Staring at paintings...

This is a really new activity that I have started just some weeks ago for my self development and it's called "STARING AT PAINTINGS". It is a kind of personal investigation that I am carrying out right now which came as a result of my Exploratory Project from year one. As I submitted the whole of my Exploratory project for marking, after some time I eventually came to realise something really big : I CAN BE A PAINTER TOO. This revealing factor is fundamental in lots of ways in the sense that it has made me re-identify myself . As the more I came to think of this, the more I started to question myself about how I used to think of myself as an artist. I have to say that before the course, I was quite happy to be known as a sculptor ( I still am, it took me a lot of pain to be known as one and it is still my passion) However, I must admit that there was a kind of restriction that I had subconsciously set out for myself. For example, before attending an exhibition I would automatically set my mind as to what I would have to focus on. I was on the watch out for my field of interest and appreciating (REALLY appreciating) paintings was secondary. Of course being an artist, I would have my overview of everything and be broad as expected, however, what I am mostly concerned with right now is that MY PRIORITIES HAVE CHANGED. I mean, my way of looking has changed ...

I remember my university years when I was learning about specialising myself in sculpture. This was rigorous learning indeed where eventually the trained eye becomes expert in recognising and differentiating subtleties. During my painting experimentations, I must say that I have undergone several stages of uncertainties and lack of confidence. However, with encouragements from Angela, Caroline and of course my peers from the MA, I am breaking up my rules and re-inventing them. Appreciating paintings is an important activity according to me as I feel that I understanding eventually serves its purpose for application afterwards and opens up the door to so many possibilities. I wanted this activity to be remain simple and spontaneous as far as possible and this is what i do: I look out for an artwork (local, international, contemporary, abstract..nothing specific,just go with the flow..) and I try to connect to it emotionally for some time by contemplating it for a lapse of time. I also note down what I feel, or just something that clicked or something that is of interest. This idea came to me as I was researching on the paintings of Jackson Pollock. I was quite surprised and curious about how people could contemplate his artworks again and again and so many talks/books/critics about them. Initially I thought this was all crap. I am very happy to have chosen to do this activity because at the end because I came to realise that all that matters is that connectivity/communication that goes on primarily (really strong and forceful). I have also come to realise how important this activity is for stimulating inspiration. I am rediscovering paintings of several artists right now and this new insight is really so exciting...