Monday, December 19, 2011

Mini 21

I’ve been listening to some music and reading some articles that have me thinking about space/time this past week. This is a huge theoretical issue that touches on most aspects of art-making, and I’m usually more tiny-centric, but I’ve been trying to bite off and digest a mini-sized chunk of this topic...

I’ve been thinking that it’s been too long since the last sculptural mini (mini 4).  The thing is, even though I studied sculpture in school, I find that I end up working in 2D media far more often than 3D because I don’t need to be in a particularly creative mood in order to draw or paint (not to say that I necessarily do these things well when I’m not in a creative mood…), but there are so many layers to most of my 2D works, that the ultimate effect tends to be cumulative - the finished product is the result of the layering of time, the vast majority of which takes place after the initial moment of design (for which I do need to be in a creative mood).  On the other hand, I don’t make 3D work unless I feel particularly motivated.   Some of this has to do with materials – I always have the materials for drawing and painting on-hand and accessible - but some of it has to do with space.  I move frequently and always live in small places, and it’s been easy to use that as an excuse not to make sculpture; however, I once read that making art is not about all the things you don’t have, but effectively using what you do have, and I think that’s a positive approach.  (It reminds me of Giacometti and his “match box” series of sculptures, literally, sculptures that fits inside matchboxes – can we guess how I feel about these? Yes.)  So, I’ve been thinking about it, and, really, I do have space for sculpture, I just needed to adjust the parameters a little bit (after all - who doesn’t have space somewhere for a 3.25 x 2” golden heart in a jar, right?)


Miniature #21 - "Work in Progress," December 12 - 18, 2011, 3.25 x 2 (D) in, mixed media


And because I couldn’t help myself …

Apparently, knocking ornaments off the Christmas tree is exhausting (or why I've learned to hang up my coat, most of the time).