February 2013

Sincerely, Alex Katz

Dear Young Artist,

Painting is a social act and develops out of a community. Find your community. 

Trust your intuition and taste. Taste is a moral code.

Understand art that you don’t “get.”

High art defines what we see. We see culturally. Seeing is a variable determined by that with which we are assaulted. A new vision and a new art should be the aspiration of high art.

Work as hard as you can to develop craft skills.

Read all you can and remember that by the time you’ve read it a large part of what you read is obsolete.

You have the audience you deserve. To enlarge or improve your audience requires all the energy you have. You get back what you put out.

If you fail, at least you should have learned something.

Good luck.

Sincerely,

Alex Katz

LETTERS TO A YOUNG ARTIST

First Thursday: February

Last night Lindsay & I explored the Pearl District and First Thursday. Here are some of our favorite pieces. Robert Rauschenberg, Samarked Stitches I & III, 1988 (Elizabeth Leech Gallery)

Kris Hargis, It’ll Pass? & Abreojos, Jennifer- Eyes Wide Open, 2012 (Froelick Gallery)

Judy Cooke, Arc, 2012 (Froelick Gallery)

James Minden, Articulate, 2012 (Froelick Gallery)

Yuji Hiratsuki, Dilettante (Froelick Gallery)
Both Lindsay & I were lucky enough to have Yuji teach us monotype printmaking while we were at Oregon State University.

I like this accidental reflection of me over Danny Lyon, Bikeriders, 1967 (Hartman Fine Art). This exhibition corresponds nicely with tonight’s The One Motorcycle Show.

Lindsay & Josh musing over some Vivian Maier photos at Blue Sky Gallery.

Feast your eyes on this.

Thispaper.com posted a stunning collection of Viviane Sassen images from her project Flomboya. A pretty great artist statement accompanies the photos. Check it out.  

Page 2 of 2

  • 1
  • 2