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Thursday, 25 September 2014

Why do we do art?...and similar questions.

The recent news articles about the winner of the £25,000 John Moores Painting Prize, Rose Wylie have really made me think.

If one of the reasons for producing art is to shock and make people ask questions, well then this time it worked!  I had never heard of Rose Wylie or seen any of her work and so seeing her prize winning painting was something of a surprise and a "sit up and take notice!" moment for me.

This is her winning painting "PV Windows and Floorboards"

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/johnmoores/jm2014/shortlist/wylie.aspx

I've been looking around and researching her, looking at her art on line, reading articles and watching videos of her being interviewed.  Fascinating stuff if only because she is 80 years old and is being described as an up and coming artist.

What intrigues me is her utter unconcern about how her work is viewed and how she has all these years kept to her particular vision of what she wants to create as art despite up til now being largely ignored and her paintings not selling. She appears not to be interested in putting over a message or communicating or creating something which would be described in traditional terms as beautiful.

So I ask why do we do art?

More musings to come...


2 comments:

  1. Sorry, I can't see that as painting as prize worthy art. Guess I'm just too old-fashioned and think that art ought to be enjoyable to look at. But I'm glad for her.

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  2. Hi simplyred...Now that's interesting you see, you feel that art should be a pleasure to look at. I think this art was produced with that as a less important consideration, or even not important at all.
    Yes, I'm glad for her too...apparently the painting is priced at £38,000, and now that it has been awarded the prize, it will sell.
    Nice to hear from you!

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