter of minutes. In the end… our humble exhibition of works looked not too bad at all!
July 20th, 2008 at 12:02 am
Jean that is superb stuff. You totally hit the nail on the head when describing the abstract process! Well done you, superb!
July 20th, 2008 at 5:31 am
Thanks for the journal, Jean. I have to admit that I felt a pang of regret that there isn’t something nearby here akin to the ArtEscape. I also couldn’t help, as I followed your day by day activities, but meditate on the notion of art as escape. The tendency is to think of an escape as a running away from something, when, in fact, what you and your colleagues were doing was running towards something. Enlightenment? Self-discovery? Realization? I just know that if I don’t “escape” to my art the anxiety threatens to overwhelm me, and that’s a good thing. I suspect, Jean, you experience something of the same.
July 20th, 2008 at 6:14 am
great work there…interesting post…best regards
July 24th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Hi everyone… sorry for the delay in my reply. I’m down on the Gold Coast this week visiting my youngest daughter. Wouldn’t you know it… it’s raining here too… AND COLD! Brrr… tropical blood I guess! LOL
Thanks Craig for your lovely comments! It’s great to see you here… all the way from Scotland too!
You’re so right John. Art is the lifeblood of creative people. I thought it was funny how… by the end of this week of intensive art making the “real” world made even less sense! (((LOL)))
Thanks Jan! I am so pleased you followed along with me to see where this line might end up! It certainly was a lot of fun!
July 27th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
I am reading an interesting book by Twyla Tharp, the great choreographer. THE CREATIVE HABIT. It is her view of how to nurture creativity in any walk of life. A little bit wacko but with some good ideas embedded in it. And what a dancer!
July 28th, 2008 at 8:58 am
I arrived home late Saturday night and have been catching up with correspondence and news.
Roger… great minds think alike it seems! After reading your post about Twyla Tharp’s book… I opened the twice weekly email from Robert Genn and low and behold he was reviewing the same book. http://clicks.robertgenn.com/twylas-habits.php He was discussing her views on the crucial role of habit and routine in the creative process. Essential I would say… and totally missing for me at the moment! Nothing like a week away to put a hole in your process! LOL
I do however have some interesting tales to tell from my time away… including a trip to GOMA to view the Picasso Collection (hot on the heels of last week’s workshop it couldn’t have come at a better time) I’ll be working toward getting words and pictures together today. Keep posted!
August 1st, 2008 at 8:38 am
Goodness gracious me Jean!! You have been a literal whirlwind of creativity…splendid stuff! I would imagine that the wind that is beneath your wings, shall continue to lift you for some time!