CSH No. 9
2009, 16x12 inches
Mixed media on panel
I came across Jacquelyn Gleisner’s work today after reading an article she wrote for the Art21 blog. Ms. Gleisner received her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art (also my alma mater) in 2010.
Pink and Purple Interior
2009, 24x36 inches
Oil on canvas
I enjoy the use of color and decorative elements in her works, but I have to admit... I like what she says about her creative process even better.
She starts her article on Art21 with a quote by David Hockney that I also find poignant in my own life/work as an artist: “We live in an age where the artist is forgotten. He is a researcher. I see myself that way.” [emphasis mine]
She says, “I believe that as artists, our hunger for the acquisition of knowledge must be unequivocally matched by our desire to create. Making art that is singular in its focus simply fails to communicate to a broad audience.”
Well said!
I am continually struggling with how to create artwork that is viscerally appealing—with a wider audience in mind—while also bringing in those elements of discomfort and conflict that provide a larger sense of purpose, meaning, thoughtfulness, and passion.
