Blank Canvass
As promised a stretched canvass and here’s one I made earlier.
Stretching a canvass is a lot easier if you have ever made a bed the ‘old-fashioned way’ and you’re not afraid of staple guns.
Remember the days before fitted bed sheets when making a bed required ‘hospital corners’? This is where being a mature student is a distinct advantage so when some of the younger ones were baffled by the sacred art of canvass stretching I’d finished mine before they’d hardly begun. Working as a chambermaid in a previous life came in useful – I never thought I’d ever find a use for that sentence!
So hospital corners coupled with a strong grip on the staple gun and there you have it, a stretched canvass. I relished my moment of success in a world where I am so often technically challenged. One time my personal tutor, a lovely warm encouraging young woman, was making suggestions as to how I might digitally enhance my photography for use in my art piece. She used words like ‘layering’ and other technical terms with ease and enthusiasm, (she may just as well been speaking Chinese). I had to gently remind her she was speaking to someone who had learned to touch type on a manual typewriter!
The photographer – C. Host.
The trouble is the blank canvass is only the start of something it is there for a purpose, to be drawn on, painted on. The terror of the blank canvass for the artist is a close cousin to the terror of the blank page for the writer. Both require the risk of creating something which, in turn, invites soul exposure and judgement.
Which leads me onto today’s subject – allow me to introduce:
The Crit.
The ‘crit’ is a term bandied about in Art education circles. The word is rarely lengthened to it’s parent word critique but that is what it is - an exercise in offering a critique. A typical ‘crit’ involves a group of students touring the studio spaces to peer review each other’s artwork. My take on it is that we are encouraged in a spirit of supportive enquiry to ask questions, comment on what we see and make suggestions as to how the work might be developed. It is an opportunity to share the work and develop confidence in talking about art work.
At this point the blank canvass sounds very appealing! Let’s just keep it safe!
The choice to play it safe is always there in life isn’t it? Play it safe or take a risk? There are lots of good reasons to play it safe and why risk rejection or failure, who doesn’t want a quiet life?. But there are good reasons for taking risks too – growth, life, energy and perhaps genuine creativity only really occurs when risks are taken.
The ‘crit’ at its best will invite conversation share opinion and give an opportunity to extend the artistic boundaries.
Ultimately it is about giving the art work a voice and the artist the chance to communicate with something other than words..
So next time you look at a painting think about your ‘crit’.
What would you like to ask the artist? What would be your suggestion for developing the work?
Oh and don’t forget to check those hospital corners.
Let me know your thoughts and feel free to share mine.
