In this crazy, mixed-up world of ours, there is a lot to see and do. Beauty can be found in the frozen salt-white streets of winter, in the play of white and grey clouds lost in the sky, and in the pleasing angle of the dilapidated roof of house on the corner. If you look for beauty, you can find it almost anywhere.
But for as long as there has been paint applied to canvas, from that day until this, there have been artists who are dedicated to taking views and vistas that are available to all and making them their own. Which raises a big question: Aren’t you better off going to look at the mountain/moon/sunrise yourself?
No.
I mean sure, it might be nice and all, to travel down and check out a pretty sunset over the water or to take a look at some haystacks out in the country, and the fresh air wouldn’t hurt either, but really, looking at a landscape painting is more than seeing a copy of a nice view. A great landscape painting gives you access to someone else’s experiences. The editing process of painting, starting with the choosing of a vantage point, whether or not the piece is open aired or claustrophobic and closed off, and even the choice of the predominate colour all give you more information about how the artist’s worldview.
I have my own particular points of interests that I look for when I come across a landscape-type piece of art; I look for how time plays a roll in the picture. Is the painting a short moment, or does it feel like it is in moment that never began and will never end? I also look for some type of relationship between humanity and the wilderness; a closeness, an alienation, a compromise, a story. And, since I’m a painter and I am in love mucking about with paint, I also look at how the paint was applied. There is some meaning there, too.
The most rewarding works require you to risk your own beliefs and share, at least for a passing moment, someone else’s.
I have a homework assignment for you all this week, and I’ll have one for the next couple of articles as well. All I’m asking you all to make is a genre piece. You’ll never guess what genre. Yeah, yeah, so what I’d like you all to do is to get out there into the streets and make some type of landscape photo/sketch/painting and send in jpeg type copy here. It’ll be due Sunday, February 19, 2006. I’m not only going to be collecting these from you all, I’m going to be a participant as well.
So stop your chatter and get to work.
