Jon Coffelt, highly acclaimed artist, activist and curator, is a former gallery owner living and working in Manhattan. Coffelt decided to keep his distinctive Southern drawl.
Yesterday Cy Twombly left us at 83. He left us with a legacy of a man who never feared or worried about his work. Although very idiosyncratic Twombly was a voice that stood and still stands the test of time. Lets take a moment and remember him and his work. ArtsBeat/New York Times has a beautiful article by Randy Kennedy. Twombly’s Wikipedia entry is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cy_Twombly
I remember the very first time I saw a Cy Twombly piece. It stirred me in such a way I chocked up a little. I felt tears well up behind my eyes. The delicate texture, the intention, the brovado and his sense of color and balance were things he never changed and throughout his career he was never a follower and his unique work stood and still stands the test of time. What do you recall of his work?
Now is that time of year when many of us artists start their Summer retreats, either away or where we are, it’s time to be in the studio. Also at this time many of us experience power struggles within ourselves. Most artists know how to tame these feelings and some seem to be constantly working on them. It feels like everything is churning at the same time just as the summer heat is coming on. Just remember the reason you are here. Remember the reasons you are doing this work. Maybe you will want to meditate and allow yourself into your practice. It will see you through the harder points. Many ideas arise as you throw yourself into your work so give yourself time to analyze and be easy on yourself and never forget always save room for pie.
We must all take a stand when we are deciding what our direction in life is going to take. Sometimes we get sidetracked and sometimes we just hit the high places. We seem to meander more than we think. There comes a time when we know that the tread has to hit the pavement and for our own good, like it or not, change must happen for us to get to the next level. This change may be about letting go of something that once brought us happiness and has lost its luster and sometimes we hold on to old ideas and out of date information that no longer serves a purpose. It’s hard to let go of something we feel loyal about but if we find it is weighing us down or it no longer works for us then it is time to let it go. Making way for new things in our lives is what letting go allows us to do.
When the dust hits the road where do we stand?
Sometimes we may feel afraid of what the future brings us and sometimes we take it in stride. I feel that sometimes we need encouragement from any direction we can get it. Sometimes we need to sit quiet and wait. While patience is a virtue, I feel that the courage to ask is a virtue too. Courage to ask means that we have decided that we cant do it on our own. It takes a community is the old adage and if we put our trust in the universe then the courage to ask is the next step in getting us where we need to be. Maybe its a simple question we need the answer to and maybe its inquiring about what we should do next to grab that brass ring. Be nice to yourself. Sometimes all we need to do is ask.
Our worlds are composed of bits and pieces. These bits and pieces compile who we are. They shape and define us. We categorize, we list, we agree and we dismiss. All of these decisions make and shape us and carry over to our work. Our art is very much a part of our lives whether we realize it or not. Sometimes our art is all we have. Understanding that these bits and pieces make us who we are is one thing but taking them to the next level by being in the moment and understanding our intention with this information is how we fulfill our hearts desire. We become more than the sum of our bits and pieces. Our art is synergized into something more complex but no less compelling than the very experiences that go into shaping these bits and pieces of our lives.
Contrary to popular belief, everything isn’t and shouldn’t be considered an art form. Art is being used to sex things up and give them cache that they normally would not have. I have been reading recently that making everything art or an art form dumbs down the whole art process. Does this make you uneasy? Art in its classic form is very narrow in scope and I understand the need for so many to want to expand upon the whole concept but are we doing it at the expense of what is real and sound. Believe me there are enough art people in the classic setup of art who are abominating it as it is and for it to get watered down more is a shame and a sham. I would love to hear some fresh ideas about what this message sends to the masses.
In the article,
[http://www.artsjournal.com/jumper/2010/12/somebody-better-call-the-art-police/Someone Call The Art Police], Diane Ragsdale explores the reasons she feels that its OK to broaden the scope of art from what she considers the norm. To a degree, I feel she is right especially about good art being in small towns and art festivals that abound but there has to be a point somewhere that people say WTF. Maybe this broadening is happening to bring more people into art and is used as a gateway to get people who will to go on to explore the classics but I am just not sure.
Being worthy is a very nice place to be. To get there is sometimes an anomaly. Worthy is a very unique space that we all strive for and more times than not it sneaks up on us without us ever realizing it. Worthy sometimes comes in phases that are totally unpredictable. Worthy is when we know we have honored our true selves and we are ready for the rewards we have worked so hard for. Worthy cannot be bought and paid for as it is priceless. We each know where we stand and what we understand about our worthiness. Worthy makes our knees weak but our hearts strong. Worthy is inner power. Tell me please. What is worthy to you?
We should always to pay heed to what is going on around us and how we are dealing with it. With loses and gains we are changed regardless from where they come from. Our personal lives are so much a part of us as artists. We hone and own this perspective within ourselves. It’s part and parcel of who we are. Our souls are deeply connected with who we are. We decided to be who we are before we were ever born.
What happens on the outside can sometimes have a larger effect on us than we ever think and being present we realize that we have the tools to get us through and these tools have been earned by us over each and every other event that has taken place in our lives. In other words, we are ready to handle what is right now and what comes next. Trusting oneself is the ultimate answer.
