Work in Progress 2
9September 15, 2014 by petrujviljoen
Another work in progress. Abstract to do with landscape.
127x87cm
petrujviljoen
art, writing, reading
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As the World Burns
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petrujviljoen 
I like this; it has depth one glance—a Alberti window—then none the next—a Greenberg picture plane— interesting. I’m trying to remember how to paint lately after 4 decades of being an illustrator—content, content, content! I’m trying by using too big a brush and a what-the-hell palette. Any suggestions?
Thanks you so much! As for suggestions – jeez! Love giving an opinion but also scared I’d send someone on the wrong track. Painting is a highly subjective, personal business and one of the ‘lessons’ at art school was to let the student find his or her way. A saying: it’s not what you paint is how you paint it is counterbalanced if not contradicted by – when the enthusiasm to paint wakes up, what to paint seems an obvious decision to make. Go figure. I find working from real ‘life’ – an actual object or figure or subject matter helps. Before this abstraction I did many little paintings on site. I keep the landscape in mind the whole time, luckily I can see it from my studio window the whole time and keep in mind the sensations of walking in nature and so on. From visiting your blog you seem interested in the drama of the figure. So maybe get a model to sit for you? Think of a pose that will tell a story? Hope this is helpful. Thanks for asking, I’m flattered.
Thanks for the ideas…
I’ve been narrowing my approach for years, first as a professional, that’s where one wants to get from “idea” (one’s own or a paying customer’s) to “published” quickly, so the process was streamlined–made unconscious, even–as much as possible. But these days I do art only for myself (for others, I teach) And so I want to revive the “process of art” that’s been beaten down by the “object of art” for decades.
To that end… There’s a former golf course, now grown wild, visible through the window in the room I work; I walk there some times, but have never thought to paint it, maybe I will. And you mention “the drama of the figure,” that got me thinking; I paint imaginary figures loaded with content, why not try a real figure—OK a still-life, first—with no content?
I don’t understand still life with no content. Even if you painted a plastic beaker just standing there and painted it well the beaker, it’s context, the way it is painted is all content. I use various size brushes and work sparingly with paint, thickening it with glue where needed.
Three years later and I haven’t done a thing about painting. This is put up right where I can see it and it has become part of the furniture. There is something on the easel too … yawn! Your comment on ‘Found on the Mountain’ made me look this up. And I think it was you that viewed the water photograph, which prompted me to go look for more in my photo folder which I then blogged with a feminist ‘haiku’. I’ve been looking at landart a lot lately. Searching for a way forward I think. I miss artmaking and didn’t realise!
Three years! A lot has changed, a lot hasn’t. Sometimes going outside and collecting some rocks into a pile makes as much sense as anything else, protesting and painting included.
I hear you!
ah how layered and textured and possible and potent
Thank you. I’m particularly pleased where this one is going.