So, skint as fuck.
NOWT! nothing….. the joys of existing as an artist? Am i an artist? no, i dont think i am. i am some one who likes to express my feelings but then doesnt everyone do that in one way or another? Just because my expressions are recorded does that make me an artisit? is that the definition of an artist? Fucknose… id rather see myself as a unique being, i dont want to belong. Just be, as i am, 100% integrity intact, knowing i am true as i can be to myself.
Unable to pay the banks for my loans, and unable to buy goods to live this week has backed me into a corner and made good time for thinking…
Ignoring pretty much everyone who has contacted me, and shaking off the last of my swine flu, i kicked back and thought things through….. 1stly, how the fuck am i going to pay for my home after my flat mates leave in a couple of weeks.
Anyway, Dickie Balboa popped in really late last night and we talked for hours, a real friend, whos company i can say is a total pleasure, no pressure, no guilt trips, no gossip, no energy sapping.
Chilled out, on the ball, deep, caring, fucked up, experienced, creative, poor, adventurous and just fuckin funny.
The conversation turned to art, as he has recently sold his second ever painting, and had three abstract pieces selected for Rhondda Heritage Museum art competition.
He talked of JM Turner, who in the 19th century at a ripe old age, strapped himself to the front of a massive ship and was sailed head on into a blizzard…. and after being cut lose, and revived, immediately painted the classic SNOW STORM, below:
click to enlarge
Leafing through a book on innocent, in a shop earlier that day i picked up a couple of gems, about involving your audience and how 4 sticks of chewing gums were posted to everyone in the phone book and they still own the market 100 years on…
and coupled with Balbs rantings, just wanted to note down:
1. ASK QUESTIONS
2. SUFFER FOR YOUR ART
3. GIVE IT AWAY FOR FREE
after balb left i was surfing the web, and discovered an amazing film director called Jiri Barta. Dark as fuck. Love it! Stayed up for hours and put together a little video with his footage cut to Sicknote live track Shakin, which is from the album Epidemic:
flaps
x
Little Eris
Jul 16, 2009
Great blog this 🙂 my fave yet 😀
I like this definition of a artist :
A definition of Artist from Princeton.edu: creative person (a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination.
Dickie is amazing, my fave words from him recently ‘Art is a gateway drug’ not his quote he said, but still… yeah! Not entirely relative to your blog but had to get it in there 🙂 All hail Dickie Balbao for he is wise, honest ad to the core.
Here is a great quote from a screen printed poster on my wall;
THE ARTIST IS AN AGENT OF CHANGE, A DISRUPTER OF THE SOCIAL ORDER, AND SINCE CHANGE IS ESSENTIAL, IN OUR MONSTROUSLY UNSATISFACTORY WORLD – ESSENTIAL, IF WE ARE TO SURVIVE – THE ARTIST’S FREEDOM TO EXPRESS UNORTHODOX VIEWS, IS THE SINE QUA NON* OF EVERYONE ELSE’S SURVIVAL TOO” – JOAN SMITH
notes
*Sine qua non was originally a Latin legal term for “(a condition) without which it could not be” or “but for…” or “without which (there is) nothing.” It refers to an indispensable and essential action, condition, or ingredient
The important bit of the quote as well I think is the artists freedom to express unorthodox views – unorthodox views never attract money. Most people are paid to uphold orthodox views, whether it be in education, community, finance, religion etc – this is where the lack of cash comes into play for artists.
Cool video.
As far as suffering goes, I don’t think it is suffering for your art more like suffering for freedom, freedom from money.
Tis a small price to pay 😉
What we have inside us is priceless.
x