On Wed 26 September 2007 1:12;42 PM Mike writes to Peter Marsha et al: Peter said: >"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."
Mike says: Art is about balance, between the nuts and bolts (technique, medium, static quality) and the inspiration (emotion, dynamic quality, etc). If the balance is off, the art is low quality. If the goal is to get cash, your whole process is fueled by "how to make money," so it becomes an almost entirely cerebral and "without soul." But if you're too far in the direction of "just letting it happen," nobody but you is going to get much out of it. Of course it is a "perfectly valid way to work," but fewer folks will see it's value, unless the artist "accidentally" conveys some static quality during the creation of the work. Mike Hi Mike, Peter, Marsha, et al: Mike, I don’t recall posting in regard to a statement by you. Hello! IMO as I read what you have stated, I find a theme echoed in many posts! Art is balance....(technique, medium, static quality) on the one hand and (emotion, dynamic quality, etc.) on the other. A code of art is a description of that balance. In terms of evolution the technique is ‘object’, the emotion is ‘subject’. The ‘technique’ is object, arising from a mechanical, cosmic evolution. The ‘emotion’ is subject, arising from a free, conscious evolution. I do not know what scale of balance between these applies. The balance is a code of art. For inspiration, that someone else sees value is tremendously important. For technique, that someone learns how to paint or sing is also important. IMO Sex is the best description of the act, technique! Sex is the best description of the awareness of value, the emotion! All are involved in a code of art. Joe Hi Peter, Marsha, et al Peter said: >"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." Mike says: Art is about balance, between the nuts and bolts (technique, medium, static quality) and the inspiration (emotion, dynamic quality, etc). If the balance is off, the art is low quality. If the goal is to get cash, your whole process is fueled by "how to make money," so it becomes an almost entirely cerebral and "without soul." But if you're too far in the direction of "just letting it happen," nobody but you is going to get much out of it. Of course it is a "perfectly valid way to work," but fewer folks will see it's value, unless the artist "accidentally" conveys some static quality during the creation of the work. Mike -----Original message----- From: "Peter Corteen" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:55:57 -0700 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [MD] Painting > 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/ 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/
