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A Critique of the Definition of Documentary Art

Documentary Art: a Definition 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 mass migration westward in the US as much as anyone did. Documentary Art relies on a

October 24, 2015

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 to describe it and keep an open mind. Describe the materials and think about how they may be linked to each other. How: How was

October 13, 2015

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

September 16, 2015

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. Think for a moment where artists sell. Mostly it’s to collectors via brick and mortar galleries, websites, at fairs, or

September 6, 2015

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: 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

September 4, 2015

Kindness Can Save the Arts

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: “…developing art and developing artists are not always the same thing. Giving loads of money to already successful artists or companies to make a show is not artist development, it’s a commission. Artist

August 9, 2015

Greg Mason Burns