Monday, February 15, 2010

PAINTING: THE MEDIUM THAT DARE NOT SPEAK ITS NAME

I read the following in the New York Times:

"What’s missing is art that seems made by one person out of intense personal necessity, often by hand. A lot but not all of this kind of work is painting, which seems to be becoming the art medium that dare not speak its name where museums are concerned. "

The reviewer, Roberta Smith, then went on to suggest several artists who I then looked at,  and I thought to myself that even the artists suggested have that same sort of minimalism, a cool aloofness from anything personal.  I didn't find "intense personal necessity" in them.

What I see is that a lot of artists just become like a manufactury, churning out one after another piece.  I look at my own things and they are sometimes small, personal, painful and often very flawed, but somehow I believe they are authentic. 

Is there something wrong with expressing what is within oneself rather than projecting a veneer of taste or intellect?

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