The Value In Context

I was talking to an artist about his work and asked about a particular piece. He said he didn't want to tell me what to think, that I should find my own story in the painting. As his style is primarily narrative, I understood his reluctance to over-explain the imagery, but I was more curious about the way he found his ideas, what his thinking process was before he settled on a composition.

A lot of artists think talking about their work means telling people what to think. 

The downside of this belief means you bore people to death (this is a painting of my day spent at the mountains) or you don't really talk about your work (I prefer the viewer draw their own conclusions), or you expect someone else to do it for you (Hey, I don't know enough about this artist to tell you!).  None of these strategies are productive.

But there is a good reason for explaining the context for a painting or body of work.  Context sets the stage.  In the theater, we have a printed program explaining which character comes on in what order.  Before we can sit back to enjoy the play we want to know a little about the circumstances.

For example,  Jo-Ann Sanborn paints the environments of Marcos Island and the Florida Everglades. Reading her blog, you understand her passion for the fragile environment.  Knowing this context, the viewer is enriched in his own ability to construct meaning.

 Margret E. Short, from Portland, Oregon, started using context with her Lessons From the Low Countries still life series. Her inspiration came from the 17th century palette of works in Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art exhibit that was touring US museums.  On her blog, she explained the historical pigments, demonstrated how she ground her own paints, and keyed each of her paintings to a specific color palette existing in one of the masterworks.  This series was followed by one similarly inspired by Egyptian art.  Context created the armature, giving her work a deeper meaning for the viewer.

Context does not have to be monumental. It can be a few sentences. Trisha Hassler, another Portland, Oregon based mixed media fiber and metal artist, gives us context on the High Desert Gallery blog with just a few cues and our imagination takes it from there.

Take time to think about the context of your current body of work.   

It might be time well spent when it comes to generating gallery contacts and sales.

Comments

[sue smith]

here is a better link to Trisha Hassler's post, so you don't have to hunt for it
http://www.highdesertgallery.info/2010/05/trisha-hassler-thoughts-on-her-new-show-dissimilar-elements.html

[Sue Smith]

Thanks,JoAnn,both you and Margret make it look easy, but a lot of us know that sometimes finding the right context is more difficult that doing the painting. Thank you for allowing me to share your blog and beautiful work.

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[JoAnn Sanborn]

Hi, Sue. Another wonderful post that clearly states why it works for everyone when artists help people understand the passion that informs their work. I want people to enjoy and identify with the beauty and drama of our fragile and threatened Everglades. When someone tells me that a painting has opened their eyes it is the highest complement I receive. I'm honored to be included in your post!

[Sue Smith]

Patrice, I was just reading a blog post by Stapleton Kearns, all about the argument over painting what the artist wants or what the buyer wants, and it seems to me that if you open the door through your artist statement or communications as to those thoughts and connections that you talk about, that makes it easier for others to find that meaning we all want them to find.

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[Patrice Federspiel]

Great post Sue, I completely agree. Paintings are rarely about just one thing...at least this is true for me and I suspect for many. All kinds of thoughts and connections come up while painting. Weaving them into a narrative that accompanies the painting enriches the experience for all.

[Sue Smith]

Youre so right,Kathy. Id rather look at a painting that I can connect with than one that explores the juxtaposition of modernism in its current transformative incarnation while assimilating a sense of alienation versus a disorganized sense of reality.ah...yeah, got that.

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[Kathy Hodge]

I like that way of thinking, it really makes much more sense to take that direction in the dreaded "artist statement". Spouting artspeak theory just makes people's eyes glaze over at best, or makes them feel like the concept is over their heads. It's much more interesting to find out why an artist decided to pursue a direction in a more down to earth way.

[Sue Smith]

And yourinspiration points out perfectly the value in finding a context that expands an artistic vision.

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[Margret Short]

Hi Sue, Your explanation of my purpose in a themed based project is spot on! Having a focused idea as I am working promotes a clear perspective for the months ahead. Both of my projects, Lessons from the Low Countries and Lessons from the Pharaoh's Tomb are centered on pigments of the era though each has specific and individual subject matter. The amount of compositional ideas becomes endless and expands as each project matures. The Pharaoh's stories are so entertaining and historically educational that I am now starting on Part II. Thanks always for your thoughtful insight into techniques. Margret

[Sue Smith]

Thanks, Bea. It can still be a challenge toexplain the context of a body of work that isnt tied to things as specific as those referenced in my post. But sometimes I think about it in terms ofa generalideathat intrigues me, and then how each painting seeks to express some part of that idea. This helps in the studio, too, when Im searching for subject matter.

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