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Lesson Plans


about art - something personal

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
henry taylor (taylorh)
Sat, 10 Jul 1999 13:39:43 -0700

I've always found in art a license to "go" anyhwere. If I feel strongly
about it and write up the proposal well enough I can probably play with a
battle ship or a staste of the art electron microscope. I can cook, design
clothing or structures, furnishings or even vehicles . I could should I
wish, enter a surgery, a mental ward, a monastary or death-row in a maximum
security prison. I might, in time go into space, or walk through a war zone.

As a visual artist I can perform... I can tell storys and even make music!
I can choose to address the conventionally 'beautiful" or the unconventional
variants. I can choose to work in the sabi/wabi or the found object even the
merely ugly. I can express myself politically romantically sentimentally
humorously and intellectually. I can even make a point by being
intentionally ineffectual or unintelligable.

Through art, pretty much all culture, all life, and all the material
universe is accessible to work with or to work on.

And , most importantly to me, I could--my kids can, do this as
non-professionals. It is a thing that can be done while credentialed as the
guy or gal nextdoor -- insider or outsider. Being in art is also the
possibility of being in the midst of life and as quotidian or as commonplace
as I choose

Sometimes you can't beat a funny joke, a good luck wish, or a unique recipie
for BBQ ribs. (the secret is chile paste! nothing at all tomato)

In almost every dictionary I've looked at over the years the first
definition of art concerns not the object, not rthe intention, but HOW a
thing is done, not necessarily a formal universal "how" but quite possibly
(increasingly so just now) a singularly unique and personal "how." An
internally consistent pattern.

That's something about art. It's also appropriate (and probably worth
celebrating somehow) that there are other CONTRADICTORY somethings about
art too. The more the merrier. And I get to choose which parts to play with
or ignore. You too!!!

Neat huh? Took me all of 50 years to figure it out -- a continuing
process... a personal vision. <VBG>

cheers
-henry