Artist License
Before I graduated from college I often feared it would be the death of my art, seeing other artists with and without art related jobs failing to sustain their production of art when deadlines and class assignments were no longer there to enforce it.
Even now I will not pronounce my art dead, although "comatose" might not be that far-off of a diagnosis. It really makes me sad to admit.
However even with production at an all time low, the same could not be said for inspiration. I came to Korea anticipating that I would have no shortage of subject matter to draw my attention and inspire me, and I have not been disappointed! I have particular renewed interest in portraiture, and newly discovered desire for the skill of landscape/environment painting (due both to the immeasureable beauty of Korea and the amazing tutorials on youtube from Gurney's Journey).
The landscapes are arguably possible considering I have a phone and frequently take pictures of eye-catching scenery. However phone images (indeed any images) are hardly inspiring. They might make good practice, but the desire seems to be pretty specific to capturing a feeling or atmosphere while actually physically there. Even the best phone photography feels a little less than what I am desiring... So the main issue here is making the time to actually go to places with the materials and reserved time to paint. And demanding more time is simply enough to put this project on hold.
Portraiture is probably the most accessible outlet these days, and when I find myself with time to spare in a place with people it comes most easily to me to just sketch an impression or charicature. Even at work I occassionally slip in a the quick doodle of a student (though admittedly such lulls in business are incredibly rare and potentially inappropriate should a helicopter mom notice and get irked by it).
Drawing portraits has its own quirks, however. I recently read about one aspect that can be troublesome. That is, we as humans are particularly "wired" to notice people looking at us- to determine threats especially. Even people in your blurriest peripherals and in strange corners or cracks between architecture are on a sort of subconscious radar, and your mind is designed to recognize and analyze when someone is looking at you.
Whether I am drawing someone who had consented to model or someone oblivious to it, drawing someone's portrait is undoubtedly complicated by this natural instinct. Subjects twitch and turn and avoid gaze innately, and even if you can get someone to sit still for you, we are simply not made to do so and the need to move their neck or facial features will sneak up on them fairly quickly and surprisingly intensely.
This begs the question, why not take photos of people then?
Maybe I've been spoiled by studying art in school...the simple answer to that is just that it isn't as fun (and frankly it isn't always as good). Sure it will be more accurate, but a part of the experience is muted...the eye and touch of the artist is subtley withdrawn or removed from the image. Simply put: I don't like it.
The other main problem is that when drawing candid portraits of unsuspecting subjects, for example at a cafe or at work, taking the photo is a violation of privacy-and in Korea its illegal without their consent. Even if I wasn't such a big chicken and I was willing to discuss why I have (or will) take their photo, I'm really not confident enough in my Korean language ability yet to do so.
Still, assuming I have the courage to take the photo and explain for what purpose I aim to use it (or even feel willing to risk the legal consequence for taking it without any explanation), the question burning on my mind in this hypothetical scenario is this:
What -if anything- do I owe to the subject of my work?
This is something that I have been wondering for quite a while, actually, and it is extremely unsettling the longer and more seriously that I ponder it.
I have seen, for example, photographers from the Great Depression (or any other tradgedy for that matter) asked this very question, as the subjects of their work have died or suffered without any compensation when the photo of their suffering/likeness has recieved much praise and respect (and even fueled the career and livelihood of the photographer). One particular photographer, whose name slips my mind, simply responded, "I don't owe them anything."
Although such an answer seems very reasonable, I also have to admit that something about it feels terribly wrong to me.
However is also seems impractical and illogical to assume I owe some huge debt or percentage of my work or success to someone else.
So when I take a picture or draw someone candidly, there is a weird sneaking question of whether I should inform them that I did so...and whether I owe them any sort of thing for doing so. Do they have some right as my subject, for instance, to say, "I don't like that you portrayed me that way, please dispose of it at once" or even, "I love this so much, may I have it?"
And if the subject of my work makes such a demand, to what extent am I obliged, even expected, to answer it?
Even now I will not pronounce my art dead, although "comatose" might not be that far-off of a diagnosis. It really makes me sad to admit.
However even with production at an all time low, the same could not be said for inspiration. I came to Korea anticipating that I would have no shortage of subject matter to draw my attention and inspire me, and I have not been disappointed! I have particular renewed interest in portraiture, and newly discovered desire for the skill of landscape/environment painting (due both to the immeasureable beauty of Korea and the amazing tutorials on youtube from Gurney's Journey).
The landscapes are arguably possible considering I have a phone and frequently take pictures of eye-catching scenery. However phone images (indeed any images) are hardly inspiring. They might make good practice, but the desire seems to be pretty specific to capturing a feeling or atmosphere while actually physically there. Even the best phone photography feels a little less than what I am desiring... So the main issue here is making the time to actually go to places with the materials and reserved time to paint. And demanding more time is simply enough to put this project on hold.
Portraiture is probably the most accessible outlet these days, and when I find myself with time to spare in a place with people it comes most easily to me to just sketch an impression or charicature. Even at work I occassionally slip in a the quick doodle of a student (though admittedly such lulls in business are incredibly rare and potentially inappropriate should a helicopter mom notice and get irked by it).
Drawing portraits has its own quirks, however. I recently read about one aspect that can be troublesome. That is, we as humans are particularly "wired" to notice people looking at us- to determine threats especially. Even people in your blurriest peripherals and in strange corners or cracks between architecture are on a sort of subconscious radar, and your mind is designed to recognize and analyze when someone is looking at you.
Whether I am drawing someone who had consented to model or someone oblivious to it, drawing someone's portrait is undoubtedly complicated by this natural instinct. Subjects twitch and turn and avoid gaze innately, and even if you can get someone to sit still for you, we are simply not made to do so and the need to move their neck or facial features will sneak up on them fairly quickly and surprisingly intensely.
This begs the question, why not take photos of people then?
Maybe I've been spoiled by studying art in school...the simple answer to that is just that it isn't as fun (and frankly it isn't always as good). Sure it will be more accurate, but a part of the experience is muted...the eye and touch of the artist is subtley withdrawn or removed from the image. Simply put: I don't like it.
The other main problem is that when drawing candid portraits of unsuspecting subjects, for example at a cafe or at work, taking the photo is a violation of privacy-and in Korea its illegal without their consent. Even if I wasn't such a big chicken and I was willing to discuss why I have (or will) take their photo, I'm really not confident enough in my Korean language ability yet to do so.
Still, assuming I have the courage to take the photo and explain for what purpose I aim to use it (or even feel willing to risk the legal consequence for taking it without any explanation), the question burning on my mind in this hypothetical scenario is this:
What -if anything- do I owe to the subject of my work?
This is something that I have been wondering for quite a while, actually, and it is extremely unsettling the longer and more seriously that I ponder it.
I have seen, for example, photographers from the Great Depression (or any other tradgedy for that matter) asked this very question, as the subjects of their work have died or suffered without any compensation when the photo of their suffering/likeness has recieved much praise and respect (and even fueled the career and livelihood of the photographer). One particular photographer, whose name slips my mind, simply responded, "I don't owe them anything."
Although such an answer seems very reasonable, I also have to admit that something about it feels terribly wrong to me.
However is also seems impractical and illogical to assume I owe some huge debt or percentage of my work or success to someone else.
So when I take a picture or draw someone candidly, there is a weird sneaking question of whether I should inform them that I did so...and whether I owe them any sort of thing for doing so. Do they have some right as my subject, for instance, to say, "I don't like that you portrayed me that way, please dispose of it at once" or even, "I love this so much, may I have it?"
And if the subject of my work makes such a demand, to what extent am I obliged, even expected, to answer it?
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