Good Bad Saleable Showable Hidden Art

[MurrayG]

Murray, "likes" help. C&C when requested can help, but not always.

On WC I posted one a year or more ago and a couple of folks pointed out to me that the top half of my painting didn't really seem to fit with the bottom half, even though it was in fact sort of a realistic portrayal of the inspiring landscape scene. At first I was a bit taken aback, but then played with it in Photoshop as they had suggested. Sure enough, cropping out the top and using only the bottom made a much better and more cohesive composition. I eventually took a scissors to it and then framed it in the cropped way. Worked!

I have a painting colleague who teaches and likes to give criticism. What I find at times is that his criticism is based on his preferred style and the rules he learned in fine art school. But sometimes those rules and that style don't fit what he is critiquing. His work is very good and I recognize his preferences. Yet he doesn't quite always get the inspiration of the art he's critiquing. I'm not offended if he offers a word on mine (or others) but I do know to take it with a grain of salt. Or to take it from his perspective only, especially when I'm clear that his intent in painting a similar scene is not my intent.

My style is really something like post-Impressionism/Expressionism. I deliberately do not do photo-realism. Someone recently dubbed it "chaotic realism", which tickled the hell out of me. I like that description. But in actuality my paintings are quite realistic and reasonably faithful to the scene that inspired them. All I'm doing is choosing a more dynamic composition and amping colors a bit, sometimes stylizing shapes a bit. A good artist is a good observer and interpreter in my view. That doesn't fit with rigid rules.

Hi Bart, I agree again. I find that critiques usually help. But out of interest, I sometimes go look at the works of those folk. I can usually see if there is a "preference" at work. Fr the most part, I take all critiques as useful as it can also point at my preferences by inference.
Being self taught, I am still learning much of the technical goodies that some artists take for granted. Yes "Likes" help it gives a yardstick. When something challenges me, I cannot say that I like it, but I can appreciate the work.
Thanks for your input, it has helped give me perspective.

 

[Artyczar]

I agree that art is (can be--or at one point is) about process. That is, for the artist. Until it's finished, then it's for the audience. It has a different life from that point on that no longer belongs to the artist. It can be interpreted however people want to see it and hopefully it will include the artist's intent.

The banana might not be my "taste" (ha!) but it does not bother me or make me mad, nor would it if it went for three times the money. I feel like some kind of rare bird in this among artists who aren't bothered by how "inflated" the art market becomes because I don't see it to be such an incredible injustice in comparison to the housing market, what famous music makes, car companies, pharmaceuticals, and whatever else sometimes make far more. To me, it almost seems like when artists make a lot of money, they get picked on because way too many people might not like or understand the art those artists make. (Mostly, they just don't like it.) If it was art they liked or could wrap their head around, it seems like it would be more okay with people--a Basquiat, a Francis Bacon, a Twombly, you name it. It always depends on the taste of the artist. Everyone has such strong opinions, which is why critique isn't always the answer.

Critique is good when it's asked for and when it's specific, IMO. I have always found them helpful when I needed it on specific aspects of my work, and from certain sources. But (I feel) I usually know who to ask, or what aspects of the work I need input on.

Funny about the top part/bottom part of that painting, Bart. I have a painting where I titled the same piece differently. The top is one title and the bottom is another!

 

[Bartc]

Let me correct something I said that might leave the wrong impression. I have no truck with selling your paintings. I wish that art were more valued in our culture, so that all the artists out there had a shot at having their work "appreciated" with a monetary value. In our society, if you can put a price on it, you are accepted as having it valued. IMO, unfortunately the art market is rather distorted and limited.

Personally, at least so far in my life, I've had the luxury of being able to create art without the need or expectation of selling it. Might change, but I doubt it. For those of you who have taken the plunge and been successful, I'm cheering for you. I know how much courage it takes and how hard you have to work at it.

When somebody gives the usual compliment - "You know you could sell this" - I admit that it does make me feel good. I'm a bit suspicious of it unless it's followed by an actual offer to buy, however. I'm more pleased when the compliment is second hand, such as when a gallerist or a framer or an art lover tells the owner of one of my pieces that it's really very good. In fact, I would probably be giddy if a gallery asked me to show. So I'm no different from the millions of other artists in appreciating feeling appreciated.

 

[Maybenartist]

This is easy -- my work is excellent.
My work ethic sucks!

 

[Artyczar]

I think everyone, not just artists, want to feel appreciated. It's hard not to let money dictate that. And when an artist decides to try their hand at making art for a living, they really should know what that comes with and adjust, not only their expectations, but their whole way of life--like their overhead! Most of us are not going to be "art stars" and make millions of dollars. And unless you are making art that appeals to a huge audience, it's not likely you're going to sell regularly. There's a lot of strategy and a whole lot of other planning coming on board. It's not as simple as pinning a banana to a wall--and maybe that is why the resentment enters into the picture with stuff like that. We all work so hard. How can that guy just come along and do that? It's also because of who you know.

Networking, promotion, marketing, are all part of the hustle. It's not about being a great draftsperson or making the most popular, cleverest thing. It's timing, it's just so many factors that are in and out of our control, which is why expectations need to be adjusted, and so does need. Not needing is sell is a great position to be in as a matter of fact. Desperation is a horrible place to be in. But some of us are. We all make certain sacrifices, and on it goes.

I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. Ha ha ha.

Oh yeah...with all these things needing to line up and so many things out of our control, it's best IMO to make to the work that's most important to you and the stuff that makes you happy--authentic stuff. You can't control who is going to appreciate it or buy it anyway, so you might as well make your best stuff according to yourself as you do all the other hustling in order to make it worth all the sacrifice.

 

[Bartc]

Czar, it has been that way forever in so many fields: The skills to "make the sale" (even of yourself in an interview) are not the same as the skills to do the job. Sigh...