Been getting more and more wary of installations; funny, was discussing same with close relative with a double first in Art History and who has exhibited a few installations himself. Having myself been to art college years before he went, I warned him; they will try to change you, you'd have to toe the line of present fashion and they'd hate his present work and it would be a shame if he lost it to convention. Does convention seem a strange word to use for that form of art? No, for that is all the professional art world seems to be interested in.
Practically the next day, I watched a BBC documentary asking if Installation was Art; how brave to tackle the establishment, and I'd asked myself that over and over, so many times. Most are to do with expressing something deep felt like poetry does, but if no-one understood the poetry... or should it be irony, I think so. Many artists seem to be making fun of art, another slippery slope. Some were great fun but more reminiscent of science museums. Not one could you find room for in a normal house and if I owned a mansion, my work of art in the large elegant hall way would preferably be a beautiful old sports car (or two). Asked my hubby, admittedly a art conservative with occasional shocks - saying "I like that" to something abstract but beautiful. He likes skill and beauty and says he hates most installations "boring and take up too much valuable space and in the way; very annoying, can't escape quick enough" .
So back to the first paragraph and someone who has studied art history recently. "Art Galleries love installation, but you don't sell them, people want more what I was doing originally.'
"You must agree though that you learned lots of new methods; probably the best mix is to combine the old and new and see if people like that. Still experiment, but if you don't want to do installations and all the work that entails for merely "how clever", then do what your soul wants."
We agreed. It is very hard being an artist who doesn't want to follow the party line, you are ridiculed the cruellest insult of all being "graphic". Even worse, if you paint pretty pictures of what people actually want such as animals or landscapes you are (titter) boring and unprofessional, and that is me being nice. Even abstract is ignored. As for sculpture well a plagiarised giant upturned milk crate causes controversy. I wouldn't buy a conventional landscape or a pretty animal either, I've done my own (don't tell anyone) although give me a master I like from Botticelli to Picasso I'd swoon, although I'd have to lend it out to someone who could afford the insurance.
All my painting life I've sought to loosen up because I know it is what I'm taught (admit when I do I'm told off I've lost the plot- confusing?), but right now all I want to do is master the vanishing point again and I'm told that isn't taught anymore, in fact if you can draw well you are at a disadvantage. So... "don't worry about convention if you want to seek the perfect mathematical idea then stop loosening up and do what you want. If the long, long lined carpet at the cinema or the rows of seats there, inspired you then work it out - I am, I will do want I want."
Where does that leave installations? They are still a the new idea (after decades) and until someone comes up with a better one, they will stay - must admit loved the life-sized brightly coloured fluffy polar bears in the NGV foyer, adorable - but to me that is sculpture.
See below:
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/exhibitions/paola-pivi
Practically the next day, I watched a BBC documentary asking if Installation was Art; how brave to tackle the establishment, and I'd asked myself that over and over, so many times. Most are to do with expressing something deep felt like poetry does, but if no-one understood the poetry... or should it be irony, I think so. Many artists seem to be making fun of art, another slippery slope. Some were great fun but more reminiscent of science museums. Not one could you find room for in a normal house and if I owned a mansion, my work of art in the large elegant hall way would preferably be a beautiful old sports car (or two). Asked my hubby, admittedly a art conservative with occasional shocks - saying "I like that" to something abstract but beautiful. He likes skill and beauty and says he hates most installations "boring and take up too much valuable space and in the way; very annoying, can't escape quick enough" .
So back to the first paragraph and someone who has studied art history recently. "Art Galleries love installation, but you don't sell them, people want more what I was doing originally.'
"You must agree though that you learned lots of new methods; probably the best mix is to combine the old and new and see if people like that. Still experiment, but if you don't want to do installations and all the work that entails for merely "how clever", then do what your soul wants."
We agreed. It is very hard being an artist who doesn't want to follow the party line, you are ridiculed the cruellest insult of all being "graphic". Even worse, if you paint pretty pictures of what people actually want such as animals or landscapes you are (titter) boring and unprofessional, and that is me being nice. Even abstract is ignored. As for sculpture well a plagiarised giant upturned milk crate causes controversy. I wouldn't buy a conventional landscape or a pretty animal either, I've done my own (don't tell anyone) although give me a master I like from Botticelli to Picasso I'd swoon, although I'd have to lend it out to someone who could afford the insurance.
All my painting life I've sought to loosen up because I know it is what I'm taught (admit when I do I'm told off I've lost the plot- confusing?), but right now all I want to do is master the vanishing point again and I'm told that isn't taught anymore, in fact if you can draw well you are at a disadvantage. So... "don't worry about convention if you want to seek the perfect mathematical idea then stop loosening up and do what you want. If the long, long lined carpet at the cinema or the rows of seats there, inspired you then work it out - I am, I will do want I want."
Where does that leave installations? They are still a the new idea (after decades) and until someone comes up with a better one, they will stay - must admit loved the life-sized brightly coloured fluffy polar bears in the NGV foyer, adorable - but to me that is sculpture.
See below:
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/exhibitions/paola-pivi