IDM Mailing Archive

I'm not sure how many people on this list are visual artists, but i just got back from seeing pollack and some interesting thoughts crossed my mind. As an art student now, I've always been encouraged, even at a young age, to exercise my will of expression in whatever manner i saw fit. It's like this for a great many people and indeed, "classical" art schooling is a rarity anymore. In the vibrant period of early to mid 1900's art, the really breakout people were those that broke the bonds of what was previously accepted, even in more modernist movements. Pollack, for example, completely overstepped the cubists or modernists, not only refracting images within his own mind, but eliminating as much of the external as possible, and in turn conventional "forms" etc. All major artistic breakthroughs have been this way. My question then is, how is an artist to define him/herself when the ground is open, and free? if there are stipends of conventional art left to break, what can a person do to really find himself? That's about it... I'm sure this is quite narrowminded, and general. It's intended to be... i suppose im just eagerly awaiting the next "big break" which given the general state of art should be something completely fucking insane. sounds nice. cdin --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

quoted 9 lines My question then is,

> > My question then is, > > how is an artist to define him/herself when the ground is open, and > > free? if there are stipends of conventional art left to > > break, what can > > a person do to really find himself? > >Become an alcoholic. > >(At least that's what the movie unwittingly suggests is the key to genius.)

maybe you didn't catch one of the main themes in the movie, that pollock did his best work while sober after he married lee krasner and they moved out of NYC to long island, it was only after the nuemann film that he started drinking again, and subsequently his work/life went to shit. a small observation from an art historical point of view. JD2 _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

On Tue, 17 Apr 2001, john dunning wrote:

quoted 6 lines maybe you didn't catch one of the main themes in the movie, that pollock

> maybe you didn't catch one of the main themes in the movie, that pollock > did his best work while sober after he married lee krasner and they moved > out of NYC to long island, it was only after the nuemann film that he > started drinking again, and subsequently his work/life went to shit. > > a small observation from an art historical point of view.

You mean, "Hollywood point of view". As with most movies, this has more to do with advancing lessons on humanity, not art production. I heard an interesting theory (advanced by Rosalind Krauss) that Pollock basically self-destructed after finding out that Picasso had flirted with splatter painting at some point in time, thus negating his triumphant feeling of discovery. You see how unhealthy the pioneer/genius dialectic can be? -rob --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

quoted 6 lines maybe you didn't catch one of the main themes in the movie,

> maybe you didn't catch one of the main themes in the movie, > that pollock > did his best work while sober after he married lee krasner > and they moved > out of NYC to long island, it was only after the nuemann film that he > started drinking again, and subsequently his work/life went to shit.

Oh, believe me I noticed that. Even when he was sober, though, the film never portrayed him saying anything intelligent or coherent about his art. Or about art at all. Conniving, opportunistic, and smarmy critics around him deliberately created the critical opportunity for him, particularly Clement Greenberg. The film, like almost all art biographies, simultaneously glamourizes the artist-as-tortured-soul while lamenting what might have been without all the drugs/alcohol/temper/whatever. We were supposed to beleive he was a revolutionary genius - while at the same time the movie portrayed his artistic endeavors like they came solely from his random and (literally) flailing attempt to get attention. (Is that what the avante-garde is?) He looked about as comfortable talking about art theory as George W Bush does talking about foreign policy. The scene where he discovers the splatter technique is supposed to be like we're watching the birth of Christ, but to me it just ended up saying that "Abstract Expressionism is the product of the careerist desperation of a small group of desperate, shallow, and for the most part alcoholic men." I wish the movie showed his relationship with Thomas Hart Benton. That would have been interesting. Maybe the movie was *trying* to be an indictment of Pollock, AbEx, and the art world... but I doubt it. Either way, it ended up making the single most influential art movement of the late 20th century look like a joke. Which of course it is. By the way, I had a fling with the woman who played the Life magazine interviewer. So I guess I'm biased! -Cf --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

In a message dated 4/18/01 5:32:02 PM, Chris.Fahey@raremedium.com writes: << Either way, it ended up making the single most influential art movement of the late 20th century look like a joke. Which of course it is. >> There are very few people that would agree with you that AE is or was a "joke". Don't confuse "Art" with the "art world". mediadrome ps I always thought that he got those big curves (drip or drawn) from El Greco!.. throught Benton. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org