Some abstract paintings are more “complicated” than others.
The following story is about one of my latest abstract paintings and the +/- eight months it has taken me to finished it. Space Occupancy #20 has been pretty tough to create. This fact gives it a special significance and value, at least from an artist point of view…
Eight months ago, I bought a fabulous 130×190 cms burlap canvas to paint the last Tie abstract collection painting. It took me two weeks to finish it. Innitially I was satisfaied with the result and decided to validate the artwork, but as weeks went by the painting started to loose power. The more I looked at it the least I liked it, hence following my artist committment (click to see an article talking about 4 committed abstract artists), I decided to destroy it.
What was a Tie collection abstract painting
I tryed to make another one using the left abrupt and stained surface. One night while the canvas was drying up outdors, it started to rain and all the work done was gone. Do you imagine the fustration?… I finally parked the canvas for some months in my studio. I put it there ´cose I wanted to watch it daily in order to figure out something…. Nothing happened untill 3 weeks ago when one of those “artists gifts” ocurred. I accidentally leaned some burlaps and organic cotton fabrics on it, and suddenly creativity came back!
The stained and leaky canvas with some fabrics on it
The following pictures show the making process of one of my latests Space Occupancy collection paintings. Hope you enjoy them.
Space Occupancy#20. First surface intervention and initial composition tries
Space Occupancy#20 (detail iv). Final composition…Gluing and sewing burlap and fabrics
Space Occupancy#20 (detail v). Painting
As I said in the beggining of this article, this painting has a special value and significance. It demonstrates me that as actor Michael Caine explains in this video, when you are able to use the difficulty in your favor (in my case the difficulty was the fustration of not being able to create something interesting, and having to paint over and over again on a “destroyed and irregular” surface) the ending results can be astonishing.
Have you ever had any creativity experience like this one? How can artists use the difficulty in their favor?. I encourage you to share your ideas and thoughts below.
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December 5, 2012 - 1:56 pm
Great story and I can see how the end result has a lot more depth than the original. I like the way the red is bleeding back into the new surface. Good to see your processes at work and something I’m all too familiar with. While some pieces seem to reach their natural end relatively quickly, others in between need a bit of breathing space either outside in the elements or being left to dry out of sight so that I don’t meddle with them. I’ve attached Black and Gold as a case in point, a work that i thought was finished this time last year, and it had even made it to a frame…
December 5, 2012 - 4:41 pm
Hello thanks for sharing your thoughts. I don´t know why but there´s no attachment to your comment.
Regards and take care.
Antonio Basso
December 6, 2012 - 2:38 pm
Here’s the attachment hopefully!:D I’d also like to add your image to Art Stack with your permission of course…
December 6, 2012 - 11:34 pm
Sorry Sarah, but I don´t see the attachment. No idea why ?¿?¿?.
Sure you can use the image. Rgds.
Antonio
December 7, 2012 - 1:50 pm
Think I’ll give up on the attachment for now… having a bit of a computer nightmare with my ancient MAc LAptop at the mo. so maybe its time to go back to the drawing board or the canvas that’s currently on breathe out in the snow in the garden..:D I’ll send a link to Art Stack once I’ve added your image. Cheers Sarah
December 7, 2012 - 2:16 pm
Here’s the link…hopefuily.! Thanx for permission
http://theartstack.com/#/artworks/space-occupancy-20
December 7, 2012 - 7:47 pm
Here´s the link. !!! Thanks Sarah. It´s curious the other did not get in. ¿?¿?. Best regards and take care. Antonio
December 20, 2012 - 6:01 pm
Elizabeth Kirsten, has just writen an interesting blog post that develops further the idea of this yasoypintor´s article. Worth giving it a look.
http://paintingsbykirstenelizabethgilmore.blogspot.com.es/2012/12/waiting-for-idea-to-ripen-paintings.html
February 7, 2013 - 4:16 pm
very informative.
February 7, 2013 - 4:59 pm
Thanks Lyle.
Antonio Basso
February 17, 2013 - 1:27 pm
[…] for reading. To see some other Antonio Basso´s space occupancies articles check this link Feel free to add your thoughts on the comment section […]