Comments on: Letter from London: Paint, Misbehaving

By: Young Celebrities Mika Dela Cruz » Images Search

Young Celebrities Mika Dela Cruz » Images Search — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:58:17 +0000

[...] http://blog.art21.org/2010/05/03/letter-from-london-paint-misbehaving/ 02 May 2012 3:58pm – Images « Mika Dela Cruz telemovies » [...]

By: Letter from London: Turner Blind Eye | Art21 Blog

Letter from London: Turner Blind Eye | Art21 Blog — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:48:28 +0000

[...] Works that looked ballsy, rambunctious, and endearing at her Camden Arts Centre show this year (reviewed here), hung haphazardly, look like the underdone Steven Parrino bootlegs they’re always being accused [...]

By: Ben Street

Ben Street — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:16:24 +0000

Emilia,

Well said. For some reason your comment made me think of one of my favourite books on art, Lawrence Weschler’s book on Robert Irwin.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seeing-Forgetting-Name-Thing-Sees/dp/0520256093/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1279800912&sr=1-7

Even though you’re not (by the sound of it, but who knows?) a light/environmental artist like Irwin, I think you’ll find it very interesting.

Thanks
Ben
http://thebenstreet.blogspot.com/

By: Emilia Fitz

Emilia Fitz — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:33:24 +0000

In defense of modernity
I myself believed that “real” art has to be done using brush and paint. So, for the long time I did hesitate use of other materials. My hard work gave me the skill. That became the dead end.- I realized I was in the state of stagnation. I needed to go deeper and I didn’t know how. My fidelity to figuration became a trap, my imagination was little sluggish. One of the reasons of my hesitation for “modern” ways was the fear of getting bored and simplistic.
Anything can arrive to the dead end if repeated automatically or dishonestly, without sense of curiosity.
Once I found a piece of wood and I saw the soul in it or maybe it was the projection of myself – it did’t matter. The fact is, that without neglecting the past (living in my mind) I started to train my ability to see more and more. At first looking at the sky, dirt or splashes. There are so many ways to stimulate our visual brain. I started to produce splashes myself and saw in it whole world. Our mind works by associations. I’m in the middle of experimenting with photography, trating this as my digital sketchbook. If we stay honest in searching, anything we do can be the departure to the great discoveries. I believe it’s up to the artist to carry the flame of creation and go further. I like the “Nothing” of Angela de la Cruz – it is the perfect example of not neglecting tradition and adopting a good sense of abstract quality of the object and it’s drama. Modern form with modesty and simplicity.

By: Ben Street

Ben Street — Wed, 05 May 2010 09:09:41 +0000

Dear RS,

Thanks – and, in further news, she’s just been nominated for the Turner Prize:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2010/may/04/turner-prize-shortlist-2010

By: Ross Selavy

Ross Selavy — Mon, 03 May 2010 22:03:17 +0000

Dear Mr. Street,

Bravo and thank you for throwing down the gauntlet. Some of us who prowl contemporary galleries, art fairs, etc., would, indeed, be a lot happier if those think-first, act-later artists were not painting. I for one, don’t need yet another lecture on the failures of modern society. Not only are these rants tedious, they are usually badly executed. “The principal joy of experiencing painting…is looking at paint.” Well said.

And thank you for bringing Angela de la Cruz to my attention. I look forward to seeing her work first-hand here in New York.