I enjoyed going through blog posts I had not seen for years, once again reminding me that this visual journal is a wonderful resource and tool for chronicling my artist journey.
Leslie Avon Miller, author of the Textures Shapes and Color blog , has recently addressed the issue of Artistic Legacy. Leslie is a super talented artist and Creative Coach. Her post is a serious and thoughtful inquiry into what we might leave behind as artists to our families, friends and community and how we in turn preserve the stories and contributions of our elders. I am captivated by this topic and have carried it around with me since reading Leslie's article.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his book Creativity has this to say about what we leave behind : "If I love my grandchildren, or the work I have accomplished, or the causes I have championed, then I am bound to feel a part of the future even after personal death. Jonas Salk calls this attitude 'being a good ancestor' ".
What do we leave behind? What will remain of value, of integrity, of personal and passionate inquiry?
I have been for many years, an avid patron of estate sales. I am not a big buyer. Although I have purchased some wonderful antiques, I usually buy ephemera, great photos, vintage books, quaint things I might use in collage. I have been in many many rooms of dishes, towels, tools, hats and gloves, lace, Christmas decorations, knick knacks, and collections galore. Every home is a museum of garish or classy proportion. Every now and then, I happen upon the leavings of an artist. They leave behind slightly off water colors, warped canvas', liquid embroidery on black velvet, needle etchings, heart breaking portraits, crocheted pot holders with a twist. I have come across unpublished manuscripts of novels and music compositions books filled with original songs. I can always detect an artist. I buy what I can in support of the passion I sense, the vibe of intense longing to create and leave behind something original, something to witness the homage to beauty in so far as their talent is carried.
So now, in addition to my own mounting accumulation of work, I have pieces, (treasures) of unknown artists that when I pass on, I know my own heirs will question. I often wonder what will become of my artistic body of work, especially the strange, experimental pieces that I cannot seem to be able to let go.
Wallflower
Sometime in the 1980's I did a series of "Sculpty" paintings. They were not exactly small pieces, 18 by something inches of rolled out baking clay of assorted colors. I never tried to sell any of them as I was not at all confident that they would not break or distort in some way. Still after all these years, they remain as I made them for the most part. Family and friends were vastly underwhelmed at my experimentation, but they answered something of the ongoing question of my creative search and so I kept them
Lost In Space
Warhol Mania
Picasso's Dora
Star ManI share these pieces as examples of where I have been. They are not great art and I know it. But they remain legitimate offspring of who I am and where I continue to go: exploring materials, seeing pictures unfold, feeling the movement of life through my hands.
11 comments:
What a great post Marie!
'being a good ancestor' - what a fabulous way to put it! That quote gives me an all new perspective!
"Family and friends were vastly underwhelmed at my experimentation, but they answered something of the ongoing question of my creative search and so I kept them." Oh yes! I have my own collection of art that vastly underwhelms, but was birthed from artistic experimentation and curiosity.
However, I have a yearly clearing out of works that need to go. I have plenty left that document my path.
Great post! Thanks Marie.
Marie, an interesting post - hopefully my family will try to understand the journey I took.
Just catching up with your recent posts Marie. The faces at my widow piece was great and I love the Warhol piece! I think my head space is there, LOL! On a more serious note, I clean myself out of my underwhelming art quite regularly. I feel no need to keep it for reflection. I suppose for me the creative process was the point of my energy rather than the outcome so therefore I feel less attachment somehow. The only exception to this seems to be my journals which are full of strange experiments some good some not, all of which I keep to remind me of a process or my creative outpourings, for better or worse.
yes, what a fabulous post, Marie..
I completely understand and share your love of estate sales... and the thought always crosses my mind as I follow the crowd into a new house sale, what will I be leaving behind when I go... personally and artistically..
As for family... I have given up hoping that they will understand what I do or where I am going with my own personal art journey... and have decided that it is enough that I KNOW...
I am in love with your "star man." Your wallflower is pretty cool too.
Someday I hope to go to an Estate sale. For now, I enjoy shopping at the second hand stores on our island.
Visiting from buried treasure.
Well said Marie... Feeling your kind eyes at estate sales, seeing (maybe for the first time)these artistic adventures. Art making is a special quest and the learning curve can be underwhelming to some...too often we like what is already liked rather than what is new and alive. Celebrating our early footsteps is important!
I like your work a lot! Especially the humor & unexpected!
Wonderful post. I have a framed drawing that I purchased at an estate sale years ago. It is a child's drawing. It has To:Grandma From:Alina printed on it. I could not bear to see it in the sale. It hangs in my laundry room.
Marie I had missed this post...and it is a buried treasure. You share your soul with me and I learn...to listen and see. That is a powerful gift my friend. Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart
Thank you so much Mary Helen for the lovely comment!
Marie, Stopping by from Seth's Buried Treasure project and enjoyed reading our post. My favorite piece was the lost in space as it reminds me somewhat of the old Startrek. It must be wonderful to be able to find such wonderful treasures at the estate sales you visit. I live in a rural community and we do not really seem to have anything like that here and I would love to have something like this. Thank you for sharing great pieces and the wonderful post.
:) Chris / CS Designs
Post a Comment