Please tell me if you disagree, but
 when you walk into a room with bare naked walls. Don’t you find it unnerving?

 The blandness, the sterility, the lack of feeling….

 There’s something missing and it feels quite spooky.  Please don’t get me wrong,

I’m not prudish or anything but there’s something about naked wall that just needs….. Covering.

 Especially in offices. Recently we visited the ultra modern head office of a large UK

Company to talk about the Art that they need.

The Art was conspicuous by its absence and the walls were whispering for
something fashionable but with longevity to cover their empty
nakedness. They didn’t want to make a very loud statement but were

 happy to remain in the background providing a solid sense of shelter and security for the inhabitants of the building.

Nevertheless they were… undressed. This also was a cause of tension amongst humans

in the building who felt subconsciously that there was something

lacking in their work environment.  Fortunately the management were enlightened enough to realise all this before it was too late

 and had decided to call ArtNova.

The receptionist was excited by the thought of modern art on the walls and the PA felt a sense of relief

 that a solution was finally in sight. The MD was away ‘til next week. So we did our survey,

 put the Nikon coolpix to work, took measurements and wrote notes into a Pukkapad.

 Now we’re busy with ArtSitu FotoMontage creating various options for them to choose from.

If you don’t know what ArtSitu is then go to www.artsitu.net
 
 We work together with our clients to find solutions.
So we’re looking at lots of paintings right now on our database and also on the ArtNova website. Choices, Choices, Choices.

 The great thing about ArtSitu tm is that we can show the client ALL these

different options and that makes it so much easier for clients to decide on exactly the right choice of Art for their Offices?

 copyright James thorn www.jamesthorn.com

               
               
           

 

 

 

 The Oxford English Dictionary gives this definition Abstract • adjective /abstrakt/ 1 theoretical rather than physical or concrete. 2 (of art) achieving its effect through colour and shapes rather than attempting to represent recognizable reality.

Often we hear people ask what Modern, Conceptual or Abstract art means. Good art, though it is entirely up to the individual, may move people to feel or think something but like music it doesn’t have to be about anything.

 
Just as music may not be about anything concrete (and may be one of the original forms of Abstract art). People can still enjoy listening to it without understanding or even caring about its meaning

  Though the title of a piece  of  Abstract art or music may suggest something to the listener it is not important and it’s mostly left up to the imagination of the  individual to make an interpretation or just to enjoy in it an emotional way. Abstract Art and music can convey meaning in an emotional or thought provoking manner

 

Many abstract artists are reluctant to even talk about the meaning of their work and I feel there is justification in this.  While other Abstract artists are happy to gush on about what they do and it does help to sell their work.  An explanation makes the work more accessible. As it appears that Abstract artist has some philosophy about their work and a reason for doing it that way. This may be a sign of artistic integrity and can make it more believable to the viewer or buyer when it is explained to them. It also becomes more of  a conversation piece and justifies the expense of what is a real luxury item.

 

 

 

Sometimes the title gives a lot importance to the work. Damien Hirst for example, though as a vegetarian I find his early work repulsive I was intrigued by his titles. Other Abstract artists Rothko for one gave their paintings a number or some leave them untitled.

Personally I prefer it when an Abstract Artist makes the effort to give the piece a title. As Abstract Expressionist Artist Muge Demir says  ' If a picture can say a 1000 words a relevant title is a brief synopsis'

Giving, what the artists perceives as, a relevant title to an Abstract painting does not force the viewer to make a particular interpretation but the artist may want to make a suggestion or to give some clue which might otherwise be missed.

Regarding whether or not Art needs to look nice well obviously not but for the average Art buyer it is quite important. Not many people would want Tracy Emins unmade bed in the middle of their living room or Damien’s mother and child divided. But who knows in 50 years it might be as common as Pollok is today.

 
Speaking of Jackson I was very disappointed when I went to his exhibition at Tate Britain a few years ago. His paintings seemed very dull and colours muddy. Maybe it's because of the paint he used. I think he used house paint. Can you imagine not painting your woodwork for 50 years? They don’t seem to have aged well.

 

 

I felt the same when I went to the Miro show at the Pompidou. His paintings seemed to lack the vibrancy that I was expecting and when I saw the recently found sketches for his work it took away the sense of spontaneity in  his Art for me. I could say the same about Kandinsky. Though I’m impressed by his book ‘Concerning the Spiritual in Art’ I feel there was too much planning in his work.  When it comes to Abstract art I feel more drawn to the Abstract Expressionists make it up as you go along, spontaneous approach.

 


 copyright JamesThorn.com