Thursday, November 11, 2010

November 11,2010


Had a great meeting with my mentor yesterday. Spoke a lot about putting things together. The distance between people and the connections that are made when these distances are explored. I have many characters. Now I am going to arrange them to tell their stories. I have always liked working small and been attracted to possibilities. Relationships of parts to a whole is exciting. I think the struggle that I have always had with painting, in the sense of a large final work, is the finality of it. It is what it is and it will hang on a wall equidistant from another painting. The figures will remain in their postions forever and though they will be interpreted in different ways they will be still contained inside of one space. They will speak together but they exist only that way and they feel self contained. I am attracted to that finality and its cleanness and wholeness, but I have a hard time thinking that way. Working small allows me to explore possibilities to represent time in a different way and to explore the relationships between separate parts without having them fixed or contained.
I am excited right now. I have so many things to play with to explore. Sculpting is very exciting for me. I can explore the same relationships in those forms that I am obsessed with in my characters. The two separate parts, figures and sculptures are informing each other in a nice way. I was thinking, if I can say what I want to say with these abstract shapes, then why do I need the figures. But I do need them. They have been with me for so long and there is a truth in them that I want to continue to explore. That being said I want to paint arrangements of the sculptures and explore where that leads. They can both exist. They are two languages.
I also am excited about an assignment that Evelyn, My mentor suggested: Represent something personal and emotional about familial relationships in a dry, straightforward way so that the emotion exists in the content rather than the execution. An interesting assignment that has opened my head to a whole new range of possibilities.

Well the kids are excited we all have the day off together, the pleasure of both being teachers, and we are off to enjoy the sunshine.

6 comments:

  1. Hi Aris! I see you keep very busy with your art. Love to see those little paintings next to each other. Very beautiful! Mmmmm, I see an exhibiting in the making...

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  2. This post makes me think and think! The figures being frozen in their limited space , in their limited pose- I often think of that- maybe that is why I like your work so much- their depth is limitless!
    Interesting assignment...I don't know what to think but still I am thinking...
    I love your sculpted bits- possibilities are exciting!

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  3. I like the idea of separate paintings of characters that you can group differently and rearrange over time. I am not sure if that is what you intend, but the idea is really fascinating to me! Also I really like your sculptural pieces - they are very evocative.

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  4. I like those little simple painting put together a lot, Much more than the bigger more complex paintings you've been working on lately (yes, I've been here sneaking around without making a sound ...) They feel so intimate. So you. And they are alone, but still together.

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  5. Thank you all. I feel like I am finally getting to a place where I want to stay and play for awhile. So glad that you all still check in, thank you for not giving up on me!

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  6. Great post. I know exactly what you mean about the large paintings. Perhaps thats why i also draw little drawings that can be connected to each other in many different ways. Like you also do with your paintings.
    I so LOVE your sculptures and makes me wanna make some sculptures too. I did that a long time ago, creating many tiny little heads. After seeing your awesome sculptures it's beginning to bubble in my head haha.
    Thanks for sharing your beautiful art. It's very inspiring.

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