Abstraction

April 26, 2012 at 5:33 pm | Posted in Art Studio, Considering Ideas | 1 Comment
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The process of abstraction holds endless possibilities. You can zoom in, zoom out, fragment, isolate, select and emphasize; the idea is to…mmm, even that is up for grabs. When subject matter is abstracted, one sometimes, often, looks for the elemental, the essence of a thing. It’s a bit difficult to describe in words, or do. One level of art looks at an object or experience in the visible world and records it, represents it as most see it. It may teach the viewer to really look, that’s good.

A step beyond just recording is the artist’s personalized impression of a moment or an object. That demands that there is a give and take between the artist and the subject matter, a developed perspective. Abstraction goes way beyond that. I should say, “Could go way beyond that” as some doesn’t. Mostly, there can be so much more for a viewer to perceive with abstraction but there has to be a desire.

Here’s an image from my impressions of the past weekend, the senses engaged in a certain area and then the abstraction of it.

©2012, Joan Desmond, River Journey.

April Is Poetry Month!

April 11, 2012 at 10:12 pm | Posted in Considering Ideas, Poetry | 1 Comment
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Last month, March, was Youth Art Month. The Council for Art education thought of that. This month, April, is Poetry Month. Apparently this was initiated by the Academy of American Poets. It’s nice to know these things. I’m game for anything that spotlights and awakens the various creative muses. For poetry month I’ve been spurred by two friends and their insistent daily output so I’m at the keyboard composing Day Poems, that is, something every day, mostly, to keep up.

I’m sharing two poems-one old, one new, the first kind of cheeky, fun and an old favorite, the second one reflective.  Let me know what you think.

Squishy white bread

Squishy white bread

is not good for me

but feels fine sandwiched in my fingers

especially with sticky peanut butter

wedged into the fold of it

next to some real butter

not good either

So full of Wonder when I was nine

at such a find

coming from Holland

with the heavy whole wheats

and dark hearty ryes

one piece would fortify all day

In Cincinnati it took 8 slices

of the white stuff

to weigh down the stomach

But what squeezy fun

those white bread balls for creek fishing

or sculpted into ammo

to lob at the American kids.

Joan Desmond 2/24/00
——————————————————-
Evolution

Imagine

an endless space

and that your fingers

can touch infinite length

Visualize each possible answer

knowing your mind

can answer all questions

Think of every conceivable color

understanding their ultimate harmony

Hear all possible sounds

familiar with each vibration

Consider every possible number

as you

remember all the sequences

and that this is your destiny

this is who you really are

endless, infinite

touching forever and all

so much more than

“me, me, me” and “I”

Joan Desmond 4/11/12

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