Steve Irvine on sun 28 aug 05
Hi Vince,
Although you may have said it before, it is worth repeating that people's lives would be much
richer if making art were a more intuitive, natural thing to do. It's really too bad that people pick
up so many negative messages about themselves, and what they should and shouldn't do as they
get older and lose the child-like freedom to experiment and see what happens. Clay may have a
slight edge over the 2D arts here. People (adults) are often quick to say "I can't draw" and feel
intimidated by the blank page, but clay is so tactile it draws people in, and they start making
something before they know it. Their child-like wonder can start to shine through again with
fewer preconceived notions of what is right or wrong.
Along the lines of art as a natural part of daily life: one of the things I like to do is rock balancing.
Here is a simple one done yesterday while we were setting up a picnic on a remote beach on the
Bruce Peninsula:
http://www.steveirvine.com/clayart/gun_pt_hike05.jpg
I don't think about being an artist while making these. All I know is that I feel centered while
making them, that I feel nature in my chest and head, and delight when they work. I don't know if
they will last a year or an hour. It doesn't matter. What matters was the making and the moment.
Steve
http://www.steveirvine.com
On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 18:13:09 -0500, Vince Pitelka wrote:
>Making the word "artist" something high and mighty just prolonges the
>separation that exists in our society between artists and everyone else, and
>between art and the realities of everyday life. Art-making should be a
>natural part of life. As I have said ad-nauseum on this list, every child
>starts out as an artist - making art in a very intuitive, natural fashion.
>If they were encouraged to continue this as they grew older, they would gain
>skill and sensibility in the arts, and our society would be filled with
>artists. The world would be a MUCH better place.
>
>An artist is just someone who makes art, plain and simple, and art is just
>visual expression, plain and simple, with no qualitative judgement implied.
>There are good and great artists, but the word "artist" does not imply good
>or great.
>- Vince
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