Piranha, Shark Art vs art for art's (discourse's) sake

Piranha, Shark Art vs art for art's (discourse's) sake

Piranhas, sharks of the art market (artists, critics, curators, gallerists, dealers and collectors who live off the life blood of painters) versus those who live for art.


One can place on the one pole of a continuum or line those individuals, groups and organizations who live off art (for the fame, fortune or money and power) visual art bestows on them. I include under this types those who employ gimmicks, shock tactics and publicity stunts, for example exhibiting aspects of their body, private lives such as their beds and bodies, and other things that are intended to confront contemporary attitudes concerning aesthetics, morality, art, visual art, etc. I restrict myself to the socio-cultural practices of visual art.
This continuum will consists of many shades of grey or variations until one reaches the opposite pole of the continuum consisting of those who live for art.
I further restrict myself to the painting genre of the tradition or discourse of visual art. I intentionally exclude from this piece so-called performance art, installations, etc. The latter can consist of static pieces, where none of its constituent parts are dynamic or mobile, to work work one of more of its parts are dynamic, mobile and fluctuate.
The former, static pieces, share with paintings the fact that they deal with space and not with time. Such pieces can of course be read over time, but they do not depend on both space and time for their
statement and meaning, exactly like paintings. The latter, mobile work, involve both space and time. The
histrionics some of them capture and express remind one of theatre, theatrical performances and the 'shows' of performing artists, such as popular singers. I personally and intentionally restrict myself to working in the genre of painting, although I have created more sculptural and installation-like pieces.
I concentrate on the art for art's sake pole of the continuum. The attitudes of this pole centres around the fact that artists paint because they are passionate about this activity, for artists it is a need to paint. They do not paint because it has any secondary awards such as fame, financial gain, power, status, etc.

The creative painter shares these attitudes and values with other creatives, for example mathematicians,
physicists, composers, poets, philosophers, etc. I am thinking of the creative and original thinking individuals who are involved in these discourses, individuals who develop and/or modify these disciplines and discourses by their work. I exclude most individuals with tertiary qualifications and academics working in these disciplines.
The creative thinking and exploring individual develops and might even transform his discourse, its norms, values, boundaries, leading ideas and ideals. He does not merely produce further information and factual knowledge, but insights and understanding. He will frequently explore and questions the principles of his discourse or parts of it, as well as its pre-suppositions and assumptions. In other words his work will most likely deal with the fundamentals of his discipline.
The work of the original, creative thinking painter will consist of an in-depth exploration of his genre or aspects of it, for example technique, colour, composition, form, inner dynamics of the different structures of a work and much else.
Most people perceive less than 1% of themselves (physically, emotionally, psycho-socially) and their environments. Just think of it, when you walk into your garden or a road who little you perceive and are aware of compared to experts in human biology, physiology, bio-chemistry (who are able to analyse these aspects of your body, brain and perceptual organs when you walk, see, here, touch, think about
anything in your garden), or physicists, trained musicians, biologists, zoologists, etc - they micro- systems and other phenomena these experts will be aware of and be able to analyze compare to your own general, 'everyday' vision.

The creative thinking artists with an expert eye will in a similar manner as these experts be aware of an infinity of things in a work of art that someone with 'everyday' perception will not notice. Most people are aware of very little in any work of art, for example that of a van Gogh. Many people might think that they perceive and know all there is to know of one of his most familiar works (or the work of a composer). I suggest, as an experiment, to reveal or uncover those things that people do not notice in a work of art, the following - Exhibit a van Gogh along side prints of that work in many different colours and tones, for exmaple in the complimentary or opposite colours of a painting, as well as in monochrome. Now, after
having viewed the colour variations (as well as prints in much larger sizes than the original), return to the original work. You will surprised how different that, seemingly over familiar work will now appear to you.
This experiment has several functions, opne of them is to make you aware of how little you perceive, how superficial and selective your perception is. Another function is to make you aware of the fact that the creative, original painter transforms, extends and differentiates our institutionalized, socialized and internalized modes, attitudes, norms and goals of perception - and of course those of his discourse. These are the reasons why I present my own work in different colours and monochrome. By perceiving the 'same' work in different colours and tones one can compare them and in this way one becomes aware of aspects of that work that one did not notice in the first place.
I refer to these variations on colour of one work as a series or a micro- or internal series. Apart from such micro-series I also work in 'external' or macro-series. This type of series consists of different

works, works that develop, explore, transform and experiment with different aspects of a work. As an example of these two types of series view this slideshow on my website - http://www.newstylesgallery.info/home/20june2015

I do not refer you to my website so that you should view my work, appreciate or dislike it or make pleasant comments about it, the colours etc. I MERELY refer you to it so that you can execute this experiment, comparing different variations of one work and how such an exercise in comparison opens your eyes to see the original work, for the first time and in an original manner.

Next topic - Why I refuse be part of (by selling and exhibiting my work, my aesthetic vision, that is part of my consciousness, in) the arena of the sharks of the art market. If someone truly loves a work and want to live with and grow with it, I give it away, but I refuse to sell it for any amount to sharks (who live off art).

And - how to develop your visual perception so that you are able to see my and other work in the way it is intended and not in terms of your own projections.