THOMPSONSPF10RESEARCH

Lecture: Monday, December 6, 2010 at 12pm at Student Commons Theater.

Question 1: What is your idea of the perfect art critic and art historian?

Answer: He didn’t specifically answer this question but his work is based around the idea if his idea of a true artist can be critiqued, specifically provisional works. I don’t believe he has an answer for this question yet.

Question 2: Do you believe that art has narrowed away from the mainstream public audience too far and needs to have a broader audience or does the art community need to do a better job at marketing art and educating potential audiences?

Answer: Unanswered

It was hard for me to connect with some of the lecture do to my lack of knowledge of some of the artists he spoke about. Although it was difficult to make some of the connections I was able to find inspiration and found the lecture interesting and thought provoking. I found it interesting when he spoke about the idea of the possibility of abandoning a work of art and that being true creation. I also connected with him when he spoke about how there has been a movement away from artists having self-doubt and it being set aside and replaced with an emphasis on production, attention to material and social identity. Modern anxiety remains with artists and he referred to this as the “negative capability” of an artist. He said he believes it is essential for an artist to pose questions with their work.

“Unless painting is self-critical it has no reason to exist at all” – Gustav

“Abstract expressionism revolves around as if it is possible to create at all” – Gustav

Raphael also said that the freedom from finishing an image is what allows it to project into the future. He expanded upon this with talking about the idea of refusing to offer what is expected in reference to the artist and the art market. More specifically he defined the fine arts as works that have layered concepts and permanent mediums. He believes when artists break the rules of fine art they no longer promote themselves as a good student but rather show themselves as a true artist. The idea is to embrace the unfinished.

During the lecture I posed question to myself as an artist and if I agree with his outlook and how I relate to the feelings of these painters such as Gustav that he quoted and spoke about. I feel that it is important to pose questions in my work and for it to have multiple layers of concepts; however I don’t think that I have to strip away things like permanency and layering to be a “true” artist. I feel that it is important for me to consider the notion of removing those aspects if appropriate to the concept. If my concept is self-expression then these things may be essential, yet I am unsure of what I am exactly doing in my own practice at this time.

Three Words: Historical, Unfinished, Provisional

Further Questions: The most important thing I gathered from the lecture was the question I asked myself if there is such a thing as an unfinished photograph. Photography by nature is finished at the moment the shutter closes. It may not be what you envision but the photograph has been made. Can one create a unfinished photograph? I am interested in exploring this further.