Considering Digital
Art…is it real Art?
“I would like to
see the hand of the Artist” one of the Alliance members
so stated when viewing a Digital Painting I had brought to the quarterly
meeting of the group’s critique.
The General consensus was that the originality, content, and
value of the art work itself I had brought to be shared was not considered, but
the discussion was what was it? Could computer art be thought of as “real” art. This was
rather disconcerting to me as I have a history of many different media in my
production of work which includes Bronze Sculpture, Oils on canvas, water
color, and Graphite. Having my work in collections by private collectors
nationally and internationally, this seemed to me to be rather lacking in the
awareness of what is actually going on not only at our Oceanside Museum of Art,
but in Galleries and Museums all over the world.
The making of a digital painting in my work usually consists
of a pencil drawing scanned into the computer then enhanced with a Wacom pad and Stylus. I use the stylus the same way as I use a pen or paint brush with
the flexibility of being able to instantly correct my work as I progress
through the evolution of an idea. My images may incorporate photos which I have
taken and stored in a digital file.
We were fortunate to have James Enos at the Museum for the
past months for his works are unique and complex in their structure. In
his statement he mentioned that he used digital and laser technology to
fabricate his housing sculptures. This technology has been in use for about 20
years, and it was demonstrated to me at my foundry in LA when they were
involved in making a model for an Arabian Prince who was building a new
palace. These new technologies, * the
Inkjet printer, the laser printer and the 3D printers are slowly becoming the
lexicon of our 21st Century Art World.
I would like to share with you my process and the many
wondrous advantages of the Digital World which gives me in my advancing years of existence a way of creating work without the physical angst. Aging is not
fun, but with the new media I can be creative and productive. Everyday is exciting as I
contemplate the possibilities of the “what ifs”.
The image in the lower left hand corner has one of my photos
from Moonstone Beach
near Eureka CA .
In my work, the photos are always my own and I use them extensively taking
elements from them for new work.
“The imperfections
of hand built art may not be seen in the making of a Digital Creative Work, but the
heart and soul of the Artist shines through clear and true”. R. Jameson
The Many Manifestations of the "Eve Tree"
From a Pencil Drawing... |
scroll down and view the various models built by this process...