Greg, Author at Greg Mason Burns

A Critique of the Definition of Documentary Art

Documentary Art: a Definition [caption id="attachment_3563" align="alignleft" width="155"] Documentary arts: An image tells us a story, whether it has detailed facts or not[/caption] The first thing that comes to mind when we think of a documentary is usually a film. Beyond that, we typically think of writers and photographers, especially those of the journalistic type. But that's not all. Painters were definitely the documentary artists before photography was invented. Painters such as Raffaele Carelli and Johann Moritz Rugendas documented the landscapes they visited. In fact, the Hudson School was probably the dominant American documentary arts style of the 1800s. They influenced the...

October 24, 2015

Greg

in Criticism

How to Look at Art in Four Steps (when you don’t know what you’re looking at)

Have you ever wondered how something can be called "art" when it apparently looks like something you could have created using the leftover paint from painting your garage? Well, in this great video by University of Pittsburgh Professor Terry Smith, at the Andy Warhol Museum, he explains how to look at art using four steps: What: Look at the art and ask: "What am I looking at?" Share these thoughts with other people. Try [caption id="attachment_3257" align="alignright" width="193"] How to Look at Art in Four Steps: The Chair in the Blue Room (2019)[/caption] to describe it and keep an open mind. Describe the...

October 13, 2015

Greg

in Criticism, How-to in Art

Choose Your Palette Based on What You Want to Paint

Choosing your palette is not as difficult as you may think. Let me give you an example. I'm also a rock climber. Some climbers take all of the gear they think they may need during a climb while others only take the gear they anticipate that they'll need. I had one climbing friend ask another partner one day, "So what gear do you take with you?" The second answered, "It depends on the climb." And so it is with your palette. Choose your palette, don't let it choose you. Look, I get it, some people like the palette they work with....

September 16, 2015

Greg

in How-to in Art

The Future of Selling Art: Why This Is a Good Thing

Yeah, I know, there are thousands of artists peddling their works on eBay, but how many of them auction in the hundred's of thousands of dollars? If they're coming straight from the artist then the answer is none, but why can't there be high-priced auctions over the Internet like there are in famous auction houses? Well, eBay and Phillips are teaming up to do just that, and that's great news for everyone. Why? Because this is the future of art. [caption id="attachment_3213" align="aligncenter" width="1100"] City VII Roses - Oil on Canvas (2014)[/caption] Think for a moment where artists sell. Mostly it's to...

September 6, 2015

Greg

in Criticism

The History of Plein Air Painting: A Documentary

Put together by Plein Air Magazine, this Outside the Lines documentary on the history of Plein Air painting is a good watch. It's about 38 minutes long, and covers American and European lines. The cinematography is excellent, too. A lot of history here, so enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F86HvkQaz-o My own history with plein air painting is turbulent. I've never considered myself a great drawer, and I've always felt that drawing is something a plein air painter needs to excel at. I'm sure abstract works can be done plein air as well. But all the plein air painters I see these days are doing exactly...

September 4, 2015

Greg

in Art

Kindness Can Save the Arts

[caption id="attachment_4572" align="alignleft" width="191"] Essen Coal #1 - Photography on Archival Paper[/caption] Kindness Can Save the Arts I do a fair amount of research on the art world in general, and occasionally I come across something that strikes me as appropriate and smart. As was such with this quote by Paul Warwick, co-producer of China Arts in the UK, that I found in this Guardian article about Why Radical Kindness is the Key to Artistic Development. Paul said: "...

August 9, 2015

Greg

in Criticism

How to Buy Art if You’re Not a Millionaire in Six Easy Steps

We've all heard about the famous artist getting auctioned off for millions of dollars, and we've all heard about the starving artist as well. However there's two sides to this: it's not just the non-famous artist who's getting left out, but also those who'd like to buy art but have a standard middle-class mortgage to pay. This article is for those who'd love to decorate their home or office with some art they love but typically can't afford it. Here are six steps on how to buy art in a good way: [caption id="attachment_3146" align="alignleft" width="178"] The BATHE - Oil on...

June 23, 2015

Greg

in How-to in Art

The Golden Ratio is Bullshit

[caption id="attachment_2862" align="alignleft" width="300"] Self-portrait - 17.5 x 27.5 cm - The closest I have to the Golden Ratio[/caption] Golden Ratio is a Myth I've suspected this for some time, and I finally got an article that shows this, albeit in a more practical way. The Golden Ratio is kind of a crap number when it comes to nature, art, and design. Now, the author, John Brownlee, suggests the Golden Ratio (or, more simply, 1:6) isn't practical for mathematical reasons. He firstly says that the number isn't just 1.6, or 1.6180 as he notes. In fact, the ratio is much like pi...

June 2, 2015

Greg

in Criticism

How to Make High-Quality Prints at Home

[caption id="attachment_3713" align="alignleft" width="298"] Blue Flower - Oil on Canvas 2105[/caption] Click here to reference my article on how to make high-quality prints at home: Step One: Buy a good printer. You'll need one that uses archival inks. Do your research on this. Here are a few printers that I found. I personally use this one. You'll want to find a printer that both uses archival inks as well as one that will continue to sell these inks. While most of these printers are expensive, there are inexpensive ones out there. You won't find one for $200, but you also don't need...

May 11, 2015

Greg

in How-to in Art

A Lack of Diversity in the US Art World

This is a shame. According to the ArtNews.com (my link is to the LA Times), one-third of all solo museum exhibits in the United States are by artists from five different galleries. In other words, there's a lot of power in the hands of very, very few. That's a clear lack of diversity in the US art world if I ever saw one.Sure, you can argue that there's diversity in the art world still, just like you can argue there's diversity in the workplace - until you walk into your company's board room and suddenly realize that you either completely...

April 27, 2015

Greg

in Criticism

Greg Mason Burns

Author: Greg