The above is a working title. And the below are first attempts. An artist and theoretician I know has already deemed them "very retinal," which may or may not be a dig. You see, Marcel Duchamp, the father of conceptual art, coined the phrase "retinal art," which means art that appeals mostly to the eye and largely does not engage the mind. If pushed, I would have to agree, to a degree, and would prefer to have more of a balance on that continuum. Therefore, I have assigned titles that suggest there is more to the picture than meets the eye. Or rather, there are elements of the photos that have inspired associations, and the titles reflect such.
As Seen from Heaven
Creationism
Destinies
Eclipse or Hole?
Faint Mirror
Three C Homonym
Upside Down World View
UTQ (Underneath, The Quiet)
Of course, if I am to find balance, I cannot rely on the titles to carry the conceptual load. But it's still early in this project and I know where they're laying new fiber optics.
(Oh, and the cobwebs? Much harder than I thought. As in most things, time will tell.)
7 comments:
Cobweb hint: spray bottle of water.
NT - Thanks for stopping by. Good idea, that blog of yours.
Do you suppose water on my dusty old cobwebs will work? Seems to me that they would turn to mud.
See, I don't think they are visually appealing (kidding) but they do stimulate the mind. Their texture reminds me of the one you did where I accused you of planning to steal a cable tv hookup. The following will give you a good laugh.
My honest first thoughts about each:
heaven-from bottom to top:
2 lines grew and met, such as genders, xx and xy chromosomes, cultures, languages, etc, and became a blend.
1 line grew but dead-ended. No partner. Odd that it looks like a smile.
2 lines growing, preparing to meet.
2 dots incubating. Future lines.
Creationism-G=creator.
No people become people and grow in different directions under the eye of the creator.
Another group of something is growing but is separated vaguely from the creator.
Destinies-3 cars/people/cultures
1 hits wall
1 continues past wall
1 stops before hitting the wall
Eclipse-I have no good guess. Black hole or eclipse in the plain area.
Mirror-Nope. See some cracks.
3c-This is obviously a combo of three-bet and c-bet!
Upside down-Negative view of life. Prevented from rising and narrowing opportunities downward.
The Quiet-RIP and a broken headstone.
bastin-When I first read that you are/have an MFA, I didn't know what fine art was, so I looked it up. One dictionary said: Art produced or intended primarily for beauty.
Isn't that pretty close to 'retinal?'
Well, thanks Crash. The titles do guide. Our associations coincide at some points. I suppose the longer one gazes...
I always ask myself: Too much or not enough? Sometimes it helps. Sometimes not.
As for your question, Crash, my answer might require a book-length response, for many tomes have been authored attempting to parse distinctions, consider motivations and determine qualities.
I am content with any appreciation one gives what I produce...eye of the beholder and all of that. The eye is connected to the brain. As with all of our senses, the input is processed for understanding, a function of the brain (called the mind at this point). Beauty is an understanding of sorts. Once the brain gets hold of the information, thoughts about what has been perceived may create new cohesions with what is already contained within, bringing us back to that which fills books. Or simply make associations, which still is not so simple.
Not all art is created to be "retinal," or for that matter, "aural." This is the domain of conceptual art, intended to bypass the objectness of the art, but not necessarily the question of beauty. I say "not necessarily" because beauty may not even be a consideration in the creation of the art. The idea is paramount.
I am "schooled" in both areas of art making, with a tendency toward the latter. Yet, I still cannot help but respond, and therefore create, visually, so I find myself with a foot in both worlds. Straddling in such a manner does make a certain portion of my body more vulnerable, and I express that uncertainty from time to time.
I hope this helps.
I suppose this type of art isn't limited to retinal and aural, but might include all the senses?
"...you can feel it in your olfactory." Loudon Wainright.
I always thought that was a clever line, having a word used for one sense to describe the sensation of another.
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