Presto

“Now you see it, now you don't”, proclaims the magician, as an ordinary object changes before your very eyes! As an artist, I can certainly relate to this. Art is illusion and artists are illusionists. We all have our 'tricks of the trade', but the Magic we all share is called Intuition. It's an inner compass that always leads in the right direction. If followed blindly, it never fails us. I have never understood this phenomena nor wish to, but recently I have felt the need to examine it.

This desire came about after being invited to participate with two other artists in an upcoming exhibit entitled “Changing States”. As the exhibit title implies, it focuses on the use of unexpected materials in uncommon ways. While choosing my artwork for the show, I carefully analyised which ones best addressed the theme. It was during this selection process, I realized that my trick is to assign each found object a human-like persona. This allows my subconscious to have a conversation with it. The resulting creative collaboration is mutually beneficial.  Each finished art piece is as individualistic in expression as the found object that is featured. Some discards take center stage, while others become chameleons. I often feel each object determines its own role while I simply set the stage and raise the curtain!

Here are two different examples of  'waving the magic wand.' 

In The End Of Summer, the vintage 1960s tambourine has changed physically, but retains its original premise. Now broken, it is no longer an instrument of joy. It has become a silent oracle warning the future of repeating the past.  Once a symbol of the Summer of Love, it currently serves as a grim reminder of the despair of war.  It is the repository of the conflicting emotions of a lost generation. I deplore the arbitrary use of the word “important". But to me, The End Of Summer is an important piece. The statement is as relevant today as it was half a century ago.

On the other end of the spectrum is Beyond. The main element has hidden its origin well, but it forms the foundation of this mixed media collage. The deteriorated lid of a cardboard box has morphed into the flat earth of ancient belief. It is hardly noticed in the turmoil surrounding it. But it serves as the springboard to discovery of unknown worlds that lay far beyond human cognizance. Beyond also carries a message. Curiosity sustained by imagination leads to invention; invention leads to knowledge which leads to discovery. Although this piece portrays space exploration, the equation can be applied in any arena.  Beyond is my interpretation of “thinking outside the box.”

Witness the magic of Kimberly Riner, Jim Krieger, and myself at “Changing States”. It opens January 2017 at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, Florida. You will be amazed!

Musing On the Muse

Once again, I am faced with the seemingly impassable creative block. As always, it will pass as unexpectedly as it appeared. Meanwhile, I am waiting and waiting and waiting for inspiration to strike. Waiting for the Muse of Visual Art is as futile as waiting for Godot. Why? She does not exist. She never has. I discovered this unfortunate fact, while searching the highways of the gods (the Internet) to call upon her name. These nine sisters were involved in other pursuits; song, music, poetry, theatre, dance, history, astronomy. They had no time for mere painters, sculptors, and architects. Ironically, these artists define Classical Greek civilization as we know it today.

So what's a poor artist to do? We must look to ourselves for inspiration. The methods are as diverse as the artists who use them. I can only describe my process. Working in the field of objet trouve, I become ecstatic when finding a cast-off that screams potential for reinvention.  However, to create that metaphoric “spark of inspiration”, I need two found objects, the 'flint' and the 'iron striker'.  I find that it's a mating of complimentary contrasts.  It reflects the duality of Life; day and night, good and evil.  But inspiration is not enough.  The spark must be kindled to become a creative fire or it becomes the trailing smoke of lost opportunity. And that kindling is intuition. This is what eventually leads to cognitive thought, the message the artist transmits through his art.

Indelible Ink is a classic example of this process.  It's creation began by finding a very weathered piece of wallboard (the flint) at an illegal construction dump site in the woods. Mother Nature had created a beautiful texture that could never be duplicated. Back to the studio. Now what?  My enthusiasm at discovery began to fade.   Then my eyes fell upon the recent gift of a friend; yards of bridal lace from a discarded wedding gown (the striker). The inspirational spark became a whirlwind courtship resulting in a happy marriage of opposites! Intuition led to an unknown continent upon the sea, but serendipity led to its ancient civilizations with 'pearls of wisdom.'