the difficult third post

I am now completely over my art class experience. The class this week was a real slog, it followed the same format as the week before: Free paint session> a few trite art orientation videos> free paint session. This is not enough to satisfy me, but i can understand how the atmosphere of a jobbing artist's studio might be impressive enough for someone with £25 and a couple of hours to burn. I finished the picture posted last week (Picture from a book...), but left it in the studio. i might try to recover it, but i prefer to remember it as it was at the halfway stage.

There is a place for what www.londonartclasses.com does, but its not for me, and as this blog is about  art and I, I will leave it there. If any one is thinking of going there and wants and  honest opinion, id be happy to give you my thoughts privately - leave you contact details and i'll get back to you.

A positive influence of attending www.londonartclasses.com my perspective on how to progress more than directly progress my art. £25 remains my targeted weekly art-spend for  materials, exhibitions etc. The first thing I did was go to my local art supplies shop and spend £17 on an easel, canvasses, acrylic paints and brushes.There's a sale on at www.cowlingandwilcox.com...

So I find myself without a master - an art ronin. Who will fill this void? Who will help me populate canvasses? Friends, that's who. Sweet, unsuspecting, loyal, free, friends. Loads of people I know do loads of interesting things so i will be annoying them and blogging about their creative processes as well as making some sort of foray in to the art world.... and of course i will be drawing more of Mark Lawrenson....

Art Class

Just got back from my first art class. I enjoyed myself more than I thought I would.

Picture from a book (unfinished) by James Steady (1981 - present), acrylic on paper.

The class was at www.londonartclasses.com At £25 for two hours, it was good value. All materials were provided and the tutor fitted the role very well. I would recommend.

The tutor encouraged us to paint anything we wanted, he explined this was to breakthrough any phycological block or crisis of confidence the members of the class may have had.  Sadly, I had forgotten to bring a picture of Mark Lawrenson, and so had to make do with a picture from 'Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance, and the Camera' which I found on the studio's shelves. There were loads of pictures of tits, cock and fanny, but I wimped-out and went for fully clothed people in hats -  it was under the surveillance section. See what I did there. Turned out to be one of those commercial accompaniments to a gallery show - middle-class porn/ coffee table badge, etc. Very good book, though.

However, there was a section at the end of the first hour when the tutor showed us some YouTube videos as an art orientation thing. This was my least favourite bit: the videos made me want to punch the presenters, all were walking cliches. Despair for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxQZIvepg3c
This sleazy production does everything to laboriously hawk the accessible populism of contemporary art. The presenter does everything possible to encourage my deepest hatred of her botoxed ignorance. Although I admire the art bureaucrat's 'this is for all' attitude, his ability to pimp-out the work he uses to generate revenue is shocking "...we have an astronaut, maybe reentering the earths orbit... or something?" Brian Badonde, anyone? Then again, it was a sales appeal to the non-artsy plebeian. Oh, and nice sartorial montage, everyman: you look like a dry-cleaned tramp whose integrity came out in the wash.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmu9Isq6f6Q
The next video starred Kate Maxwell - who I presume is, in the very least, the daughter of a relatively successfully property developer from the home counties. Here Kate reminds us that the anti-ethics of elitism are very much an integral component of the contemporary art circus - actually a very important lesson. And that - you know - art is just about a regular middle-class girl having fun with money, yeah? From this video we learn that art has everything to do with expensive New York real-estate and cocktails. And not a lot else... Besides her great legs, well conditioned hair and probable addiction to rich cock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YMV4EyaPMM
Last but not least, we moved on to the recently deceased/ most important living artist section. Freud is a favourite of mine (a shocking and original position, I know). Even though i saw the video when it first aired on channel four news, I was not prepared for the tour-de-camp in store from the Aryan horse-probe as he berated his quarry. But even though i was distracted by the presenter - who im convinced is  very close to voguing whenever he's in shot - the love and admiration Freud's loyal assistant has for his deceased friend shines though. Truly touching, and a great insight. No wonder he doesn't want TV cameras traipsing though evermore.

Well. I didn't expect this to turn into a rant, but as it just come out unopposed, so it must stand. Most importantly, I found that I like painting so I will go back for a second class next week. This choice has everything to do with the setting and of course the tutor, who was able to put his class at ease. Despite the above troll-like histrionics directed at YouTube video (what the fuck have i become?), I had an enjoyable evening.

Mark Lawrenson: Muse

Last time a piece of my art was displayed I was at Junior School. It was a picture of a dictator/ James Bond type villain who had tormented me and my pal Shaun during a nightmare. It hung on the wall of our classroom for the rest of the term along with all my classmates creations; they stood as testament to the egalitarian ethics of our teacher.

After failing the +11, I attended the local comprehensive school, this did nothing to develop my art. Having not taken a single art class since, my ability remains raw, unrefined and no doubt to many  undefinable as art at all.

*Portrait of Mark Lawrenson by James Steady (31 years old)  - pilot ink pen on notepad

This blog is the ongoing record of my construction, from ground-zero up, as an artist. Ground-zero is the drawing of Mark Lawrenson above. I will return to Mark as a subject when I want to test out my new skills. Let's hope I have some talent so that eventually I can do Mark the justice he deserves.