Sunday, January 27, 2008

" A Consistent Body of Work"

"There Goes the Neighbourhood" mixed media bas relief 24" X 36" click to enlarge

I have nightmares about "a consistent body of work". Since setting out on the path to abstraction my work has been anything but consistent. I guess that means I haven't arrived yet. Even when doing respresentational work I was always exploring - new media, new subject matter, new approaches. I know that artists are expected to produce a consistent body of work, one that shows they are exploring a theme or approach in great depth. They develop a recognizable style. Either I have a limited attention span or my "bin there, done that" attitude means I have no style. Maybe my style is novelty! For now, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
The piece above is a type of bas relief with lots of shallow sculptural detail. It was selected for the KAC Juried Arts Salon a few years back and sold! It is constructed of board, layers of foam, and gritty modelling paste followed by numerous glazes of oil paint. I've only done one other piece like it. Bin there, done that!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That point of being consistent is just way too much pressure...and seems to be all the latest "art-speak" of the moment. It can be very daunting and limiting...look at all the different styles picasso explored...I say knock your socks off and try whatever the heck you feel like, who wants to be put in a box?!(galleries & juries like to keep artists in a box) I say "Artists Revolt!" Have a fling at whatever takes your fancy...if you dont explore different things how will you know what interests you?
by the way nice painting/sculpture. cool.
Sally

Silverbear said...

This piece has always intrigued me. Both tactile and visually engaging, it expresses a style which totally blew me away when I first saw it. It reveals a broad and far reaching imagination that isn't intimidated by extravagant experimentation. The forms and shapes are tiered in a layering composition which challenges the senses. The colour expresses an indifference - almost cold - metallic - yet the images seem to be playful.
This is open to a wide range of interpretation. It is an engaging work.
Well done.