Penn
08-01-2008, 11:20
http://www.bloomsburyreview.com/Archives/2003/Russell%20Chatham.pdf
While researching some work of a friend of mine, Russell Chatham, I came across an interview he did in 2003.
I have Known Russell for over twenty years, (I help him build his restaurant) he is concidered, by some, to be Americans greatest living landscape painter. I found this interview to be hilarious an insightful. Replace the word Art; and this idea applies to any endeavor worth pursuing. The above link connects to the full interview. The excerpt, and permission was granted by Bloomsbury for me to reproduce and provide the link to the full interview. It’s a bit long, but worth the time, as it is an excellent read.
All genuine art grows outward from the heart and is a
matter of sensations. Art inspired primarily by the intellect
may induce awe, excitement, or even laughter, but never
tears, and there is no great art without tears.
Never forget you are a sworn enemy of the state, and all
manifestations of the establishment, whether political, social,
or pseudo-intellectual, are there for you to practice your place
kicking. Arm yourself with a stout heart and sturdy boots.
Those in positions of power are almost universally charlatans,
knaves, liars, frauds, or flat-out criminals. As a hopeful but
still naive young artist, you may assume, as I once did, that
surely somewhere in the world of art, including the museums,
there would be intelligent people who understand the difference
between feces and brown shoe polish, but you will eventually
be disabused of this idea once you are able to see
through the omnipresent smokescreen and recognize the
huge, poisonous grease slick of cheese-ball capitalists and
bureaucrats looking for nothing more than a fast buck or job
security.
Never lose sight of the fact a gallery is a store and nothing
more. If you have to use one, make sure the proprietor is good
at keeping his store in order, is capable of selling his wares
effectively, and pays his bills on time. And cross-check your
self esteem. No one is doing you a favor by displaying your
work for sale. Watch your back. The art world breeds con
artists like stagnant water breeds mosquitoes. And the higher
the table stakes, the more you will require the services of
Batman or The Men in Black.
Work diligently with seriousness of purpose, but never take
yourself seriously. There is no free lunch. Grants are nearly
always an inside job, so to get one will require some time on
your knees licking someone’s hinder. Don’t do it. Expect to be
poor. Don’t plan on it like some whining loser, but think about
how you’re going to survive it when it happens, as it has to
pretty much every real artist in history. On the other hand, by.
all means do not strive for wealth. It can happen and has to
many, but it’s a fluke, and as mysteriously as it arrived so will
it disappear, and will not have had anything whatsoever to do
with the value of art.
Learn where you came from, who you are, and where you
are going. Travel in healthy and intelligent company. Immerse
yourself in music. Enjoy good food and learn how to prepare it
yourself. Take full responsibility for your own behavior. Live
skillfully. And never watch television.
I wish someone had given me all this advice 40 or 50 years
ago, but of course I wouldn’t have understood it, nor paid the
slightest bit of attention to it. Too bad we can’t be born old
and then grow younger so we could take advantage of our
youth and really appreciate it.
Reprinted from The Bloomsbury Review®, Vol. 23, #6. © 2003, John A. Murray. All rights reserved. May not be copied, reproduced, or transmitted in any fashion without the written consent of John A. Murray; info@bloomsburyreview.com
While researching some work of a friend of mine, Russell Chatham, I came across an interview he did in 2003.
I have Known Russell for over twenty years, (I help him build his restaurant) he is concidered, by some, to be Americans greatest living landscape painter. I found this interview to be hilarious an insightful. Replace the word Art; and this idea applies to any endeavor worth pursuing. The above link connects to the full interview. The excerpt, and permission was granted by Bloomsbury for me to reproduce and provide the link to the full interview. It’s a bit long, but worth the time, as it is an excellent read.
All genuine art grows outward from the heart and is a
matter of sensations. Art inspired primarily by the intellect
may induce awe, excitement, or even laughter, but never
tears, and there is no great art without tears.
Never forget you are a sworn enemy of the state, and all
manifestations of the establishment, whether political, social,
or pseudo-intellectual, are there for you to practice your place
kicking. Arm yourself with a stout heart and sturdy boots.
Those in positions of power are almost universally charlatans,
knaves, liars, frauds, or flat-out criminals. As a hopeful but
still naive young artist, you may assume, as I once did, that
surely somewhere in the world of art, including the museums,
there would be intelligent people who understand the difference
between feces and brown shoe polish, but you will eventually
be disabused of this idea once you are able to see
through the omnipresent smokescreen and recognize the
huge, poisonous grease slick of cheese-ball capitalists and
bureaucrats looking for nothing more than a fast buck or job
security.
Never lose sight of the fact a gallery is a store and nothing
more. If you have to use one, make sure the proprietor is good
at keeping his store in order, is capable of selling his wares
effectively, and pays his bills on time. And cross-check your
self esteem. No one is doing you a favor by displaying your
work for sale. Watch your back. The art world breeds con
artists like stagnant water breeds mosquitoes. And the higher
the table stakes, the more you will require the services of
Batman or The Men in Black.
Work diligently with seriousness of purpose, but never take
yourself seriously. There is no free lunch. Grants are nearly
always an inside job, so to get one will require some time on
your knees licking someone’s hinder. Don’t do it. Expect to be
poor. Don’t plan on it like some whining loser, but think about
how you’re going to survive it when it happens, as it has to
pretty much every real artist in history. On the other hand, by.
all means do not strive for wealth. It can happen and has to
many, but it’s a fluke, and as mysteriously as it arrived so will
it disappear, and will not have had anything whatsoever to do
with the value of art.
Learn where you came from, who you are, and where you
are going. Travel in healthy and intelligent company. Immerse
yourself in music. Enjoy good food and learn how to prepare it
yourself. Take full responsibility for your own behavior. Live
skillfully. And never watch television.
I wish someone had given me all this advice 40 or 50 years
ago, but of course I wouldn’t have understood it, nor paid the
slightest bit of attention to it. Too bad we can’t be born old
and then grow younger so we could take advantage of our
youth and really appreciate it.
Reprinted from The Bloomsbury Review®, Vol. 23, #6. © 2003, John A. Murray. All rights reserved. May not be copied, reproduced, or transmitted in any fashion without the written consent of John A. Murray; info@bloomsburyreview.com