Last Friday was my day to get out & see some art. It’s always inspiring to view the work of others! My neighbor & I took a morning at the Portland Art Museum to see the Lee Kelly retrospective. We live within 1/2 mile of his studio and have admired his work on our walks. I’ve been very curious about his life and work, and this exhibit was a wonderful chance to get a better idea of both. When one thinks of visiting a retrospective museum show, it often seems pretty abstract, as if the artist were a rock star, or celebrity. One doesn’t think of the artist as someone who you would turn to for help fixing a tractor, as someone who goes through the same trials and trivialities that the rest of us face… maybe that is because of the huge achievement and recognition that a museum show represents.
I was so glad I got to the show before it ended on Jan. 9th. It was amazing to see the progression of his work from painter to sculptor, to recognize the common threads. One of the most salient things I gleaned from the exhibit was during the video taped interview. Lee Kelly spoke about his drawings and how they worked with the sculpting process. He mentioned that his work evolved over time and that past drawings could influence current work.
“It’s an ongoing process of dredging your past to try to push it (the work) ahead.” -Lee Kelly
He also spoke about the importance of sticking to a schedule with his work. I came away with renewed determination to get more work done. I’ve seen his sculptures at the Washington Park Rose Garden, at Universities, parks and businesses around town, but didn’t realize that he was one of the most prolific artists in the Pacific Northwest. I love his fabulous shapes!
Akbar's Elephant (2000), stainless steel, 184 by 147 by 116 inches - Lee Kelly
Later that evening I ventured out to Newberg to visit the new Art Elements Gallery and support my friend Tangie Belmore at her opening.
Tangie Belmore at Art Elements
It was a fun night, and I loved seeing so many variations of artwork done with Black & White. Other artists in the show include Totem Shriver, Doug Roy and Loren Nelson. Totem usually works in wood carving, but for this show he exhibited black and white drawings, which were interesting to compare to the carvings. I noted many very similar motifs and shapes.
Totem Shriver at Art Elements
I didn’t get photos of the other two artists 🙁 Too busy socializing! And you may wonder where the photos are of my work? I’m letting them stew. I often let a finished work sit for several weeks, to make sure I really like it before releasing it to the world. I like to edit what the public sees. Totem said in his gallery talk that his philosophy is the opposite…. he tries to remove his own judgement from the work. If it comes from the artist’s hand, it should be valid. What is your opinion? Do you show everything that you make, or do you edit your body of work?
I do edit my body of work, and also prefer to let work sit for a while. I sometimes don’t know if I am finished with it. When I was first starting out, I think I was more inclined to show every piece I made, partly because it was a struggle to find time to create. Now after so many years of working, it is much easier for me to give each piece time in my head and heart.
Thanks Jackie,
I know what you mean about the accumulated years of working making it easier to give each piece its own space and time. I thought it was an interesting idea for the artist to remove judgement from the creation though. I often try to reserve judgement from a piece until it is finished, at which time I feel more inclined to judge, edit and see if it ‘makes the bar’. But Totem was saying he feels like every piece he makes is valid. There is a certain amount of truth to that, in that every piece has its place in the order… one had to make piece a to get to piece b…. I think we each feel that certain pieces are more successful than others though. And what he’s saying is that even the pieces that he feels are less successful appeal to some people. And when I look at his body of work, I would agree.
I say this after just painting over a piece this weekend! My daughter was appalled as she loved it the way it was…. It had been finished for months and just came home from the gallery, but I had never quite been satisfied with it…
Hey friend, I know you know what I think about your question but thought I would leave a comment anyway- I do think an artist should ‘live’ with their painting or art work for a bit- from my own past experiences I know that when I have rushed a painting off to a show or gallery- I often regretted it- it is hard for artists to critique their own work and it is hard for artists to be objective right after they complete a work– and no matter what the response is of the viewer I do think the artist should be pleased with their work first and then let the viewer decide if they like it or not.