Barbara Mink

Can I stay off Facebook?

2012-02-05T16:59:00.000-05:00

I don't know whether getting off Facebook is the right thing to do or not, but I'm feeling the need to pare down a bit. Actually writing about what I'm doing lately seems like the better route. I'm continuing with acrylics on unprimed canvas, but have started incorporating more freehand marks, along with the lines and color bleeding that dominated in 2011. We'll see where this leads.

Finding my "ancestors"

2011-08-05T10:14:00.000-04:00

So I find myself squarely in the line of succession of the Color Field, Post Painterly Abstraction painters of the 1950s and 60s. For the past year I've been painting with acrylics on unstained canvas and linen.

Using these raw supports give the pieces a soft, organic feel; the acrylic and water-based inks that I use sink into the canvas and become part of the whole. It's a technique that was used by Color Field artists like Helen Frankenthaler and Sam Francis in the 1950s and 60s, which I find myself updating and making my own with a combination of staining, pouring, blotting, line, and use of negative space.

Many of the Color Field artists cite their main influences as Matisse, Miro, Klee and Kandinsky; and while Frankenthaler, Francis, Olitsky and Louis share many of the same characteristics, they don’t really resemble each other. I like to think of my work as falling in this line of influence and inspiration.

To go into a little more detail, Color Field Painting is an offshoot of Abstract Expressionism; both
• treat the surface of a canvas as a "field" of vision, without a central focus
• emphasize the flatness of the surface
• don’t refer to objects in the natural world
But unlike Abstract Expressionism, Color Field Painting is less about the process of making the work than about the tension created by overlapping and interacting areas of flat color.

The art critic Clement Greenberg, who coined the phrase Post Painterly Abstraction (Color Field) in contrast to Painterly Abstraction (Abstract Expressionism) wrote: "In their reaction against the 'handwriting' and 'gestures' of Painterly Abstraction, these artists also favor a relatively anonymous execution."

Martin Kemp does it again

2010-07-23T07:54:00.000-04:00

"It is the nature of a successful work of art, in contrast to an exposition in science, that it presents the spectator with an open field for associations, even beyond those consciously defined by the artist. The artist sets the parameters for the types of resonances, but does not enumerate or prescribe them."

That's from Kemp's introductory essay to a new collection of Andy Goldsworthy's work, which has been serving as a fresh inspiration to me. It also points out the unease I felt with Event Horizons, which reframed abstract work through concepts from physics and math. I'm much more comfortable putting out the paintings, no matter what the origin, and letting people come to their own responses.

Moving on

2009-11-19T07:45:00.002-05:00

So nice to see large Event Horizons canvases up on white walls with good lighting at State of the Art. Wonderful opening, thoughtful review of show by Arthur Whitman http://thethinkingi.blogspot.com/2009/11/mink.html. I don't agree with his take on the large 'You Can't Win" canvases; for me the carving out of negative space was an integral part of the process, not a mistake. But he was right about the "lightness" of Hubble's Bubbles. Overall, it's rare to have thoughtful and comprehensive "readers", and a review becomes like a conversation.

It's funny how once an approach has run its course, new directions open up. Current work much flatter, more free, while maintaining some of the pouring approaches of before. I don't think I could ever be like those painters who find one style that's commercially successful and stick with it for the rest of their lives; experimentation and growth is what makes this fun.

Looking forward to Event Horizons

2009-10-28T08:03:00.002-04:00

Had a wonderful time with Frank Moon at the Science Cabaret this month talking about science in art. I looked at my attempt to frame my work with some concepts from physics and math; Frank talked about his early attempts to translate aspects of chaos theory into wooden sculpture. Seems to me that scientists and artists share one thing; a search for "beauty", whatever that means. I don't mean prettiness; I mean an intuitive sense of when something is balanced, harmonious, fulfills the expectation. My first solo show in Ithaca, featuring these paintings, opens November 6 at State of the Art Gallery from 5-8, with electronica by Laika.

Been too long

2009-08-01T09:19:00.002-04:00

I find myself at an interesting juncture in my painting, the bottom of a trajectory that has taken me through a concentrated attempt to meld science and art; I've come out on the side of painting for painting's sake, with a very light touch when it comes to titles. I had reframed my large-scale abstracts in the context of physics and math; painted first, then finding the scientific corollary afterwards. I purposely chose more abstract concepts from the hard sciences rather than the more obvious biological or geologic contexts, which would seem to fit my organic style. I think it worked; but by drawing such specific ties, it raises false expectations; that the paintings are translations of the science, which they are not.

Taking a lighter approach works better I think. The new body of work is called Event Horizons, and I now have a book of photos available from my website or from Blurb.com.

2/23/2009

2009-02-24T15:47:00.001-05:00

Haven't written for a while; but recent family tragedies and the normal difficulties of life have reminded me of the importance of living in the present, and the joy in being able to pour oneself into the act of creation. I found after September 11 that I tried to literally put my feelings into a painting; the result was banal. More helpful, I think, is to work with the medium than impose an emotion on it. My recent body of work that plays with scientific concepts is often dark, but I don't think depressing.

Evolving styles

2008-12-28T07:41:00.002-05:00

I'm introducing a new piece at the forthcoming State of the Art show, in conjunction with the Light in Winter festival. Flatter, less textured, more emphasis on line, but still in the relatively narrow color palette of white, black, beige, hints of red. I do love going back and forth between large and small scale as well as differences in texture and line; the one thing i don't do well is stay in one place.

Upside down Arctic

2008-12-14T08:43:00.000-05:00

The other Paris exhibit was at the Musee de quai Branley, the controversial primitive art museum near the Eiffel Tower. An exhibit called Upside down Arctic was a multimedia installation featuring fabulous masks and tiny detailed inuit sculptures and talismans, all over a thousand years old. Air conditioning and fake snow may have been a bit kitchy, but the ambient animal sounds and creaking ice made the whole thing work. Good discussion with my friend James Siegel, anthropologist, on the role of masks in ancient cultures and how they fit in (or don't) with the aesthetic of an art museum.

Jacques Villegle

2008-12-14T08:36:00.001-05:00

Sitting in CDG airport in Paris, languishing as flight home delayed five hours, a good to to reflect on some of the art experiences this past week.I was especially impressed by an exhibit of Jacques Villagle, specializes in incorporating ripped advertising posters (ripped by others) into large-scale collages with acrylic paint. In the retrospective at the Beaubourg I was really struck by one period in his output which came close to Abstract Expressionism; heavily textured paintings because of the paper and words, but pulled together with large color fields, a la Rauchengberg, Clyfford Still, Rothko. I think I'm going to try incorporating words and pictues along with the photo transfers I did last year, perhaps a good way to reinforce the texture of the acrylic medium.

Selling art in a recession

2008-12-02T07:14:00.003-05:00

Sigh. It IS odd, trying to launch a new business venture in the midst of a worldwide economic recession, but I guess one does what one must. The giclee prints on canvas I've had produced locally came out beautifully, I think; the big oils and acrylics scale down nicely, and they ARE an affordable alternative to the originals. But people are understandably wary of laying out money right now, so... we'll see.

A New Day

2008-11-17T06:34:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe almost a month has passed since my last post during Art Trail; everything was subsumed bythe excitement and triumph of the election. Now that I can think of other things, I'm thinking about the different attractions of abstract and representational painting. I do love realistic renderings of people and still life arrangements; but I really enjoy the freedom and complexity of abstract improvisation. The materials take on an interesting new role , more like a partner than a medium to be bent to your will. The resulting layers of color and texture are fun to explore over and over again; a different experience as a viewer, and certainly a different process as a painter.

Working in Ithaca

2008-10-26T06:21:00.003-04:00

I was sitting at State of the Art Gallery yesterday, during five hours of pouring rain, and was amazed at how many people stopped by despite the bad weather. The Ithaca Art Trail show, which comes down next week, is a particularly good one, I think. It's amazing how many people live and work as artists here without an official gallery affiliation. Ithaca's central isolation and small population is a challenge, but it's a great place to produce; and a great place for people to visit. Many of the member sales in the gallery are to visitors from elsewhere. High hopes for my new online venture!

How did I start painting?

2008-10-21T06:44:00.001-04:00

I grew up as my father’s painting assistant, helping lug his huge Expressionist canvases to various shows, going with him to sketch at Niagara Falls, minding the booth at the outdoor art fairs where he exhibited his work. I loved painting and sculpting myself but I didn’t get a lot of encouragement; art was my father’s domain. As I moved into adolescence I found different creative outlet for myself; acting in theatre, radio and on television; making jewelry; sewing clothes; painting glassware.
Ten years ago I woke up on a January morning with the irresistible urge to paint. I don’t know where it came from or why it showed up on that particular day, but before the urge could pass I reached for my young daughter’s watercolors and began painting. I went through an entire pad of paper and that was that. I was painting.
My first formal art class was in botanical illustration, which was wonderful for teaching me about close rendering, but I found that I couldn’t keep my irises on the page. My flower paintings extended beyond the borders of a sketch pad; I was painting what I saw, but not necessarily what was in front of me.
My earlier work was representational, beginning with the four “F’s”: flowers, fruit, fish and figures. In a short while I moved on to interiors, landscapes, clouds and seas and then one day the horizon line disappeared.

Limited Edition Giclee Prints

2008-10-20T07:21:00.000-04:00

Coming soon! I will be offering high-quality, limited-edition Giclee prints on canvas of selected paintings on my site. If you are interested in a particular image please let me know and I will include it in the process.

These limited-edition prints will be offered in a variety of sizes at affordable prices.

I have hesitated to offer prints of my oil and acrylic paintings, but the new advances in ink-jet printing has convinced me that offering high-quality prints on canvas would be a way to make artwork more accessible, without devaluing the original work. Buying a limited-edition giclee print is considered investing in fine art.

If you're wondering whether to buy an original oil or acrylic painting or a print, my feeling is this: if you feel strongly about being part of the contemporary art scene and want to have art works you can hand down to your children, buying an original makes the most sense. If you cannot afford it,and you still want to have a piece of art in your home that "speaks" to you, a high-quality limited edition Giclee print is a solid alternative.

Changing vs. standing still

2008-10-19T11:39:00.000-04:00

10/18/2008

I was very touched yesterday at Art Trail to have a dear friend say how she had felt a real sense of loss when I stopped doing watercolor flowers and moved to abstract oils and acrylics, but now she loves the abstracts as well. This is someone who is much more comfortable in the representational world, so that ability to broaden one's appreciation meant a lot to me. It also fits in with my philosophy about moving forward with painting rather than repeating whatever is succesful ad infinitum. It's scary, but I do believe that if we don't experiment we never grow.

2008-10-13T06:09:00.001-04:00

10/13/2008

Two interesting questions kept coming up during this weekend's Art Trail: " where do your images come from" and " when do you know it's done?" Knowing when a painting is done is a common question whether you do representational or abstract art, but it does seem more relevant for abstract art, since there is nothing in the physical world I'm trying to mirror. For me the answer is as broad as the question; it's more an intuitive sense that the balance of line, colors, defined shapes, layers of textures, all feel right and in proportion. Sometimes I think a painting is done before it really is. When that happens I go back and either add or radically change the whole thing, but I can never really judge until I've left it for a while.

Greater Ithaca Art Trail

2008-10-07T06:19:00.000-04:00

Art trail has become as exciting as the start of school used to be when I was a kid. For two weekends in October more than fifty artists open their homes and studios to complete strangers. Many people come from around the region and just browse, reveling in the chance to see how art gets made, or where it originates. Others come specifically to buy, knowing that this critical mass of availability is a unique opportunity. Whatever the motivation, it's totally fun.

Starting off

2008-10-07T06:16:00.000-04:00

But not really, I suppose. I've been actively painting for ten years, but this is the first time I've written a blog and reconfigured my website for online sales (www.barbaramink.com) . Ironic, of course, now that we're entering what could prove to be an economic disaster; but I do think that one of the things that makes us human is a love for beauty and a need to fill our nests with things that make us feel happy. Paintings certainly do that, so here's hoping.