Peter, What is value?
Marsha At 03:55 AM 9/26/2007, you wrote: >Hi Marsha, > >can an artist's work be any good if the intention behind it is driven by the >$? >I don't think so, but in some cases yes. And of course artist's have to make >a living. > >$ is obviously not so important for you and that must afford you a rare >freedom of mind. > >I only ever sold one painting, a commissioned portrait; so $ is not so >important for me either. >Still I could not give them away, unless it was one that I didn't value but >in that case I'd probably paint over it. > >Many years ago when I was in the Gurdjieff 'work' I remember reading in one >of their revered books that people must pay otherwise they won't value what >they've gained, and I think there is some truth in that. Of course there is >payment in kind but that's even better. > >You mentioned intuition, I recently did a painting where I deliberately >tried not to think or plan as I worked, that is virtually impossible to do >but at least you can hold the intention; the result was quite interesting >but now I know I can knock them off like that any time I question it's >value. The great part of my experience in the world insists that there is no >value (in that painting) because there was no consideration. But a growing >part of me (I hope) says that really that is a perfectly valid way to work. >Also, I taught Alexander Technique in the past and a continual problem I had >when working on people was that I should not charge them because I was not >'doing' anything for them - this is difficult to explain unless you have >some experience of the Alexander Technique which is about 'non doing'. > >Changing winds, the only evidence of life? > > >Regards > >-Peter > > >On 24/09/2007, MarshaV <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > Hi Peter, > > > > I only destroyed my 'personal journal' after my husband died. My art > > journals and sketch books, I destroyed last February. I think you > > might be right that it was ceremony, and probably in both > > instances. I like creating ritual and ceremony. They may be > > conscious or unconscious. It's making an idea a more substantial event. > > > > About the paintings, they are shadows of the experience, so I have > > relatively no problem parting with them. Of course there are some I > > am attached to more than others. Those I do take to the Goodwill, I > > take with the hope that they find a good home (wherever that might > > be). With me it is all about the experience of painting. > > > > I would prefer not to link $ with my painting. Most of my life was > > directed towards making $. Much of that was for very good > > reasons. But the winds changed and I find myself moving in another > > direction. Some of this direction is dependent on intuition rather > > than thinking, so it is difficult to find the words. > > > > But who knows, the winds may change again. > > > > Marsha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > At 04:14 AM 9/24/2007, you wrote: > > >Hi Marsha, > > > > > >the way you describe getting rid of your journals and sketchbooks after > > your > > >husband died sounds like you were ceremoniously stepping forward with > > >resolution to a new life and throwing them out was a way of making sure > > that > > >there was no going back on your decision. I think that is partly how I > > felt > > >when I threw my stuff away. > > > > > >I am glad to hear that you didn't throw away your paintings though! > > Giving > > >them to Goodwill sounds like a good idea but not one I'd be capable of > > >having myself. The only honourable option open for me is to try to sell > > them > > >- on E bay if necessary. I think giving them to Goodwill is to undervalue > > >them. > > > > > >Regards and thanks for your reply. > > > > > >-Peter > > > > > > > > > > > >On 21/09/2007, MarshaV <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > At 11:21 AM 9/21/2007, you wrote: > > > > >Hi Marsha, > > > > > > > > > >do you know why you destroyed your journals and sketchbooks; of > > course > > > > >that's a rhetorical question and only for you to answer for yourself. > > > > > > > > > >I have destroyed journals too in the past mainly because they > > contained > > > > >private/embarrassing stuff and I got fed up of holding on to them. I > > > > don't > > > > >currently keep a journal now, probably because I know I'd write stuff > > in > > > > it > > > > >that I'd later want to throw away. Now I wont write anything that is > > > > >throwawayable. > > > > > > > > > >The subject of your email was 'Painting'; if I recall you don't > > usually > > > > sell > > > > >your work, so you must have many 'works'. I'm in the same boat and > > have > > > > many > > > > >items from many years ago that hold I on to, I gaze at them and > > wonder > > > > about > > > > >improvements but I practically never go back and alter. I'm destined > > to > > > > lug > > > > >all those canvases around for the rest of my life; a labour of love? > > Will > > > > my > > > > >son have to throw them away for me after I die? > > > > > > > > > >regards > > > > > > > > > >-Peter > > > > > > > > Hi Peter, > > > > > > > > I'm not sure, but I wanted to know what it would be like not to have > > > > them. These were my art journals, sketchbooks with poetry. My > > > > personal journals I burned a year after my husband died, on the date > > > > of our anniversary. A couple of months after that anniversary date I > > > > woke up and took all my clothes (everything) to the Salvation > > > > Army. I had become quite unglued. Not sure why I destroyed the > > > > stuff more recently, curious maybe. It was a tea party, an emptying. > > > > > > > > I do identify with the stacks of paintings situation. A couple of > > > > years ago (maybe less, maybe more) I took a bunch to the Goodwill > > > > Store. But I have again many, too many. I've giving some away. I'd > > > > love to give more away, but to whom? I'm not sure who would want > > > > one. I told my son that when I die to take them to the > > > > Goodwill. Maybe some will find a good home. > > > > > > > > Very much a labor of love. > > > > > > > > Thanks for writing. > > > > > > > > Marsha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >On 16/09/2007, MarshaV <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Greetings, > > > > > > > > > > > > A few months ago, I destroyed 15 years of > > journal/sketchbooks. This > > > > > > morning I started a new book. Thank you. > > > > > > > > > > > > Marsha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > > > > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > > > Archives: > > > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > > > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > > > > > > >Moq_Discuss mailing list > > >Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > >http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > >Archives: > > >http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > >http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > Archives: > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > > >Moq_Discuss mailing list >Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. >http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org >Archives: >http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ >http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
