thank you Susan. well, how to bring back exploration is another conversation but perhaps, a place to start is with not nice paintings, so to speak.
i remember some years ago, pre zoom, when everything was still live, i was with a class (out in arizona) and we were doing drawing, and i mentioned that Mrs Diebenkorn had given a collection of her husband's sketch books to the museum at Stanford Univ. and, one student mentioned that she had recently seen a show of those books that the museum had presented after the bequest and, 'that they were not nice'. and everyone looked confused for a moment until they realized she was saying that they weren't nice but rather, they were real and rugged and honestly searching. And that she meant this as commentary on the business we'd been talking about, basically circumventing 'nice', and of course 'nice' is where most of our educations pointed us, to expertise and to conventional evidence of competence, to fitting in, to doing as expected, to doing as others do, to being polite and careful, to being nice.
Stuart, I have been pondering your answer, as well as enjoying the lively dialog at my art critique group in which we had a guest artist join us. Always so much to learn, isn’t there? I do wonder if, for me, unlearning “nice” could be rather difficult. I could definitely work towards more innovative and visually interesting for sure. I do need to go back and reread notes with ideas from your class. Interesting, I am delighted and always intrigued by your new works of the past year or so, but still love your Irish landscapes for the sensitivity and simplicity. We each need to find our place, don’t we and I will continue to seek to find my. It’s all an evolution with no distinct end. Thank you. I look forward to more posts to come.
Recently my mind has been returning to the energy and excitement of my college design and photography classes. After years of working, owning a business, raising children, with the reality of a future shorter than a past, I often wonder how I can bring back exploration. Your story is enlightening. Today heading to an art critique group with “nice” paintings, I’m remembering why I enjoyed your unique classes so much. Thank you for this thoughtful writing.
thank you Susan. well, how to bring back exploration is another conversation but perhaps, a place to start is with not nice paintings, so to speak.
i remember some years ago, pre zoom, when everything was still live, i was with a class (out in arizona) and we were doing drawing, and i mentioned that Mrs Diebenkorn had given a collection of her husband's sketch books to the museum at Stanford Univ. and, one student mentioned that she had recently seen a show of those books that the museum had presented after the bequest and, 'that they were not nice'. and everyone looked confused for a moment until they realized she was saying that they weren't nice but rather, they were real and rugged and honestly searching. And that she meant this as commentary on the business we'd been talking about, basically circumventing 'nice', and of course 'nice' is where most of our educations pointed us, to expertise and to conventional evidence of competence, to fitting in, to doing as expected, to doing as others do, to being polite and careful, to being nice.
Stuart, I have been pondering your answer, as well as enjoying the lively dialog at my art critique group in which we had a guest artist join us. Always so much to learn, isn’t there? I do wonder if, for me, unlearning “nice” could be rather difficult. I could definitely work towards more innovative and visually interesting for sure. I do need to go back and reread notes with ideas from your class. Interesting, I am delighted and always intrigued by your new works of the past year or so, but still love your Irish landscapes for the sensitivity and simplicity. We each need to find our place, don’t we and I will continue to seek to find my. It’s all an evolution with no distinct end. Thank you. I look forward to more posts to come.
Recently my mind has been returning to the energy and excitement of my college design and photography classes. After years of working, owning a business, raising children, with the reality of a future shorter than a past, I often wonder how I can bring back exploration. Your story is enlightening. Today heading to an art critique group with “nice” paintings, I’m remembering why I enjoyed your unique classes so much. Thank you for this thoughtful writing.
These are wonderful Stuart, both playful and monumental.
Thank you Stuart! So great to read your thoughts on authentic creativity.