Art Forum

War Games!!

Bernd Jansons — Thur, 19 Nov 2009 05:44:53 GMT

News today on the Internet ... new (video) war game grosses over US$550 in sales in first week. That just about sums things up, I'd say!!!

Forum: Comments and Opinions

poem -melbourne autumn

tanya kingston salehian — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:47:13 GMT

Melbourne

Dying colors, summer fires, leaping brilliance, autumn trees glow
with their final glory, defiant sunburst, they surrender to the dying.

Crackling dry leaves crushed underfoot, city trees bow to the
thieving wind and drying air.

Falling in clouds, twirling, sinking and spinning lying upended
brittle on concrete.

Summer green, verdant fresh, shrivelled skeletal, russet dry, heaped as bodies on the battlefield shaped by the wind , for winter burial.

tanya salehian melbourne 2007

Forum: Writings (Poetry and Prose)

poem - I want to leave again today

tanya kingston (salehian — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:41:04 GMT

I WANT TO LEAVE AGAIN TODAY a poem by tanya kingston salehian

I want to leave again today.been wanting to leave a long time now.
my beating heart, take tremulous flight, away, away, and quite alone.

The box they buried him in is here, put me there too and close the lid. He was not born but lived in me, I dreamt him, tall and strong, my handsome boy. His hair dark and skin so white, the eyes are shining, black and bright.

He can do it all.

There is no box, nor burial too, just a note and where to go.
There was no money at all for him, I screamed aloud not bury him. I never saw
his little frame, too final for me , blue and cold.
He slipped away with out a breath. without goodbye, alone to death.

Losing, losing, when somethings lost there is no hope. No finding and no happy ending. Search and peer at all the boys, its this one here and that one there, but
in the end a drift, a glimpse that was my boy, that one there, where,! oh there.

My father too did quite the same, his wandering memories finding solace. A tree
remembered but not quite, a dim recollection of a brighter life. Of wine and love
and happy days, in France and Oxford, salad days, before the war. He fell asleep
quiet in his bed and he too, just slipped away. There was no more to be said.

I seem to not have quite the grip on life I ought to have. They slip away, while
Im not there it seems. The lover too, his intense gaze, holds me chained, enthralled
and faint. Bitter tenderness was there, delight and oh such care. In the end though
be as may, he also had to slip away.

I want to leave again today. I woke up with distaste for life, this is not my place my hearth, my home, the people here with rags and bones, they mutter as they walk along, and beat the posts with mindless fingers. Talking to themselves, conversing to the wall. Wander down the dirty street, past acres like a bombed out site, where water gathers overnight and hopeful ducks come down to drink. The water, foul and darkish green. A semblance of some oversight that meant to make, a beauty spot of lake

I cross the street and miss the cars that rush straight past although they see the bars
of white that indicate a person might, attempt the hope of moving to the other side.

Sitting by the station steps, dirty and unshaven, a young man begs for money. Quite fit and able. What is the point I think again, I have nothing to give and anyway, Im old and grey and whats he thinking.

If I had a full account I would so love to share it out. To give my daughters homes
and things, to fly away and visit those who have also lost. To make it better and give
them all a happy ending. I want to leave again today
tanya salehian

may. 2009. katoomba

Forum: Writings (Poetry and Prose)

two recent poems, 'truth and lies' and 'melbourne bay'

tanya kingston (salehian — Sun, 31 May 2009 04:58:38 GMT

POEM -Truth and Lies.

Im aging now and feel the pain, of standing still, far from
the headlong rush that brought me here and quietly left me
trembling in thrall to the wind of change. I will use some tried and true, another poets happier view.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfullness, close bosom
friend of the maturing sun, (keats)

Autumn is here, the end of year, sum of all thats been.
Yellowing leaves are flung from high, and whirl and twirl through windy waves,
to end in glorious russet heaps, to fertilise the drying soil.

Aging now as sap withdraws and fibre shrivels, skeletal
bones begin to show and we, more transparent now, begin to see what lies beneath it all.

The membrane thin that covers us, becomes our skin to foil the real and most substantial thing,
the bleak exposure underlying, of hearts that beat and passions pulsing,
minds that probe and shocked, withdraw from that
which proves to be too raw.

I wonder now in autumn cool, my ageing frame sometimes I fool with thoughts of love and dancing yet,
it seems that when I try to capture youth my arms hold nothing but the truth.

Is mellow good? I ask myself, its quite restful not
to charge, unbidden into life and fling my passion here and there, the whirling maelstrom
calling out to come and
join and run and shout.

Perhaps the mists that cloud the skies are kind to trees as well as eyes, and through the veiled and
distant skein soft images reveal their form, illusion granted that we should
have, in age, a gentle caul to cushion gaze.

However, there is the chance of winds that blow and stir the senses,
seem to show that russet and soft golden leaves are often fiery red.
I take it now to mean that still we feel,
before sap
dies, embers stirred and fanned to flame and for a while we find perhaps that autumn lies.

tanya kingston salehian may 2009. Katoomba.

MELBOURNE BAY

Wheeling birds gather under grey skies,

The black swan reflects its shape on the mirror surface of the bay.

Lampost shadow fingers stretch to touch the sea as the morning moon
is fading.

Damp earth, dry leaves, roses curl their incense through the air
while stillness swirls with a russet leaf.

Cargo ships punctuate the horizon marking sea from sky.

Pulsing rocks disturb the silky surface of the quiet water.

tanya kingston salehian melbourne 2008

Forum: Writings (Poetry and Prose)

Truth? Can you handle it?

bernd — Thur, 07 May 2009 10:42:17 GMT

For religion there is but one unchanging truth,
Science pursues one truth but it keeps changing,
History only hears the truth of the victors,
And law simply dictates the truth,
Only art acknowledges many changing truths,
Whats that? Politics?
Gosh, that has nothing to do with truth!

Forum: Writings (Poetry and Prose)

The Henson Debate

bernd — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:22:38 GMT

Every so often the right of individuals in society to express themselves comes up against the collective fear of others in that society that such expressions threaten some aspect of their lives. Unfortunately such a time is again upon us.

The protection of children is paramount to any society for obvious reasons. Children are vulnerable and easily exploited. The exploitation of children for whatever reason is heinous and abhorrent. Such exploitation ranges from the extreme of child pornography for the titillation of paedophiles to the far more subtle sexualisation of children in order to create new markets for children's products. Most societies have put in place laws to protect against the former, but little has (and probably will) be done about the latter.

Within the last week, we have witnessed child protection laws being invoked against an established and internationally recognised artist for publishing and displaying images of adolescent children, some naked. As an aside, the fact he has openly and publicly been doing this to some extent for many years raises some interesting questions. But that's another matter. Advocates for this action argue that it is justified because the laws in place clearly prohibit such images. They also argue that intent is irrelevant, as is artistic merit. Intent is irrelevant because pictures of naked children are pictures of naked children ... full stop. Artistic merit is irrelevant because aesthetics don't come into it. Pictures of naked children are pictures of naked children ... full stop.

Not full stop. Laws are drafted and promulgated by people. People are not infallible. People, with the best of intentions do the best they can. The written word of the law is not the law. The law requires interpretation in order to uncover intent. The intent of the words laid down and the intent and actions of an alleged offender must be analysed to see if they match and if they do then, and only then, does the law apply in that case. I am not a lawyer. Nevertheless, I would be surprised if the intention of the child protection laws being invoked in the case of Bill Henson is to solely and exclusively prohibit the creation and display of images of naked children. On the contrary, I would imagine the laws are there to protect against exploitation of children. Yes, pictures of children (naked or otherwise) are used to exploit children, but that may not always be the intention. And, in the current case, it can be argued it is not the effect as well. Almost all accounts I've seen indicate the images are not pornographic or intended to create sexual excitement. Pictures of naked children are pictures of naked children but intent (and therefore applicability of the law) is not simply black or white but subtly shaded.

The link between nudity and sex is a construct. It is a construct in the minds of most individuals in western society and in the collective mind of that society. We are reminded of the narrowness of this construct from time to time whenever society swings back to fundamentalism. But, it has to be said that the image of a naked human being (no matter what age) is simply that ... an image of a person without clothes on. Whatever else it is subsequently perceived to be is a psychological overlay of the observer's mind. Such an overlay reflects the beliefs and biases of the observer. (As an aside, most artists are aware of and strive to work with this phenomenon in order to convey meaning through form, colour, texture and such). When we get to a situation where the majority of a society perceive nudity to be exclusively and irrevocably shackled to sexual stimulation and child nudity to be likewise shackled to perversive exploitation of children then we have major problems. It is ironic that in striving for a safer society we end up with a more repressive and dangerous one.

Forum: Comments and Opinions

The Circle Closes

bernd — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:21:24 GMT

Things begin
Things end
People come
People go
For everything
And everyone
There is a time

Be not sad
It is as it is
As it has been
As it will be again
From the beginning
To the end
But no further.

Forum: Writings (Poetry and Prose)

This Shall Not Pass

bernd — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:20:20 GMT

This shall not pass
not while blood flows
not while breath draws
not while reason stands
and beyond
even as mighty waves
claw and rip each grain
from the rock
over the eons of forever
not til the last grain falls
shall this pass
and only then.

Forum: Writings (Poetry and Prose)

The Steppenwolf

bernd — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:19:19 GMT

He was a Steppenwolf or so he thought
not that he knew what that really meant
but it had a certain kind of ring to it
that he found appealing and appropriate.

In actual fact things made little sense
and he had begun to question it all
particularly what he needed to do
in order to provide himself the meanings.

One thing he knew for sure and that was this
that to rely on someone else is fraught
with the potential for disappointment
as each of us pursues our own agendas.

When all is said and done it just remains
to be at one with all but most of all
to be at one with you yourself and know
the rest may not agree or even sometimes care.

Forum: Writings (Poetry and Prose)

The Crowd

bernd — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:17:58 GMT

I see a crowd
That isn't there
In fact
I see them everywhere
Except of course
It's quite absurd
I never hear them
say a word.

Forum: Writings (Poetry and Prose)

Top 200 artists of the 20th century to now

bernd — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:35:27 GMT

I recently received an email from the Saatchi Gallery. I'm a member of their online gallery community. As an aside, if you haven't visited the site, it's certainly worth a look. You can find a link at the bottom of the gallery's home page. But, getting back to the topic at hand, the email explained that, in association with the London Times, over a million people had identified their choices for the top artists from 1900 to the present time. Eventually that list was whittled down to 300 artists. Further voting will bring the final number to the perceived top 200 artists. What I found intriguing is that *not one* Australian artist is included in the current list of 300. It seems living on the underside of the planet has it's disadvantages. Or maybe it's simply because we don't have enough sheer numbers of people down here who really care about art. I wonder what the result might be if the poll were for sports stars?

Forum: Comments and Opinions

"Computer Painting"

Bernd — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:22:38 GMT

Recently, on another art website, the following views on "computer painting" were published. Celito Medeiros is a Portuguese artist.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
"What is Computer Painting?
by Celito Medeiros

Computer Painting is the exclusive result of a painting made by a Visual or Fine Artist , who uses colors, brushes and wrist spatulas or even freehand, as tools to make paintings. The original painting is printed by using several techniques like Print Silk Canvas, Tergo Print, Hand-Crafted Ultra Light and other printers and midias, and then signed clear hand by the author.

The printed art is not virtual at all, and, on the contrary, is very much real.

Digital Painting or Digital Graphic Art: Names formerly used to define a painting made by using a computer caused much confusion, as it didnt exactly specify the difference between Digital Art and Digital Painting.Words in English may have several meanings, the reason why the newer nomenclature came in to facilitate the understanding and the direct definition of all this Painting by means of a computer or Computer Painting and not Digital Painting (mix-up in digital art).

Digital Fine Arts: A technique registered globally in the Rio the Janeiro National Library, in the name of All The Fine Artists Of This Planet, by the author, who set up this technique, not for himself, but for whoever that may use it, by getting knowledge in the source or by his own means.

In this technique some distinct softwares are used ( COREL PAINTER being the main one ) with the application of virtual paints, brushes, spatulas, through freehand brush-mouse movements fitted to all the former areas of the traditional painting.

This technique takes into account the quality, for printings in several sizes and also big panels.Above these quality values, computers must have high RAM memory sizes.Large format printers wouldnt be able to print at the original quality and many wouldnt even succeed to open the file.

DIGITAL ART: Any kind of art made with a computer or with any digital means.

What points out Computer Painting is the use of brushes, spatulas, etc without filters or effects, and that the art is made totally freehand on blank canvas or working on a previous image."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
My response to this is ...

Thanks for putting this up for comment. Its a very important topic for someone like myself. I recently exhibited in Montreal and, in discussion with the curator after the show, it came out that people (i.e. art buyers) do not see works created by an artist using a computer and then printed (to bring it into the physical world) as rare (and therefore as valuable) as works done in oils or other more traditional media. This is even if the artist only ever makes one, exclusive and unique print.

This is quite a curious and totally illogical way of thinking but its there and it creates a huge challenge for digital artists wishing to make a living from their art.

Its good to see new terminology and definitions emerging which seek to place works created with the use of computer technology into the context of fine art overall. This is certainly one of the first steps towards the legitimisation of this sort of art which may one day see a printed digital image valued along side an oil painting or water-colour. But the battle has a long way to go.

With respect to the definition of computer painting offered here, while I agree its important to locate the various art forms and media within the overall landscape of art, I am a little apprehensive of any attempt to isolate and remove work done on a computer involving the use of unique features available through that technology, such as filters and other image manipulation tools. To me, these are the very things that distinguish the media from other ones involving older technology (such as pigments and brush). This may turn out to simply mean we require another, different, definition for art created using the full spectrum of tools available in todays technology. Im comfortable with that. What Im not comfortable with is any attempt to exclude such work from the fine arts.

Regards,

Bernd

Forum: Comments and Opinions

End of days?

Bernd — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 06:46:25 GMT

There's no denying the current storm of financial mayhem sweeping across the planet is worrying. Even more so when we are force-fed a constant stream of 'the sky is falling' from the media. No doubt the storm will pass. There is no question of that. There is a question, however, of how much damage this storm will inflict before it passes. More revelant still to most of us in the art industry is the question how much this will effect the art market and our ability to sell our art. An article I read recently stated that art sales throughout the world for the first six months of 2008 equalled those of the first six months of 2007. That may be, but it's the next six months that are really of interest. And the first six months of 2009. I have always been a 'glass half full' person. Since we have no way of knowing exactly what the future brings we might as well believe it will be good news as bad news. What do you think?

Forum: Comments and Opinions