Category Archives: Discussion

Art as a Responsibility; Art as a Superpower

As troubled as this world is and has always been, we owe a huge debt to those artists who have the ability and the courage to give voice and form to our collective conscience, pulling it back into the light in times of darkness. It is no small service that they remind us of our shared humanity during those periods when that treasured quality appears misplaced.

This inspiring Huffington Post article, “What It Means To Be An Artist In The Time of Trump”, published soon after the election, asks 21 artists how they envision their creative role for the next four years and what advice they would offer to other makers. Their responses speak to both a common distress: “pain, anger, sadness and fear” as well as the optimistic power of “hope, unity, compassion, motivation, and strength”. Above all, they acknowledge the importance of not remaining silent. Read what they have to say, it will make you proud to be part of their tribe.

In 2015, Toni Morrison wrote the following in an essay for The Nation, entitled “No Place for Self-Pity, No Room for Fear”:

“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.

I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge – even wisdom. Like art.”

I am not a political artist, but this past month I’ve found a small sense of solace in making the above piece to fulfill the prompt “fantasy” for the Journal Project, the group I’ve participated in over the past year. Believe me, I am not deluded enough to think the president-elect will show any remorse for his xenophobic, misogynistic, anti-environmental, self-centered, self-serving, and frankly hateful rhetoric and actions. (In acknowledgement of that fact, in addition to referencing America’s red, white & blue, the dyed color, pattern, and bleed are a subtle nod to hell freezing over.) I am, however, grateful for Michelle Obama’s graceful, grown-up response “when they go low, we go high” as a reminder that decorum and measured intelligence still hold sway and will always have champions.

In the tempestuous days ahead, we can look to artists to challenge us and provide prospective, giving voice to our shared humanity as they always have, while not letting us off the hook. A mere apology is by no means the answer, but wouldn’t it be a nice starting point?

Needlework: ‘Redemptive and Rebellious’

It’s been snowing off and on much of the week which has been great for productivity. Does anyone else notice that no other light quite compares to that which fills a space when it’s snowing outside? Colors appear crisp and true, reading more clearly than usual.

As you can see, this week I’ve been concentrating on marks and the visual texture of stitches to pull out the form of a cup and saucer from the open section of last week’s dyed piece. I am still working to find a way to marry my daily drawings with my textile work without compromising either. It’s been a bit of a balancing act to keep the image recognizable while simultaneously leaning toward an abstraction of the forms’ shapes and cast shadows. By sticking with one color of thread, I’m relying on the direction of the stitches, their weight, and the patterns they create to define both the space and the image. I quite like the way they work in tandem with the dyed ‘mokume’ pattern. Before I began, I wasn’t sure how successful a partnership it would be, but I am encouraged by the way things are developing.

I found two thought-provoking articles from Brain Pickings this week that I’d like to share. They seem particularly appropriate since I’ve been totally consumed with needlework. The first, Stitching the Stars, centers on the nineteenth century astronomer Maria Mitchell’s theory of the needle as an instrument of the mind and why she felt it gave women an advantage in the field of astronomy. In turn, Brain Pickings’ creator Maria Popova posits that the mental space afforded via the slow nature of needlework has been a cornerstone in the “long history of thinking-by-hand in the intellectual life of women”. Bravo! Stitching is an art that is typically sidelined as ‘women’s busy work’; how absolutely satisfying and encouraging it is to see an acknowledgement in print of one of the most cogent hidden strengths that many of us who are actively engaged with needle and thread know to be true.

The second article, which segues easily from the first, The Dinner Party: Artist Judy Chicago’s Iconic Symbolic Celebration of Women’s Heritage in Creative Culture, is so very pertinent considering the political climate we are facing. It is an all-important reminder that the message of Chicago’s unparalleled project is just as crucial today as it was in 1979.

Finally, I am quite honored to have been invited last month to join TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art list. As “a business community of entrepreneurs rooted in textile and fiber art products and traditions”, it supports artists, retail and wholesale e-commerce, cooperatives, galleries, organizations, writers, publishers, and collectors. The TAFA icon in the upper right of this blog’s sidebar is a link to my profile page. But more importantly, explore all of TAFA’s website to learn more about it as an organization and to see work from its over 500 members representing 44 countries. I have no doubt you’ll find something remarkable.

And please stay tuned. I’ve got my fingers crossed that this piece will be finished next week.

The Necessary Element

I may be simplistically stating the obvious, but I truly feel that the subjective component an audience provides any work of art is one of its foremost strengths, contributing immeasurably to the work’s endurance across demographics and through time. And while the multi-layered backstory of any artist is deeply embedded within everything they make, it is our personal histories and perspectives as viewers that fortify and move the work forward, in much the same way that each added voice in a musical round deepens and enriches a tune.

Last Friday I caught the tail-end of the Pat Steir exhibit at the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe and it was exactly what I needed at that point in time. Kudos to the HDAC website for supplying visitors with links to videos of the artist at work and an eye-opening interview, all of which enhanced my experience before I even walked into the gallery. What has stayed with me after-the-fact is that, despite my dismal outlook at the end of a weary and unsettling week, Steir’s paintings provided a 30 minute reprieve by offering a much-needed sense of solid ground; her visual language seemingly echoing the weight of what I was feeling, while simultaneously bolstering my spirits with strength, determination, and certainty.

I have come to discover, when exhibiting my own work, that the unsolicited responses and stories viewers relate (which may or may not have anything to do with my intentions in making the piece) are often the most rewarding. A formal artist statement may lift the veil between maker and viewer, but we are not beholden to that vision. Subjectivity is the necessary element that reminds one there is equal compensation in just letting the experience of a work of art wash over you as you are in that moment.

On Another Note…

sda-exhibit-web-square

If your travels take you near Rutland, Vt in the next month, I have 4 pieces included in the exhibit Surface Expressions at the Chaffee Art Center, November 9 – December 9.

16 South Main St., Rutland, VT 05701 802.775.0356 info@chaffeeartcenter.org

Occupational Hazard

While catching up on my blog feed this week I ran into two moderate length videos on the Sketchbook Skool blog: Part 1: The Creative Block and Part 2: Turning Problems into Solutions. Filed under “Art Therapy Thursdays”, they feature illustrator Koosje Koene, drawing teacher and co-founder of the Sketchbook Skool, laying bare the struggle of her current creative dry spell. My first reaction was empathy for how deeply this is affecting her (who among us hasn’t been in her shoes at one time or another?), and then I couldn’t help but think how brave she is to share her struggle so publicly. That in itself may be part of the answer.

Scissors © Elizabeth Fram

Acknowledging the problem is one thing, but how do you find your way out of it? Both her musician husband Pascal Oetiker and, in the second video, Danny Gregory offer concrete suggestions of what has helped them in the past: a) return to basics, b) give yourself a problem to solve, and c) get out of your regular routine by exposing yourself to new stimuli. But it seems the core of what she is experiencing is the lack of joy in working, which makes it all the more scary.

I was reminded of a story I heard a couple of years ago on NPR about Sting as he was emerging from a decade-long creative drought. His TED talk about his experience drills home the fact that it’s a phenomenon to which everyone is susceptible. That fact doesn’t make the issue any less painful, but it’s helpful to hear how others have coped. Brain Pickings, one of the best resources for exploring just about any idea in depth, quotes Chuck Close, Isabelle Allende, and Tschaikovsky on the subject as a preface to referencing two books that tap the knowledge and recommendations of 90 and 50 artists, respectively:

Break Through!: Proven Strategies to Overcome Creative Block and Spark Your Imagination by Alex Cornell
Creative Block: Get Unstuck, Discover New Ideas. Advice and Projects from 50 Successful Artists by Danielle Krysa

What works for me is to first be forgiving of myself, take a break, and then just start something, anything. The physical, repetitive movement of working — whether via the rhythmic action of the needle going down and coming up while stitching, or mindfully following the contour of whatever happens to be in front of me with pen on paper — seems to be a tonic in itself. Work begets work, letting the ideas begin to flow, however slowly.

Coffee © Elizabeth Fram

I have no doubt that Koosje Koene will see her way out of this current slump and will re-find her creative mojo. And while the very thought of it is scary for any of us, it’s comforting to know we aren’t alone and there are resources to help stave off any future dry spells.

Final Note: In compiling this post and adding the links, I see that Koosje has added another video to the series, The Creative Block – Art Therapist #3, a discussion with writer Suzan Colón. I realize it’s a big ask for you to watch all three of these videos, but consider filing the links for the next time you may find yourself in your own creative rut.

Networking Reframed

I keep reading about the importance of regularly attending art openings in order to meet new people and to build one’s network. I appreciate the theory, but not necessarily the means. How do you feel about networking at openings? Are you good at it? Is it something you engage in consciously? Do you feel pressured to make an effort? I’m not referring to when you are the exhibiting artist; I think what is termed as “networking” unfolds naturally when you are in that mode. Rather, when you attend an opening as a viewer do you feel compelled (or follow the frequent recommendations) to reach out to people you don’t know in an attempt to create a connection for your work?

I have been dyeing this week. I will never tire of the patterns that emerge.

Irrationally or not, I find approaching someone in what is in essence a “cold call” conjures up negative images of self-promotional awkwardness. Is that because it’s work encroaching on what is essentially a social situation? Or is it just that generating conversations with folks I don’t know is challenging? Being caught on the other end of this scenario has likely flavored my opinion: it’s no fun listening to a person you just met who only seems able to talk about themselves and their work. There is a fine line between striking up a conversation with a person you don’t know that sparks a genuinely mutual discussion about shared interests, and purposefully approaching someone with business objectives in mind. I admire those who can do so successfully, but it’s a skill for which I have little aptitude.

dye2web

However, I’ve had a bit of an epiphany which makes me realize that, as with so many things, perspective is all-important. Perhaps I’ve been looking at this concept of networking at openings a bit too literally. I had a couple of lovely opportunities, in separate gallery settings, to exchange ideas with folks last week in such a way that it made me realize that an art opening is a celebration and should be enjoyed as such. Occasions to connect with someone outside your circle should be approached as a joy, not as a directive. It is an opportunity to learn and perhaps to help someone else with their goals. It seems to me the act of networking is best served if reframed from an action with an objective, to an interaction that simply makes the world a little wider.

Never Too Late

We’re on ‘stay-cation’ this week — taking time to explore and enjoy our corner of Vermont during this particularly beautiful time of year. Studio time has been next to zero.

Mid-process stitching

A special thanks to my artist mother-in-law for getting me off the hook with the suggestion of this post’s subject: ageism doesn’t factor into being an artist. She’s been reading lately about Françoise Gilot, 95 and Carmen Herrera, 101, two artists who have proven that making art can be a life-long endeavor. The above links lead to wonderful interviews that will inspire you.

I’ve been doing a bit of research since she brought up the idea, and have been heartened by what I’ve found.

Check out Hilarie M. Sheets’ 2013 article for ARTnews, ‘You Become Better With Age’, for a discussion about many artists, past and present, who didn’t / haven’t allowed age to thwart their practice. Quotes from living artists emphasize that accumulated years often bring a sense of liberation and renewal, paving the way for new and significant discoveries while at times generating a measure of success that had previously been elusive.

Also, Ermine Saner writes for the Guardian about how age affects the practice of women artists.

The benefits don’t stop with professionals. Lata 65 of Lisbon, Portugal is a wonderfully uplifting example of older folks who are finding new ways of appreciating and making contemporary art while beautifying their neighborhoods with a spray can.

In our youth-obsessed world where technology rapidly makes jobs obsolete and athletes age out of careers in their mid-thirties, isn’t it reassuring to know that there is no shelf life on creativity?

Embracing Transition

I love September. Some may think I’m crazy, but I gladly welcome the cooler and grayer days, earlier evenings, and the sudden sense of sharpness in the atmosphere. Among other things, it brings a renewed energy to the studio.

gardengold

No matter what the season, it’s always a treat to watch the colors change and evolve, but late August through November is special. Lower in the sky now, the sun casts everything in a richer light. The garden is beginning to wind down and in a month or so, after a couple of weekends of fall clean-up, I will be able to plant my garlic and call it a season, leaving more time to concentrate on stitching and drawing.

Detail 1

I am continuing to explore this idea of transition in my current piece (what you see here are detail images from it that are about 12 x 15 inches each). I am incorporating layers of silk organza that have been hand-stitched and then dyed to create lines and swoops of pattern. As the pieces are laid over one another, interesting variations in color and depth are appearing and the passage from one section to the next is becoming the meat of the piece.

Detail 2

I am at the point of starting to puzzle out how I am going to push this idea further — how to create an interaction between the dyed patterns and the embroidery that will be laid on top.

Stay tuned.

The Reward of Getting it Wrong

Every now and then I think we could all use the boost of being reminded that the issues which dog us individually, challenge all artists – regardless of experience or acclaim.

Listening to Antrese Wood’s podcast interview with the painter Kathleen Speranza this past week drilled that point home. There was so much that Speranza had to say, on many subjects, that was directly relatable and refreshingly honest. I felt an instant sense of camaraderie. A warning though: at more than 1-1/2 hours, the interview is longer than most. But if you can work or drive while listening, I think you’ll find it’s worth your time.

One of Speranza’s most resonate points is that you have to make a lot of art in order to glean a handful of pieces that could be considered truly successful. She assumes about a 50% success rate for herself. I love that she debunks the often mistaken impression that pretty much everything an accomplished artist creates turns out perfectly. It’s our flops that move us all forward.

In trying to steer clear of the cliché that “it’s the journey, not the destination” that is most rewarding, I still have to acknowledge that much of my emotional connection with my pieces disappears once they’re complete. I’m not exactly sure why that is other than perhaps it’s my in-process engagement that serves as the fuel to push me forward. And that, in turn, leads me to wonder, where would I be without those unexpected mid-stream “accidents” or missteps that require a response, often missing the mark or, less frequently, pushing the whole piece above and beyond to an unplanned new level of discovery. In other words, without the challenge and the risk, what is the point? If every piece turned out exactly the way we wished, wouldn’t we soon become bored?

This line of thinking allows me to fully appreciate the fact that even with devoted practice one can’t hope to get it right every time. Rather, the true gift is gaining and developing enough facility within one’s medium that it becomes the hook that lures one to keep trying.

Censorship is Not Okay…

…but is unfortunately alive and well.

Last month Kathy Nida’s art quilt “I Was Not Wearing a Life Jacket”, part of a Studio Art Quilt Associates’ (SAQA) traveling exhibition entitled People and Portraits, was pulled from the American Quilter’s Society display during Quilt Week in Grand Rapids, MI by AQS management. Furthermore, AQS decided that the piece would be removed altogether from traveling further with the exhibit, despite having already shown in four other AQS venues without complaint. You can view the piece here.

The controversy surrounds a non-existent penis that was imagined by one, or several, very upset viewer(s) — exactly how many has not been definitively ascertained. The complaints apparently were forceful enough that the show’s management summarily removed Nida’s work from the exhibit. The overwhelming irony is that the piece depicts only women, so said anatomical feature simply does not exist within this artwork. It adds insult to injury that Nida’s second piece in the show was also removed, not because it was found offensive in any way, but because each exhibiting artist in the show contributed two pieces, and it was deemed inappropriate to display only one piece by Nida.

Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood of CraftSanity has written a concise recap of the controversial situation and includes a podcast interview with Nida, which can be found here. SAQA’s board of directors offered their synopsis and response. The Craft Industry Alliance discusses the aftermath, outlining how AQS further bungled the situation by refusing to address the outcry until 10 days after the piece had been pulled from the show, and even then with a woefully insufficient statement from Bonnie Browning, the Executive Show Director for AQS.

I find it extremely distressing, though sadly not surprising, that such a blatant misperception would be allowed to deprive other viewers the opportunity to assess for themselves the merits (or lack thereof) found within such thought-provoking imagery. And while it’s disgraceful that such antiquated viewpoints are allowed to take precedence over reason, thank goodness we can openly express our scorn for such provincialism and outright censorship.

Finally, if you have questions about your rights under the First Amendment, Artist Rights is a resource that was created to provide answers.

On a Much Lighter Note…

After a lonely year, my studio is a happier place with the arrival of a new model and goofy partner in crime. Gentle snores and a thumping tail once again provide the comforting background music I have been sorely missing.

Wrapping Things Up to Begin All Over Again

It always feels good to cross the finish line.

While it may seem that I’ve only been sketching, reading, and gardening this summer, behind the face of this blog there have been untold hours of stitching as well. The plain, hard fact is my textile pieces have so many layers and levels of process, mostly hand-done, that sometimes they seem to crawl along at a virtual snail’s pace. The Rio Olympics provide the perfect analogy: sketching is a sprint, textile work is a marathon. Happily, neither impinges upon the other and working at both seems to have reciprocal advantages.

And I’m sure you can appreciate why I need both.

Poseidon’s Garden ©2016 Elizabeth Fram 26″H x 22″W, Stitched Resist, Dye, Discharge, Stitching on Silk If ever there was a piece for which it was particularly satisfying to tie off the last thread, this is it. My previous posts “How Do You Define Success”, “One Note Changes Everything”, & “Share the Wealth” discuss the process and, perhaps more significantly, the struggle of working my way through it.

Last month I finally finished the two pieces shown here, and now need only to tidy up behind them with proper photographs and documentation. Neither of them came together easily, yet they both represent the best type of workhorse. They are rich in lessons learned along the way that, while obvious to no one but me, add measurably to my toolkit for the future.

Capriccio ©2016 Elizabeth Fram 12″ x 12″, Paint & Stitching on Silk Made in response to the prompt “lyrical” for the 2016 Journal Project, an undertaking you can read more about in my previous post “Creative Yoga”

Work begets work, so the door is now open to fully concentrate on the two new pieces that I began a couple of weeks ago. And boy, does it feel good to start fresh and shift my focus! However, there’s something to be said for setting aside a few moments to mark the transition, to make note of and be grateful for the ground covered, and to hope that what was learned can be applied to the challenges that lie ahead.

On Another Note…

I can’t help but share the most important and thoughtful article I’ve read this week. In her blog post Why “good ideas” never happen & WHY YOU CAN’T AVOID DIFFICULT DECISIONS, Nela Dunato discusses why and how maintaining a mindset that includes the capacity for change is both a necessity and a powerful ally in achieving success, especially for the creative professional. Check it out; it’s a valuable reminder that even small steps can reap large rewards.