Comments on: Art and ageing – an observation http://artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=art-and-ageing-an-observation a multi-disciplinary dialog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:08:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Steve Durbin http://artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html/comment-page-1#comment-73327 Steve Durbin Sun, 03 Feb 2008 21:23:10 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html#comment-73327 Well, Tracy's work, at least what I know of, starts from a scene represented, which she then abstracts and modifies, making no attempt to convey photographic detail. The blurrier a photo, and the more altered in color, the more it will look like one of her lovely paintings. So maybe it helps in that way. Another possible reason is that the blurred photo emphasizes only gross composition, but leaves one free to imagine the rest. Well, Tracy’s work, at least what I know of, starts from a scene represented, which she then abstracts and modifies, making no attempt to convey photographic detail. The blurrier a photo, and the more altered in color, the more it will look like one of her lovely paintings. So maybe it helps in that way. Another possible reason is that the blurred photo emphasizes only gross composition, but leaves one free to imagine the rest.

]]> By: birgit http://artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html/comment-page-1#comment-73293 birgit Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:50:54 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html#comment-73293 Steve, Does Kahn's experience bear any relationship to Tracy Helgeson’s comment last year that was something like <em>the worse the quality of a photograph, the better suited it is for making a painting of it </em>? Steve,

Does Kahn’s experience bear any relationship to Tracy Helgeson’s comment last year that was something like the worse the quality of a photograph, the better suited it is for making a painting of it ?

]]> By: Steve Durbin http://artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html/comment-page-1#comment-73259 Steve Durbin Sun, 03 Feb 2008 16:38:53 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html#comment-73259 There is a two-part video on <a href="http://www.newarttv.com/index.php?cat=1" rel="nofollow">NewArtTV</a> about Wolf Kahn, who says his painting has improved as a result of his reduced his visual acuity due to macular degeneration. There is a two-part video on NewArtTV about Wolf Kahn, who says his painting has improved as a result of his reduced his visual acuity due to macular degeneration.

]]> By: Jay http://artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html/comment-page-1#comment-55586 Jay Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:44:50 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html#comment-55586 Birgit: Cezanne, too, painted those airy watercolors in his later years. Did his work reflect a visual change or degeneration? Anyone here know? Speaking as something of an elder, I would submit that a perceived shortage of time and opportunity can play a part. I'm 20/20 with glasses, yet one of my controlling impulses these days is to simplify - to get down to a virtual twenty five words or less. Part of this, I believe, is in an effort to shed excess baggage and gain efficiency, knowing that my personal reserves are beginning to run low. Steve: I was surprised by the degree of enthusiasm that blind people displayed toward visiting the art museum. The extension exhibits department had things that folks could touch, but it went beyond that to something of a desire to be enveloped in an ambiance of visual celebration.rs Birgit:

Cezanne, too, painted those airy watercolors in his later years. Did his work reflect a visual change or degeneration? Anyone here know?

Speaking as something of an elder, I would submit that a perceived shortage of time and opportunity can play a part. I’m 20/20 with glasses, yet one of my controlling impulses these days is to simplify – to get down to a virtual twenty five words or less. Part of this, I believe, is in an effort to shed excess baggage and gain efficiency, knowing that my personal reserves are beginning to run low.

Steve:

I was surprised by the degree of enthusiasm that blind people displayed toward visiting the art museum. The extension exhibits department had things that folks could touch, but it went beyond that to something of a desire to be enveloped in an ambiance of visual celebration.rs

]]> By: Steve Durbin http://artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html/comment-page-1#comment-55580 Steve Durbin Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:57:32 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html#comment-55580 Birgit, That <em>is</em> an interesting point, but I wonder if it isn't what one would expect a priori from a diminishment in capacity, especially ability to see clear detail. On the other hand, it seems quite plausible that a painter with failing eyesight might take to rendering in detail small, still-life subjects that can be brought up to the eyes. Doing a search, I came across an amazing British project, called the <a href="http://www.livingpaintings.org/pages/section1.htm" rel="nofollow">The Living Paintings Trust</a>, to make paintings accessible to the blind and near-blind, which works on the following system: 1. Raised images, known as thermoforms, which explain the special shape and characteristics of the pictures that are being "looked" at through touch; 2. Audio descriptions which tell the stories of the pictures, describe their wonderful visual features and provide instructions for touching and interpreting the thermoforms; 3. Colour reproductions of the pictures which, very importantly, make it possible for the packs to be shared with sighted friends, family and peers. Birgit,

That is an interesting point, but I wonder if it isn’t what one would expect a priori from a diminishment in capacity, especially ability to see clear detail. On the other hand, it seems quite plausible that a painter with failing eyesight might take to rendering in detail small, still-life subjects that can be brought up to the eyes.

Doing a search, I came across an amazing British project, called the The Living Paintings Trust, to make paintings accessible to the blind and near-blind, which works on the following system:

1. Raised images, known as thermoforms, which explain the special shape and characteristics of the pictures that are being “looked” at through touch;

2. Audio descriptions which tell the stories of the pictures, describe their wonderful visual features and provide instructions for touching and interpreting the thermoforms;

3. Colour reproductions of the pictures which, very importantly, make it possible for the packs to be shared with sighted friends, family and peers.

]]> By: birgit http://artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html/comment-page-1#comment-55572 birgit Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:04:23 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html#comment-55572 It is fascinating that visual problems and deterioration of other brain functions due to drugs and alcohol leads to greater abstraction - Monet here, and Rothko and Turner as discussed in my earlier post, see comment #2. It is fascinating that visual problems and deterioration of other brain functions due to drugs and alcohol leads to greater abstraction – Monet here, and Rothko and Turner as discussed in my earlier post, see comment #2.

]]> By: Steve Durbin http://artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html/comment-page-1#comment-55503 Steve Durbin Fri, 07 Dec 2007 03:14:33 +0000 http://www.artandperception.com/2007/12/art-and-ageing-an-observation.html#comment-55503 If an artist has won recognition for work we judge outstanding, it certainly makes sense to presume that there is something to be learned from later work, even if our reaction to it in isolation is less favorable. I do find Monet's later painting fascinating, though I admit I'd rather own the earlier one. As June implies, it's the change that deepens our appreciation, just as with the differences in Angela's paintings in the previous post. If we know something biographical about an artist, I don't see the point of trying to ignore it. At the same time, it's all too easy to draw facile conclusions about how a life event influenced the art, and I tend to be quite suspicious of such accounts. It may be true in a sense that all expression is autobiographical, but taking that too literally seems narrow and impoverishing of everyone. I don't much like the word transcend, but I think it's something we can all do and art can help us realize that. If an artist has won recognition for work we judge outstanding, it certainly makes sense to presume that there is something to be learned from later work, even if our reaction to it in isolation is less favorable. I do find Monet’s later painting fascinating, though I admit I’d rather own the earlier one. As June implies, it’s the change that deepens our appreciation, just as with the differences in Angela’s paintings in the previous post.

If we know something biographical about an artist, I don’t see the point of trying to ignore it. At the same time, it’s all too easy to draw facile conclusions about how a life event influenced the art, and I tend to be quite suspicious of such accounts. It may be true in a sense that all expression is autobiographical, but taking that too literally seems narrow and impoverishing of everyone. I don’t much like the word transcend, but I think it’s something we can all do and art can help us realize that.

]]>