Invisible Sculpture + Art Therapy (needed)
I took down my art wall at Blue Genie Art Bazaar this week. It was such a cool experience and inspiring to see the array of artisans that abound in the Austin area.
My goal is to find gallery representation now that life is getting back to some semblance of normal. But even though this is my hometown…I am still a new comer on the scene. I’ve written to three galleries of which two never wrote back and one took a pass but wished me luck. Sigh.
I’ve also been applying to art competitions and was super psyched to receive a “you’ve been accepted!” email only to realize it was a pay-to-play type deal. I will take a pass on that one, thank you very much.
But all that aside, I am so grateful to the buyers of my work in May at Blue Genie. And especially excited by those who bought original small works. Thank you! That validation most definitely helps me keep going. Let’s face it, abstract art can be riskier business in terms of like ability. And there is a ton of “abstract” art out there that for me, is more crafty or decorative. On Instagram you find a lot of pouring and splashing of paint. If done well can be beautiful, but more often seems gimmicky, in my humble opinion.
Invisible Sculpture
Speaking of the abstract, recently we got to see (or actually, not see) Buddha In Contemplation. It's an invisible sculpture by Salvatore Garau. The sculpture, delineated by a 5x5ft square drawn in white lines is on a cobblestone street in Milan. It's made of air and spirit, duh! And now Garau sold an NFT (non-fungible token or smart contract) of another invisible sculpture. The title of the unseen sculpture meant to display in a private space in natural light, I Am. Selling the work as an NFT to him (and the buyer too I suppose) is proof that it is real. Wow. Just. Wow.
But as any art history person knows, taking everyday items (in this case, the air we breathe) and calling it art is of course, nothing new. The Dadaist were the first to shake things up when we got Marcel Duchamp’s bike wheel and my favorite his urinal, titled, Fountain.
I remembered feeling outrage by the Dadaists when I first read about them. But the genius of it didn't take long to click for me. The invisible sculptures of Salvatore Garau take the Dadaist idea to a new extreme. I don't doubt that his work will be an important part in art history. Totally brilliant timing he has! Thanks for the link, BB!
Art Therapy
Though I get what the Dada movement did and find it extremely important to push the limits of what art is... I am here, a simple painter trying to paint!
I don't feel the need to be quiet so conceptual with my own art. I love the magic that happens on the canvas when I stay there in that flow, in the zone. And I know that artists of all stripes must deal with plenty of rejection before success arrives. But I won't lie. It's easy to get discouraged.
My cousin Jaime is getting her masters in Art Therapy at the Chicago art Institute right now. She told me that the way I look at painting reminds her a lot of some therapeutic techniques used in art therapy.
Turns out, to combat self doubt as I try to get my art “out there” there is nothing better to do than to keep making art!
My art: my problem and my solution.
Ahh, being human. Ain't it something!
- Kim