PAINTING

I had much to ponder during my yearly walks on the Normandy beaches. For a long time, I’ve closely observed the fabric of our cultural life. So, needless to say, there was much new in that regard. But autumn has for many years been, for me, a period of personal introspection. I have hope that this year’s effort will prove to be insightful and bring some much needed wisdom. Recognition of this need seems to come with age. Hopefully. On the practical side there is the continual need to redefine the search. It seems the creative voice must forever become more clear.

Joyce deals deeply with several aspects of creativity in “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man”.Henry Thoreau repeatedly writes “Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify, simplify! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.” The excess of details separates us from not only the world around us, but our personal understanding, and any creative efforts we subsequently make.

Back to the beach. This year, my difficulties with writing in general and the writing of this blog become more clear to me. For many years, I solved this problem of writing by simply not doing any. Problem solved. I had been determined to let my painting speak for me and I would keep my mouth shut. I sometimes wonder if I should not have continued to keep it shut. It was enough for me to have a few close friends with whom I could talk. Deeper, theoretical concerns have their own place and I long ago realized my limitations in adequately expressing them.

Read the rest of "Painting and seeing the big picture"

In booksellers booths along the Seine quays in Paris you may purchase “Original Hand Painted Oils? (the sign is in English). The paintings are hand painted (not reproductions), they are done in oil, but original, they are not. Most certainly, mass produced in Chinese Art Factories (see article). The vender is evasive when questioned about where the paintings come from. No telling what they say the tourists? Prices I saw started at 15 euros and went to 85 euros for the largest sizes. They were around 50 cm x 65 cm. Copies of Van Gogh subjects are a favourite it seems.

What happened to the booksellers that previously had these spaces? It had been a while since I had been along the Seine on the left bank. In fact, it has been a while since I’ve spent any time in Paris at all.

Another change I noticed was the lack of the charcoal portrait painters by Notre Dame: On nice days in April? Well, nothing last forever. Maybe the fact that almost every tourist is carrying a digital camera has something to do with this.

I believe technology and the internet have a lot to do with the changes we are seeing. One thing, younger people have grown up pirating music and images. Many of them would not think of purchasing original software: Money for original artwork? It had better be cheap.

I use the word cheap because it seems to me we are losing the cultural elegance to use more delicate descriptions for shlock. As well also not to glorify something demonstrating bad taste: Chinese shlock art on the quays in Paris?

In my mind, there is one and only one valid justification for purchasing a work of art: If it gives you pleasure. A stimulating painting can give you, your children and their children pleasure into the distant future. If the painting is not up to this measure anything spent on it is probably too much.

Galleries and painters are not having an easy time of it at the moment. As always, there remains many committed to high standards of excellence. It will, however, require a lot of courage and perseverance to ride out this tide of …? : What is the word? : May be artistic deprivation. Deprivation both of on the part of many would be artists as well as their public.

Published in french as Huiles originales et pour pas cher