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"Iris
Peek " by JRJ 8" x 10" encaustic
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| "Iris
Peek " by JRJ 8" x 10" encaustic on board |
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| "Cartoon
Iris"by JRJ 48" x 52" acrylic on canvas |
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| "Two
and a Quarter" by JRJ watercolor pun or play on words |
"Two
and a Quarter" by JRJ watercolor
"Cartoon
Iris" by JRJ 48" x 52" acrylic on canvas
"Burger"
by Claes Oldenberg
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| "Burger"
by Claes Oldenberg canvas & painted soft sculpture |
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| "Iris Field" (Iris hoards) watercolor by JRJ 18"
x 22" |
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| "Monogram"
by Robert Rauschenberg found objects & painted |
| Few
people can look at this juxtaposed assemblage without smiling.
The idea of literally making an art piece from found objects
with little more than paint smears added - is inherently amusing,
and this piece has become a cultural icon providing commentary
and a unique view of an age. It may not be the quintessential
goat and tire combination, but it is the only one we remember,
and consequently we remember the artist as well. |
"Monogram"
oil on found objects by
Robert Rauschenberg
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One
requirement for art-making in general and painting in particular
is HUMOR. You must cultivate a sense of humor for the work, about
the work, and about yourself. The only thing to take seriously is
keeping up the practice of the craft, and the value of what you
produce. If you do not think your work has value neither will the
gallery, dealer, broker or collector. "You must think of your
work as conjuring up magical thousand dollar bills. When they are
only materials they have almost no intrinsic value, but once you
have finished by attaching your: copyright symbol and signature,
they become almost priceless artifacts of an emergent culture shaped
by the total collection of your life's work. You have the right
to withhold, modify or even destroy any individual piece, until
it is sold, but your "attitude toward the work" must be
a recognized property and indicator of how serious you take what
you are doing. Having said all that, you must cultivate a sense
of humor toward yourself even as you are serious about the work.
This can be demonstrated in your selected subject matter and titles.
If you can cause your audience to smile first, you have captured
their attention for a bit longer giving them time to reconsider
the work, and look at it differently. This can be carried to extremes
until the viewer is offended by the content of your work. Examples
of such estrangement have caused Congress to severely limit NEA
grants, such that they are no longer available to individual artists,
but only to recognized legitimate art organizations. A few rotten
apples spoiled this grant process for everyone.
Back
to placing humor in the work. Some twenty odd years ago I had a
show that included a large (almost 4' square) yellow/orange Iris
called simply "Large Iris". A critic viewed the show,
stating in a review that it reminded her of Pluto the cartoon dog
bursting through the logo at the end or beginning of a Disney cartoon.
Instead of allowing the comment to negatively affect me, I changed
the name to "Cartoon Iris" and so it has remained ever
since. Later exhibited in a medical facility, I was asked to remove
it because it was frightening children who thought it was a big
scary spider. You have to have a sense of humor.
Homework
# 9 "Humor" as the only requirement
in making an image.
I went
through art school as an undergraduate when Pop art was at a peak.
As a consequence I was exposed to some humorous subject matter and
titles. The popular art makers used art pieces as expressions of
their sense of humor. Humor was inextricably intertwined with art
making. I learned that lesson early and have tried to weave humor
into my work ever since.
As
mentioned earlier - Art historians spend a great deal of time trying
to explain and quantify artists works. To avoid this future interpretation
and distillation through another's knowledge and experience, we
can control how posterity views our work, by keeping records and
discussing the work in our journals and sketchbooks. This includes
documenting the humor. "Yes, I intended to make people laugh"
can be a strong declaration that will deflate a lot of art history
pontification about your work.
Much
of Claes Oldenbergs work concerned humor and looking at common place
things in new ways. This has been an underlying theme for most pop
art subject matter and the artists who produce it. Historical references
discuss the baby boom reaction to the end of the second world war,
and the need for social change including an excuse to laugh. Many
art movements have provided levity, but the more pretentious are
laughing at the viewer. To me those are the pretenders and posers
who have given fine art a bad name. Picasso laughed (all the way
to the bank) at those who thought his work and he was somehow superior.
He was scornful of his supporters and collectors, often laughing
at them and their adoration. He signed his name to a napkin to pay
for dinner for an entire restaurant, knowing that some collector
would pay more for his signature than the bill.
I graduated with 2 BFA degrees (one in Painting, one in printmaking)at
almost the same moment Robert Rauschenberg produced a print that
almost single-handedly ended printmaking as a fine art. He produced
a photo litho reproduction as a piece of fine art signing it as
printmakers did their work. In so doing the value of printmaking
as an original art form was then devalued. Prints never reached
former values again, and printmaking as a major has been dropped
from many college curricula. The quality of recent Giclee prints
have helped in this destruction of printmaking. The ease and low
expense of production has contributed to the demise of limited edition
printmaking. You must keep your sense of humor.
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 "Iris
series #12" by JRJ
"Iris series #13" by JRJ watercolor
"Iris
Guitar " by JRJ
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Incorporating
humor in my own work has kept me sane at times and in situations
where I might lean toward something else. If you can develop and
keep a sense of humor toward your work and life situations, you
too might weather the storm of rejection and destructive criticism
that seems to permeate the age. Learn to develop a little charity
toward your fellow travelers in this business/pass-time and you
will benefit from your good intentions. "What goes around comes
around" is a particularly dated version, but the old truths
are still true. We receive what we give, or we reap what we sow.
I have another paraphrase - making 'positive ripples that come back
to us in positive ways'. I had a professor who said he taught so
that he might educate an audience to appreciate his work and become
collectors of it. But that seems a bit too cynical. Better to make
a contribution to the culture by the quality of our work and attitude,
and benefit from the improvement as a member of that culture. "A
rising tide lifts all boats".
It
is another attribute of control, since as an artist we control content
image and title, we may add a second title in parentheses when we
can't choose between titles or simply have an afterthought. Remember
that this is an appropriate place to have a friend associate or
family member make suggestions. I get some of my best titles that
way, and there are always additional humorous comments to discover
in this process. Don't shy away from silly, that may also generate
interest.
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My Technique
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| "Iris
series #12" by JRJ watercolor 22" square |
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| "Iris series #13" by JRJ watercolor 22"
square |
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"Iris
Guitar" by JRJ watercolor 24" x 28"
(Elvis' blue suede beard)
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A
good place to begin a quest for a humorous image is a serious attempt
to produce a variation or new version of an old image. Contributing
a new viewpoint is a great spur to creativity. Finding a new name
for an old image may help in the process of seeing with new eyes,
or seeing more than we saw before. Some of the best gallery experience
are those where the artist had a sense of humor about themselves,
their titles and the process.
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Technique
Oil Crayon as a Paint alternative
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Humor
can occur anywhere and with any medium, however some things are
intrinsically freer and more easy to explore. I have known artists
to use marking pens, crayons, and even colored chalk to break out
of their all too serious attitudes and to explore new territory.
Fine art is a communication process using visual tools. Humor can
take many forms: a new way of seeing, a new way of thinking and
a new way of having fun. If you need a kick in the pants or feel
your work needs it - try incorporating humor.
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| INFO page |
Humor in Art
If you've ever cleaned your fingernails with a palette knife--you
MIGHT be an artist.If you notice the burnt umber in the background
of the Playboy centrefold--you MIGHT be an artist.If you choose
a wine with an eye toward using the bottle in your next still-life--you
MIGHT be an artist.If your idea of losing weight is to paint a thinner
self-portrait--you MIGHT be an artist.
If you've ever rinsed your watercolor brush in your coffee--you
MIGHT be an artist.
If you didn't realize it until you noticed the taste--you MIGHT
be an artist.
If you thought it improved the taste--you MIGHT be an artist.
If you thought it improved the painting--you MIGHT be an artist.
If you've ever drunk the rinse water instead of the coffee--you
MIGHT be an artist.
If you've ever considered framing your palette instead of the painting--you
MIGHT be an artist.
If you've ever painted an abstract and decided it looked better
upside down--you MIGHT be an artist.
If you find painting more exciting than sex--you MIGHT be an artist.
If your cat has chrome oxide green paws--you MIGHT be an artist.
If the paintings in your attic start looking better than the one
on your easel--you MIGHT be an artist.
If you've changed your painting signature more than five times in
one year--you MIGHT be an artist.
If you've ever cleaned the toilet rather than start a new painting--you
MIGHT be an artist.
If you've ever touched up a painting with WhiteOut--you MIGHT be
an artist.
If you've ever gotten cookie crumbs in the Titanium white--you
MIGHT be an artist.
If you can spell phthalocyanine, you MIGHT be an artist.
If you've ever scrubbed a hole in a watercolor--you MIGHT be an
artist.
If you've ever accidentally mixed oils and acrylics--you MIGHT be
an artist.
contributed by Jim Lane
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an
assortment of # 7 sable rounds