On a recent trip to London to stock up on art supplies from one of my favourite wholesalers – Atlantis in the East End, I beheld this piece of art made from rubbish outside the building. For those of faint heart, please excuse the language. It made me laugh and I guess that is the purpose of art – to get a reaction of some kind. What that reaction is, depends on the artwork, I guess.
We had just spent a few hours in the Tate Modern. I so love the Tate Modern. I was disapponited the regurgitating, upside down grand piano was no longer on show but there was a special exhibition of Paul Klee, which I did not go to due to time constraints, and needing mucho spondooliks for the purchase of art equipment. However, I walked from gallery to gallery and delighted in the great variety of exhibits from Tracy Emin to Picasso. Miss Emin would understand the above, no doubt, as she also uses such harsh language in her work. I am always prepared not to like her work but invariably do. There is a certain freedom in being able to express oneself so. Some woman had undoubtedly upset her for her latest piece.
Reactions to brutal language and expression in art are just as valid as reactions to works of sheer skill and beauty. Regarding a cubist figure by Picasso simply filled me with joy. His technique is flawless and the composition utterly sublime. I get as much of a visceral response to his work as I do to Miss Emin’s, even though both reactions are poles apart in content.
The two finest pieces, in my mind, were Giacometti’s sketch of his brother-in-law and Emil Nolde’s landscape that has me in ecstasy with its moody, heaviness and powerful colouring.
My inner artist was well fed and I subsequently am spending hour upon hour trying to meet the deadline for my latest icon. Number 2 of a triptych based on the Book of Revelation. A creative needs to spend time amongst the creations of others. It is a necessary part of the artist’s journey to feed the soul and to inspire and energise.
From a spiritual perspective there is the instruction written in the Good Book to be either hot or cold but never to be lukewarm. One may as well be dead if the latter applies. I suggest that art has a function here to knock us a little bit off the fence of lukewarmedness. Either way is valid, if only simply to WAKE US UP! Yes, do wake up! Become aware and start to live.
To the artist of Art is Trash above, I salute you for waking up the humdrum lives of any passerby and making them react a little. But try to be more original with the language – I am sure you can think of something more interesting than F*** O**
Here is my reflection in a piece of art work at the Tate modern which consists of seveal large, thick plates of glass laying one on top of the other. It was rather softening and I liked the effect.
Reflection in plate glasses at Tate Modern.
