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

[Bea Lancton]

Thank you, Sue, for putting into words something that seems so simple and obvious, yet it is something that has eluded me for so long. Your clear thinking has helped me immensely.

[Sue Smith]

Thanks, Daniel. I think artists can often over think things, or get information overwhelm with all the advice given out.Glad this post helped.

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[Daniel Sroka]

Sue, you have really nailed the whole purpose of the artist's statement, like no one else has. It seems so simple: provide a context for the art! Why haven't I heard it spelled out so simply before? It think this will help me revise and tighten up my own statements.