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December 07, 2003
finished/unfinished
“Wow, that’s good,” he said, standing in front of an unstuck panel, in the studio.
“Well, I’m working on it,” I said.
“But isn’t it finished?” he said.
“No,” I said.
“Why not? “ he said.
And why not indeed? When is a picture finished? When an artist determines it so? When someone wants to buy it? When? People have exhibited canvases with no paint on, people have exhibited canvases turned to the wall showing the reverse of the stretcher. People have held exhibitions with no paintings, just an empty gallery. So what criteria do you use to judge when a painting is finished?
My cousin, who paints landscapes, told me that, painting outside [in the Welsh mountains], when he begins to feel the cold it is time to stop. I can understand that. But I paint over a longer period of time, applying paint, letting it vout for a while, giving it a couple of three coats of looking at then painting some more, and allowing the painting to progress.
Agents close to Giacometti had to sneak into his studio and remove sculptures before he carved them down to nothing.
An artist needs two people in his life, one to inspire him, and one to take the work away when it’s finished.
Posted by john at December 7, 2003 10:26 PM
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