But, inspired by the words of Paul Stankard, I decided to start seeking out art again. Sitting around making chainmaille all day can create some myopia. Thankfully, the Google Art Project means that I can look at art works when most cultural institutions are closed for the day.
On my first field trip to the Art Institute in Chicago when I was maybe 8 or 9, I remember seeing The Assumption of the Virgin by El Greco. I have never been religious, but this piece stuck with me. I don't know if it was the scale or the imagery, but it's my first memory of being in awe of a work of art.
You can check out what Google Art has to say about the piece by clicking here.
Vanessa Walilko
Handmade jewelry
Aluminum chainmail jewelry
One of the first art museums I went to as a kid was a dusty old place with boring realistic landscape paintings and portraits. I went back a few years ago after it had transformed into the Fuller Craft Museum and got to see some of Paul Stankard's fabulous spheres up close. Now *those* are the kind of landscapes I can get behind!
ReplyDeleteI look at other people's work endlessly. When I get inspired by it, I always try to think how I would make something using similar materials that is consistent with my own style. I always come up with something that doesn't look like the inspiration at all. The best example is seeing Günther Eucker's nail sculpture, Vast Ocean, at the Art Institute a few years ago, and having it stimulate a whole bunch of pieces involving nails and other pointy things, none of which look anything like Eucker's work, but may never have existed without me first seeing his.