Answering Email
Every once in a while I get an email from a stranger about my work. Sometimes another artist from another country, sometimes an artworld person.... sometimes a highschool student:
"Hello Mr. Wexler. My name is Maya, and I'm a high school art student. I was looking up paper collage artists online, and I found your interesting art. I was hoping you could answer a few questions that I have for you about your art and career as an artist. If you don't have time to answer them, I understand. Thanks".
1.What inspires you most when you come up with an idea?
2.What was your path to finding that you loved paper collages with acrylic paint?
3.How do you overcome frustrations when creating art?
4.Can you describe any special techniques you use?
5.What do you most enjoy about being an artist?
6.What does creating art mean to you?
7.What is the most important advice you could give me as a young artist?
Thank you for your time!
Hi Maya,
I'll answer in brief. You can also find any additional information about my work at www.aaronwexler.com
These are the answers in the order of your questions:
1. The possibilities of expanding that idea through visual language and the medium I work with.
2. I was previously making paintings (until about 2000) using paint as flat shapes. I realized I liked cutting the shapes out of painted paper better. It is more efficient and gives me more freedom.
3. I don't overcome frustrations... I just manage them.
4. My most special techniques are all a result of fine tuning my craft.
5. Theoretically I have full control over what I want to make. More importantly though, I always have and always will have the need to be creative. Being an artist fulfills that need for now.
6. It means creatively expressing the way in which I see the world.
7. Be honest with yourself in everything you do. It's the most direct route to making good art and making your way through a difficult career.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
2
Crashing Through VS. Breaking Through
One of my favorite radio programs on WNYC used to be The Next Big Thing. It got cancelled. Unfortunately the show's format and content found itself right between This American Life and Radiolab (both I love).
But maybe it was the core premise of the show that just didn't ring that bell for people? Are we really waiting for the next big thing? or just the next thing? I think the latter.
Applied to the current art world financial mess, we all know that when the tsunami of recession calms there will be half as many galleries and a lot of shell-shocked artists (who were part of that market). Still though, I hear the bunch of us, the wider us, talking about what kind of this and what kind of that is going to come next?! I think that notion supposes that some new thing is going to come crashing through. That's completely impossible if you agree with me that there are no rules anymore. You need rules as shut doors or glass ceilings to come crashing through.
I believe that all kinds of artists have those elusively sublime breaking through moments at some point or other. Hopefully often and hopefully in rhythm. An artist has to excel, exploit and push his or her NATURAL talents to the absolute limit. You want good art - that's when that shit happens. It's all we have to offer as artists. Civic responsibilities and parenting is another story.... or is it? Making the best stuff possible takes an earnesty that sometimes isn't fashionable and at this moment in time certainly not culturally fashionable for young artists in the market. But those who do go at it like it's the last thing they will ever do are going to be the ones who move this era forward.
I've wanted to post these 2 clips back-to-back for a while. I think they are examples of two artists breaking through...
and two of my favorite musicians:
... and I think both are experiencing similar moments.
In terms of formerly needing rules in order to break them in order to create genius. Here is a link to an essay titled The Heresy of Zone Defense by one of my favorite writers Dave Hickey.
This is the moment referenced in the essay:
One of my favorite radio programs on WNYC used to be The Next Big Thing. It got cancelled. Unfortunately the show's format and content found itself right between This American Life and Radiolab (both I love).
But maybe it was the core premise of the show that just didn't ring that bell for people? Are we really waiting for the next big thing? or just the next thing? I think the latter.
Applied to the current art world financial mess, we all know that when the tsunami of recession calms there will be half as many galleries and a lot of shell-shocked artists (who were part of that market). Still though, I hear the bunch of us, the wider us, talking about what kind of this and what kind of that is going to come next?! I think that notion supposes that some new thing is going to come crashing through. That's completely impossible if you agree with me that there are no rules anymore. You need rules as shut doors or glass ceilings to come crashing through.
I believe that all kinds of artists have those elusively sublime breaking through moments at some point or other. Hopefully often and hopefully in rhythm. An artist has to excel, exploit and push his or her NATURAL talents to the absolute limit. You want good art - that's when that shit happens. It's all we have to offer as artists. Civic responsibilities and parenting is another story.... or is it? Making the best stuff possible takes an earnesty that sometimes isn't fashionable and at this moment in time certainly not culturally fashionable for young artists in the market. But those who do go at it like it's the last thing they will ever do are going to be the ones who move this era forward.
I've wanted to post these 2 clips back-to-back for a while. I think they are examples of two artists breaking through...
and two of my favorite musicians:
... and I think both are experiencing similar moments.
In terms of formerly needing rules in order to break them in order to create genius. Here is a link to an essay titled The Heresy of Zone Defense by one of my favorite writers Dave Hickey.
This is the moment referenced in the essay:
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