Art Notes: In the Pit
Yeah! Let's give a hand for the return of Art Notes! If any of you have been reading my blog since the beginning- and if you have, I commend and thank you, you've got chutzpah, you- you may remember that art was a recurring theme in those early days. Eventually, I got busy, really really busy, and admittedly, a little tired of art. As a former admissions counselor for a fine arts college who reviewed hundereds (thousands?) of student pieces each year for three years, I had had my fill of looking at art and those recurring posts slowly faded into the background. After spending last weekend with Bea and Emily, I realized that I needed that time away. Like a pallet cleanse of my artless soul. I feel like I'm ready to at least talk about it again, and maybe someday soon, I'll feel like I'm ready to make again.
Anyways, drawing and painting have never been my forte. I mean if you need a cartoon cat, I'm your girl, but there is no mastery to be found here. Especially with painting, I always wanted too much control over the medium. So when I see work like the pieces above, I can't help but be deeply appreciative, along with very familiar. Like- I'm sure- many of you, I started going to punk shows in high school, and while I enjoyed myself, I never found the tangle of- mostly- male bodies in the pit alluring. I was a wallflower, and a wallflower I would stay through college when Chris and I would go to hard-core and psychobilly shows every weekend. There was nothing you could do to get me in there, and I could never understand it. It reminds me of the ball that fish make to protect themselves. I know that might be the weirdest reference ever, we've been watching a lot of nature documentaries because we're old like that.
I love the way Dan Witz was able to capture the undulating sea of bodies, the small groups within minding their own business like nothing's happening, those protecting themselves with outstretched arms, and helping the injured to the edge. It's a weird scene, but one that deserves to be studied.
Anyways, drawing and painting have never been my forte. I mean if you need a cartoon cat, I'm your girl, but there is no mastery to be found here. Especially with painting, I always wanted too much control over the medium. So when I see work like the pieces above, I can't help but be deeply appreciative, along with very familiar. Like- I'm sure- many of you, I started going to punk shows in high school, and while I enjoyed myself, I never found the tangle of- mostly- male bodies in the pit alluring. I was a wallflower, and a wallflower I would stay through college when Chris and I would go to hard-core and psychobilly shows every weekend. There was nothing you could do to get me in there, and I could never understand it. It reminds me of the ball that fish make to protect themselves. I know that might be the weirdest reference ever, we've been watching a lot of nature documentaries because we're old like that.
I love the way Dan Witz was able to capture the undulating sea of bodies, the small groups within minding their own business like nothing's happening, those protecting themselves with outstretched arms, and helping the injured to the edge. It's a weird scene, but one that deserves to be studied.
What artists are you inspired by right now?