Blurred Lines

Last night I went to the Akron Art Museum for a panel discussion with some of the artists represented in the exhibit,  Beauty Reigns:  A Baroque Sensibility in Recent Painting.  This is the same show that I recently blogged about.  The artists a part of this art talk were Kamrooz Aram, Nancy Lorenz, and Susan Chrysler White.  They discussed what role beauty plays in painting today, and what stimulates contemporary artists to utilize bright colors and layered compositions, amongst many other things.  

There was some discussion about whether their work was ornamental, or decorative in nature.  Before the Arts and Crafts Movement, lower status was given to works of decorative art compared to fine art.  The Arts and Crafts Movement led to the decorative arts being given a higher status in society with a greater appreciation.  

Thinking of categorizing ones art into a certain category really made me think.  Lines are blurred so much in this day and age regarding what is considered art, or fine art, etc.  In the past, fine art was judged for its meaningfulness and beauty, and the the fact that it was in "good taste".  Today, there could be art with "bad taste" which could be considered avant-garde.  These avant-garde pieces could now be considered fine art.  The decorative arts were originally excluded from being considered fine art, but now there are no exclusions because the intention or concept of the artist is given priority, regardless of the way the artist chooses to express themselves.  

To an observer, a painting that is ornamental in nature that seems to have no meaning may be full of deep inspiration from the artist.  On the other hand, a painting that could be considered "fine art" may have no meaning at all.  Having these blurred lines for categorizing one's art can be freeing and at the same time, confusing.  Today, whether a piece of art is considered purely ornamental, decorative, fine art, or "beautiful" is up for debate.  Recently, I have been combining what would be considered "fine art" with design just to see what happens, and I am loving the results!  Art is always changing and I love living in a time of blurred lines!

Art Trumps Football

Yesterday my husband and I spent the afternoon on a date at the Akron Art Museum.  I wanted to see the new exhibit called Beauty Reigns:  A Baroque Sensibility in Recent Painting.  

"Beauty Reigns features the work of 13 emerging and mid-career abstract painters, working in studios across the United States. The exhibition celebrates the exoticism, exuberance and optimism found in the artists’ work. Among the characteristics these artists share are high-key color, layered surface imagery, use of overall and repeated patterns, stylized motifs and a tension between melancholy and the sublime."

There were a lot of interesting pieces, but my favorite ones were done by the artist, Christopher Pekoc.  He is a mixed media artist who makes photographically-based assemblages where the surfaces are machine stitched together.  These are a few of my favorite pieces...

I love the program that went with this show. I love that it was filled with pictures straight from the artists studios with photos of them working to show their processes.  I have always loved visiting artists studios and I think this excerpt from the program says it all...

Here are a few artists featured...

Not only did we enjoy the fruits of these artists' labor, we made the front page of the newspaper today!  What a surprise to see my face on the front page of the Akron Beacon Journal today and an article inside entitled "Art trumps football for some fans"!  This article says it all.  My husband and I are so different in our interests, but I am thankful that he takes the time to step into my world of art now and then.  I wish I could say that I step into the world of sports now and then, but I don't.  A Super Bowl game would be a torturous few hours for me considering I don't even understand how the game is played!  Brad and I can laugh about how different we are and we still find a way to mesh well together despite our differences. 

Here is an excerpt from the article in the paper:  

Akronites Tara and Brad Deetscreek said they were split on the importance of the game. While Brad was gaining points by taking his wife to the museum, he knew he would be home long before the game began. 

Tara, a mixed-media artist who picked the itinerary for the couple’s “date day,” said the Super Bowl competitors weren’t on her radar.

“I have no idea, nor do I care,” said the mother of four boys who she said share her disdain of the game.

“He’ll hibernate up in his room,” Tara said of her husband.

Brad Deetscreek, who professed to “love football,” said he was fine with that arrangement. He just wanted his bride to be happy and thought there would be fewer people visiting the museum on a snowy day.

“We’ve been married 16 years and I want to keep it that way,” he explained.

CLICK HERE for the full article and photographs of me and Brad at the museum.