pensive.jpg (44592 bytes)     SKETCHES - The WhyART Newsletter  
                 "Transforming Education Through Art"          September 2004   

Welcome to SKETCHES, Michael Gerrish's WhyART.com newsletter. I offer thoughts to stretch your mind and spur your actions to produce positives for you and those you touch. Author Daniel Pinkwater said, "I believe it is impossible to make sense of life in this world except through art." Artist Francis Bacon said, "The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery." This "talking head" sees truth in both statements; let's start making sense by exploring and expanding the mysteries which surround us!
ART: The A is for Authentic
 (More Thoughts On Being Authentic • Relational • Transformative)

"Any authentic work of art must start an argument between the artist and his audience." -Rebecca West

In last month's newsletter, I wrote about being ART Neighbors (Authentic, Relational, Transformative persons who share values but not necessarily borders). This month I want to look deeper into the meaning of Authentic. In common terms, authentic means being true, based on fact, not counterfeit. Rebecca West (a pseudonym adopted by writer CI Fairfield) tied the word evaluatively to art in saying that in order to be authentic art must start arguments! If I want to promote the ART Neighbor concept, why do I quote the argumentative Rebecca West? Perhaps because all arguments aren't bad, or even divisive.

Although many of Ms West's views were controversial, I don't think she meant to elevate destructive polarity in the arts. To her, art arguments were a means to engage in dialog, and isn't that what artists have always hoped to initiate when creating and displaying their work? We want our work to be seen and experienced, not hidden away or dismissed. Authentic art is not wallpaper, it can't be "sofa-sized". It is meant to be active, not passive.

How should an audience react to authentic art? We all know of artists who have been excoriated while living and canonized when dead. This will always be the case for those who reveal culture's attributes before society accepts the shock of the new. But, opinions change over time, and the angry, argumentative audience response often morphs into thoughtfully engaged criticism. That is why museums rearrange collections: when a Francis Bacon or a David Salle moves in, something must make way. And, of course, every viewer has a favorite artist or artwork. In sum, artists who create authentic art must hope for audiences to respond with open minds...in other words, with authenticity. Let the art arguments begin!  


Right, Wrong...Everyone's Left!

We live in partisan times. It is easy to find bias; just turn on the radio or television. The media projects snippets of information through lenses clouded by spin masters who believe balanced reporting is providing combatants who scream invective at each other. Conversations have become polarized. Go to a bookstore and look at the non fiction shelves, arranged Yea or Nay, left to right. To top things off, we filter the filtered media, leaving less opportunity for dialog. It's just noise. It's not healthy.  

If we practice the A•R•T• credo we can do better. Remove the filters we have unconsciously adopted and we see authentically. Drop the need to be right, and we open up the possibility of relationship with others. And, where a relationship exists, transformation can occur. Try this: select a few words you want to focus on, and Google them. Surf until you find something positive, and repeat as needed.

Artist Surf

I know I will never learn enough Art History! Perhaps I can make up for it by sharing information about someone you may not know well. This month's star is Alice Neel. Ms Neel lived life independently and apart from many of the conventions of her era. Known mostly for her portraits, she began her studies at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women. Following travel to Cuba, Ms Neel moved to New York, joining the PWAP program in 1933.  She began exhibiting her work in New York City in the late 1930's, but remained relatively unknown until her 60's when her work began to appear more frequently in the art press. Her portraits are not photographic representations but capture elements of her subjects' inner natures. Many arts community notables sat for her, including Andy Warhol and Faith Ringgold. Ms Neel's Self Portrait-1980 is a wonderful example of her spare, painterly style. For more information visit Artcyclopedia or Google Alice Neel. 

"I do not know if the truth that I have told will benefit the world in any way. I told the truth as I perceived it...and did the best and most honest art of which I was capable"- Alice Neel

Sketches is a free newsletter of WhyART.com and is available by subscription. Your contact info will not be shared, and you may unsubscribe at any time. I appreciate your thoughtful comments.         Michael Gerrish • 158 Riverwalk Way • Cohoes, NY 12047 • (518)233-0573 • mrg@whyart.com
                                                                                                               ©WhyART.com 2004