11
Nov
2010
collection of thoughts 1
mark rothko wrote in 1947
” I think of my pictures as dramas, the presentation of this drama in the familiar world was never possible, unless everyday acts belonged to a ritual accepted as referring to a transcendent realm. Even the archaic artist who had an uncanny virtuosity, found it necessary to create a group of intermediaries, monsters, hybrids, gods and demi-gods. The difference is that, since the archaic artist was living in a more practical society than ours, the urgency of transcendent experience was understood and given an official status….
with us the disguise must be complete. The familiar identity of things has to be pulverized in order to destroy the finite associations with our society increasingly enshrouds every aspect of our environment.
Without monsters and gods, art cannot enact our dramas: art’s most profound moments express this frustration.”
20
Sep
2010
oberwart OHO !
a pair of stockings – that were used in a film – made their way to the white wash – now they look like a requisite – they might stand all by themselves!
and again – shoes! awesome – there was something about them, but she didn’t want to tell… so there they are covering the mistery…
25
May
2010
WAYS OF SEEING
I am reading John Berger & I am impressed – about the point of view I am taking while I am painting…
… But the essential way of seeing women, the essential use to which their images are put, has not changed. Women are depicted in a quite different way from men – not only because the feminine is different from the masculine – but because the ‘ideal’ spectator is always assumed to be male and the image of the woman is designed to flatter him. If you have any doubt about that this is so, make the following experiment. Choose an image of a traditional nude. Transform the woman into a man. Either in your mind’s eye or by drawing on the reproduction. Then notice the violence which that transformation does. Not to the image, but to the assumptions of a likely viewer.
26
Apr
2010
EXAMPLE
here you can see me rehearsing & figuring out in my studio – & the you see where I take it next
there is still way to go…
you are welcome to propose – if you have an idea!
14
Apr
2010
continuous distraction
it seems like life is continuously producing distraction – so it is very hard to concentrate & stick with the things you want to develop – I wanted to figure out a specific touch / a precise move – however to call it in words – it is meant to be put in colors & light – anyway, I was getting there … but my son got scarlet fever – back in the studio the electricity broke down & I am saving my paintings from the dust
life – all the material involved – got in conflict with ideas & ideals again!
it is like in the game: 3 steps ahead… back to start
…..
19
Dec
2009
Downtown Johannesburg
what a crowded place – I only got to take some photographs in the rather open spaces… & from the -top of Africa- in the carltoncentre – the highest house in africa – like the view- though the wind really howls around it
we walked around, in all the noise – everybody is beeping their horns constantly, police cars howl & there is no respect for pedestrians – we did’nt see a white person in the open – our host, from europe, she uses the public space, but all others told us in what kind of danger we are, but we met quite friendly & the usual – urban stressed people – most of them loved our littleones dragontail – (his basic accessoire – in one of the fotos)
then we went to see the suburbs – the american dream – or who’s dream is it – house with a garden, like Adelaide? The only difference is there is serious fencing around, and guards sitting on the street, what a strange feeling that is to drive through that street, imagining all the people in their little protected wellfare home – what are they doing in there, what do they have to go through to go out? & what does the poor guy (black of course) think, he who is stitting outside to defend the tranquility? It seems scary to me to sit in a cage and shut the world out, so we went back to downtown, locked in the car & through a couple of security codes out of the city to our town-ship – suburb (that is what we could call this school) we live next to the town-ship in a fenced of property.
So back to painting the sky & such – ignoring the fences for a while…
14
Oct
2009
Last Name
Last Name
Elke Krasny & Cynthia Schwertsik
Texte & Fotografien
Vernissage: Donnerstag, 15. Oktober 2009, 19 Uhr
ega-Lounge
1060 Wien, Windmühlgasse 26
Frauen im öffentlichen Raum
Frauen ohne Raum im öffentlichen Raum
Öffentlicher Raum ohne Frauen
Frauen in der kollektiven Erinnerung
Kollektive Erinnerung und weibliche Geschichten
Dauer der Ausstellung: 16. 10.–13. 11. 2009
Mo bis Fr 17–24 Uhr
9
Sep
2009
starting a new work
the fact that I am my own boss – & I can choose when to work, sometimes is fatal – ‘cos there are so many urgent things waiting – the virtually sit around my bed and wait for me to wake up & emideatly jump on me when I get out of bed & get hold of me – hours later I have managed to solve some of the problems, but it is midnight, and after I finished my little comment here – I’m gonna fall into bed (don’t worry – I’ll brush my teeth first… o.k.)
but I dream of the day to come again, when I manage to get up – ignore the urgency – and start to do the important work first – I’ll get there again – soon – ….
28
Aug
2009
Who is …?
some of my paintings are going to be presented – on saturday – at an event concerning people who are recovering from an amputation – the paintings are sort of dreams – I was wathing acrobats and in this bodywork is so much speed and perfection, but you hardly see it, it’s more a feeling – I admire it because it makes me think this is only possible if you are complete and whole, but then I know acrobats personal, and they are just people with all the problems, and more – so there is this moment – in the air – where everything is perfect – and then you start all over again – it doesn’t last – but the dream excicts
but being a person means to just be a part of the whole – I think!
but sometimes we would like to be more independent – so we dream we are complete – maybe?
23
Aug
2009
as time goes by – about life
I just realised, that I am a day ahead – never mind – same thing is gonna happen tomorrow morning…. – on weekends mr. 5yearsold will stay in his pyjamas all the time – thats the new invention there – his parents dont mind!
the morning of the 28th – as allways we have to persude our 5 year old to get dressed & to brush his teeth & stop talking, asking all these questions about life the universe & everything – we are just trying to get out of that door….
today 26th – at the moment I am helping to restaur a installation – a piece of art, that consists of very crappy walls and doors – so we have to sand them and repaint them – it makes me wonder – here I am doing pretty dull work – but I will get a small payment, while I should stand in my studio and paint that picture I started, but that I then have to force out into the world and pay for people to look at – strange – where did I go wrong? ….
this one for today – august 25th
“Jesus didn’t come to get you into heaven. He came to bring heaven onto earth.”-Mike Slaughter
so the life in a community – at the chateau Monthelon where I just spent a months residency – where artist create – so much of the time is filled with surviving, and as the years go by I am more and more amazed about the work I have to invest to just keep my body in shape, healthy and rested, look after my loved ones and then – wow – if there still is time to think – for example this week there was a baby born, a suicide and an enormous transit of artist finishing their shows and storing their gear.
a baby born is a wonderful new life – a flower – a sucide is a life we could not support – it feels rotten to have been close and not have been able to hear – or give – or well it does make me think…
