Instead of First Holy Communion, instead of a Bar Mitzvah, there should be a solo show. Instead of wafers and wine, its wine and cheese. I cherish the sensibility of art as religion, but maybe not at all in the religious sense. Just that in art we have our cosmogeny, our way of understanding the universe, life, and death.
Found a small bit: September 2005 Todd Gibson wrote about Gregory Amenoff’s response to artist queries in Art on Paper. Gibson’s summary read as follows:
-Artists drive the bus (not critics, curators, art historians, etc.)
-Let your studio be a sanctuary
-Don’t be afraid to do dumb things in the studio
-Keep away from art fairs (“Instead visit a museum and spend time in the wing housing art from centuries past. You will be rejuvenated not demoralized.”)
-Support your fellow artists as they support you
-Read biographies of artists
-A life in art is a long race not a short sprint
I have an old casette tape I made of Nick Marsicano speaking to some students, once, in 1983…. something to the effect that we needed to look at each other’s work, visit each other’s studios – in short; be involved with one another. Funny, though, artists are so often NOT that way; but carping, competitive, and just outright ungenerous.
I’m going to keep thinking on this issue; and maybe find some more to post on the issue.
The invites are in (and going out) for the
