Mirror Image

Art by Whom?

2012-03-03T23:31:00.001+11:00

I just had a look at a blog where a number of art works by different artists were being displayed; great work, fantastic finishes, wonderful concepts.... Except that there wasn't a great deal of difference between one style and the next. (bar one artist - and I took a longer look.)
Artists don't seem to be particular in creating their signature beyond their actual signature these days. Having a similar style and finish seems to be coming more and more of the norm in the creation of art.

When I look at an art work, I anticipate being able to tell which artist it is, just by looking at it - distinctive and telling style is not just a part of being original, it is a part of the artist distinguishing themselves as an artistic identity.

Sure, people argue these days that there is no such thing as original, it's all been done before - I think this argument is a cop out for people who are angry that they don't have a larger imagination. Every individual who is capable of pronouncing themselves as an artist is capable of combining that which has come before with their own perception and interpretation of their individual experience. It is not just content or subject that is the action of art - it is the revelation and the evolution of the artist as well that creates a work of art that is beyond the crowd.

I can look at a Turner and know it's a Turner. I can look at a picture untitled, unsigned and know at a glance it's by HR Giger. I can look at a Dali, and know that no matter how many worshippers try to emulate his style, it will always be his.

"The Persistence of Memory" - Salvador Dali (courtesy of Wikipedia)

The question is, why emulate another artist? True, to be spellbound by the works of our art heroes is inspiration and motivation for we artists to strive and continue to burn for our own work - but that's the point isn't it? OUR OWN WORK.

Art has always suffered the mainstream prejudices of the uninitiated art lover - the works being displayed on social media, blogs and websites are, in the majority, the same flavour. And usually show up next to the kitten in the bonnet with the funny joke. Such is the nature of the public gallery, and we live with it. However it seems to me that artists themselves are buying into the circus of the acceptable artist - I know with certainty a number of artists who refuse to publish what they really think because they want to be acceptable - they want people to like them.

Whoever heard of an artist who wanted to be liked?

Liked?
(courtesy of IMDb)

A likeable artist never broke the social mould, never put themselves forward as the beyond that they sought to create - artists, burdened by their constant and consistent observation of the world in all its schisms and motivations, haunted by their own dreams and drained by the persistence of apathy that surrounds them, rarely view themselves as anything but idiosyncratic quasi-mythical disturbances in reality. It doesn't mean that they can't get along with other people - they're just not other people. I'm privileged to know some of the people behind the mask of their online persona - why aren't you?

So if they're not other people, why is the art starting to look the same? For that matter why are the artists on social media all starting to sound the same? For all that the public are willing to mouth cliches of 'be different', and 'live outside the box', they continue to respond to that which is easily recognized, for them. But an artist should be easily recognized - by their own work.

Links

Turner - http://www.william-turner.org/

HR Giger - http://www.hrgiger.com/

Salvador Dali - http://www.dali-gallery.com/

From Study to WIP

2012-03-01T02:18:00.001+11:00

Interesting what speaks to you in form when you're simply daydreaming... My nude study has already moved into the work-in-progress stage. Due to the fall of her hair and the relaxed pensive attitude, I was reminded of a classical painting of a woman bathing in the woods... Women bathing was a great way to show off the female form in a conservative era, where even ankles were considered shameless. I contemplated adding a draped, wet shift to her body, but in many ways, that speaks more to the eroticism of the moment than her being nude - and this isn't meant to be erotic, just quietly naked and honest.

Zian xxx

Study for a Nude

2012-02-29T18:18:00.001+11:00

Having completed the first layer on two major drawings this week, it's time to play with some elements to inspire the next composition...

Zian xxx

Colouring Carpathia

2012-02-29T07:03:00.001+11:00

The start of the colour layer for goddess "Carpathia" - the contrast layer will follow.

I enjoy colour, but it is my preference for a desaturated appeal, to create a more aged feel, rather than using bright vibrant poster-style colours.

"Carpathia"

graphite and watercolour pencil on paper

A3 size.

Mini Reel - WIP 'Carpathia'

2012-02-23T04:24:00.000+11:00

Work in Progress - "Carpathia"
Alien goddess character in graphite.
In history, the Carpathia was the ship that rescued the survivors of the Titanic.....

Street Art in Albury

2012-02-22T18:17:00.001+11:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

We are currently blessed to have national treasure Robert Klein-Boonschate working his magic on Dean St, Albury, New South Wales, out front of the Buddha Shop....
While Robert is renowned for his stunning Australian landscapes, he's making quite a sensation with these bird oil paintings...

It's Not Easy Being Green

2012-02-08T09:02:00.001+11:00

My love of trees began in my childhood home - we lived on a property surrounded by trees and the rainforest was a stone's throw away. The driveway was lined with small poinciana trees, that my sisters and I would climb and pretend they were private space craft, zooming through space.

To the front of the house was a great tamarin tree, an old man standing tall and ancient, around which the family would often gather. On the beach front, there were sheoaks that would create such shadows that I would sit dreaming for hours as one would looking at clouds.

To this day, I still seek trees and water for places of contemplation, to remove myself from the conflicts of the world and listen to the best teachers on earth. In such surroundings, you can hear your heart beat in rhythm with real life.

Little Machine

2012-01-31T19:38:00.001+11:00

Tonight's efforts in ink - pen quickly describes hardware in its line and form, though it lends itself directly to the cartoon genre.
Where the structure begins, organic construct takes over; we find ourselves distinctive against the white noise of life through the progression of our thoughts.

Shiny Disco Balls

2012-01-25T16:37:00.001+11:00

In my spare time (ahem) I enjoy creating objet d'art for gifts or my own pleasure - like these hand painted wooden balls.

Coffee and a Dream

2012-01-22T18:29:00.001+11:00

Sitting at the cafe on a beautiful summer evening; I exist inside the hum of the town and the boundaries of the dream. Her face emerges from the cloud of imagination, where memory and the fantastic merge, breathing life into a simple piece of paper. And when she has life enough, she will tell me her name...

Life's Little Pleasures

2012-01-15T04:21:00.001+11:00

What we allow life to bring to us, we can give in return....

Working through the archives again to complete WIPS and redefine compositions. With a body of work that spans more than a hundred drawings and growing, one lifetime may not be enough.
But then, when was it ever?

An Evening's Effort

2012-01-11T03:15:00.001+11:00

Ink and biro figure sketch;

View from A Doorstep

2011-12-28T05:43:00.001+11:00

Sunflower glory at 5:30am...

Tempered By Sound

2011-12-11T21:10:00.001+11:00

I was 22 the last time I was a performing singer/songwriter; while the many years since have been devoted to the visual, the opportunity to return to music has raised its head and I'm learning all about the latest recording technology and how to compose using a computer instead of pen and manuscript.
While I have no intention of leaving art as my profession, making room for the music has brought the need to change my interaction with the audience and move entirely to project-based production - the new calendar comes out this month, a book (self-published) is planned for release
in January, and the music production has begun with a view to release for next year.

Somewhere in there, Isis and I will have time to kill stuffed teddy bears and tear up towels...

Life on social media has also changed dramatically - I ditched my Facebook account because it was turning into little more than a repository for mental debris and a constant reference to humanity's pleasure of torment and cruelty; I have no desire to dignify such as worthy of attention, because it just makes them all the more persistent in their avarice and gluttony.
Twitter has given me the joy of a network of dedicated and generous individuals who believe in the profit of a supportive and positively polarized mind-and-soul-set; G+ has introduced me to pro-active and inventive thinkers, creators and artists - all of whom recognize that art happens IRL and without a time frame. This is a far more inspirational reality to invest in.

And for the artist, what is contributed from Life becomes the basis of our artistic contribution - the creative spirit and emotional expression of what is observed and experienced is refracted back to the world through our work. Art is not merely a reflection from the artist; it is the world filtered through feeling, experience and witnessing life unfold.
Oh, and a few skills help....

The Witchdoctor

2011-11-30T18:59:00.001+11:00

From my sketch book.

"Mine" - Two Birds, One Stone

2011-11-22T01:37:00.001+11:00

I was working on this piece at a local cafe, when a couple of ladies stopped to have a look; the younger of the pair was deeply disturbed by the presence of the eyes, and told me that I should remove them and put butterflies there instead. Upon hearing that the effect was intentional, she then turned and told her companion (her mother as it turned out) to come away quickly, to get away from the evil artist lady....
mwah hahah!!!!

As it turned out, the mother was far better acquainted with the world of art, and with a tolerant eye toward her fearful grown daughter, instead preferred to linger and have a chat about art.

For me, this was a win on two sides - to have the reactions of love and hate in one fell swoop, as it were. It's just like jazz; love it, hate it, but if you have to understand it, you'll never get it.

Working the colour layer into the graphite; I love the desaturated tones, the feel of age...

2011-11-14T07:22:00.001+11:00

The Gate

2011-10-30T00:25:00.000+11:00

The Gate by Zian Silverwolf

Building worlds as a bridge from reality to the dream that stirs inside the mind, something ancient, before the primal beginnings of this earth, stemming back into a time beyond knowledge...

There flickers a sense of acknowledgement, for a world so foreign and alien in its essence; it lives as a fairytale in the consciousness of mankind, yet rules with a longing for memory or experience somehow lost, or just outside of reach.

Time interrupts knowing; fact intervenes. And dreams remind us that once upon a time, we did know.

Have a guess what I'm doing tonight... go on, guess...

2011-10-26T21:59:00.001+11:00

Little canvases for a little show I'm doing....

2011-10-25T01:08:00.001+11:00

New graphite WIP; working title "Little Gem". What wonders to behold with your eyes open...

2011-10-22T23:10:00.001+11:00

The latest painting in progress; as yet untitled. She has yet to grow....

2011-10-18T22:16:00.001+11:00

Of The Sea - sketch

2011-10-16T22:16:00.001+11:00

One of the sketches from a collection I recently sold; the client wanted the unfinished aesthetic, but I couldn't help touching it up just a little...

Experimental Gothic Rose

2011-10-14T01:36:00.001+11:00

Expanding on the floral theme;

I found two of my grandfather's watercolour paintings in storage; Scenes from North Queensland.

2011-10-09T06:18:00.003+11:00

I found two of my grandfather's watercolour paintings in storage; Scenes from North Queensland.

2011-10-09T06:18:00.001+11:00

Bought Isis a stuffed reindeer to kill in her spare time, but she's decided he's her new portable lap...

2011-10-08T00:04:00.001+11:00

Detail from graphite work "Little Goddess"

2011-10-07T00:35:00.001+11:00

Graphite sketch of roses: my favourite flower...

2011-10-06T05:54:00.001+11:00

Untitled

2011-10-04T00:25:00.001+11:00

mmm... cafe latte... sketch book, good weather, dj playing that song... I love my mornings...

2011-10-03T18:03:00.001+11:00

"Experiment"

2011-09-30T02:49:00.001+10:00

Scene by a river - one never knows what one will see beyond their own reflection.

2011-09-27T08:23:00.001+10:00

"Water Serpent" - graphite work on paper. (sold) This was fun to work on, something of the whimsical involved.

2011-09-21T22:40:00.001+10:00

From the China pavilion; from the scribble in pen up in the corner, I rated it with a B. Cyprus got a B-.

2011-09-19T06:32:00.001+10:00

World Expo 88 in Brisbane - look what I found lurking in my sketchbooks; my Expo program. Yep, I was there...

2011-09-19T06:29:00.001+10:00

Master of The Hoard - dragon feature in graphite. Final layer nearly completed.

2011-09-15T06:54:00.001+10:00

Showgirl

2011-09-12T18:41:00.001+10:00

Pen sketch:
Even in the world of the deliberate illusion, there is a reality.

Designer Hardware

2011-09-08T03:56:00.001+10:00

I've been spending a bit of time sketching in pen, to change the dynamic of my work - I've been feeling the need to move on from what I know, or more accurately, learn more about what I know. Being willing to make mistakes ( or at least, make it impossible to erase them) can bring surprising results....

There's no place like home...

2011-09-07T00:09:00.001+10:00

The Sound of His Voice

2011-08-30T19:34:00.001+10:00

My soul surrenders to his expression.

Man vs World

2011-08-29T08:53:00.001+10:00

Another photo from Beechworth, Victoria, when a friend and I went wandering through the bush.. Here, he's standing on a cliff edge and he turned to tell me there was a fox in the brush below.

It's a beautiful morning outside... I decided to take a walk before bed. Here's the hill that stands behind my house.

2011-08-28T08:20:00.001+10:00

WIP - Mindset

2011-08-25T18:09:00.001+10:00

What is the spirit of your motivation? Are you magical or mechanical? Answers can only be found in the right questions.

Hang About

2011-08-19T01:51:00.001+10:00

Pen drawing from my sketchbook.

Concept Sketch

2011-08-14T03:51:00.001+10:00

Playing with ideas for new compositions, new characterizations.

Sketch - "Shopwrecked" (originally Shipwrecked, but the other has greater irony)

2011-08-07T01:09:00.001+10:00

Doodle in biro and pen - "Iron Glove" Early development for a character work; Working in pen opens up possibility.

2011-08-04T16:10:00.001+10:00

Two drawings completed and the next one on the board for the final layer is "Storm" - 'in wind-swept seas she wept'

2011-07-31T08:20:00.001+10:00

Working at Casa Bella...

2011-07-30T17:40:00.001+10:00

More work for the drawing board.... Pull back the curtain....

2011-07-30T17:37:00.001+10:00

Developing the contrast layer for one of the new drawings; "Unicorn". Futura composition in graphite.

2011-07-29T05:21:00.001+10:00

Morning sun through the fog : taken at 7:30am. Victoria Australia.

2011-07-26T07:40:00.001+10:00

I have some work to do... y'know, just a little... Better get to it....

2011-07-22T02:32:00.001+10:00

Currently working on new composition, as yet untitled.

2011-07-21T05:28:00.001+10:00

Watching the sunrise from my doorstep... it's a cold but beautiful morning.

2011-07-20T07:25:00.001+10:00

From my sketchbook; working through dreams down at the zed bar, Albury.

2011-07-18T18:01:00.001+10:00

Journal cartoon - 'Cocoon' in pen and biro.

2011-07-14T08:47:00.001+10:00

Working the contrast layer on "Flowers In Her Hair" - graphite on paper.

2011-07-12T04:42:00.001+10:00

This morning's drawing - dragon tails in ink. These are my favourite drawings to daydream by.

2011-07-02T08:45:00.001+10:00

This morning's cartoon - Flower Pot Femme...

2011-07-01T08:45:00.001+10:00

From my sketchbook; all the floral musings are beginning to pay off....

2011-06-24T21:08:00.001+10:00

The floral theme continues... in pen. I feel like I'm actively seeking the next poem... Flowers for contemplation.

2011-06-24T08:21:00.001+10:00

'Object' - from my journal, in pen.

2011-06-22T08:22:00.001+10:00

I've got something on my mind....

2011-06-20T03:44:00.001+10:00

From my journal - I was contemplating Morris at the time.

2011-06-18T08:05:00.001+10:00

Latest work in progress - untitled as yet, graphite on paper.

2011-06-10T19:34:00.001+10:00

Morning meditations. The light and heat is always surprising from such a small amount of energy...

2011-06-08T08:01:00.001+10:00

The beginning of a new composition, titled "Arcane"....

2011-05-27T19:27:00.001+10:00

Ink line drawing done over breakfast - I find a little abstraction a wonderful way to start the day....

2011-05-26T15:20:00.001+10:00

Customer's choice - "Cable Girl" art sticker personalizing his phone.... Beautiful!

2011-05-25T00:36:00.001+10:00

Doodling while waiting for a meeting ....

2011-05-24T17:33:00.001+10:00

Stormy night in Albury - my view from Casa Bella

2011-05-22T17:48:00.001+10:00

Adjust the Pressure

2011-05-22T04:11:00.000+10:00

There's nothing quite like an artform to work as a metaphor for living - the need for practice, refinement and constant observation and focus brings all those qualities into life itself.... or at least, it's always a work in progress.

One of the first things you learn as an artist is how to not be intimidated by a blank start. No matter what you think you're about to create, how stable the vision, how seriously you've planned the line, content, colour and light, always start by making a mark. So that you're not facing a blank slate anymore.
The second thing you learn (and learn and learn) is how to deal with the necessary commentary and feedback that is about YOUR work. Many non-artists don't think about how connected you will be to the finished result, and they want to be honest; so you have to begin with being honest - about what you're saying through your work, the degree to which you have accomplished the translation of that vision, and really, how hard did you really try to get it right?

But the most invaluable lesson is the simplest of them all, because it relates to everything - art, life, love, relationships, music, passion, creativity, work, play..... and that is - Adjust the pressure.
Do you feel like you're struggling to find solutions, the creative edge, or that you're bombarded by negative people? Do you ask yourself what you're doing it all for, whether or not it's worth the fight, or should you just go fishing instead? I often say that 'clarity brings courage' - but it's still a part of the process to know just how much pressure to apply once you've found that courage to continue.

Hello @detlef_c !! He's not so fluffy tonight... got the grr going on....

2011-05-21T19:18:00.001+10:00

The Internal Portrait

2011-05-20T01:47:00.000+10:00

When I used to paint portraits, the clients always wanted to see themselves and loved ones in a specific emotional environment or state of being. Every now and then, I'd get lucky (like the portrait left) where I got to choose how to portray them, what feeling and essence would be instilled in the work. For example, this painting 'Beautiful Beloved' was commissioned by the girlfriend as a gift for the boyfriend. I saw this as an opportunity to 'bless' their relationship, and used the most eternal bond in fantasy that there is - the vampiric mythology - to depict them as soul mates in the most potent sense of the word. Needless to say, they are now happily married with children.

In recent times, I'm not as passionate about portraiture that is about the outside - seeing one's own face in a certain way, in a certain setting, yes, we all love being able to view ourselves through a particular lens, we all want to see what everyone else sees. But what about the qualities that no one sees?

Fantasy art has always been the metaphor for human existence - so many things in the emotional and spiritual world that are explored uniquely through fantastic imagery; images that inspire, reflect, drive and motivate others in a fashion that is completely about the individual. Whether it's about the inner child, feelings they relate to, experiences they want to have, or the story that drives them into a new personal future - I see this an opportunity for real portraiture - imagery chosen by the client to reflect their internal world, and thus the eternal in them.

Every person who has ever bought art from me, bought it because it meant something to them - there was a profound recognition of themselves in the image that was impossible for them to be without. At times, I have even gifted some of my work to someone who wanted it so much but didn't have the means to acquire it, because that's the main motivation behind my art - images that inspire the sense of self.

It's that look in their eye, the way the face simply glows with personal recognition - the kind of recognition that will never be found on the outside from ordinary life; the way we all strive to appreciate ourselves beyond the judgement of the world. The most powerful way for me to show someone themselves is to share work with them that is relative and relevant to them personally, emotionally, spiritually. To me, that's a magical kind of portrait.

Unless they want one of their dog.....

Captured on camera - So this is me at Casa Bella with sketchbook, coffee and a vision in the works....

2011-05-19T00:18:00.001+10:00

Working away on my winged friend here - he's developing some serious density as I continue...

2011-05-18T18:12:00.001+10:00

I have completed "Constructor" - acrylic on canvas.....

2011-05-17T02:20:00.001+10:00

New creature - modeled on the mythic winged lions of the ancient world. Untitled as yet.

2011-05-15T18:56:00.001+10:00

Next work on the board - "Harlequin". Currently working on the foundation layer.

2011-05-12T07:03:00.001+10:00

"Personal Demons" - blending calligraphic ink into the graphite layer for richer contrasts and deeper tones.

2011-05-12T05:16:00.001+10:00

"Personal Demons" - graphite on A3 - Now working on second layer of graphite for contrast. What it takes.

2011-05-10T09:12:00.001+10:00

Even with a short night of work, I've still managed to get ahead- "Time" in graphite on A3 -

2011-05-10T08:12:00.001+10:00

"Time"- graphite work with poem- work in progress....

2011-05-08T04:46:00.001+10:00

The Oh-so Controversial Fairy

2011-05-05T00:35:00.000+10:00

It's always amazing to me what people find "confrontational" - possibly because I've always been taught that the truth sets you free, I look for and absorb every thing, idea and emotion that leads to personal liberation. If I find an idea distasteful, I have to ask myself what it is that I'm trying to avoid - its reality, or its illusion?

The painting here "Sprite" was in a local cafe in a solo exhibition of mine, where it was acknowledged that it had to be deemed appropriate for the location and the patronage.
Inside of a week, there were four complaints over this artwork, forcing the cafe owners to take it down. The local mothers had felt that it was far too adult for them to expose to their children.
When I posted this news on the internet, the general reaction was that the children weren't the ones troubled by the art, the mothers were - in a time when clothing catalogues, advertising on television and even on bus stops has changed the public definition of 'risqué', this particular painting wasn't displaying anything out of the ordinary - no shading to suggest a nipple or even a defined groin...... and yet.....
Putting it up for public opinion, the greatest response that I received was that it was her expression - she was 'confrontational' sensually, sexually, she has the scent of challenge about her, that would definitely inspire intimidation and competition in any, shall we say, less secure female. (Let me clarify - most of the responses that I got were from women. The men said that the women who complained probably weren't 'getting any'....)

As a subject, she carries, in my opinion, all the energy of the alpha female, the attributes of the goddess, and the definition of 'fantastic' = she's not supposed to be real, she's supposed to be a metaphor. The majority of my art work embraces the sublime, the divine and the quantum through fantastic imagery for the purposes of exploring that which is unique to humanity - everything from our primal to our most supernatural compulsions and ideals. While I personally don't believe this to be anything typically confrontational or intimidating - indeed, it is my perspective that one can be uplifted through disillusionment while embracing the wonder and awe of existence - it becomes difficult to perceive when this is going to be an issue for the audience.

Not that it will stop me of course.... I have a little evil streak that giggles when I push a boundary....

'Serpent' - while generally viewed as the most obvious of phallic symbols, also viewed as symbols of virility. Graphite.

2011-05-04T03:10:00.001+10:00

Love is.... opening your eyes for a photo when you were quite happy sleeping....

2011-05-04T01:48:00.001+10:00

WIP- "Wake" graphite on paper. Other new works completed, and will be in my online gallery soon #zs

2011-04-29T06:36:00.001+10:00

Fragile poem On a breath of wind. The scent of flowers. Ink painting. #zs

2011-04-28T00:29:00.001+10:00

Ink Painting - Fragile Poem

2011-04-25T02:19:00.001+10:00

Fragile poem
On a breath of wind.
The scent of flowers. zs

Sent from my iPhone

Peace on earth - whichever way you bend. Ink painting. zs.

2011-04-25T02:09:00.001+10:00

The willing mind knows calm - ink painting. zs

2011-04-25T02:07:00.001+10:00

Working on sketches for my goddess figures - a series of drawings of just the figures, no background... so many of them!

2011-04-19T02:10:00.001+10:00

Progress on new painting 4 hours later - "Ragged Wings" -

2011-04-18T04:42:00.001+10:00

First stage of new painting based on sketch "Grim Fairy" -

2011-04-18T04:40:00.001+10:00

Start of composition - "Castle By A Sea"

2011-04-16T04:52:00.003+10:00

On the board - "Witch and FamilIar" - I needed some distance from this one, so she's been waiting her turn...

2011-04-16T04:52:00.001+10:00

From my sketchbook - a water dragon.

2011-04-16T04:48:00.001+10:00

Working through sketchbooks looking for thoughts and ideas - here's one that stopped halfway....

2011-04-16T04:45:00.001+10:00