Wednesday 30 April 2014

Steal Like an Artist: Inspiration in the ether

During the Easter weekend, I brought Austin Kleon's Steal Like an Artist with me to my parents' place. Whenever I needed a timeout from family, I snuck into the guest room for a read. Kleon talks about emulation being a higher practice than imitation. With emulation you take inspiration from the work of many people and play with it until you make it in your own way, with your own voice. It pays to emulate from the best. 

This week the work of two artists is inspiring me to emulate from the best:

First, I found Florencia Walfisch's work via Pattern Pulp. Her combination of machine stitching and chunky hand stitching is something that I'll play with in my own way. Her work is loose and sculptural, a quality that I admire. My work tends to be precise and I'm always striving to make it a bit more messy. 

Judy Martin is the second artist whose new work, time, dream, memory is knocking my socks off. Judy's work is most often monumental. time, dream, memory is a shift for her. It's intimate and invites the viewer to come in close for a long look.

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