When i lost most of my memories i wondered what makes me "me." Who am I if not the sum total of my memories? Who am i if I physically change? What is it that makes me feel consistant over time, even when every part of me has been thrown out and i've begun anew after almost dieing from complications from chemo???
My mom poised the question: Is this work just for myself?
I thought about that as have several meanings.
one is that i'm doing it because i get something out of it. working through something about personal identity. i think all art is that.
Art has to come from inside. who we are, and it has to serve a purpose in our exploration of meaning in our lives. it's what artists do.
otherwise it's design.
why i hate most landscapes!
another thought was that it's personal. about me, and therefore it might not be of interest to others. But somehow it is (or could be). and i can't say why. now that's interesting to me. that i'm unclear why the personal of another person is attractive to the art viewer.
here's an example of a successful mixed media artisit in a real gallery in San francisco who incorporates old photos of her family in her work
http://www.bquayartgallery.com/archive/rayner2006.html (click on the images for bigger versions).
I particularly like the cyanotypes (the blue one) and the looking glass.
and
http://www.bquayartgallery.com/archive/rayner.html
some of her older work.
the thing that looks like a candelabra is filled with wax encased photos of her family.
here's a different artist at the same gallery.
http://www.bquayartgallery.com/archive/austin.html
I see the note that the piece is sold and i really want to know for how much!!
some people incorporate images of total strangers. you can find them in antique shops and even buy them online. but my impression of this work is that it feel more like craft than art because it's somehow less compelling.
I've attach a couple for comparison.
what do you think?
