I feel stuck in thought. Thinking about art & design; what to make; how to make my content more meaningful. But thinking is a trap as often I explore too many possibilities, creating this overwhelming pile of ideas that greatly out weigh my actions.
A struggle between making and thinking
They both seem to organically erupt from an unconscious place inside ourselves; we are compelled to make and think. Making isn’t concerned with high art philosophy, schools or professors, the great makers of the last 200 years, or any kind of relevance in terms of a cultural or historical context. Making is raw, it’s primal and something we all need to do in some way. It’s like a natural and inherit urge to use our body and senses in that way.
Thinking pays close attention to context — how ideas fit into a holistic perspective involving. In art terms, thinking is concerned with both the history of images (who already invented that wheel) and the relevance of making new images in our over-saturated visual world.
Making isn’t a response, it’s an act
Andy Warhol said that ideas that aren’t materialized don’t occupy any physical space — and who the hell cares about the things you can’t hold and see?
I feel torn between idea and execution. So much has already been created, appropriated, remixed, spit out, recaptured and remixed yet again. So much is already redundant, irrelevant and thoughtless. Why draw a flower if it doesn’t mean something; or paint a square red; or paste a picture of a charcoal grill next to a chainsaw? Is the value in art simply the fact that someone spent some time making something? Hours spent; labor — is that what it’s all about? I thought that was craft; I thought art was about something higher, deeper and more thoughtful.
Open ended
I don’t have any conclusions yet, but I’d like to hear from you.
[edit]I really enjoyed your article. This link may be of interest to you:
This is a collection of “mind writing slogans” compiled by Allen Ginsberg, presented by his former student, Amy Hertz. Like other Beats, Ginsberg put a great premium on spontaneity, intuition, and the initial response to a formal problem. Although the quotes in his list refer to the act of writing, many are pertinent to any artistic/spiritual endeavor. My personal favorites:
“Take a friendly attitude towards your thoughts.”
and
“Surprise Mind.”Many years ago I heard an account of an interview with Vladimir Horowitz. He was describing how he practiced. He said that sometimes he would play (execute?) for an hour or less, while other times he would play all morning. The interviewer asked him how he knew when to quit for the day. “It’s simple,” he said. “I just play until I delight myself.”
How does action and creating precede thinking? It probably requires a lot of thought. If what you’re making doesn’t provoke thought, then what’s the point?
Great making can just happen without really thinking, just by circumstance. But without thinking things can’t be defined or have any value.
Take thinking away completely from making:
Did an oyster really think to make a pearl, or just decide to eat sand. Obviously “it” “made” it. But we said “wow, pretty”, and gave it value based on thought. Oysters are only here because we chose to recognize them, give them a name; document and think about them. We place value on “things” through thought, (perception, aesthetics, rarity). We constantly weigh that value against the value of time (is this worth the time), just as Peter Friedrich Röding did when he decided that his time would be valuably spent cataloging oysters. His time was well spent, because we know have the word “Oyster”. The only thing that makes us different from anything else on the planet that “makes” things, is that we think about improving, and try to find purpose and usefulness in things. The real kicker, is that “things” wouldn’t exist without “you” to experience them. So thats the whole point.Improving the value in experiences….
So we will continue to weigh our thoughts and our actions against the time we have. Then we decide what is going to stick around in the world for a while when we “make it”. Maybe “it” will be useful to many other generations, and perhaps we’ll even get our little place in Wikipedia.. (or whatever that will become).... On the other hand what we make doesn’t live on, so what, at least it helps us exist now.Making is primitive, but thinking determines value. Tom pointed out a great philosophical discussion on understanding decisions, if you care to hear some british dude’s chat about it.
The title for this piece is off - it should read -
How to stop thinking and start making - or - How to get the hell out off my own way -Reading between the lines - u r talking about being paralyzed because u have not figured certain things out - the problem is we will never really fully understand anything without action - not even ourselves - the act of writing - talking (sometimes a trap) - walking creating - looking and learning - changes the way we think - which changes how we feel -
it is unrealistic and I do not know where we ever got the idea that sitting around thinking was going to change anything - that somehow if we could turn it around and over enough times and figure it all out - things would change - like our feelings - but change can only happen through action - especially new actions change our thoughts and beliefs - which change our feelings -
so in a sense - the ART that you are talking about comes after the creation - it is what informs us as we grow and learn - we create - experiment - etc - why - who knows - because we are disturbed souls- have a primitive impulse - or as freud thought are trying to find a socially acceptable way to not grow up and stay in never never land - it takes most people a life time (if ever) to figure out why they do what they do -
irregardless - the practice (deliberate) of art - is about doing and learning from doing - and finding something about yourself and maybe what even really drives you -
Furthermore one can never really understand ones own art until creating a significant body of work - is it prescient - meaningful - useful - new - kitsch - you can not really know until you spend 10 - 20 years - then you can start to see what it really is - and what it is really about -
BTW - it strikes me that part of this is also the delight of suffering - I do not have this issue - I create because I have a need to do it - always have - more then likely because I do not get along well with humans and the only successful way I have really found to communicate my ideas and feelings is the arts -
I do not think myself out of working - I do not think I am a genius - or unique or that I am ever going to do something that has never been done - My goal is very simple - I want to move people emotionally - make them think - and maybe even challenge their ideals -I forget who said this - but it has always been reassuring to me - that whatever an artist intention - he is lucky in this world if he is able to get 10% across -
it is a risk - to go out there and create and be analyzed - etc - but nothing has any meaning without risk - anyway - I am rambling - thanks
I plan to comment in full sometime before the end of the week, but here is a little somethin’. The topic I would like to discuss is workplace. I’ve come to find out that I work best when my tools and materials are readily available in an area that is conducive to making (studio, garage, etc): I define ‘conducive to making’ as a place that is away from your living space. Transfers, screens, drawing tools, paint, paper, panel, and all else need to be within arms reach in an area that I can get down and dirty in.
Personal computers have made it possible for us to access a variety of subject matter very quickly, in a fairly organized fashion. Thinking of the physical workspace in much the same way gives us a sense of confidence when working. Organize the studio for easy access to your materials, allowing for the same quick reactions to analog work that you experience in the digital realm.
This statements are highly subjective and merely going off my own experience working in both the analog and digital worlds.
More later . . .
@Eddie:
I like your idea about action leading thought, I think that’s a good way to approach it. I started working on some wood panels the other night and you were right, after working for a few hours I had a rush of things to try. If the art comes after, is the process of making art about experimentation and intent? Do you feel like your thinking complicates the process, or you are you not concerned with thinking until the making is complete?Meaning and risk are tied together, but I don’t think it’s that risky to put yourself out there. Sure, I’ve been burned by people before, but generally I’m an optimist when it comes to people’s intentions.
@J:
Your points about workspace are dead on; I’m feeling a little frustrated working from home. The isolation is one thing, but not having a raw work space that’s setup and ready for production is frustrating. I’m trying to solve this issue right now; probably going to setup the 3rd bedroom here as the analogue art studio. Then I can have paintings, drawings and prints spread out and in a working and ready state.
yes thinking gets in my way - process is where it is at though - and that I think was some of the other comments - I have a process - it starts with a thought an intention - a goal whatever - or maybe - my specifically for me - collecting pieces - maybe photos, writings, watching movies, etc - when I feel I have sufficiently been informed - I stop thinking about what I am making and focus completely on the process (or craft) of what I do - let me even be more specific -
Why I create (which I write and make motion media) I am not entirely sure - as I said previously - But why I continue today - is because I love the craft and process of what I do -
case in point about Dave’s original musings - I have been working on a quasi documentary project for over seven years about a female to male transgendered person.
I was scarred when I was approached with the idea of working in this realm - my previous documentary Reggie and Me - played around the world at Gay, Lesbian and Trans festivals - got awards adn articles written - I was flown to several of these bigger festivals to sit on panels and introduce the film etc - it was rewarding to find an audience, however, I did not want to be pigeonholed as a filmmaker (who while hetero) creates Gay/Lesbian?trans movies - maybe this was stupid I do not know - but that is what I thought - after all at one festival after talking about the film I stood in a group of men and the festival director made a joke and everyone laughed but me - he looked at me and smiled - and then said - “I’m sorry I keep forgetting your not gay.” too which I replied - “I keep forgetting I am not Gay also”.
so when I started the project I was cautious and approached as a lets see what happens experience - of course I decided to start the process of production - with very little pre production - I used whatever was available to me at the moment - and just interviewed the subject in my garage - to get to know him if you will - I immediately saw that this person had a special personality and in some ways (although completely different then me in so many ways) was somewhat of a kindred spirit - where were on similar journeys - yet choosing different directions -
SO I was excited and could see the possibilities - and I started to think - think about what I wanted to say - how I wanted to say it - and what would this thing be about - I looked at other documentaries about trans people - I read through a few books, surfed some boards - and asked a lot of questions - I talked with professors at the time (which really really did not help me) and meditated a few times listening for direction -none really came for me -
and again - I stuck to the craft- tapes, cameras, lenses, lights, colors, mics, collecting as much footage as I could -
I am not going to go in to more detail here about the actual art and craft about it - because I am getting off topic -
It is just that after 7 years and still collecting - what continues to stop me is THINKING - and time - I figured out what I want to do - what I want to say - and how I want to say it - I have many many notes - and research - and have collecting a lot of interesting, funny and scary images - but every time I sit down to work on it (which is rare these days as I am supporting a family of five) - I get this uneasy feeling in my gut - and realize I have to stop thinking about it and just put the thing together - let it live - and release it to the universe and see what comes back -
what I work on so that can happen is craft, process, work flow - and it is getting somewhere - and by Gods Grace - maybe by February 2010 I will have a finished project -
so thinking gets in my way - for sure - and I believe the artist - creator - author must make exact decisions based on the current information and let go - and allow process to take over -
peace
Billy Tamplin said