I went to First Thursday last night down in Pioneer Square. Lots of people out since the weather has been so nice. Saw a variety of work last night. Some that didn’t do a thing for me. And some that just made me stop in reverance.
Walking through all the galleries and the studios it just really hit home for me last night. There are:
Artists
and
ARTISTS
And of course, it’s all subjective. Someone else’s artist with a capital A is someone else’s artist, no capital A. And then there are the all caps artists. For me that would be Maya Lin. To someone else, they may disagree with me. That is what is wonderful about the artworld, there are all kinds and it really depends on the viewer…and of course the critics and the galleries, etc. But I’m talking more on a personal level. Last night I saw a few Artists, with a capital ‘A’ and lots of artists, no caps.
And I don’t think it depends on education or on who knows who or whatever people try to use to justify titles…it all depends on the work.
And all of this babble probably only makes sense to me.
Like I said, I saw some really great work last night. One of my favorites was a Puerto Rican artist named Enrique MartÃnez Celaya. wowowowoww. One of paintings listed “blood” as the medium. But mainly what was shown at the Greg Kucera Gallery were his oil and tar paintings. And they were huuuuuuuge. And just…really moved me.
Inez Storer‘s Improbabilites and Riddles show at the Grover/Thurston Gallery was really great too. She had some huge paintings and also very small boxes. Not shrines…but like little vignettes encased in a box. I don’t know how else to explain it. But very cool.
The woodcuts by Leena Jarva that I saw at Davidson Galleries were really beautiful too.
Stopped into the Garde Rail Gallery that showcases outsider artists, and in my opinion, real outsider artists. Not people who decide to just call themselves that. There was one artist being featured who is autistic. My favorite though had to be the work of Holly Farrell.
I was standing on the balcony at the Greg Kucera Gallery and the train came out.
I came up with a long term goal for myself last night. It may take years and may be far fetched….but it’s something to work towards. You can’t go anywhere without a goal in sight.