Criticism Archives - Page 3 of 4

Trust in the Process: Where Does Creativity Come From?

[caption id="attachment_3213" align="aligncenter" width="1100"] Where Does Creativity Come From? - City VII - Roses - Oil on Canvas (2014)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3865" align="alignleft" width="250"] Igreja Do Cerro Branco - Watercolor on Board (2014)[/caption] Part I of this series is here. Part II of this series is here. Where Does Creativity Come From? Count me as skeptical. But skeptical of what is something I'm not really sure about. Where does creativity come from? I have no idea, except I know that it comes from me. I guess maybe it comes from the universe, or the Universe, whichever you feel better about. Or maybe it comes from within....

December 1, 2014

Greg

in Artistic Process, Criticism

My Favorite Artists: The Restoration of Matisse’s Swimming Pool

[caption id="attachment_3883" align="alignright" width="204"] Henri Matisse - The Swimming Pool (1952) - MoMA[/caption] Henri Matisse has long been one of my favorite artists. This is in spite of the fact that he probably isn't my favorite artist to study or even look at. He has probably influenced me more than any other artist. I never chose to use bold colors, but it's certainly a strength of mine, and Matisse's paintings, particularly A Glimpse of Notre-Dame in the Late Afternoon, absolutely helped me to understand that my use of colors works in the public eye. When to Use Archival Materials One thing that I've...

November 17, 2014

Greg

in Contemporary Art, Criticism

Could Cadmium be banned in Europe?

Being an artist, it's a little disheartening to be held hostage to making color in today's world. Actually, that's too dramatic. I could always make my own colors, and to be honest I'd love to learn how to do so. But there are some colors that are really useful and I can't see myself making them on my own any time soon. The cadmium colors (red and yellow in my studio) are very useful. In fact, I typically work with just these colors: cadmium red, cadmium yellow, ultramarine, cobalt, cerulean, and titanium white. I mix in some other tones from...

November 11, 2014

Greg

in Art, Criticism

Movement and Period: Modernism

[caption id="attachment_3896" align="alignright" width="137"] The Gate - Hans Hofmann - 1959-1960 - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (via wikipedia) is Modernism[/caption] What in god's name is Modernism? It's a question that I've thought about often since a friend of mine figured I fit into the movement. I'm not sure that I fit into any movement, to be honest. I've been told I'm an Expressionist, partly because I express myself when painting (which seems a bit foolish) and partly because of the emotional reaction people get from some of my paintings. Another has called me a figurative painter with a flair for the...

October 27, 2014

Greg

in Contemporary Art, Criticism

Art and Productivity: Trust in the Process

To read the first part of Art and Productivity, click here: [caption id="attachment_263" align="alignright" width="300"] Trust in the process: This painting took time to realize[/caption] In the first part of this series, I mentioned two things. One is how the artist can never shut off the artistic process. And the other is that the artist is just as productive as the normal corporate worker, if not more so. In this part I'll talk about the real reason why the starving artist exists. The Myth of the Starving Artist There is this myth that the starving artist exists because suffering creates great art. There may...

October 22, 2014

Greg

in Artistic Process, Criticism

Art Transcending Science

[caption id="attachment_3250" align="alignright" width="300"] Zapatos de Flamenca - Art Transcending Science[/caption] This article by author Amy Kelly suggests that art and science have developed together over time, despite having opposite functions.Published by the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, the article suggests that art and sciences have long been linked. This is true even in the 20th century where it is rare to find people participating wholly in both areas. After all, art is supposedly more emotional while science is supposedly more logical. This is in spite of the fact that many artists create logic-based art (M.C. Escher, for example). Of course,...

September 17, 2014

Greg

in Contemporary Art, Criticism

Art and Productivity

[caption id="attachment_3295" align="alignleft" width="300"] Art and Productivity: when art develops over time[/caption] This has been something on my mind for some time. I wouldn't call it a rant, or really anything new, but it is a reality and I believe an important point to share: that artists are as productive as corporate workers in spite of not being able to show anything at the end of a particular day. Thinking is Working Look, I get what you're thinking - how is it possible that an artist is working when sitting in a café watching the world go by? There's no way to put...

July 23, 2014

Greg

in Artistic Process, Criticism

Art and Medicine

[caption id="attachment_3469" align="alignright" width="300"] Untitled Abstract #2[/caption] Art and medicine are linked in ways we might not have expected. I'm excited to share this Dupont-Corian article because it could save everyone money. According to the research published by Upali Nanda, Director of Research, American Art Resources, one study pitted a Van Gogh painting, A Pollock painting, and a landscape photo. The article states, "When the patient's medication use was charted, it was found that in contrast to the control group, the patients consumed slightly more medication while looking at Pollock's abstract work, suggesting that the art had made them anxious." The article also...

November 10, 2013

Greg

in Criticism

Art Motivates and Can Help You Make Better Financial Decisions

Igreja da Sé de Olinda I live in Brasil and recently had to do a presentation in my Portuguese class. The assignment was to create an argument that would convince the rest of the class that my side was best. Since I'm an artist, I chose a topic regarding why art motivates and can help You make better financial decisions. There is a lot of research out there that shows why art is good for you, and it isn't just because it's beautiful or anything like that. It's because art sends messages to our subconscious that cause us to react. But it isn't...

October 13, 2013

Greg

in Criticism

Remembering your values

Remembering your values isn't always easy to do. Ever had a bad day as an artist? Ever wondered where the next commission will come from? The next sale? The next print sale? Ever wonder if it's worth sticking with it and heading back out to the "real" world? I've been on both sides, and being an artist is easily the best thing for me. I know this in my heart. But here's the thing, it's not always easy to do it. One needs to remember why one is doing it, and sometimes it's easy to forget. I had one of...

August 30, 2013

Greg

in Criticism

Greg Mason Burns

Criticism