Art, blah, blah, blah.

The Last Roost

Ellen Sereda

I just completed this acrylic painting yesterday. I intended it to be a study for a larger painting, but I got swept up in it and treated it as a final piece.

I started writing a big, wordy post about art, about realism, about illustrative art, conceptual art, about visual art as a concept vs. an object and how both are fused in the act of painting, and what that means in a media that has been proclaimed dead many times over since the invention of photography... blah... blah.... blah. Then I realized, no one visiting this blog is interested in reading that, including me. I go read that from the smarter people.

So from a smarter person, here is quote that has resonated with me lately:

"What I want to show in my work is the idea which hides itself behind so-called reality. I am seeking for the bridge which leans from the visible to the invisible through reality. It may sound paradoxical, but it is in fact reality which forms the mystery of our existence" - Max Beckmann

This quote was taken from the archives of the Big Crow website (how synchronous!) created by San Francisco artist Anna L. Conti. A lot of interesting links and articles on art and realism can be found on the link.

My art tastes mimic those people who, when asked what type of music they're into, they say, "all kinds of music, as long as it's GOOD". I may feel compelled towards realism for myself these days (months, years...), but one of my favorite artists, one whom I've mentioned on this blog before is Vik Muniz. His art speaks of the illusionary aspects of representational art and the impermanence of the materials he uses is so relevant to modern society. And it's a bit cheeky at times. I simply love it. Here's his talk on TED on creativity and his art. He's entertaining and worth a watch.