Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Art of Action thoughts

I have been deeply thinking about this project, keeping my early am and late pm journaling notebook next to my bed. And, there is another one that travels with me. The blogging form, and even the website presence I have not used. Not wishing to be a luddite, but due in part to some of the intimate/private nature of my work with people, I have been hesitant to put it out there on the world-wide web. Landscape, architecture, no problem but with people I have been a bit more cautious. A fair amount of that work has found public venues in books and exhibitions but usually for consumption by those who were either affiliated with the projects directly or those interested in the work, be it for aesthetic or personal reasons.
I must admit this has put me in a slight quandry as I am brainstorming about
how to put my work to work to consider some of the very important issues facing
Vermonters and those way beyond the borders of this state. As I entertain the concept of the blog, I would hope to have it break me into a new way to work and think about not merely engaging visually, but even conceptually - the public, AofA artists and particularly my respondents with whom I will not only work but will DEPEND upon.

So the process goes and I am very honored to be part of this project, even as a finalist. This kind of work is very difficult in terms of conceptual formation and also technical/artistic formulation and development. I have been reading parts of Sarah Waring's et al rich CD. That verbal information must now percolate into the intuitive visual mode combined with some divine intervention. I am beginning to contact others who may function as advisors and respondents.

2 comments:

Clair said...

Hi John -
And welcome -- and yes, conceptualization is the conundrum here. I can figure out how to make any of a various number of "statements" or "comments" BUT, would anyone want them hanging on their wall? That's the rub.

I've never torn quite so much of my hair out of anything before.

Dana Wigdor said...

Hi John,
Welcome to blogging! Great to hear your thoughts... I, too, am new at this and usually keep my unfinished ideas, thoughts & process to myself. Surely, there must be a way for us to blog without having that 'open sketchbook' feeling.
Best,
Dana