So I have been exploring some new ideas this semester, and I am getting nervous about whether any of it will turn out. While I am excited about the possibilities of some new directions, and am certainly not done with them, I need good finished work to put in my upcoming show or to enter into shows, etc.
So I am taking a step back and making some work that I know I can get to turn out. I also feel I can knock out work quicker so that I will have enough finished work for the show.
What do you guys think, is this good or bad?
Hey Garrett, it was nice talking to you at Jason's reception! I don't know the details about the show you are having, so my comment will be more from a broader perspective. I did the same thing when my first semester at Edinboro. I was worried about having finished work, more so for the professors since I wasn't concerned with shows. So I did work that I knew I could do. It was "safe" and it didn't represent me well or advance my work. While it may not be really bad to do this, I personally don't think it's good.
ReplyDeleteNow, as I said, I know that you have to make work for a show, so maybe it could be an exception. In general though, by taking big risks and the chance that you might not have finished work, there is also a greater reward if it does work out. In my experience as an art student, my best work has always been during a semester where I really could have ended up with nothing at the end because of the things I was working on. There is something exciting about work that has been pushed to the edge of complete failure. Someone once said this to me before and it has stuck with me since then.
So, in short I would hate to see you switch your focus from something that could be great because of the risk that it might not work out.
I here you Earl, and I agree. Fortunately, I am not abandoning my newer projects, just supplementing them with work I am more confident I can get to work. I do think however, that some ideas should be approached with smaller steps than I tend to want to take. Maybe that is the middle ground, scaling back a bit to figure things out?
ReplyDeleteI feel that my most interesting work comes when I return to "familiar" ground after a period of experimentation. 2 jumps forward, one step back?
ReplyDeleteI had great conversation with someone about the 80% rule. There are certain points in artistic growth: starting a new body of work, experimenting, first year grad school or long term residency, etc. when you should make and make and make and make - then just plan to throw out 80% of your product. Get all your ideas out, weed through them and then grow. I know that at least 80% of the pieces from this year are going to be landfill. But the process of making, thinking, planning, and crit-ing them is 100% invaluable.