Purpose - 9/12/2003

Painting by Mark Tobey from the Bahai-Library.org

I'm trying to create some universal visual language..hopefully conveying spiritual or mystical significance...a few months ago while I was checking out the abstract masters of art, I found some information about an American painter, Mark Tobey, of the past who had similar goals in fine art.

Patricia Paccinini was featured in a recent Artnews mag. Her sculptures are almost like special effects film props. She has actually worked with scientists and other professionals on creating new species and psuedo-humanoid beings..very fleshy and believable. She's taken Ron Mueck to another level. Her work reminds me of the Pods in the film Existenz. Existenz happens to be one of the best sci-fi films.

This weekend, I hope to join the reception of a mid-career artist. Her name is Nancy Switzer. I admired her work online. The way she mixes paint and leaves drag marks is beautiful. California has a history of representational abstractionists who explored this technique such as Richard Diebenkorn and David Park.

Are you one of those people who say, "Everything has been done!" I used to be, until I started reading publications and seeing what the contemporary art world has to offer. In some cases, it is true that the regurgitation of past styles doesn't go above par, but some artists really venture into new ground. Gottfried Helnwein is a cross between Andy Warhol and old style Gerhard Richter. His techique is incredibly precise like photo-realism. His subject matter is dark and sometimes sarcastic. Helnwein has some interesting discussions about the fine art industry on his busy web site. He is praised by Marilyn Manson, who is quite a watercolor artist himself. On the subject of musician artists, David Bowie is probably one of the most developed. He has a quirky sense of anxiety in his work that alludes to Edvard Munch. In a documentary film called Inspirations, the validation of Bowie's creativity goes beyond one medium.

Let me vent about life as an artist. The majority of people are too busy to concern themselves with the contemplation and absorption of fine art. I don't blame the public. There are just too many aspects of life that take priority such as work, offspring, TV, and eating (yes, usually in that order). As the lifestyle of the typical American creeps close to Fahrenheit 451, the culture of gallery or museum trips comes to an end. Thinking of books, I just saw the adaptation of 1984. Bush's Administration vs Big Brother... There really isn't much of a comparison, but entertain me for a second. My father read the thesis of Bush's foreign policy before he was elected. He was fervent about preventing nations from obtaining economic and military power. He never mentions building better relations with the world as a whole, which seems to be a logical approach to peace. Doesn't that perturb you? I was born in this country. I have respect for its principles. The power of the U.S. is a huge melting pot of immigrants from all over the world. Bush's approach to foreign policy reminds of a dictatorship. There is no other country with a more powerful military force. Shouldn't we use a portion of the defense money to educate our civilization instead? Education will help us gain perspective and prevent bigotry. I think Iraq is currently more of a threat by being a war martyr than a threat before the U.S. coalition invasion. Please don't say, "What about 911?"