On being random, the artless, and the artful
Nikolaus Maack
Some thoughts about art, randomness, and people who don't make art.
I like to smear oil pastels on paper, splatter acrylic paint on top of
that, and then smear the paint around with more pastel. I love random
weird lines, and switch back and forth between working with my left hand
and my right hand. (I'm right handed.) All my stuff tends to look like
primary colour cartoon characters who are on fire, or in the process of
blowing up. The main theme of my stuff: demons and monsters. Don't ask
me why, ask Freud. And he's dead, so good luck.
I love oil pastels for the way they smear so damn good. Same goes for
acrylic paint. I love to move it around with my fingers, darkening the
pastels with the paint. Occasionally I'll throw crayons into the game,
just for kicks.
Anyone else into the random element? Anybody have ideas/suggestions on
how to increase random aspects when it comes to art madness? Are there
any other sorts of art materials people would like to recommend for their
tendency to add randomness?
I've tried working with oils, but they are *too* messy, for me. You can't
smear oils with your fingers, I find. It's next to impossible to wash the
stuff off your hands, not to mention that oil paints tend to be poisonous.
In the writing world, I recently talked a friend of mine into creating a
computer program that takes a text file, and scrambles it, taking each and
every word in the file, and shuffling the order. This pure randomness can
create new patterns in the text, and is much easier and more efficient
than the old cut and paste on paper method. Going through the jumbled
text, you come across some interesting sentence formations (or I do,
anyway) and some surprisingly coherent gibberish.
Some background on me: I'm a student at Concordia University, in
Montreal, in the creative writing program, and I paint/draw on the side.
I've been making evil monster posters for years, and love it. I live in
student res, and hang my work on my door and in the hall outside my room,
and people get all gushy and weird over my stuff.
Why they get all gushy, I don't know. Lately I've come to the realization
that:
1) art means EVERYTHING to me. I don't know names, I don't know art
history, but art in itself seems to me to be the only thing left that has
meaning. I once had a prof explain the asthete idea of the world in the
following way: A child is standing in the middle of the street, about to
be hit by a car. At the last second, a man rushes out and saves the kid,
pulling him off the street. Most people would say how fortunate and
wonderful this scene is on a moral level, while the asthete would say how
beautiful it was. The yellow rain jacket of the child, the lights of the
car, the rain-soaked man with his hair in his eyes. The movement of the
saving of the child, the colours mixing together.
This perspective on reality makes a disturbing amount of sense to me.
Forget morality: did the experience contain beauty and form? And isn't
morality just another expression of beauty and form?
The other realization:
2) Most people seem to have about as much art in them as a squashed bug
has working braincells. Why do people go around assuming that they cannot
paint, draw, write, sing, dance, or do SOMETHING creative? Is it simply
that they cannot make the effort? Why do they have no desire to create?
What makes us weird artsy folk different from the humdrum people who
wander about saying, "Oh, you're a painter/writer/whatever? I wish I
could do that! Oh, I've always wanted to do that! How I always wanted to
do something creative!"
So what's the problem, ya dumb bastard? Get some paint, get some paper,
get a pen, pick up a violin, grab your medium and throw yourself into it!
What the hell is WRONG with these people? Are they simply stupid? Do
they put art off because they assume that it's a "waste of time"? Are
they worried that they have no "talent"?
"I'd like to create art, but I'm so busy with watching TV and making
peanut butter sandwiches."
True talent, I feel, is not in being able to paint a realistic picture of
a crushed groundhog on the highway, but in being able to express yourself
in a way you find satisfying and meaningful to you. And if you're lucky,
maybe you'll enjoy yourself, and other people will enjoy your work.
Someone who saw some of my paintings recently said to me: "Nice
paintings. And you're in the creative writing program? So why do you
paint?"
*grumbles and mumbles of suppressed rage*
"Because I can!" I wanted to scream. "I don't know if I paint with skill
or not, whether my paintings are good or not, and I don't particularly
care! When I smear the pastel and paint around with nasty electronic
music blasting in the background, I feel incredibly alive! Should I limit
myself to one medium alone? Why? What do you do to feel alive? Bang
your head against a wall?"
What do they, the artless, do? Do any of you know? I suppose this might
be the wrong newsgroup to ask such a question, but as far as I can tell
there isn't a rec.arts.non-artist.fine. Perhaps I should post this
question to some group like biz.economics.souless.creature?
*rant rave rave rant*
Well, I feel better now. Any comments, queries, screaming outraged
mad protests, etc are entirely welcome and whole-heartedly encouraged.
Nik
---
"Killing shrimp with a crowbar, in a barbed wire canoe."
--Foetus
Mattison
Nikolaus Maack (n_m...@alcor.concordia.ca) wrote:
: Some thoughts about art, randomness, anrough people who don't make art.
: I like to smear oil pastels on paper, splatter acrylic paint on top of
: that, and then smear the paint around with more pastel. I love random
: weird lines, and switch back and forth between working with my left hand
: and my right hand. (I'm right handed.) All my stuff tends to look like
: primary colour cartoon characters who are on fire, or in the process of
: blowing up. The main theme of my stuff: demons and monsters. Don't ask
: me why, ask Freud. And he's dead, so good luck.
Better ask Kandinsky...you are working through your deamons -
spiritually...its very very good for you. The more and larger you paint
the more you will see and feel and feelsee - thats what I call wht I do.
See if you can begin seeing the poetic map - thats what I call
another level of it...the poetic map it will start
happening in your life...be aware... and follow it...its a cognition style
you can use to connect with the universe...its very fun
too..giggles...its poetic double and triple entandric works and symbols
that will play back and forth...you will beging to see it if you see and
then you can follow it...will take you many amazing places... the
culture has yet to wake up to the simpleness of that angelic mind...giggle
I work exactly like this often - I even had coke can sized pastels made.
It is very fun...Especially in the studio cause its nearly 3000 square feet
so you can get very very messy. I mix all media, crank the music and
get really messy. Often I can't even get all the paint out of my hair.
Who cares I'm having a blast. Candidly - Another thing I like - especially
linseed oil dripping down my body - gigglles it;'s very sexy...you know
those artists...2 funny the familiarness is inspiring for some silly reason.
: I love oil pastels for the way they smear so damn good. Same goes for
: acrylic paint. I love to move it around with my fingers, darkening the
: pastels with the paint. Occasionally I'll throw crayons into the game,
: just for kicks.
So do I...
: Anyone else into the random element? Anybody have ideas/suggestions on
: how to increase random aspects when it comes to art madness? Are there
: any other sorts of art materials people would like to recommend for their
: tendency to add randomness?
I think you could come visit my studio.
: I've tried working with oils, but they are *too* messy, for me. You can't
: smear oils with your fingers, I find. It's next to impossible to wash the
: stuff off your hands, not to mention that oil paints tend to be poisonous.
Yes -
: In the writing world, I recently talked a friend of mine into creating a
: computer program that takes a text file, and scrambles it, taking each and
: every word in the file, and shuffling the order. This pure randomness can
: create new patterns in the text, and is much easier and more efficient
: than the old cut and paste on paper method. Going through the jumbled
: text, you come across some interesting sentence formations (or I do,
: anyway) and some surprisingly coherent gibberish.
Get a copyright - I gave a programmer for Fractal tons of ideas...they
got rich I got less than a thank you.
: Some background on me: I'm a student at Concordia University, in
: Montreal, in the creative writing program, and I paint/draw on the side.
: I've been making evil monster posters for years, and love it. I live in
: student res, and hang my work on my door and in the hall outside my room,
: and people get all gushy and weird over my stuff.
Great - keep working and becareful...what you conjure you become or they
become you.
: Why they get all gushy, I don't know. Lately I've come to the realization
: that:
: 1) art means EVERYTHING to me. I don't know names, I don't know art
: history, but art in itself seems to me to be the only thing left that has
: meaning. I once had a prof explain the asthete idea of the world in the
Bingo ringo - you sound like you have the makings to go very far if you
can keep the fire and commitment and continue taking it to higher and
higher levels cautiously. Prepare for each step if you can.
: following way: A child is standing in the middle of the street, about to
: be hit by a car. At the last second, a man rushes out and saves the kid,
: pulling him off the street. Most people would say how fortunate and
: wonderful this scene is on a moral level, while the asthete would say how
: beautiful it was. The yellow rain jacket of the child, the lights of the
: car, the rain-soaked man with his hair in his eyes. The movement of the
: saving of the child, the colours mixing together.
The professional artists would see the poetry in both visions.
: This perspective on reality makes a disturbing amount of sense to me.
: Forget morality: did the experience contain beauty and form? And isn't
: morality just another expression of beauty and form?
I'm working on my work to hard to address this now.
: The other realization:
: 2) Most people seem to have about as much art in them as a squashed bug
: has working braincells. Why do people go around assuming that they cannot
: paint, draw, write, sing, dance, or do SOMETHING creative? Is it simply
Because they had those windows controlled and closed long long ago...read
the color of the parachute...
: that they cannot make the effort? Why do they have no desire to create?
Fear...
: What makes us weird artsy folk different from the humdrum people who
Risk...
Risk...
: wander about saying, "Oh, you're a painter/writer/whatever? I wish I
: could do that! Oh, I've always wanted to do that! How I always wanted to
: do something creative!"
Coulda - woulda - shoulda-
maybe a connection to life - love and passion
: So what's the problem, ya dumb bastard? Get some paint, get some paper,
: get a pen, pick up a violin, grab your medium and throw yourself into it!
TV is easier...
: What the hell is WRONG with these people? Are they simply stupid? Do
Still evolving...
: they put art off because they assume that it's a "waste of time"? Are
: they worried that they have no "talent"?
They are afarid to question ...it is easire to disbelieve than you
question and make yourself think...you my friend are very very
different...like me....keep up the good work and the questions you will
go very very far...
: "I'd like to create art, but I'm so busy with
watching TV and making : peanut butter sandwiches."
See above...
: True talent, I feel, is not in being able to paint a realistic picture of
: a crushed groundhog on the highway, but in being able to express yourself
: in a way you find satisfying and meaningful to you. And if you're lucky,
: maybe you'll enjoy yourself, and other people will enjoy your work.
With this you will be able to tap far more thatn just the above...
: Someone who saw some of my paintings recently said to me: "Nice
: paintings. And you're in the creative writing program? So why do you
: paint?"
See my first paragraph....
use the poetic map my friend its visual symbols and words....
: *grumbles and mumbles of suppressed rage*
I can relate...they just want to know you ...be patient...
: "Because I can!" I wanted to scream. "I don't know if I paint with skill
: or not, whether my paintings are good or not, and I don't particularly
: care! When I smear the pastel and paint around with nasty electronic
: music blasting in the background, I feel incredibly alive! Should I limit
I think we realte...
: myself to one medium alone?
No - do what feels goo and above all so not stay with in the lines or let
negative people try to stop drag your energy down or get in your
way...identify the sails and the anchors and the energy vampires...when
you create...you are like god...channeling the unie=versal energies thats
why it feels so good....becareful in generating the lite ...the darkness
will be attracted to you...handle the energies eith care..it can be like
a drug...stay grounded and balanced...walk the edges carefully...go way
out but allways keep one toe on the line in this dimension...this will be
more apparent to you later as you progress with the work.
Why? What do you do to feel alive? Bang
: your head against a wall?"
Scream at their wives or worse...
: What do they, the artless, do? Do any of you know? I suppose this might
I shudder to think...
: be the wrong newsgroup to ask such a question, but as far as I can tell
: there isn't a rec.arts.non-artist.fine. Perhaps I should post this
: question to some group like biz.economics.souless.creature?
In America its more like soulless culture...thats what people like you
and me are for...but there are many souless..."and take your sould if you
let them" so walk with caution....
in the lite...
: *rant rave rave rant*
really you can come visit if yo like...
: Well, I feel better now. Any comments, queries, screaming outraged
good..
care
matters
Mattison
www.rhinodev.com/M
Enid Coleslaw
>Well, I feel better now. Any comments, queries, screaming outraged
>mad protests, etc are entirely welcome and whole-heartedly encouraged.
>
> Nik
>
Sorry. I am a completely uncreative person.
________________________________
Silver foxes lookin' for romance
in their chain-smoke Kansas
Flashdance ass-pants