with the type of art I am in the process of creating. I have come to realize the need to make art for arts sake. The need to make art solely with the intent of creating something that is less, for a lack of a better word...heavy. By heavy, I mean that much of the work that I have been creating lately has been mentally draining. Not that I have not enjoyed making it, I certainly will continue to do it, but I need to balance it out with work that is less draining.
So....with that in mind I have been sketching out some ideas that will focus on abandoned or "vintage" playground equipment. I really like the idea of a single subject in a composition along with the use of large amounts of negative space. Just works for me visually. A few years back I did something similar using old metal lawn chairs. Any who, this idea was sparked by a photo I viewed recently by a photographer from the Kansas City area named Morgan Miller. She has a fantastic photo of a playground slide that is in front of an old drive in theatre. The composition is just perfect, except I would have cropped it a bit more. Anyway, Morgan has a photo stream on Flickr and you can find her work there.
I have also realized that I very much like color field painting. I used to think that Mark Rothko was a joke. Too simple, as if he was trying to pull the wool over our eyes. But there is much to be said about his use of color and the multiple layers he used to create such depth.
There you have it, I need to balance things out. I kind of look at it like the Sabbath. The mind needs some time to rest in order to be at its best. Although sometimes it is hard to step back, I feel it is vital and absolutely necessary for continued creative growth.
Onward and Upward.
No comments:
Post a Comment