The role of the artist is to create and allow the writerly reader to bring the meaning to the work, or so I was taught. Actually, if I’m to be completely truthful, that was merely one theory that I was taught. Nowhere do I feel was it mentioned that the artist should direct te viewer unless the piece presented is a performance piece. Then the artist has invited the viewer to be a participant in the piece. Ultimately the goal is to make the viewer a participant.
I have also been told in my many shows to not be too specific in my artist statements. Once again, the goal isn’t to direct the viewer too much. The viewer is educated and wants to bring their own theories and experiences to the work. I was fine with this logic for some time, but now I’ve grown curious. What is the difference between my process and my completed pieces. I wonder this not because the research is such an engaging one that I need to share it, but because my work is ever growing more than it may be changing. I keep refencing the same types of objects and systems. Slowly the systems overlap. The logic blurs across different topics. I am talking about an entropy and an order. The order is given to us and the entropy is created by our own decision making.
I have begun working on an artist book for my next show wherein I will explain some of what I am doing, share writings that are arriving at the same sort of questions that the artwork is after and images of sketches and preparatory drawings. I will be doing a wood cut for the cover. I think it will be much better than Posting the artist statement.
In the meantime here are a couple images of a piece that I have been working on for the installation at the center of this show on May in Bangor.
This piece is really exciting me. I’m very pleased with the ideas of migration and rhythm that keep popping up in my head. More research on that to come
Peace
-Mike