Here's what I think when I go look at works in a gallery (or
anywhere): First, I want to know how it makes me feel. Do I feel something -
anything - when I first look at the piece? Is it pleasing? Do I hate the colors? Is it
disturbing? does it make me feel calm? does it upset me?All of these are valid reactions, and merit further exploration. Indifference
is not a good response - it means the artist has failed to reach me. So now I start to dig
a little deeper. What does the title mean to me - does it offer an explanation? does it
confuse me? Like you, I am personally put off by those works that say "Untitled"
... when I call something Untitled, it generally means that it's an experiment, a stepping
stone to somewhere else and not a finished work in itself. But that's my point of view,
and some artists may have perfectly good reasons for not naming something - maybe they don't
want to guide you one way or the other in your feelings.
For me, the transformation of paper and paint into an
abstract visualization of an emotion or idea is achieved as with any art medium: by
blending, emphasizing, and contrasting color and line, mass and texture, motion and
negative space, into a harmony of rhythm and balance.
I particularly like to complement the textures and
relative weights of handmade paper with metal, often painting the paper in ways that evoke
stone or steel. The paper can then be pierced or layered with wire and interleaved with
metal sheets in copper, brass, or silver; or twisted and hammered in ways echoing the
texture of paper, redrawing that line between reality and illusion.
Sometimes the resulting sensation is pleasingly familiar
to us; sometimes out of kilter, alien, or discordant. This is all part of the intent.
So all those questions you may have, I will always first
answer with a question of my own: how does the artwork make you feel?
You don't have to have any specialized training to
understand art - it's as simple as responding to it on an emotional level. And while I'll
be happy to describe to you what my intent is with the piece, you don't have to see what I
see; you don't have to understand; you don't have to like it - everyone who looks at it
will see something different. Your own reaction is what's important - there isn't any
'wrong' answer here.
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