When artists decide to pursue different specialties of an art form (like portraiture or landscapes or still life in the case of photography) or try their hands at disparate art forms (like sculpture, music, painting, photography etc), they may sometimes be admired for their versatility but more often be considered dilettantes – dipping their inks in one bottle and using the still-wet pen to delve to other pastures.
Some people believe that artists should aim for clarity, focus and depth in ones work rather than develop a host of talents none sufficiently honed.
What kind of an artist are you? Do you subscribe to the view that one must focus ones actions in a chosen, preferred form while sharpening and contributing to the same? Or – Are you the one who likes to dabble in multiple art forms because you would rather choose the best possible (expressive) mode that develops your idea to the fullest?
Sunil Gangadharan, ‘Untitled’, Charcoal, ink and ballpoint pen on Strathmore paper, 9″ X 12″
I don’t believe in any shoulds, but my own practice has often involved keeping more than one area of exploration going concurrently. I don’t think of it as dabbling, because I’m quite serious and focused about each of them, and they tend to be long-term endeavors.
In some cases they involve seemingly unrelated practices, like painting and songwriting, both of which I’ve been doing since childhood. And at other times one practice, like painting, will split into two or more threads, and I’ll focus on one in the studio while developing the other(s) in my sketchbooks or on the computer. As often as not, things that split out into separate pursuits will end up merging back together in some form.
It’s kind of like a river, with the water flowing continuously, sometimes breaking out into tributaries, and then rejoining the main body of water somewhere further along. Of course you occasionally end up with an oxbow.
What an inspirational comment!
Thanks, Birgit. I get much of my own inspiration from Yogi Berra’s famous quote, “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
David said it very well. I think having a certain breadth is helpful to each of the multiple paths, but one also needs the discipline of concentrating enough to produce a quality result.
Sunil, your drawing is completely different in feel as well as technique from the painting I’m familiar with. How long have you been doing work like this?
David,
“It’s kind of like a river, with the water flowing continuously, sometimes breaking out into tributaries, and then rejoining the main body of water somewhere further along.” is a keeper. I will remember.
It is definitely a tributary that I swim in now… Guess at some point broader connections to the main body will happen…
Steve,
I have been doing work like this for some time now – if what you refer to is abstraction. The lure of abstraction had me a while back – just was not ready to admit it – (in this respect I do share passion with June for her love for abstraction – in this forum) – I must confess… I still believe paintings need be meaningful and I find myself doing it. Abstraction is just the opposite – little meaning offered at the outset, but opening itself to a wide range of possibilities on deeper scrutiny. Sometimes no meanings at all – just reveling in pure color and juxtapositions of form, line and content – which in and of itself is sublime. For some reason the pure representational, figurative style sometimes constricts me a bit and does not allow me to explore a whole range of feelings, emotions and moods that is possible with abstract line and form – (of late). I have a distinct feeling that indulging in abstraction is helping me overcome this… Not too sure – like David’s analogy to tributary – I am swimming. This was a reason for the post also – plumbing to see if shifts in perception like what I experience are normal….
Sunil,
You’ll laugh when you see my post tomorrow — it goes in the opposite direction that you’ve gone — into realism rather than abstraction. And yet my idea is the same — to explore some artistic tributaries, to see if adding to the creative flow will change it (I too like that metaphor).
I feel a certain strain in changing media because my “fate” seemed tied to the stitched textiles. It was what I did best (still is, I guess) and in that miniscule forum, I was respected. To change media is to lose the forum, and to be greatly isolated in some senses. I’m still not sure how far I intend to pursue the oil painting, but I’m still enthralled with doing it — which is all that matters to me right now, anyway.
Your abstraction has a reality based edge for me, which may be my own peculiar failing (finding reality in abstraction, I mean). Your forms tumble downward, falling and falling over themselveselves, with a great sense of movement. The forms are clear but not rigid. I can’t help but think of the fall of leaves when the winds come up suddenly, in gusts. Eddies of leaves, flows of structures,distorted repeats.
Depth versus breadth – why does one has to exclude the other? i think that an accomplished artist needs both. what happened to the notion of the renaissance man? people like Leonardo, Bernini, Michelangelo etc were capable of being good at more than one discipline, so why not adopt the same approach today?
June,
It will be interesting to see your take on realism.
Looks like agreement for David’s metaphor of tributaries is turning into a torrent. Good.
“To change media is to lose the forum, and to be greatly isolated in some senses” – very true. Of course, the fallout being reduced experimentation and the chances of finding newer experiences diminished (breadth aspect of ones work) – I may also turn out to be like you – only that I do not have any sort of a following – which makes it easier for me to experiment. Yes, you have added an additional element to the reason why certain artists strive to ‘depth’ rather than breadth.
Your take on the abstraction above is well received. I prefer to let the interpretations free – glad you saw leaves there – with fall weather in the works, I am not very surprised.
Rupert (Man from Malta),
Can the concept of a renaissance individual ring with the hyper specialization inherent in today’s world? I am not so sure. You may risk being a ‘Jack/Jill of all – master of none’ type scenario… It was possible 500 years ago because the range of possibilities in natural explorations was very limited. The opening up of this range into miniscule divisions of specializations each having its own nooks and niches makes that noble concept very very difficult… Just my view. Of course, it is a great one to strive for…
I liked your paintings displayed on your blog very much. Your take on the cracks in Malta was an interesting read. Thanks for stopping by this forum.
Sunil, why do we have to be slaves to what you call “hyper specialization inherent in today’s world?” isn’t “breaking the mould” part and parcel with being an artist? Why should we succumb to what society expects? Maybe living on a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean, with life being quite laid back, does not make me the best person to comment on this topic; but what’s wrong in trying out new things and experimenting in new media?
By the way, it’s been quite a while that I follow this blog and thanks for your comments about my work
Rupert,
Yes, this is definitely an ideal to strive for – in fact I am experimenting ways by which I can explore art forms outside oil paintings right now – just that the rate of recognition might be that much more difficult in a society that is used to specialized ‘single track’ work from an artist.
When was the last time you went to gallery and saw photographs, paintings, sculptures and poetry from a single artist shown together – when in reality the experience can be that much more richer if this were the practice. I have seen these few and far between.
Sunil,
Your last comment really struck me. My dream is to have an exhibit where Jer’s photographs, my paintings, and my textiles work are all presented, preferably in a cornucopic fashion rather than as precious entities. Maybe it is just the abundance of the season, but fruits spilling over the edges and around all the walls and onto the ceiling seem good to me right now.
Now all I have to do is find a venue — and a curator…..
Sunil and Rupert,
Certainly the trend at the University (such a conservative institution) is to admit students as Artists without being Genre specific. Curriculums are beginning to also reflect this change, though (too!) slowly.
Finally there is recognition that Skills rather easily overlap between Mediums for the hard-working, critically-thinking student-artist. Resistence has come mostly from resentful Old Types who have felt Trodden Upon and fear their loss of Teaching Assistants.
June,
If you have an exhibition like the one you described, please let me know… I will be there.
Sunil
D,
Reminds me of the Patrick Mimran quote I saw in Chelsea the other day – “Some artists are so thrilled by the value of their art that they don’t even find the time to make it themselves”…
You are very correct when you made that observation.
http://www.patrickmimran.com/english/press/releases/Ardenne1.html
Sunil:
Again, my apologies for jumping in so late. One beauty of this blog medium is the ability to maintain a thread over time.
David, you did me a great service by providing the river analogy. Thanks. My own thoughts on the matter have largely formed around that.
The river I grew up with flows variously. Some tributaries provided clean water while others pollution and one could encounter sewage or something more pristine, depending where one dipped one’s oar. The river also rises and falls, with the greatest changes occurring during flood stage. And the quality of life in the river depends, critically, upon all else that happens to it.
But a river runs downhill and artists don’t. I doubt if anybody on A&P would describe her or his adventure as a going-with-the-flow proposition. Makes me think that Steve or I should do a one-eighty with our waterfalls to better internalize our subject.
Beautiful comparisons… I will be interested to see the result of those experiments on waterfalls…
“a river runs downhill and artists don’t”
Maybe some artists run aground occasionally.
Sunil:
Steve can do a better job on the waterfall.
I prefer to run aground on the stormy seas of life.