Art making comes in cycles for me. Sure, if I were more disciplined, I would spend the time every day making art regardless of my energy levels. But I’m not that kind of artist, and have made peace with that.
I’ve been playing a bit in my art journal, and there’s a general winding-down in my life that I’m taking as a preparation for motherhood, where my own goals and my personal pleasures will have to take a back seat for a few years. The plan is for me to still continue with art classes once a week, but everything non-baby is put on hiatus.
That’s not stopping me from looking at art, and I really resonated with these two artists recently.
1. Gillian Jagger
When I first saw this image, I thought “what a beautiful example of gesture drawing.”
Gillian Jagger
And The and Now
mixed media
2012-2013
11 feet x 8 feet 5 inches x 7 feet 6 inches
and
Bull Drawing III
mixed media
2012
11 x 11 feet
But look closer.
That’s not a drawing, on the left there.
It’s a sculpture, larger than life. I find it frustrating when a work is labelled simply “mixed media” because choice of material is an important part of the conceptualisation of an artwork, and I feel like I have the right to know, to have these clues to inform me.
Hanging Deer II
Conté, pencil, charcoal, paper
1997
78″ x 49″
Luckily, her work and the titles she’s given speak pretty loudly on their own. (To me, at least. I’m hearing messages about ethical eating, and considering that 1 November is World Compassion and Vegan Day, the awareness of what has to happen before I get to eat a hamburger has come at a good time. There’s also a component of primordial living, back in the days when we looked an animal in the eyes before killing it, and there are non-vegan groups who advocate this type of eating. What I like about the artwork is how she doesn’t actually give answers, just opens up the questions).
Her work also speaks about decay, and progress, which leads into our second artist today.
2. Guy Laramée
His artist statement says it all.
And I’m especially enamoured with the Guan Ling project. What a beautiful tribute, and such a lovely description of dying.
Guy Laramée
Guan Yin
Wood, linen, rags, integrated lighting
2011
5 x 5 x 4 meter