assessment post

Abstract painting is abstract. It confronts you. There was a reviewer a while back who wrote that my pictures didn't have any beginning or any end. He didn't mean it as a compliment, but it was.

- Jackson Pollock

For the ART 246 Module I began by looking at two different ideas that had different styles of abstract Expressionism and then a more Illustrative drawings theme. I could not decide which path I wanted to pursue more and really struggled for a few weeks to get a solid idea that I would base my project on.

Eventually I decided and realised that I could in fact combine both ideas and make it work in a way that I was happy with (I am usually very controlling over my art, and have recently learnt to be more exploring and experimental with my work this semester; which in turn, I feel makes me a stronger artist.)

I then began churning out paintings that combines the action painting processes which I have been influences by Dani Schafer and Jackson Pollock to do so, as well as having a deep interest in how different processes and techniques can affect a piece of art, and also combining my illustrative drawings to add a sense of nature and the environment to my work.

I have also looked at artists such as Albert Oehler, John Hoyland, Steven Spazuk, Joan Mitchell, Katy Moran, Hannah Dale, Nicola Jane Rowles and Kate Clarkson.

Overall I feel that I am now a lot more prepared to move on to the new semester and the new module it brings because even though I am intending to carry this idea on, I am now approaching it as a stronger artist with a more solid idea and plan.

An artist is someone free. I think you must be completely free to be a true artist.

That is where art is at its best. When it comes from your guts.

- Steven Spazuk