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breakTHROUGHArts
a free newsletter for visual artists
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February 2008
Contents
I.
The
Power of Naming
II.
Energy Management:
Translations from the Psych Research Lab, the Board Room, and the
Shrink’s Couch
III. Friends in
Print: When you feel like reading
IV. Creative Links
V. Newsletter and
Info: Share this newsletter, subscribe, or unsubscribe
I.
The Power of Naming
I continue to be intrigued with how the impact of a work of art is
changed by its presentation. Lately, I’ve been noticing naming and
titles.
We all know of artists who leave their viewers as free as possible
to respond to their art, using no more title than a simple numbering
code (e.g. Triptych #34). At the other extreme are those whose
titles convey as much of the artist’s experience as possible (e.g.
Drawings Done after Friend’s Funeral). This approach invites
the viewer into the art process, as does the use of artist
statements. Which is closer to your approach?
In fiction writing, such process information is often developed as
the “back story” of a character. This includes the historic details
that enrich the depiction of characters but are typically not shared
with the audience. Some of us love the back stories of visual work
almost as much as the pieces themselves. Others find them at best
distracting, at worst draining the energy from the experience of
viewing.
When artists do use titles, they range from simple descriptions to
conceptual ideas (e.g. Red with Blue vs. Loneliness #1). Often, but
not always, these titles parallel the artist’s emphasis on the
physical materiality of the work vs. the concept behind it. My
favorite naming styles are those that somehow bridge the physicality
and concept. Names that have double meanings, metaphors, and
symbols, for me, are hefty enough to encourage viewers’ personal
associations and broad enough so that different clusters of meanings
might be evoked when viewed over time.
An example of an exhibition that harnessed the power of titles was
Oxymoron: Absurdly Logical Quilts (Hire, Dianne, 2000). Forty
artquilters were invited to create pieces to interpret their choices
of oxymorons. My top three favorites were Deafening Silence
(Patty Hawkins), Eternal Moment (Alison Goss), and Icy Hot
(Rise Nagin). Rise Nagin states that even with this haunting title
“I prefer to let the finished quilt speak for itself.”
Do you name your works? Do they perhaps name themselves? Do the
titles precede the work or come later? How much does writing and
verbalizing, in general, support and strengthen your work and how
does this relate to your personal naming traditions?
(Return to Top)
|
Try this with a friend. Tap out Happy Birthday or the Star
Spangled Banner and experience how different it is for the
tapper and the
listener. |
II. Energy Management: Translations from the
Psych Research Lab, the Board Room and the Shrink’s Couch
Name That Tune.
I’ve previously cited Heath and Heath’s “Ideas that Stick”*
but neglected to mention a study they report that is relevant for
this issue of naming. They describe the work of Elizabeth Newton who
had one person tap out the rhythm of a well-known song to a
listener. The listeners could not usually identify the song (only
2.5% success). In addition, the tappers were incredulous that
listeners couldn’t identify it because, once you know what the
underlying melody is, it feels inescapable and obvious. They
expected the listeners to be correct 50% of the time.
Newton’s research is a reminder that communicators already knows
what they are trying to communicate while the audience doesn’t. Once
I showed a piece of mine with three pointed arches to a friend; it
had the pretty vague title of Way Station. “Oh, penguins!”
she responded with a sense of delight. Ah, well! I was tempted to
change the title to 3 Arched Windows but instead made major
readjustments of values and contrasts which succeeded in getting
viewers out of Antarctica and away from those marching penguins.
Visual artists have the option of using titles to ‘name the tune’
for their viewers or not. You can use a title to guide perception
into a well-known set of associations but know then that you’ve
reduced the chances of people having new perceptions (Oh,
penguins!). Or, with a title that’s loose or absent, you can leave
your viewers to enjoy or be disturbed by whatever they see.
*Heath, Chip and Heath, Dan. Ideas That Stick. 2007.
(Return to Top)
III. Friends in Print: When you feel like reading
Godin, Seth. The Dip: The Little Book that Teaches You When to Quit
(and When to Quit). 2007.
Godin has packaged his several main ideas in a truly small book. His
idea is that you shouldn’t quit when the going gets rough, because
this is a predictable “dip”. Once the energy of starting something
new has worn off and one faces the hard work of actualizing a
vision, there’s a phase of making slow progress with great effort.
That’s when he encourages pushing on through.
|
“Don’t quit in a panic…Don’t ‘give up’.”
Godin, Seth. The Dip. 2007. |
He does recommend considering quitting when 1) you’re bored or feel
like you’re in a dead end (his “cul-de-sac”), 2) when you’re staying
only to avoid risk or leaving your comfort zone, or 3) when you’ve
decided ahead of time on guidelines for leaving, so that you
leave as a decision, not as a reaction.
If you’ve hit a ‘dip’ in any of your creative projects, you might
want to check out Godin in detail.
(Return to Top)
IV. Creative Links
www.surfacedesign.org
Here is a fiber art resource that includes “dyeing, painting,
printing, stitching, embellishing, quilting, weaving, knitting,
felting, and papermaking”. The fine aesthetic of the site and the
members’ magazine makes it worth joining if any of these are your
medium.
(Return to Top)
V.
E-mail changes.
To change your e-mail address, subscribe, or unsubscribe please
e-mail
connect@dianereardon.com.
If you use a spam filter, please add this e-mail address to your
list of approved senders. This material is
included on the
breakTHROUGH Creativity Coaching
(website
www.dianereardon.com) All material is copyrighted ©, January 31,
2008, Diane Reardon. All rights reserved. Visit the website for
back issues and details on scheduling a complimentary one-hour
coaching session.
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