Author: wjacobr

Visual artist, poet, novelist, activist & Street Medic, living in North. Penn Name: Jacob Russell My blog is a confluence of art, writing, politics. my Art portfolio: Art-by-Willard.com

Knowing the history of art, empowers, and utterly corrupts us

Not that making art matters in this world… but I look at what I’ve done… and wonder: (the voice of my interlocutor/accuser.. the one who knows oh so much about “ART”, and how it’s valued… and disvalued) … so where is your signature? I see everything from street trash, to fine pen drawings… how is anyone to recognize you in this? Where you are? What you are doing?”
I got no idea. Is that something I should be thinking about–since I’ve no interest in “branding” my work? Is that a failure?.. that I’m too ADD, jumping from one thing to another?.. .no commitment to discipling myself to a set of recognizable ‘constraints?’
If I could only be, really, truly.. an outsider artist. But I’m not. I mean, I am.. but I’m not. I’ve been corrupted, ineradicable corrupted by my education, my training. Infected with an impossible desire to both be recognized for what I do.. within the tradition.. and for my refusal to enter the branding games of the galleries and gatekeepers of that same, exclusive and excluding tradition.
Neither this nor that. I have no place… in any place that has a name.

#470

#470
 View GALLERY HERE.

8″x10″ Watercolor. two colors on canvas. I found a couple of small canvases, covered the dollar store ‘art’ with gesso, and wanted to see how watercolor would work on them. Not very absorbent, but the pooling makes for some interesting effects. I added some fingerprints.

I also replaced #469 below, with a photo with better resolution. Having a hard time getting a good image. Now the white paper is blue… but if I increase the light, it washes out the fine pen work. Need a better camera.

#469 Advanced Doodle

#469 Advanced Doodle #1

View GALLERY HERE.

12″x 9″ Ink & watercolor on Borden & Riley #234 Paper. I’ve been thinking I’d like to do something like this–on larger sheets of paper, maybe 40″x 36,” fine pen, with some bolder brush work as well, adjusting to the size. But a lot of fine detail… lend itself to both close and more distant viewing. Would want to mount the paper on some heavy stock, or wood. Do a series of “large doodles.”