Welcome to the artCHAT room. This is the living room where "my artists" hang out. We talk here about their lives and what inspires them to create. The conversations can get deep, but they're always a pleasure.
ALLAN GORMAN'S RETRO VISION
Allan Gorman is an advertising guy by day and artist by night. I met him online and saw his fantastic work on his website, www.allangorman.com His work is very hip and contemporary, but begs to differ. Read on and find out why he dwells in American nostalgia.
MICHAEL: Hey Allan. Your work is fantastic. It's fresh and modern, yet very American and nostalgic ... I guess "retro" is the term. You obviously love highways, bridges and travel. What motivates you to paint these things?
ALLAN: Oh, thanks for the compliment. I think it's more the "retro-ness" of it (as you say) that draws me to the subject matter. Since I was a little kid, I've been drawn to the nostalgic. Visual objects that recall days past have always made me feel grounded, peaceful and secure. When I began painting many years ago, I made pictures from old nostalgic photos. They were mostly paintings of people, but had that same, quiet nostalgic feel as the current work. I picked up the brushes again a few years ago after a hiatus of more than 20 years and just didn't want to go back to what I did before. So, instead of people, I started painting industrial architecture and old objects like gas pumps. That eventually led to highways, byways and big-rig trucks. Now I'm hooked on the form and beauty of big 18-wheelers and am exploring them in a new series of big paintings that are pretty cool and unique. I'm most attracted to the brands that kind of look nostalgic -- Peterbilt, Kenworth, Autocar. These paintings are very dramatic and I'm having a great time doing them.
MICHAEL: Another thing that I notice about your work ... it's very cinematic. Your use of blocks of color reminds me of the old technicolor films. Is cinema an influence for you?
ALLAN: I love movies and have done my share of commercials and movies and can see how some of the images could remind you of old technicolor films, but there's no conscious effort on my part to make any movie reference. It's more that I'm drawn to contrasts created by bright light and hard shadows that give them that look.
MICHAEL: You mentioned earlier that after dabbling in art you took a 20 year hiatus. What happened during those 20 years? Was art still in the back of your mind?
ALLAN: Always. When I started painting in the 1980's, this style just kind of popped out and I was making people paintings from old photos. The paintings were good when the photo source material was good -- it was all about the story in the picture. However, since I wasn't actually taking these photos myself, it started to feel a bit disingenuous and (it felt) more about the craft and technical aspects of copying than it was about the creativity of making art. Since my real job as an adman and designer entailed solving communications problems, I decided to put more energy into that. I tried to get back to painting a few times in fits and starts, but a vacation to Santa Fe, New Mexico about three years ago gave me the bug again. Now I'm loving it again and I'm committed to becoming a full time fine artist as soon as I can. But I still have to feed my family, so I currently make my living helping folks with their marketing and advertising needs, and paint most nights and weekends.
MICHAEL: You're yet another example of an artist doing something else to make a living. While there are many full time artists out there, they're really the minority. Any thoughts about what this says about contemporary art in our society?
ALLAN: I wish I had all the money in the world and all the wall space to be a patron as I love all sorts of art and would love to surround myself with it all the time, Michael. But we're all faced with the realities of getting through every day and art isn't at the top of everyone's list as an absolute necessity -- it never was.
MICHAEL: I guess that's true. Buying it always feels like a guilty pleasure for me.
ALLAN: It's a luxury -- even for the well heeled. It's just that some (like you) have an emotional habit that needs to be fed. But I do think that art is worthy of support and it's good to know that we now have a leader in Washington who thinks so too. Also, with the advent of the internet, the game has changed no matter what business you're in. Nobody is local anymore -- everything is international.
MICHAEL: Absolutely. It feels like heaven. There's always more to experience.
ALLAN: More competition, more choices, more opportunity for exposure for everyone too. I don't know what the future holds for artists who dream about earning a living loving what they do -- I know I do. But it was always a hard thing to achieve -- except for a very small minority. It takes skill, it takes hustle and it takes a bit of luck to succeed at anything. But it's a bit easier to make money selling the public something that they perceive as having a practical application (like an Iphone), than by trying to sell a painting. But it's already been established that I have a nostalgic bent and that I get more comfort by turning to the past. I'd rather not dwell on what's contemporary or next -- it's too scary.
MICHAEL: It's interesting that you don't consider your work contemporary. I think your approach is very contemporary. I think the fact that you work in advertising probably subconsciously influences your work. It gives it sort of a "commercial" bent. That may be a bad word, but I do see it in your work.
ALLAN: Working in advertising is a definite plus. I'm all about trying to put myself in the audience's shoes to make an emotional connection and I take the same approach when making paintings. I'm a story-teller at heart and certainly show my art because I have a need to be heard. Also, I approach the marketing of my art with a commercial mindset. For the type of work I do, a "commercial" gallery is the best conduit to the ultimate customers -- collectors, companies and museums. And so, in the back of my mind, is making art that will have appeal to the gallery first.
MICHAEL: Not many artists would happily admit to this, but art IS a business.
ALLAN: They're running a retail business and certainly are not waiting around for me. They have limited wall space and are looking for artwork that will fly off it. The quality of the art they show is certainly important, but they're in business to make money. They're also gonna look at whether or not the art will have appeal to their particular clientele, if the price points are fair, if there's a consistent inventory and if the manufacturer (artist) is going to be honest and easy to deal with. Yes, it's a business. And I guess the marketing lessons I've learned in the business world have a very definite influence on my art. I have no delusions of being the next art world wunderkind, but I do believe that I can certainly hold up my end of the bargain on the art business end.
MICHAEL: Good for you. I hope young artists read this and learn your views on the business side of things. I think that in order to survive, art really has to be more about business than art ... unfortunately. I'm still wondering about your influences because when I look at your work ... I hate to compare but ... I see elements of Wayne Thiebaud, Edward Hopper and even photorealist Richard Estes. Perhaps it's because they're also very cinematic and nostalgic, yet modern?
ALLAN: Well, I've been an art director since the late 60's and of course Richard Estes, Robert Cottingham and other early pioneers of photo-realism and modern realism opened my eyes and made me take notice. I've been a big Edward Hopper fan and George Bellows and other story-telling artists from the depression era, even as a child. Also, Wayne Theibaud is my absolute fabulously, best ever, lifelong hero!!! My work has also been compared to Charles Sheeler and Ralston Crawford and the American Precisionists and I certainly find the references flattering because I admire everyone you've mentioned. These days I especially like the work of Kim Cogan and David Kapp. Look them up if you don't know them. They are realist painters too, but also introduce abstract ideas and their styles are very "painterly". In other words, you can see the hand of the artist in their paintings, which makes them unique. That's what I aspire to as well. I'm not set on fooling the eye by replicating reality as the photo-realists try to do. I'd rather have my art seen as "paintings" that are unique with my own stamp. Maybe someday, a journalist will compare a young artist's work to Allan Gorman.
MICHAEL: You never know. Finally Allan, I love all of the old, celebrated artists, but what do you think it's going to take to get people to realize that there are thousands of talented, working artists today?
ALLAN: Given that media is so fragmented, it's really much harder to go out and achieve stardom as it was in Wayne Thiebaud's day. It wasn't so easy then either. But, with consistency and vision, I still think it's possible to grow a viable brand. How to get the public to notice? The Art Star reality show certainly was a start. We'll see if there's a second season. Perhaps exposure of artists through other "in the public eye" media ... Oprah, Ellen, etc will help. Maybe also a great movie about an interesting artist, followed by a bunch of me-too sequels ... or a new breakthrough ad campaign, like the absolute Vodka campaign, where young artists are featured.
MICHAEL: Those all sound like good ideas.
ALLAN: Hey, maybe even a reality show about art schools around the country? "A Peek at Pratt," "BS at BU," "Inside the Ivy League Art Scene," or maybe one that scours the great art neighborhood in the out-lying areas of our cities. Maybe even a show like "The Wire" or "Entourage" featuring a group of young artists. Of course, also great websites and books like "artbookguy.com." Thanks for inviting me to your living room Michael. It was interesting and fun for me and I hope your readers will like it too. Thanks again.
MICHAEL: Thanks Allan. This was enlightening and great fun for me too.
See Allan's work for yourself by visiting his website at www.allangorman.com
MARCUS COLBURN
Marcus Colburn is an artist and sculptor who I met online. He also has a cool website www.marcuscolburn.com where he shares his work. He has traveled around from Iowa to West Virginia to North Carolina, but art has always kept him grounded. I wanted to find out what motivates his work. What I found is a cool guy who is committed to art and freedom of expression. Here's our chat.
MICHAEL: Hey Marcus. I find it interesting that you're both a painter and a sculptor. Do you ever feel that you have to balance these two disciplines or do they just naturally co-exist?
MARCUS: Hi Michael. Thanks for the chance to have this chat! It seems to me that most painters would want to sculpt at one point or another. Is it unusual? I think that both disciplines are just a way to try to express something. I would probably consider myself primarily a painter who occasionally sculpts though. Actually I would say that I'm primarily a painter who occasionally cooks, occasionally sleeps, and occasionally has to take a break from painting. I can tell you that I'm not able to have both a painting and a sculpture going at the same time. For some reason, I need to either be in paint mode or sculpt mode and it takes some time to switch in between the two. Perhaps I'm just not good at multi-tasking.
MICHAEL: I feel the same way about art, writing, running and yoga, which I'm about to do now. I love them all, but I do have to balance them for everything to work well. When did you first realize that you were becoming an artist? How did it happen?
MARCUS: Wow, that's a tough question. It's like asking "When did you realize you were becoming a werewolf!" I remember when I was 7 or 8 years old at Christmastime my grandmother gave me a big box filled with stuff to make other stuff: cardboard, masking tape, pipe cleaners, a big 120 color crayon set ... that type of thing. I thought that it was the greatest gift ever! Better than any GI Joe I received that year. So I think that I've always had a creative mind, but it wasn't until my first year of college that I began to seriously paint and it was for all of the usual reasons. I was 19, angsty as hell and thought I had something to say to the world through art. It's sort of funny that I'm now in my 30s and I feel exactly the same way. Maybe some people choose art as a career or an avocation or a lifestyle or a hobby, but I really don't think I had any choice; it's who I am. I don't wish for that to sound pompous or grand—in fact, lots of days it kind of sucks, but I have to accept it ... just like the werewolf.
MICHAEL: Aren't you also a graphic artist or art director? I've often wondered whether other jobs in the art field are enough to keep artists fulfilled creatively.
MARCUS: I was Art Director at Zendik Farm Arts Foundation, yes. I was also the graphic designer for projects there and I still do some freelance stuff in Photoshop, Quark, Indesign, etc. for survival purposes. I don't know about most artists, but for me the traditional and modern expressions don't really have anything to do with each other. I definitely have a very old-school way of thinking about these things though. I love working in Photoshop, for example, but I don't think it really translates to the paintings or sculptures in a creative sense. I guess if I were to imagine a legacy, I would rather it be closer to a Van Gogh than David Carson because even though the later is awesome and I love his stuff I relate better to the first. So, my answer is no. I don't think that those types of jobs can be a replacement or substitute for oil paint and marble (or acrylic paint and alabaster ... Ha). This might be a huge mistake in this commerce economy where an artist has to eat, but I think that if I stray too far from the ideal vision, I might not get another chance to go back to that innocence of creating stuff that's just for the world outside of the market. That said ... my dog does have to eat and I would sell a painting pretty cheap right now!
MICHAEL: Your website also uses the name "Rev Zendik." Is that also you? How did that name come about?
MARCUS: From 1999 until recently, I lived near an artist named Wulf Zendik and his wife Arol. I left that situation and now I live with my dog in a cabin in the (North Carolina) mountains. We can talk more about Wulf Zendik if you'd like to, but he was my mentor and my biggest influence and his wife Arol was also a mentor of mine throughout those years. Longest story in the world in the shortest way possible ... Wulf wrote a 900 page novel called "Zendik" about a painter (it is an awesome book by the way) and at a certain point I asked if I could use that name to sign my paintings. The Rev part was arbitrary, but it kind of stuck and I've been painting under both names for quite some time. I still have to figure out which name to really use. I think I might be Marcus Colburn and represent Rev Zendik as his agent. Hell, I really don't know.
MICHAEL: Are you a trained artist? Also, how do you describe your work? To me it seems mainly figurative, strong on color and somewhat animated ... highly narrative.
MARCUS: I like your description, Michael. That is one of the most difficult things about my work and something that I'm just now coming to terms with in the sense that I am not "classically" trained and don't seem to fit into a particular heading of description for the work. I did study art in college, but never did get the proper piece of paper that says I have a degree. I think that you can come at any discipline from two directions: either 1) study, learn the rules, apply the rules, break the rules; or 2) break all the rules, learn that certain things don't work in application and then study to figure out how to do it differently. I really do not like the terms "outsider art" or "self-taught artist" because they imply a lower level of aptitude and every 15 year old girl with a sketchpad in her bedroom can be called an "outsider artist," but I suppose that's what I would have to be called, if anything.
MICHAEL: So many young artists today are obsessed with having a "style." I tend to think that we all have inherent ways of doing things and that is our "style," whether they look similar or not.
MARCUS: One good thing about not fitting in with any particular camp is that I can do whatever I want with the paintings. In other words, if I want to paint my dog I can paint her in any style or mood that I choose that day—well, within the scope of my ability of course—instead of having to paint in a particular way that I've been labeled under. I think that any painter who tells you they would choose not to paint like Caravaggio if they had the ability is a liar, so style really comes down to ability at the end of the day. I like to say that an artist's style is simply determined by capability. It's an enhancing of strengths and ignoring or weaknesses resulting in the best possible work he or she can do at that time. My newest paintings will be recognized as mine, but they will be very different also and I can't see it working for me any other way.
MICHAEL: Totally. I feel the same way about writing. Have you always felt this way?
MARCUS: I remember the exact day that I had to make this decision for myself. I had just sold a painting for what at the time was a very large amount of dollars for me. Well, the person who bought it came back and said that her friend would like the same painting, only in blues and reds instead of greens. I told her I would think about it and get back to her. A few days later, I was approached by another person to do the same painting only this time in purple. It was one of those very clear cut times in life where there is a fork in the road and I chose to not go the way of painting whatever matches someone's couch.
MICHAEL: Good for you. Earlier, you mentioned "outsider art." It's so funny because I think the very acceptance of the term "outsider" is an act of conformity. We all have to conform on a daily basis, but not when it comes to your personal work. There are quite a few rich and famous artists alive today who many artists criticize for "selling out." Do you think it's possible to be commercially successful without "selling out"?
MARCUS: I have no idea, Michael. I wouldn't ever disparage anyone for doing whatever they do in the art world, but I also don't think that money can ever be the predominant issue. To me, success has more to do with expression and to a slightly lesser degree, recognition. I think that as artists, the heart of the matter boils down to simply expressing a thought, emotion or idea and hoping that someone somewhere sees it, feels it and appreciates it. Ultimately, we are looking for love, but that is a lot to ask ... so we settle for appreciation, fame or money. Maybe I'm just being romantic about the whole thing, but I think that there is far too little romance on the planet right now, so I'm going with it and I will take this opportunity to invite everyone to come with me.
MICHAEL: People are looking for love, but they settle for fame or money. Wow, I like that. That really nails it. Finally Marcus, what does art do for you and why do you think it's so important?
MARCUS: Well first, I want to thank you Michael for the chance to have this chat. It was very fun and I think you are doing good things for the art community with your work. To me, art is only a series of possibilities: A possibility to find truth for myself which hopefully can resonate with others, a possibility to communicate an idea in an aesthetic way, a possibility to wear a funny mustache and get away with it, a possibility to play as a child in a sandbox, a possibility to find freedom, a possibility of changing the world and a possibility to find holiness. I guess that's all.
MICHAEL: A possibility to find holiness. Nice. Sounds like you're on your way. Thanks a lot man. This was great.
Check out Marcus' website at www.marcuscolburn.com
GLENDA QUINLIN-JACOBS
Although she's an artist, Glenda Quinlin-Jacobs strikes me as more of an everyday person on an extraordinary mission rather than "just" an artist. This mission keeps her focused on her environment through the lens of what the past has built. In fact, she has created the perfect concept that captures her artistic philosophy. http://photo-losophyglenda.weebly.com Read on and find out exactly what I mean.
MICHAEL: Hello Glenda, I'm glad to be talking with you. I love your work. First off, I can take a good guess, but I'll ask anyway. What's the concept behind your term, "photo-losophy"?
GLENDA: Photo-losophy was the end result of several weeks of thinking and changed many times. It means to me a combination of philosophy and photography. I want my work to convey the meaning that there is more to life than today and tomorrow. There is yesterday and it gets lost in the world. I wanted to take photographs that make people think about yesterday. The old houses are more than just old houses. They once had a life ... a family, children, a purposeful use, but today they are like many things in society that get tossed aside.
MICHAEL: I love the fact that you say old houses once had a life. I'm a big architecture buff and I really think all structures have lives that most of us ignore. Should people pay more attention to structures or is it complimentary to be so accustomed to something that it fades into the background or landscape?
GLENDA: People should pay more attention to the structure. That structure serves a purpose whether it houses a business, library and most importantly a family. Family is important and protecting the family is also. I am not trying to make it sound like a structure is literally living but when it has a purpose, it lives through that purpose. It should not fade into the background; it should be preserved if possible. Some of the old houses I have seen had to have been showcases at one time and it was someone's idea of beauty and we need as much beauty as we can hold on too.
MICHAEL: Old buildings, barns, bridges, stairwells are definitely works of art, but what happened? Somehow society has lost sight of this even though a good argument could be made that architecture is now stronger than ever.
|
GLENDA: The old houses, barns and buildings are still standing just not used. The ones still standing, even though dilapidated have seen many, many years of history, be it remarkable or not. One house in my hometown (still standing) was used in the Civil War in the Underground Railroad. Can any of the new, stronger buildings claim such a legacy? Maybe years from now they will be able to. If structure is all people are after then just build yourself a box. Our minds need aesthetics, beauty, something to think about or we become dead inside. Use your imagination to create both the structure and aesthetic in buildings. Have something that is different from the run of the mill. Make people look and question, think, respond to it with feelings. Strength isn't everything. I hope this makes sense, I find it hard sometimes to put my feelings and thoughts into words.
MICHAEL: You're doing great. When you say our minds need aesthetics or we die inside ... Wow, so true, but isn't that exactly what's happening in the world today? I see evidence of this everywhere and it's almost as if society is eroding along with eroding structures.
GLENDA: I think society has shifted away from what is important. This could move into so many areas that I feel strongly about. I will keep it the area of arts funding. Those funds are cut daily. If we don't have arts and arts education our minds will die. Our children don't have the opportunity to see what the arts offer. Many parents don't encourage the imagination and creativity in their children. It is a horrible shame because they could have the next great artist, writer or poet. Our society has changed its priorities from actually living a meaningful life to making a living and keeping up or surpassing the "Joneses." Parents need to spend actual quality time with their children and not keep handing them "things." Things stifle thinking and originality. People are afraid of originality because they feel they will be excluded. Being excluded from certain things might actually be good for the soul. It could make a person stop and take a closer look at what they are excluded from and if honest, be thankful. Then the shift would start to swing back to what is really important.
MICHAEL: What role would you say your own upbringing played in your becoming the artist you are today?
GLENDA: Oh wow. I grew up with my grandparents as a role model. My grandfather worked and worked. He had polio as a child which caused him to limp and he was disabled, but he still worked. My grandmother was home and when we came home from school she was there with the cookies and milk. We weren't poor because we had each other but money was an issue. I had values instilled in me that seem not to be present today. It was fun growing up with my grandparents. It seemed there was always something to do. I would come home from school, have my snack and then watch cartoons ... Popeye, Tom and Jerry, etc. and Saturday morning cartoons. I was a tom boy and had an imagination. Because we didn't have money we didn't have all the toys and things to keep us occupied. We had to use our imagination and minds to keep us occupied. My grandpa had an imagination because he went to a fishing lake and we would ask him were he was going. "I'm going London to see the Queen", was his answer many times. We still had school plays and they were always there. I had a home, my grandparents, my sisters and my mom so I had everything I needed. I learned to appreciate what we had and what had been. Tomorrow was tomorrow and you got through today and worried about tomorrow when it got there. That was just the way it was. I never heard about problems and didn't know until much older what a struggle it had been for them. I wish I could have paid them back much more than I did because they were what made me an honest person.
MICHAEL: It sounds like the Midwestern landscape was a big part of your childhood. Did seeing old barns, buildings and the landscape help form your art today?
GLENDA: I suppose it could have. I think it is more the traditional aspect. Growing up in Missouri surrounded by farm country as the way of living even though I grew up in the city, I suppose so. I think maybe I would have loved to have lived in the country. We always raised a garden and my grandpa even raised chickens and rabbits so I had the farm in the city environment. People had to use the land to live and barns, silos and windmills were necessary to do that. Everything had a purpose and a use. There was very little wasted or thrown out.
MICHAEL: From viewing your work, your mission is clear, but I'm wondering ... How do you apply your actual photographic technique to express the message of your photographs? Or is it less about technique and more about the overall image?
GLENDA: I consider myself a traditional photographer. The overall image I am hoping is sending the message I want to convey. I work to improve my skills and move beyond just a photograph. I try to send that message by emphasizing the central aspects of an old barn or bridge. I take several photographs of each object at different angles and aspects. I have surprised myself when I have gotten them in the editing program and seen something I did not see at the time of taking the photograph. Just a small detail that has sent a clear message can be the focus of a landscape, bridge or barn. "The devil is in the detail" type of thing. The photo of the railroad bridge with graffiti. The graffiti itself sends a message. In that aspect, the bridge becomes the canvas for the graffiti.
MICHAEL: Finally Glenda, we're both art advocates and realize that art is about much more than just "pretty" pictures or things. When viewing your work, you want people to THINK and FEEL something, but what do you want them to DO?
GLENDA: I want them to appreciate the old barns, houses, bridges, wind mills, etc. To really look at those things and wonder about them. To think about them, not just drive by them without a second look or thought. Remember those things were vital and important at one time.
MICHAEL: I think a lot of people do appreciate these old structures, but we can always have more. Thanks Glenda.
For more on the work of Glenda Quinlin-Jacobs, check out her website at http://photo-losophyglenda.weebly.com
|
|
