I want to share this wonderful video that painter Rebecca Crowell has put up on her blog. In it she describes her origins, inspirations and goals as an artist. We are also treated to process views in her studio, as she demonstrates the rich variety of applications and layers that bring her paintings to life.
I loved Rebecca’s video, as it is a visual version of what I try to do verbally in my In The Studio series for the New Bedford Standard-Times (see my blog's sidebar for links to the 15 profiles I have written so far). That is, the viewer/reader is invited inside the artist’s world and offered the opportunity to be enlightened, challenged and inspired by an intimate view of a life dedicated to the arts.
It’s one thing – and indeed a great thing – to read about a mythic figure like van Gogh, for example, and be impressed with his deep devotion and breath-taking skill. But it’s also valuable to connect with an artist who is a contemporary, who faces the same issues as the rest of us – raising children, paying the bills, growing older, keeping the faith in this time of great political challenge – and who has managed to succeed at doing all of these things AND at pursuing what can seem like an impossible and elusive dream, living as a practicing artist. It helps to see exactly how the person structures her life and her time, in what type of environment, under what circumstances. It gives us hope and joy, as well as ideas for practical solutions in our own lives.
I am also intrigued by the idea of a video like this as a potential marketing tool. Rebecca says that it was available for guests to view at her recent solo show at Darnell Fine Art in Sante Fe. What a great idea! To the artists who read my blog, I recommend exploring making this type of communication for yourself, as a way of informing curators, gallerists and/or collectors who might be interested in your artwork. Having a brief interview and a technical demonstration available for cyberspace visitors to click on could be a fantastic enhancement to a website or blog.
2 comments:
Catherine,
Thank you so much for this!! It is an honor to have such a heartfelt endorsement. And I agree that this idea has a lot of promise. I noticed that people who saw the video at my opening were able to approach me comfortably with questions and comments--it really helped to open up the communication.
It's my pleasure to post this link, Rebecca. That makes sense that the video made people feel more comfortable in approaching you. Sometimes, even though I'm an artist myself and know many other artists, I feel shy walking right up to the featured artist at an opening if I don't already know them. I hope the video brings you continued good feedback and new connections.
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