The image above is made up of a scanned small section of a monoprint experiment, with a figure drawn on digitally. The swirl in my head brings forth various doodles like this, which could possibly develop into 'real work' - but somehow the maelstrom of thinking is also raising a question: why? Although I feel a compulsion to work at developing images, I'm not sure to what purpose.
I'm drifting a bit, not rowing, but allowing a current to pull me along while I dandle my hands in the water. I suppose, to paraphrase W.H. Davies, now that my life is no longer full of care, I have the time to stand and stare. It's just a state to which I'm having difficulty adjusting myself.
5 comments:
When you're driven by your own unique inner voice,it takes time, discipline and patience to tune out what's around and other peoples expectations.
In comparison to previous years , I didn't produce much last year but spent a lot of time thinking
Partly it was absorbing information and ideas from various workshops and exhibitions -I've found it takes a while to distil down the essence and make them my own. Now it's paying dividends in new work and new directions.
The 'why' question pops up now and again ... perhaps the best answer is - 'why not' ?
It's often good to have something rather monotonous to get on with, while all the thoughts are churning around. Then the work of the hands informs the thoughts and helps them develop (into more thoughts??) - you'll probably have a sudden clear focus, or at least a way forward, out of it all.
Mags, you are right. My questioning why does go deeper, in that I wonder what on earth I'm doing just adding to the global pile of stuff - but, when I come back to normal, it's just a lull I'm going through.
Margaret, I'm lucky that I don't need anything monotonous yet. I'm enjoying the exercises I devise for my printmaking classes. And you are right: one morning I shall wake up knowing exactly what I want to concentrate on.
I don't think it is just adding to the stuff - it's about the process - the thing as a vehicle for thinking - some of us just have to 'make'in order to make sense of life.
I am still 'daughtering' (I love your expression) - Your art over the past years is the only art that I have seen that speaks to my experience - and you have been the only person to write of your frustration/dislike of the duty.Thank you for that. Your recent posts have been interesting as I begin to wonder 'what next' for me.
I recommend 'The Thinking Hand' by Juhani Pallasamaa for an accessible, thought provoking read.
Alison - you are right about the process: it is extraordinary how great my printmaking sessions have been for waking up creative thinking. I am glad that my witterings about my daughterly duties have helped in whatever way. The strange thing is that having never wanted to be a daughter by vocation, now that it's over I wonder what my purpose really is. Early days, though, and it's all part of life's great tapestry, blah, blah....
Good on you for publishing your memories. My primary education started in the Borders until two years in Malta where my father went to teach in order to save up enough money to buy a house. I grew up in the 50s, but it seems not a lot changed in the next 10 years in Scotland as far as parents' expectations of children are concerned.
Thank you for the recommendation - I shall tap over to Amazon to have a look.
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