Tuesday, April 26, 2016

A different source of input for a different need

Time was I would scour the country for exhibitions of interest, and would leap into the car and off I would go.  The Devon Guild gallery in Bovey Tracey is about two and a half hours away, but that was no object.  Indeed, unless it was the height of summer, the route was an enticement in itself. 
 
The beautiful Wiltshire countryside - image from here.
With a friend I had driven three hours and some to Bury St Edmund to see a prestigious Art Textiles exhibition, a similar distance to Manchester for another such show, to Sheffield, ... etc. etc.
It is true that the traffic was considerably lighter in those days - the '80s through to the early '00s - but I realise that gradually over that time, and much more now my needs have altered too.  To begin with I was still working in publishing, mostly on overseas projects with gaps of weeks, and sometimes months in between, so I was free on any day of the week to buzz off wherever I wanted.  Then when I started becoming more interested and serious about textiles I was constantly on the lookout for education and inspiration.
The intense years of virtual housebound caring for my mother acted as a kind of full stop.  The need for intellectual stimulus was certainly still there, and so I began to add more concentratedly to my collection of books.
I realise that I have been immensely fortunate in being able to see a very wide range and quantity of art over my life, and although I still derive joy from seeing original work, I am becoming more picky about where I spend my time - but also conscious that my time is increasingly limited. 
Of course wanting to concentrate more on thinking about and making my own work is the overwhelming consumer of my time, but I am delighted to say that I derive enormous stimulus and even excitement from the ever-improving exhibition catalogues from large museums and galleries.  And the Internet also contributes through such bonuses as I think of them as the weekly roundup email from the Goldmark gallery, and excellent blog posts such as Eirene's on the Anselm Kiefer woodcut exhibition on in Vienna at present
It is remarkable how much high quality stimulus I still receive while spending most of my days being able to get on with work at home.  This solution is much more time-efficient, as well as saving me money - a catalogue is far cheaper than travelling.  And somehow the exhibitions I do choose to visit have become even more meaningful.

9 comments:

  1. Insightful personal trajectory. Looks very familiar. I too filled my younger days traveling to take advantage of special (and sometimes not so special) exhibits, drinking in what the route also had to offer. Then collecting books to reference. I'm hoping my travel doesn't remain as limited as it has become these last few years but if that is my fate, I remain thankful for all I was able to see and hear in person and continually amazed at the wealth literally at my fingertips through the Internet. Ideas still abound for my own work and I do not lack for materials to work with. Honestly, I am blessed. And blessed to have gotten to know you and share bits of your life. (Same goes for my other Internet blog friends.)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sheila, I suspect that this process is fairly normal; the enthusiasm to learn and to take in as much as possible at the beginning of a journey into any field. Then as we become more discriminatory, deciding what it is we are particularly interested in, and which more specific areas we want to learn more about, we do not cast about quite so much.
    The Internet has certainly been an amazing means of learning and communication. So many of us are blessed indeed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it may be more general than that even - the waxing and waning of a normal life cycle. I think back on the opportunities I took advantage of in my younger days - live concerts and free street entertainment, talks on a variety of subjects by well known experts, side trips to historical markers and monuments, or even just to a "scenic viewpoint" that others might whiz by - I could go on. And then I reached a point where it wasn't so important anymore to take advantage of every opportunity, as if I'd filled up enough not to so urgently need more filling, could live off the memories for a awhile, more of a take it or leave it attitude towards what once felt like a must do. A bit like that other life cycle of collecting things half your life and spending the other half giving it away. :-)

      Delete
    2. I completely agree, Sheila - I like to think that the turning point comes when we have collected enough to be able to think about and hold our considered opinions. These of course should keep evolving, but at least from a solid base of experience. Wisdom?

      Delete
  3. I too have been thinking about our exchange of comments on this subject Olga, and I guess this is one of the main differences between us: the journey of finding out about art is relatively new to me, so that I need to be like 'a vacuum cleaner' to use your expression: it's all still relatively new to me and oh so exciting, so visiting galleries is essential.

    Thanks for the link to the Goldmark gallery, and for the mention.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eirene, I wondered if you knew about Goldmark, as the gallery is more in your area than in mine.

      Yes, I recognise the signs of your enthusiasm and excitement - and I find that that never completely goes away. There are often times when I become obsessed with discovering more about a specific artist, or an aspect of their art, etc. Witness my voracious appetite in the case of printmaking!

      Delete
  4. Thanks for the link to the Kiefer exhibition, very exciting, especially after seeing thenwork at his RA show, which I visited several times. Though I'm lucky to live in a city with much art, the internet is an important stimulus and route for discovery. There's just so overwhelmingly much to take in! I still find the chance encounters are vital, and they can happen "live" or online.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Margaret, the chance encounters are the spice of life, I think.

      Delete
  5. The internet is an absolute godsend for me, really inexperienced as I am in all these delights. Through blogging, following up links, and reading the writings of those who, like you, share so generously your knowledge and experience, I feel I am gradually increasing my knowledge and sharpening my perception. For me, however, I will confess, there is nothing to compare with the exhilaration of seeing the work of others 'in the flesh'. But then I realise, I have so much to catch up on ... and it's all so exciting!

    ReplyDelete