Following Colin’s great article on Chile, Tubes highlights a discussion essay about the Transavantgarde, an art movement that started way back in 1979. Spike our resident art critic returns to TUBES with observations on the future of exhibiting for artists, and with a few choice words and a keen critical eye. painters Tubes magazine has linked up with the new publishing and art social networks for artists and galleries world wide.
2 ©Studio5Sweden TAG exhibition #1. 23 December 2018 to 23rd March 2019painters TUBES Artists GalleryDon’t miss the firstexhibition of the newTUBES Artists Gallerygo to painterstubes.com forthe link to the Gallery on lineor order a printed versionfrom: [email protected]
3 editors page... “...I was delighted to curate the new Tubes Artists Gallery #1. To launch the artists gallery. We hope the Tubes current viewing audience of 81,000 plus art enthusiasts will enjoy viewing the work of some known and emerging artists. It certainly wasn’t any easy task to choose from the many artists submissions, fortunately the Artists gal- lery shall mount a new exhibition every 4 to 6 weeks. The artists that didn’t make it into the first TAG show, may well be in TAG#2 - The Gallery is published on line and in print Go to painterstubes.com for all the links to the Tubes Artists Gallery Colin Taylor, Artist and keen mountain climber, has written the Second Part of his great 3-part series of articles about one of his many mounting climbing expeditions. The story is about his most recent adventure in Chile. Colin talks about landscape painting and reflects over how we actually ‘see’ the environment. Following Colin’s great article Tubes highlights a discussion essay about the Transavantgarde, an art movement that started way back in 1979, ut seemingly continues today. Albeit by artists who may not even know they are a ‘Transavantgardists’ Please read the full essay to gain an understanding and. in my viewpoint of why that may be the case. ‘Spike’ returns to TUBES with observations on the future of exhibiting for artists, and with a few choice words and a keen critical eye. painters Tubes magazine has linked up with the new publishing and art social network for artists and galleries world wide. ArtMo. And we are very pleased to be the first magazine to promote an Art- ists group initiative that goes by the title Art Number 23, London UK. This is a ‘real life’ platform. I’m very sure all three new collabora- tions will expand the opportunities for Artists and provide unique possibilities for networking and exhibiting paintings. We are also very happy to include in this issue a photographic review of the successful ‘defining the elemental’ exhibition, where at least seven artists featured by painters TUBES magazine in previous issues, were invited to participate in (including myself) which was a great privilege for me to exhibit with so many fine painters. Last but not least is what we see as an educational art fictional story. Which was first published in 2015 in an international magazine and written by myself as a prelude to a series of stories in the ‘White Spirits Book’ to be published in the USA late 2019 and as an illustrated on line book in the UK in 2020. All at TUBES hope you enjoy issue #11 all the best.” Denis Taylor - Artist-Writer and TUBES Editor.Front Cover: Untitled -White Shroud - water colour.1983 ©Francesco Clemente - Collection Kunsthalle. Basel, painters Tubes magazine designed & produced by Studio 5 Publishing Partnership UK & Sweden. HQ office: Ekerodsvagen 253, 266 95 Munka Ljungby. Sweden. email:[email protected] - www.painterstubes.com ©painters TUBES magazine issue #11 and TAG #1 2018.12.23 - ©all rights reserved
4 “Through a painted landscape” by Colin Taylor part two of a three part series “...are there really no straight lines in nature?” ‘In Tubes #10 Colin Taylor prefaced his journey to Aysen in Chile by questioning how his prac- tice would cope with the transition from urban ‘cityscapes’ to Patagonia. In this second (of three) articles he speculates about what ‘seeing’ is and how that impacts upon the process of visual acclimatisation’. “are there really no straight lines in Nature?” Artists often refer to the ‘process’ of painting; the physical act, the ‘doing’ part of making imagery. It’s also true that whatever form of creative endeavour you choose, (for me its principally painting), it is itself, a process of responding to human experience using a particular individual language form. Artists do not suddenly set out to make things; but they do want to understand why they perceive the world around them in the way they do and so choose a modus operandi that they believe suits that process. With me, each painting or drawing is merely a bridge between the last painting and the next and equally important in a continual chain of visual exploration and information gathering. As I arrived in Patagonia to paint, climb, draw and bike I remembered another climbing trip, that time to Ecuador, and flying directly into the capital, Quito. I had trained quite hard and was ready to go and could not understand why it took so much effort to drag my luggage from the plane onto a taxi and up a few hotel steps...
5...of course I’d forgotten that you step onto the plane at sea level andstepped off at 9,000 feet and I was completely un-acclimatised and badlyout of breath. This time, I reasoned in a similar way, that having just spent3-4 years focusing upon Manchester’s city centre, it would take time formy work to acclimatize to the pristine, unplanned natural landscape thatI was now experiencing. I’d been used to sheet glass stretched across asteel armature, structures funnelled into grid-locked tight spaces, pushingskyward and my immediate reaction was to look for visual clues that mightoffer continuity of practice.‘The first few dabs and dashes completed on the hoof in Patagonia werenot properly acclimatised. There was a definite disconnect between thelandscape presenting itself and the developing imagery on paper. You haveto tell yourself to plough on and work through that doubt. But is what we see… all that there is to see?‘Projection theory’, was a long-held physiological explanation for thehuman vision system which in essence, proposes that visual stimuliproject’s an image onto the retina and triggers a direct physical movementand emotional reaction. It’s easy to understand the eye working as a kindof camera and ‘projection theory’ provides an academic foundation for theanalogy. Traditional representational painted landscapes, (if I can generaliseto make a point), might then be perceived as the artists attempt to renderthese ‘projections’ into 2D images.But… even by the time Cezanne was exploring what it felt like to standon the slopes of Mont St Victoire, ‘Projection theory’ had already beendiscredited. The German physicist Helmholtz, (1821-1894), had concludedthat the eye was quite a basic organ and incapable of performing manyof the tasks previously assigned to it. Helmholtz proposed that a seriesof ‘unconscious inferences’, were required to co-ordinate a mechanicalresponse. If our sensory attributes line up in a certain way, our visionsystem searches for a veridical explanation for what we see.The human response to this same constellation of sensory data wouldalways be constant - a kind of in-built sat nav. Inevitably, current thinkinghas moved on further and now much contemporary vision research is nowpredicated on the basis that our perceptions are wholly empirically andindividually based. As artists, we do not see everything around us, but weare able to construct a personal explanation which informs our creativeresponse. If true, then what we see…. is a direct result of who we are andeverything we recognise, both explicit and tacit knowledge.“...what we see…. is a direct result of who we are and everything we recognise, both explicit and tacit knowledge.”
6 above: “Sky blue cut edge. ©ColinTaylor In the latter stages of the Manchester cityscape series I had increasingly turned to pre-prepared sheets of painted card, which were cut, mixed together, assembled, overlaid and layered up on the canvas surface. I attempted to use the painted card used in very much the same way as you would pigment from a tube, adding, deleting and building up the final image. “Perhaps it wasn’t so surprising that this should the first tool that I instinctively reached out for, even though the subject matter has changed completely.” Stepping off the plane in Aysen, Patagonia I had already acquired an ‘experience’ of the landscape I was now starting to re-shape on paper. I had researched a little of its social, geographic and economic background, I had some useful knowledge from previous visits, albeit not to this region, of similar terrain and we had an itinerary that had been thoroughly ‘googled’.
7Personal experience is of course, a completely different ball game andon this kind of trip, you are so busy taking everything in it’s often notobvious when to pause and get something down on paper.I had in mind a series of images that would record both my physicaljourney and the perceptual changes running alongside. The process ofvisual acclimatisation and eventual suppositions are much more aboutthe experience of creative output than they are, any single image. Inmany ways I see the paintings, drawings (or for that matter, a piece ofwriting), as visual punctuations in that wider ongoing process. It is theythat often seem to be the re-calibration of thought and not the other wayaround. At that instant the artwork, just completed, moves centre-stageand becomes a momentary articulation of what I think I know.The American philosopher, Susanne Langer, used the phrase ‘vitalimport’ to describe the creative combustive reaction particular toartists, the moment the brain digests a multi-sensory set of perceptswithin a single artwork. Any conclusions are based on past and currentexperiences and from learnt responses and it is only our individualperception of what we alone see, that makes sense.I don’t regard any of my paintings as literally ‘finished’, althoughhopefully they reach a point of resolution where I can trust themas standalone representations of my ongoing practice and the term‘finished’, although not strictly accurate, is used and the work.… is‘exhibit-able’.A few never get to that point and are condemned to limbo-land untilI can figure out a way forward. Some are exhibited, sold, never tobe seen again. There are others (unusual but not rare) that have beenexhibited, come back and then several months or years later, might bere-worked and shown again.The other day I laid out all the work produced thus far, related to thisseries – approx. 35+ paintings, drawings and scribbles - all in the orderin which they were started. Some seem to be ‘finished’ and at the timeof writing, only those who fall into this category are reproduced in thisissue.They reflect the transition from built environment to natural andclearly retain vestiges of that previous enquiry. A few are in into the‘probably’ category, but most have a way to go and I suspect that somewill struggle to get over the finishing line. A few, are still to be started,materially speaking, but will be well underway by the time this ispublished. Viewed together, does that body of work represent my experiences in Chile? The background knowledge, my physiological limitations,beliefs and my capabilities as an artist all converge on the imagery but, if experience cannot be seen,... ...then what is it, that I am looking at ?
8 “...The problem faced by an artist who needs to communicate in a single image, what it was like to stand on a mountainside on that given day...” Thinking back to Cezanne, I’ve always felt that his success was that he defined the problem. The problem faced by an artist who needs to communicate in a single image, what it was like to stand on a mountainside on that given day... “...he produced uncertainty.” part one, two and three “through a painted landscape is written by Colin Taylor all part three parts will be published with parts one two and three in issue #13 March 2019 in painted Tubes magazine to view more of Colin’s work please visit his website on: www.coltaylor-co.uk on the following pages Tubes are delighted and grateful to Colin to be able to show our readers exclusive images of some of the paintings Colin is currently working with for “through a painted landscape” series of paintings.
9Arroyo verde hielo, Cerro Castillo ©ColinTaylor 2018 Caleta Tortel red mountain ©ColinTaylor 2018
10 Cerro Castillo ©ColinTaylor 2018 Estero Parada #1©ColinTaylor 2018
11 Rio Claro a Puerto Ibanez ©ColinTaylor 2018Rio Ibanez via Cerro Castillo ©ColinTaylor 2018
12 TRANSAVANTGARDE why it is still relevant today untitled- 1983 ©Francesco Clemente
13 the Transavantgarde and why it is still relevant todayThe Transavantgarde was a movement in art first created around 1979under the auspices of Archille Bonito Oliva, an Italian art critic. Itcame to attention when the talented Sandro Chia, Enzo Cucchi andFrancesco Clemente exhibited at the Biennale in Venice in 1980. Twoother (also now much admired) painters had joined the group just beforethe biennale, Mimmo Paladino and Nicola de Maria, and exhibited withthe first members. By 1982 they held an exhibition in Rome of the new‘movements’ creations and it was only then that the movement wasgalvanised by an international audience and the idea of Transavantgardeswept across the mainland of Europe(if not the UK). “...from 1972 to the middle of 1975, I concentrated on Magic Conceptualism. I tried to go all the way to the roots of the creative phenomenon. I wanted to find the zero point of creation. That zero does not exist..” Q:Sandro ChiaThe main thrust of the Transavantgarde was a reaction to the dominantconceptual art of the 1970’s and 1980’s and the existing institutionalacknowledged avant-garde obsession with progressive political idealologiesmanifesting itself in art that intended to disgust or shock the public intosome sort of cultural change of society in general. The base thinking behindthe Transavantgarde painters was to reaffirm the art of subjectivity, basedin national origins and make popular that the reality was, that the ‘AvantGarde’ no longer existed. They threw aside Marxism, artistic associationwith psychoanalysis and other cerebral orientated art, but alignedthemselves to Expressionism and past twentieth century masters, such asChagall, Malevich (his figurative paintings) Masson, Picadia, de Chiraco,perhaps with a touch of the Fauves colour theories thrown in for goodmeasure.The Transavantgardist, were firm believers in the ‘craft’ of art, withtraditional techniques, the use of charcoal, pencil, pen and ink, perspectiveand the also the re-use of shadows in the work (not unlike the thinkingof many painters of today in fact). To Create intimate symbolic signswas their mantra. Many painters on the European continent took up theTransavantgarde position in the creation of unique and authentic art. Forexample, Baselitz and Keifer (who today are regarded as major leaguepainters) could be seen as representing the movement, as does the Frenchartist Gerard Garouste (although not so well known today outside ofFrance). All show an affinity with the Transavantgarde (ref to ‘FreeFiguration’ around 1979). Julian Schnabel’s (USA) work of around 1983certainly seemed closer to the European Transavantgarde than say the era ofthe USA Pop Art. And certainly more so than the Hyperrealist’s who weremaking a name for themselves in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s (ref toEste, Kacere, Hanson and De Andrea etc).On the following page is an extract from the Transavantgarde originalmanifesto as expressed by Archille Bonito Oliva, this is reproduced to givethe reader a taste of the thinking about visual art (painting) at this time,of the artists associated with the movement.
14 Archille Bonito Oliva, art critic and writer of the book on the Italian Transavantgarde “An Art without Ideology” La Transavantgarde Italienne ©Archille Bonito Oliva1980 “....To do art means henceforth to control the levels of the cortical matter of art. After the self-flagellation of these last years, the artist has rediscovered his own specific role as well as the pleasure to exercise creative activity without obligation to invent something new. To requalify the role of art means for the artist to reconquer its territory, to transfer its own practice with specific specific frontiers of an operation that does not measure itself against the world, against its own history, and against the history of its own expressions. The artists of this generation rediscovered the privilege of enclosure in the sense of reserve, concentration, and focus point of a biology of art. Behind this experience broods a great humility that consists in beginning anew from the narrow and labourious territory of of a manual production, not limiting itself to thinking or indicating but devoted to a uniting, to visible facticity - as it appears in the terminal of the work - and to a mental index. The mentality that licensed techniques and materials is being replaced by a mentality licensing the tangibility of a product. The missing pride of the conceptual artist’s work, the elitist behaviour of the artist who was playing on the amazement of the public and on the element of surprise, are being replaced by the humility of creative, accessible and real work.
15Art becomes again direct expression, leaving behind it the feeling of guilt for being permanent, whichwas a symptom of contact with the world. The artist becomes again maniacal and Mannerist in his ownmania. The opposition moved toward the perspective of a possible reconciliation with the world. Thedialectic was the symptom of an ideology that thought it could continue using its old tricks because thereis no longer any direction toward which they can steer the creative experience...The Transavantgarde is born precisely from this condition, unfolding like a fan, open toward the renewalof a minor past, namely a past removed from the rhetoric of great traditions.This “minority” is one more value that was recovered by the new art mentality, which moves withfeminine gestures and with a feminine and subterranean sensitivity.“Transavantgarde artists who practice this other-than-art feeling belong to this generation and are part of a great creative expansion.” © Nicholas De MariaIf the reader is feeling a bit nonplussed or even confused by this extract from the Transavantgardemanifesto, it’s not that surprising to the writer of this essay.The quoted extract does sound a little like 20th Century post-modernist thinking, than it does atwenty first century ‘painters’ thought process, -- which of course strictly speaking, it is.
16 ©Sandro Chia- (figura) The ideas of the Transavantgarde have been *attacked for more than decade or two. Especially from the left side of liberal political thinkers of the 1980’s. They accused that the new movement ‘supported’ the established right wing political western worlds status quo. There were other art academic experts who insisted that the movement was encouraging artists to become eclectic and therefore pandering to the general benefit of the commercial world (i.e the small high street galleries, which again, is difficult to accept with hindsight, as artists today now know how galleries had encouraged their stable of artists ‘not’ to change their ‘style’ and ‘keep to the buyers script of preferences).The painters linked with Transavantgarde, really couldn’t win the argument - no matter what they did. The art establishment seemed to be against them at all costs, possibly due to the fact that the last ‘renown’ Italian art movement (Futurists c.1914) was heavily brushed with fascists political fervour. In my view unfairly so, as it was the delusional mentally deranged poet who wrote the Futurists manifesto, and not the painters who set out that crazy dogma. The painters themselves, I do believe, may have followed along enthusiastically with the idea of machine mechanical movement and the abstraction of that difficult subject line, (bolstered by Cubism as a starting point), but not the mass destruction [cleansing] of society, as the perfect way to make space for a new modern society, built by machines. * Tubes recommend the excellent essay published in Doppiozero International, written by Stefano Chiodi Link: http://en.doppiozero.com/transavantgarde
17 “postmodernism is not modernism which has reached an end but modernism in its nascent state – and this state is constant.” Jean Francois Lyotard. 1986It does seem strange today to say that ‘post-modern art theory, the one that brought on the late 20th centuryplagiaristic banality art works and gave the world the likes of Koons, Hirst and Creed, was seen in the mid20th century as ‘real-art-development’ or ‘ground-breaking’ art - and not simply a commodity. Yet, PostModernistic theoretical non-affirmative art inspired Art did become what it was supposed to be against.That was, a vehicle for the investment bankers funds and 1% of society who ensured their investment grewin value by maintaining and promoting it’s status as ‘high-end’ or serious Art, as it had in the USA and theUK. Painting meanwhile was seen as a ‘past it’s sell by date practice ‘ or worse ‘as a jolly past-time’ orworse still practiced by ‘part-time’ artists who languished in the second division of a decorative art worldfor ordinary people. During these times most ‘real’ serious painters simply closed up shop and became veryquite, worked in solitude, were ignored and waited for the art-wind to change direction. “pleasure of painting is accompanied by the impulse of the spirit, by the capacity to integrate the intense activity involved in creating the painting with a preventive ironic detachment...” Achille Bonito Oliva©Francesco Clemente
18 One of the original ‘Transavantgarde-ists’, Mimmo Paladino, described his inspiration as a sort of “shiver” or like “an underground river.” that suddenly came to the surface. An esoteric experience, where the artist considered himself as an innocent visionary, sometimes a ‘wizard’ or the ‘bearer of aura.’ This sort of art talk didn’t help the barrage of critical attacks to go away, even after decades of the Transavantgarde becoming widely accepted both in Europe and the USA - As far as the ‘opposition’ to this perceived elitists art form was concerned, they held these artists words up high under spotlights, to prove to themselves and self- interested parties, that ‘these Artists’, considered themselves above everyone else. And that their own belief, that everyone is ‘an artist’ and everyone can make ‘Art’ was the more advanced belief system for the development and progress of a new art for a new century. It is quite strange, that the art world power holders, didn’t actually follow their own belief system, and went ahead and promoted a chosen few to distill this belief in public - Behind that ‘art avant garde trick’ was money. It was the powerful driving force and the clever marketing the ‘false modesty of the artists’ that was the art-game changer during all of the 1990’s. The new Avant Garde was created, alive and well and back on top when they thought they should be. Being the only new-art that really mattered, if only in the mind of the few. “money has destroyed my Art” Q:2018 Guardian by Damian Hirst excellent Transavantgarde authentic painting
19 Francesco Clemente in his StudioToday the art playing field has widened and spread to all corners of the planet. And the mix of Art is accepted asnormal- ‘the everything is art, the post modernist view, has seemingly triumphed’ -The weakness, and some may say the strength of that view is:- all Art isn’t Art to everyone and not everyone isan Artist - which depends on your own view of what an artist is?The result of the confusion being that the artists who create art today, especially those that live off Art,compromise themselves, sadly, they are often very disappointed artists. Is selling the odd painting here and thereor having one ‘sell-art’ exhibition after maybe 10 years hard slog, or being given a ‘gong’ to an elitists’ artistsclub, winning the Turner Prise, or being highlighted on a culture TV program, is that proof to the inner self that‘you are an artist with a view of if what you are doing is authentic art?’Most of the artists I know are convinced they are not the finished item - ‘complete’ - most are searching forsomething that probably doesn’t exist, yet they still continue to try to unmask it. Surely being an artist is a stateof mind - not a title or an entitlement - And it helps if the pursuer of ‘art’ is not quite right in the head, I meanwhen measured against the rest of society. That’s why not everyone is an artist - Our ultra modern society simplywouldn’t be able cope, nor function,If everyone thought like a real artist. The person who creates unique one off works that can make one laugh, cry,smile, think introspectively or feel something profound or experience sheer visual pleasure, for reasons that theviewer of the art doesn’t really know why, is not something everyone can achieve, the truth is, it takes a specifictype of individual to be able to create something that can do even one of those human reactions or emotions listedabove, to a static two dimensional image.
20The post modernists were wrong, which is why much of what has been offered as Art in the late 20th century is nihilistic, barren and appeals for a few minutes to the intellect only. After which time it has nothing else to offer. It is finished as quick as a Big Mac is consumed. However appealing that was (and still is) to our quick fix play station generation, it still leaves a person as empty and flat as last nights bottle ofBud almost empty and left lying on the sofa, only to be found the next day with the remnants of a midweek TV dinner. The most important thing about the idea of a Transavantgarde artist is the longevity of the spirit of art of creation itself, that eclectic attitude they professed and lived by and even today is frowned upon by many in the academic world. In a recent interview and not that long ago, Francesco Clemente was asked what propelled him to make art ? He thought for a moment and replied ‘Boredom’ - as a painter, I found myself agreeing with him. It’s a reality that boredom of not creating anything at all, that pushes you into picking up a tube of colour, any colour will do, or a stick of chalk, charcoal, or whatever can make a mark, and start to spread the contents with whatever is near to hand. After a short time the boredom develops into absorption and then after a while longer, into pleasure and then often excitement of what is happening before your eyes. It’s only when one stops working that boredom, disappointment, or anxiety returns. So, the whole process is repeated, infinitum. That’s what painting, or rather creating is like. It’s spiritual, physical, much of the time psychological, and absolutely pathological. When I first began writing this article, my opinion of muchof the Transavantgarde artists wasn’t exactly positive. I knew for example in the USA, their written words inspired the works of much of that era of loose ‘throw it on’ and scrawly painting, that personally speaking, I still find puerile and without real substance, I found it weak and far too much “look at me.” type of work. It wasn’t until I read how the Transavantgarde artist had been castigated and thrown into the dark corners of the ‘art- rejection-waste-bin’’ that I realised how close many of the painters today are by following much of the same thought process as they did, way back in 1979.top: Enzo Cucchi.middle Mimmo Paladinabottom:Francesco Clemente Exhibition, Guggenenheim.
21Francesco Clemente After researching the ‘artists’ and what they produced, then visiting Rome and viewing some of the work in the flesh, it was then that I realised, I too was a Transavantgarde artist, but of the 21st Century, as were so were many of my artist fellows.Even to the point using the revitalised traditional ‘drawing’ mediums, such as charcoal, chalks, pastels and pen and ink. I guess what goes around - comes around - Art is a circle as much as the whole of human history is a circle of repeat and repeat with details of variation.My personal hope is that original authentic Art’s circles are growing exponentially wider and without the need of regurgitation or the emulation of what stylisation, and conservative standard subject matter . To date it seems that outlook is just starting to be seen in painting created by talented artists from around the globe. written by Denis Taylor for painters Tubes magazine Sandro Chia
22 Good news for painters who are looking to exhibit their work for a small outlay of money. Art Number 23 is organising an open exhibition at their studio base located at the Old Biscuit Factory Bermondsey London. The aim of Art.Number 23 is to create opportunities for artists from all over the world. Art Number 23, was founded in 2016 by Constantine Anjulatos, who is an artist. The stu- dio based showcase is supported by several like minded artists who are working towards to connecting artists, curators, galleries, and art enthusiasts in a global Network of creatives. Art Number 23 have organised similar venues and art exhibitions in New York City, Philadelphia, Moscow, Berlin, Athens, and Amsterdam. Go to page 25 to learn about the space and the costs to exhibit your work in this new and exciting series of art project. Currently there is an open call for artists to submit work for a showcase exhibition from January 24th to 30th January 2019. Deadline submission is the 5th January
23 London - Showcase Exhibition 100 Clements Road, Block F the Old Biscuit Factory SE16 4DG www.artnumber23.ukcirca: 50 square meters of open space with 8.5m, 7m, 6.5m and 5.5 running wall space available for two dimensional artworks. Cost is: 3 meter wall space £95.00 for 7 day exhibition 2 meter wall space £75.00 for 7 day exhibition. One meter wall space is £55.00 for 7 day exhibition. If the exhibition runs for 10 of 15 days there is a small additional fee of £15.00 All art is selected from email submission of 4 images to: [email protected] quote ‘London’ show in the subject field.
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25“the art game...”“..showing paintings on line is now the main stream for the dissemination of anartists work, of that there can be no doubt. Even though real life exhibitionsare still relevant for many artists, an on line presence is essential (if only forstreet cred). That old bone we once chewed on ...“painting is a dead art”debate has faded away as fast as padded shoulders did in the middle 1980’s.Our grumpy old art critic, Spike, takes a long look at the selling Art game todayand does some straight talking...
26 “The Art Game..” There has been a major change in attitude to painting in the last few years. In part, this may be entirely due to the need for the high street galleries to survive the financial crisis, the one that started in earnest in 2007 and is still having an effect today. Not to mention adding to the problem of Donald Trump isolation policies and the European Union on the brink of collapse, helped along by French Yellow coats demonstrations, crazy nationalism and ‘No Deal Brexit’. Today, more than ever, high street galleries need to sell ‘more-stuff’ and earn extra profit to pay those stupidly high ‘business rates’ in the major Cities. It’s hardly any wonder we see empty shops for sale or rent on the high street – Lets be honest, paintings sell much quicker than those ‘cool’ avant-garde installations of nonsense that rely on high brow art academics to authenticate the cultural importance of something that most people wouldn’t actually install in their homes, even if they don’t say so publicly. And usually there is a heavy price tag for that sort of contemporary bull-shit art, we have witnessed over the last three decades. Consequently the contemporary ‘arty farty’ marketplace is tiny compared to the ‘popular paintings’ art market. Even though there are only so many landscapes that anyone can put in their homes. That market will also run dry eventually. Maybe a very few of the high streets, will expand their perimeters and start to take a risk, in half a decade or so? By which time it could be too late.Today the sheer size of the (art) market (because of the www) has outgrown all that ‘arty farty stuff’ by leaps and bounds – certainly as far as turnover is concerned. So the www has become the place to set up your stall. Major funded on-line art galleries and some not so well funded independent artists all have a go at selling direct to art collectors and art lovers. Even Tubes magazine are having a go (although they already know there is no money to be made) so why bother trying? - I’m told by the Editor that the space for artists is, in keeping with TUBES magazine policy - that is: “Art before profit..” ...many folks may find him quite mad, I know I do. The one man art gallery start-ups tend to fail quickly- some have a sort of ‘in the third year we will make money’ type of planned blue sky thinking fiscal plan’ and obtain bank loans. Most, in reality, loose much more money than they bargained for and are wrapped up prematurely by their investors (or more commonly, the bank) Tomorrow will not a case of high streets chasing huge profits for many private art galleries, on the contrary, it’s survival we are talking about here.
27 “Don’t Worry’ a work of contemporary art by Turner Prize Winner, Martin Creed. “..there is no money in Art..” A very wise man once said to me back in 1982......he may have been right, but for the wrong reason, as far as I am concerned. Art cannot and shouldnot be treated as a commodity. And be sold as such. - Stack ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap is not an effectivestrategy for selling original art, but when times get tough, (in Art) the tough get going or they bottle it.A few galleries are having some degree of success especially the well positioned bricks and mortarestablishments. They do use the web effectively. Many sell-out their latest exhibition on-line evenbefore they hold the opening night, which simply turns into a social event. A night which also serves avital purpose for the prospective client to actually see the Artwork for real – then the deal is invariablyclinched on the spot by the religious handing over of the Credit Card or the signing of the agreement ofa 12 month interest free payment scheme, funded by the Art Council “they say quality original art always wins out in the end, (well nearly always).”I guess the major on-line gallery self appointed art selectors will continue to advance those artists thatfit their preferred ‘trendy style’’ of the month and advise their visitors who are the ‘ones to watch outfor, because next month they will be discounts galore on offer, perhaps? Thus employing the ‘buggerthe Artist’- stack em high and give big discounts - if you buy today- type of non-ethical bribery gamesthey play – And all with additional discounts for second time buyers, of course. Will high street galleriescontinue to be flooded by the hopeful newbie painters who really don’t stand a chance, or will thesehoards of artists who think they can ‘stick a jpeg on line’ with a ‘really famous’ big named web site andexpect a sale? Best be prepared for disappointment and a very long wait my deluded artists friends.For you will be one of millions who reside in a virtual space that is almost impossible to be seen.Will the on-line - ‘paid private educators’ - who tell us - How to Sell Your Art On-Line, or ‘How to paintlike DeKooning’ (yes you really can view a You Tube on how to do that) ‘activity’ really begin to make adifference for the artist financially, or is all that art business on line simply a game that lines the pocketsof the author who wrote this sort of bull shit ?It seems to me, that the only way forward for painters today - is do what the Impressionists did wayback in the day before the internet existed - That is find a ’cheap’ building to rent space -Hire it - Put your stuff on the Wall (with a few artists friends) - And throw caution to the wind, then gomental posting on social media pushing the show and have’ a brilliant time at the opening - I meanwhat’s the worst that can happen? You will loose some hard earned cash and many hours of yourtime, possibly in a drunken stupor? But perhaps you will gain a hell of a lot of self pride (and the mutualrespect of your fellow painters, maybe) and get to understand how a real artist (and a really greatgallery owner) actually work bloody hard and mostly for the love of Art and not for the love of money.There is nothing wrong in selling your Art but surely it’s what and how that matters? ...After all it’s just a (selling) game...isn’t it? written by ‘SPIKE’ for painters TUBES magazine spike©5/12/2018 edited Jan 2019 from the original article in 2018
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29Post Exhibition ReviewphotoEgrxahSpibhhisatiuobnny SDLemireeyctHhtoaarrrnaisdtoDVneicpahAnollCteolnoguragphhy,
30 Shaun Smyth Denis Taylor Barry De More Miranda Richmond Richard FittonThe exhibition ‘defining the elemental’ was an exhibition of paintings created by 10 painters and a writer of proseand poems, which ran from the 27th October to 12th January. The venue was the Crossley Gallery space locatedinside the extensive business and culture centre at Dean Clough mill in Halifax. The venue is gaining muchadmiration for the large space and well presented design of the gallery. This enables the work to be have plenty ofair around each work, this goes a long way for the visitor to really enjoy the art from both afar and to be inspectedup close. The viewer then tends to spend far greater time with the work in the art gallery.A special mention of congratulations should be made to Vic Allen, Danica Ognjenovic and their small team for thehanging of this exhibition.The premier day was extremely well attended by both invited guests, interested parties and the artists themselves.It was refreshing to witness the positive interaction of visitor, artists and art professionals who engaged with thepaintings. From an art perspective, most of the subject of the work was based on the natural world although anumber of the artists shown their own interpretation of it in both style and paint application.Shaun Smyth who was the instigator of the exhibition had suggested the concept to the venue’s manager (VicAllen) who took little time in agreeing to host the exhibition.
31Nicki Heenan Ian Norris Richard Clare Stevephen Stringer Jeanette BarnesHe commented that he had wanted to show a number of the artists, (who Shaun listed as the artists to be invitedto take part), for some time. Many of which are well respected and admired painters in the North of England,London and Europe. The exhibition feel and range of work shown was almost eclectic, which today day is a rareoccurrence. The ‘normal exhibition’ tends to show work which is similar in both style and subject matter. The title ofthe show ‘defining the elemental’ provided a wide open field for the artists to select work which they believed suitedthe overall brief. This diverse range contributed to the variety and to a large extent how the visitor could ‘click’ withtheir individual particular favourite piece or series of work.Shaun Smyth showed a number of work from his ‘construction of the Mersey Gate Bridge’ which is a huge projectthat Shaun decided not only to make a record of for posterity, but also expand his own approach to painting as anart form. These work were an enticing example of the large exhibition that will be shown at the Brindley Theatre andculture centre at the Runcorn (North West England) scheduled for a public opening on Saturday 23rd February tothe 5th April 2019.Richard Fitton, shown some of his classic ‘portraiture’ which were all painted in his specific heavy impasto style.Richard is a an artist who has shown his highly collectable work in private galleries and has recently been invited tomount a show at the Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery in Rossendale (North West UK) in May 2019.
32Ian Norris was another artist on show who has a unique approach to painting both urban, nature and interiors. Hiswork balances figurative with abstraction. Ian has a specific colour palette that is light and delicate.The work shown at this show perfectly demonstrated his sublime unique vision with the experienced hand of giftedpainter. Another artist who shown very individual work was Denis Taylor. These works (three in all) spanned thirtyyears in the artists production. The two stand-out pieces were high colour toned with a colour palette that burstwith vibrance, yet they both had totally balanced contrast, this was aided by a visually intelligent composition,which demonstrated the artists desire to create paintings - as an art form. Jeanette Barnes, decided to exhibit alarge charcoal drawing of beautiful complexity. The work was powerful in subject matter (i.e rebuilding ground zero)and spanned over 2140mm. She also shown smaller works which were equally unique, with the likes of, ‘insideBattersea Power Station’ and ‘Olympic Stadium under construction’. Stephen Stringer, who generally paints pleinair based on the surroundings from his locality had a variety of work examples each with strong brushwork anda deep understanding of how colour behaves in different conditions, which was in sympathy and sat well with NickiHeenan’s paintings. Although having nature as the subject, these were totally different to Stringer’s work, but heldthe same powerful visually delightful affect on the viewer. Richard Clare, exhibit a number of works that were allbased on ‘imaginary- landscapes’, and were semi-abstract paintings, for which Richard is well known for in theNorth West of England.
33Miranda Richmond also exhibited her paintings of the natural world. Her work has a mystery about it which iscarefully thought about and skillfully constructed. Her lighting is the key element in her paintings which lends itselffrom high tone to subtle shading in her painting. Barry De More, who was the only local artist on show, exhibited anumber of works in heavy impasto paintings. The subject matter were based on observation and study of his ownenvironment and reflected the day to day life in the surrounding Town’s. Last but by no means least, was the writerof the exhibitions introduction in the catalogue, David Traves. examined each of the artists work independently andwrote a poem for each painters work. Which acted as a creative summary of his feeling and impressions of each ofthe painters. David also wrote a fine introduction for the catalogue of the show which can e read on painters Tubesmagazine platform .‘Defining the Elemental’ exhibition was an example of artists and non-profit public galleries working closely togetherto mount an excellent exhibition where both popular and challenging art can sit in harmony and provide the ‘public’not only pleasure but ‘food for cultural thought.’ painters Tubes magazine was delighted and proud to supportthis exhibition both materially and morally. Let us hope this is the first of many specifically mixed-style paintingexhibitions that are hosted not only by the very forward thinking Dean Clough Art Galleries, but by the many similarprivately funded and charitable organisations throughout the UK and Europe and beyond.
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35photograpjhs from the opening day of “Defining the Elemental” at Dean Clough
36 the uninvited visitor educational art ghost storyYou know the the drill: Monday to Friday - Work to be able to have a bed, fill the stomach and then get on with someproper stuff on the free days. For me that meant spending Friday to Sunday night in a run down building in the centreof the City, which I pay £30 a week for what I call it my art studio, but I can paint whatever I like - stuff that is neverseen by anyone - stuff that means more to me than just meat and veg on the table... ... it was finally friday, I’d dragged myself home from work, took off my uniform, fed my facethen took a very hot shower, just to remove the weeks invisible layer of capitalism from my body. I dressed for theweather and went off to the studio with new supplies of oil and brushes. Making sure I had a six-pack from the localcorner- -shop on the way. I was anxious, yet impatient to get to the studio to see again what I’d done the previousweekend.I’d accepted the cold and the damp of the place with a stoic resistance these last winter months – the thermal imitation-fire provided me with enough sustainable heat to work and the lighting was adequate. I painted with my mind not myeyes, I told myself. The single strip light hanging by chains from the ceiling had proven its trustworthiness. It was astate of artistic revelation I was after, not to witness what happens on the canvas at the point of doing it. Seeing wassomething I did after painting, not before and certainly not during.I was hooked on that feeling of freedom I got when, to be as self-interested as I wanted to be whilst I painted. To bewithout a worry about being paid at all for my hard work - as I did in my day job. It wasn’t making money for me orsomeone else I was really into – it was the ecstasy of the creative act, which help make my other life more tolerable.Painting was my drug of choice.That particular friday evening, I began with my usual routine. I put the electric fire on, cleaned my brushes and crackedopen a can of lager. Put all the paintings on the floor, walk around them in turn, examining them one by one. Secondviewing my paintings was always exciting, until I spotted an area that I wasn’t happy with. And as usual, I lined all thepainting up on the wall to critic them more intently. The end resolution was always the same. ‘The need to repaint themall over again’.
37It was at was one these regular new starting points when my uninvited visitor arrived.I’d barely laid a stroke on the canvas when a voice from behind me spoke.“Starting again eh ! - I’ve started over more times than even I care to remember. Always its begin, finish, begin, finish, startagain - over and over – Oh my God - what a game it is!”I turned around to view a man in a brown overcoat, a black hat and a pair of round glasses that were perched on top of a sizablenose - He donned a black bushy mustache and had a cigarette dangling from his lips. I looked at him silently for a second ortwo. His hands and arms were raised up slightly in a familiar gesture of perplexed acceptance of the fait accompli.I made the usual polite yet firm enquiry-“Err, sorry, who are you and how did you get in?”“Your name is on my list of visits, the door was unlocked.” He replied.He pulled out an A4 piece of paper from his inside pocket and confirmed he had theright name and address.“If you’re from the tax man- I don’t sell anything. And I can prove it.”I said in a panic.“Relax, I’m interested in your outcome my boy, not your income.”Before I could react he asked me a question.“So, by starting over you think you can better what you have already done?”My reply was said as a strong indignant statement.“Yes, I do - besides that’s my choice, why ask?”He pulled on his cigarette and blew out a cloud of blue smoke. He walked up to the paintings still propped up on the walland knelt in front of them. As he looked at them he made small upturns of his nose, which gave the illusion of the cigarettefollowing the brush strokes on the canvas.“So, do you paint your inner self in these?” He asked.I pulled out of the conversation quickly.“What exactly are you here for?” I asked him.“Maybe I’m here to help you?” I assumed my negative position.“How?” I said with abrupt dislike of his implied offer of charitable help.“Like, you can tell me how to paint?” I said with a laugh.
38 He looked at me with his big brown eyes as he blew out another cloud of blue smoke. “Who, besides me, has seen your work?” I didn’t respond. “Ah ha, as I thought- no one.” He said with air of arrogance. “How do you know the communication has been transmitted...without a viewer?” He asked which raised my curiosity and I tempered any further irritable feelings towards him. I moved over to my electric kettle switched it on and asked if he would like a cup of tea? ”Maybe a lager?” I said with a smile - He denied both offers. I sat on my chair and cracked open another can and after a quick gulp gave him my position on my art. “Look mate, I don’t who you are, or who you represent, but I paint for me and no one else.” He looked at me over his round glasses. “But of course, so why else to paint?” He walked around to my back and placed his hand on my shoulder. “What is the point of paintings that nobody can see?”- I shook my head. “You paint for you- which means indirectly your paintings are for all.” He said, walking around to face me again. “You paint what you feel, what resides in your emotional state - what is worth communicating - do you not?” He asked and walked away to squat on the floor with his back to the wall. He pulled on his cigarette again only this time allowing the smoke to escape from the sides of his mouth. I decided to make a stand against his implied lack of responsibility on my part. “No, I paint for me - when I paint I think about my life, about my past, my loves, my family, ones that are no longer here - I paint for self enlightenment - for my own humanity. Not for everyone to trough over my feelings like some sort of emotional ‘E’ driven rave party.” He stared at the ceiling. “When people cry in front of a painting, they are feeling what was felt when the artist painted it. It’s a human need, to transmit and receive emotion, it’s what makes us human.” “Who the hell are you?” I said becoming increasingly uneasy. He answered with unsolicited advise. “The best thing you can do is become a full time artist.” He said as he straightened his back and rose from the floor. “What is the point of pussy footing around? You work for money all week, then paint at weekends for what, for why? What’s the point of continually painting and repainting the same image for no one, except yourself ?” At this point I’d already to come to the conclusion that this was a set up. Maybe a work colleague had arranged this visit. None of them understood why I isolated myself at weekends just to paint and repaint my images. I always refused to show them what I did. They all thought I was OK, but a little crazy. The visitor must be one of those ‘speak-a-grams’ you can hire. I was sure of it and decided to go along with the gag. “OK, Mr Smart arse you tell me why I should paint for others and what I should paint and I’ll listen - before chucking you out.” I sat down in my chair and opened yet another can of lager. The visitor waited for me to settle before he began what I believed would be some sort of piss-take culminating in my work friends busting into my studio and shouting ‘surprise’. The visitor looked at me and walked up and down the studio- probably trying to remember the script he had been given- I smiled to myself in the hope he would screw it up. He drew on his cigarette, blowing the smoke from his nose as he looked at me, then at the ceiling before he began his dialogue. “A painting is not about experience. It is an experience. There is no such thing as a good painting about nothing. You paint abstraction and yet I will say, without reservations, there can be no abstractions. Any shape or area that does not hold the pulsating reality of real flesh and bones, its vulnerability, its pleasure or pain, is nothing at all. Why just be interested in the relationships of colour or form or anything else. Be interested only in the expression of basic human emotion. Tragedy, ecstasy, destiny and so on.” He paused and took a long drag of his cigarette. “Any picture that does not provide the environment in which the breath of life can be drawn should not interest you.
39 The most important tool the artist perfects with practice is the faith in his ability to produce miracles when they are needed. Pictures must be miraculous, the instant it is is completed, the intimacy between the creation and the creator is ended. He is an outsider.” He stopped talking and walked around the studio stopping in front of my painting speaking whilst he looked at them closer. “What about me. My needs” I said slightly angry He looked over his shoulder at me.... “...Of course a painting must be for him, the artist, as for anyone experiencing it later, it maybe a revelation, or an unexpected and unprecedented resolution of a familiar need, perhaps happiness?” He turned away from my work and walked up and down again. “It’s a risky business to send a picture out into the world. How often it must be impaired by the eyes of the unfeeling and the cruelty of the impotent who could extend their affliction universally.” He then stopped talking, smiled and thought for a second. “The progression of a painter’s work, as it travels in time from point to point, will be toward clarity: toward the elimination of all obstacles between the painter and the idea, between the idea and the observer.” He looked at me and turned away again. “If the paintings remain a secret, you will never be fulfilled and condemn yourself to painting the same bereft image over and over - until the day you die.” He looked at me again and almost in unison we said... ...“its takes courage to be an artist.” All that I remembered later, was waking up in the chair with empty beer cans all around me. It felt as if I had been asleep for days. In the shadows I saw the visitor was still watching me. My legs were cramped as I stood up and limped around the studio, staring at my paintings. “Amazing.” I said with surprise, “ They are all finished.” “Yes” said the visitor. “Now you must leave them to exist and take their chance in the world, just as I must now leave”. The visitor stepped out of the shadows and he headed for the door. I asked him“What was your name again?” He looked back towards the studio window, “ ...out there... they call me Rothko.”‘the univited visitor’ - written by ©DenisTaylor2012 -published 2014/2015 international magazine/painters TUBES magazine 2019
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