I can easilypaint a larger size. But small size is good to work out the colors and composition.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Golf Babe on the Golf Course by Vas Paris
I continue to experiment with differnt ideas. This is one of them. Oil painting 6x9 inch. It is available on http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40208623
I can easilypaint a larger size. But small size is good to work out the colors and composition.
I can easilypaint a larger size. But small size is good to work out the colors and composition.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Art for middle class? You must be jocking.
Recently I was approached by a “gallery owner” to show my art at her “gallery”. Upon my visit I discovered that it was the gift shop more than a gallery also it had the word “gallery” in the name of the business. I asked her about clients and she went on speculating that the people that live in houses nearby will buy art and may even hire a designer to help them. The houses were in 300-500 thousands dollars range. I did not say anything negative about that speculation but it started me thinking. I have been to many of hoses houses. In most cases I found framed prints on the walls. In some cases I found Chinese mass produced copies of old masters.
First of all this world is not ruled art. Art is not a necessity but luxury. People who buy knockoffs will not by original art. And the middle class never was a patron of art in the USA. That is why in Europe museum visits are growing and in the USA declining. The middleclass consist of social climbers that are kin on being accepted by their peers and by those who they look up to. And that means buying it safe, buying disposable if possible and playing by the rules. Middles class is very concerned about how others perceive it. That leads to self censorship and very careful selection of self expression.
Contemporary art is not safe by any means and takes an effort to understand. Most of the peers of middle class members do not have either time or desire to think about art and can’t appreciate it outside of “poster names” that they learned from college life. Members of middle class work long hours and have no time to learn about art. Some have kids that will have to go to college and tuition to pay, many have expensive cars to impress peers, heavy mortgage payment etc. Social climbers do not have spare money to hire an art consultant to guide them as wealthy people do. They do not have social pressure to buy art.
On the other hand social climbers in the USA have a pressure to climb and that means they need to be ready to sell the house and move. To sell it quick you have to keep it the way that other social climbers would like it. Social climbers can’t afford to express an original personality (if they had one). So everything about them must be standard and safe. Their houses decorated in such way that there is not place for a contemporary art taste expression. Contemporary art (even in its safe forms) signals revolution, contempt, originality – very unsafe social values and contrary to middle class philosophy. Some social climbers may like contemporary art and may even look at it (like they look at other thing on the internet) but they will express it openly when the stage is set. For them the art is like a tattoo in the private place. They may have it but they will not show it for the fear of being indecent.
Sure one can find an exception to the middle class members I described but one can’t make a living by selling original art to the middle class. Not good living anyway. The only way to sell art to a mass consumer is via image licensing. Mass consumer buys t-shirts, framed prints, mouse pads and other items like that.
First of all this world is not ruled art. Art is not a necessity but luxury. People who buy knockoffs will not by original art. And the middle class never was a patron of art in the USA. That is why in Europe museum visits are growing and in the USA declining. The middleclass consist of social climbers that are kin on being accepted by their peers and by those who they look up to. And that means buying it safe, buying disposable if possible and playing by the rules. Middles class is very concerned about how others perceive it. That leads to self censorship and very careful selection of self expression.
Contemporary art is not safe by any means and takes an effort to understand. Most of the peers of middle class members do not have either time or desire to think about art and can’t appreciate it outside of “poster names” that they learned from college life. Members of middle class work long hours and have no time to learn about art. Some have kids that will have to go to college and tuition to pay, many have expensive cars to impress peers, heavy mortgage payment etc. Social climbers do not have spare money to hire an art consultant to guide them as wealthy people do. They do not have social pressure to buy art.
On the other hand social climbers in the USA have a pressure to climb and that means they need to be ready to sell the house and move. To sell it quick you have to keep it the way that other social climbers would like it. Social climbers can’t afford to express an original personality (if they had one). So everything about them must be standard and safe. Their houses decorated in such way that there is not place for a contemporary art taste expression. Contemporary art (even in its safe forms) signals revolution, contempt, originality – very unsafe social values and contrary to middle class philosophy. Some social climbers may like contemporary art and may even look at it (like they look at other thing on the internet) but they will express it openly when the stage is set. For them the art is like a tattoo in the private place. They may have it but they will not show it for the fear of being indecent.
Sure one can find an exception to the middle class members I described but one can’t make a living by selling original art to the middle class. Not good living anyway. The only way to sell art to a mass consumer is via image licensing. Mass consumer buys t-shirts, framed prints, mouse pads and other items like that.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Contemporary art for middle class? You must be joking.
Recently I was approached by a “gallery owner” to show my art at her “gallery”. Upon my visit I discovered that it was the gift shop more than a gallery also it had the word “gallery” in the name of the business. I asked her about clients and she went on speculating that the people that live in houses nearby will buy art and may even hire a designer to help them. The houses were in 300-500 thousands dollars range. I did not say anything negative about that speculation but it started me thinking. I have been to many of hoses houses. In most cases I found framed prints on the walls. IN some cases I found Chinese mass produced copies of old masters.
First of all this world is not ruled art. The middle class never was a patron of art. Not in the USA anyway… ON the top the middleclass consist of social climbers that are kin on being accepted by their peers and those who they look up to. And that means buying safe and playing by the rules. That means buying “décor” and craft - not art. Contemporary art is not safe and takes an effort to understand. Most of the peers of middle class members do not have either time or desire to think about art and can’t appreciate it outside of “poster names” that they learned from college life. They work long hours and have no time to learn about it. Some have kids that will have to go to college and tuition to pay, many have expensive cars to impress peers, heavy mortgage payment etc. Social climbers do not have spare money to hire an art consultant to guide them as wealthy people do. They do not have social pressure to buy art.
On the other hand social climbers in the USA have a pressure to climb and that means they need to be ready to sell the house and move. To sell it quick you have to keep it the way that other social climbers would like it. Social climbers can’t afford to express an original personality (if they had one). So everything about them must be standard and safe. Their houses decorated in such way that there is not place for a contemporary art taste expression. Contemporary art even in its safe forms signals revolution, contempt, originality – very un-American values. Some social climbers may like contemporary art and may even look at it (like they look at other thing on the internet) but they will express it openly when the stage is set. For them the art is like a tattoo in the private place. They may have it but they will not show it for the fear of being indecent.
Sure one can find an exception to the middle class members I described but one can’t make a living by selling art to the middle class. Not good living anyway. Not in the USA. I can’t speak of other countries as I do not know those markets. I read that there countries where the art is considered a part of national identity. I read that there are countries where you can say that you are an artist with pride and people look at you as a contributing member of the society. I am yet to experience such country.
First of all this world is not ruled art. The middle class never was a patron of art. Not in the USA anyway… ON the top the middleclass consist of social climbers that are kin on being accepted by their peers and those who they look up to. And that means buying safe and playing by the rules. That means buying “décor” and craft - not art. Contemporary art is not safe and takes an effort to understand. Most of the peers of middle class members do not have either time or desire to think about art and can’t appreciate it outside of “poster names” that they learned from college life. They work long hours and have no time to learn about it. Some have kids that will have to go to college and tuition to pay, many have expensive cars to impress peers, heavy mortgage payment etc. Social climbers do not have spare money to hire an art consultant to guide them as wealthy people do. They do not have social pressure to buy art.
On the other hand social climbers in the USA have a pressure to climb and that means they need to be ready to sell the house and move. To sell it quick you have to keep it the way that other social climbers would like it. Social climbers can’t afford to express an original personality (if they had one). So everything about them must be standard and safe. Their houses decorated in such way that there is not place for a contemporary art taste expression. Contemporary art even in its safe forms signals revolution, contempt, originality – very un-American values. Some social climbers may like contemporary art and may even look at it (like they look at other thing on the internet) but they will express it openly when the stage is set. For them the art is like a tattoo in the private place. They may have it but they will not show it for the fear of being indecent.
Sure one can find an exception to the middle class members I described but one can’t make a living by selling art to the middle class. Not good living anyway. Not in the USA. I can’t speak of other countries as I do not know those markets. I read that there countries where the art is considered a part of national identity. I read that there are countries where you can say that you are an artist with pride and people look at you as a contributing member of the society. I am yet to experience such country.
Vas Paris - The power of the Woman
The power of a woman is 14x36 size painting. It is stretched on wood frame and sides are painted.
This picture is about what drives the world. Lust drives the world. That is the single most powerfull drive of the human kind. The woman is a simbol of not only desire but also of expression of prosperity, wealth and power.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Why the artist should never ask for an opinion of his family members or spouses?
We all try to be loved or liked. So when we created something and we want other to see it we ask people who are the closest. What is wrong with it? Everything!
Unless the person we ask is and artist, or studied art or involved in an art trade the opinion is an ignorant one. In case of a spouse or a family member it is even worse. Often they either do not want to hurt your feeling or sometimes they do. In either case the opinion is loaded and not objective at all even if they are connected to art in some way.
I do even care for the opinion of the buyers unless they commission the art based on my previous work. It seems as the buyers always want to have what you do not, doesn’t it? Sure I can gladly paint another copy of my work with the shifted spectrum. But when people say why don’t I paint “this” or “that” I think to myself why don’t they do it? I paint what interest me and what I (hopefully) can sell.
Unless the person we ask is and artist, or studied art or involved in an art trade the opinion is an ignorant one. In case of a spouse or a family member it is even worse. Often they either do not want to hurt your feeling or sometimes they do. In either case the opinion is loaded and not objective at all even if they are connected to art in some way.
I do even care for the opinion of the buyers unless they commission the art based on my previous work. It seems as the buyers always want to have what you do not, doesn’t it? Sure I can gladly paint another copy of my work with the shifted spectrum. But when people say why don’t I paint “this” or “that” I think to myself why don’t they do it? I paint what interest me and what I (hopefully) can sell.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Vas Paris bird eye view after the rain
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Vas Paris. 1920s coveratable car cabrio. Lovers morning country
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