Lots of art news this week - the new website is under construction and about half done. With the help of my husband Dave, the newer and simpler website should be a reality in about a week. The other news is I will be displaying, for the first time ever, in a joint showing with Dave next summer in Tenants Harbor Maine. It will take place at the newly built Jackson Memorial Library's art gallery. When we drove down the peninsula to meet with the exhibition coordinator, I was amazed at how much space they have dedicated to art work. Some local galleries aren't even this big - label me impressed!
Then reality hit me; especially when the coordinator said, "We'll need about 25-30 pieces." At first I panicked. How on Earth am I going to put together that many pieces, framed and ready to go, within nine months? It doesn't sound like much, but the task is more daunting than most people realize, especially when my husband and I also work and we do our own framing. I breathed a little easier when I remembered I'm sharing this showing with my husband, so I'll only need 12-15 pieces, but I have to remind Dave, "Hey - don't get behind the 8-ball in framing your half of the art show!"
I was also pleased that there was room for larger works, (24x30 inches and up). I was ecstatic about this possibility until I got home - I have done several paintings in this size lately and now I can't decide which one to hang there. One of my recent works has gone through the gamut of names since it was finished about 10 days ago. At first, I named it "Orgasm". Seriously. But I realize I may have to re-title this work, even if only for this show, because the art (and titles) must be suitable for all ages. I looked at the painting closer and saw what looked like several mushrooms. However, when I turned the work upside down, it resembled one or more lilies.
That evening, my hubby Dave and I got into a discussion about art in general. When we were at the library in Tenants Harbor, there were lots of works on display. No offense to those artists, and with all due respect, but almost all the paintings could be grouped into a few categories; mainly floral, landscapes, and nautical. The library coordinator said she was looking for art that didn't fit this genre - she wanted something different... really different. She wanted diversity.
Dave and I agree that numerous artists paint representational or realistic objects and then title the work what it represents. While the art may be easily recognizable and identifiable, there is no imagination required. Abstracts however, and my series inspired by oil spills, represent what I might see, but I can inject a great deal of color, line, and movement, so not only is it pleasing and intriguing, but also thought provoking and engaging.
When it came to titles, that's where our opinions (or at least the thought process) parted ways. I was content to title my works "Oil Spill #1", then "Oil Spill #2", etc., on and on down the line. Dave commented, "...that's not very original. In my opinion, it's sort of a cop-out; like "Untitled". When I see "Untitled", I feel the artist doesn't even know what the finished work is or what it stands for. It doesn't allow the viewer to see what they are drawn to, what they might see, or what they might think it is. If you put an obvious or commanding title to an abstract, the viewer becomes less engaged." Then he suggested, "Why don't you title them, "What would title this painting?" That would be cool."
I thought about his concept for a few minutes, but logistically that wouldn't work. I have to catalog all my paintings in my computer and one of the requirements of the show is to title all works to be able to identify it. I thought we would be breaking the customs of the art community. Dave quipped, "Isn't that what art is all about? Breaking rules; pushing limits? Dare to be different?"
What do you say? To title or not to title?
Until next time,
Jill
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