Rebranding + An Update
Eliabstracts is no longer.
No—that doesn’t mean I am going anywhere. I realized I didn’t make that very clear when I posted about it on my Instagram, although it did seem that only my mom and grandma were confused by this. Regardless, I’ll clear the air.
It is merely a rebrand.
To be honest, I didn’t think that the Instagram name mattered that much…that it didn’t carry much weight. But after my neighbor in my new art studio asked me what my Instagram was, she responded, “But you don’t just do abstract work!” I had just met this person and she already was speaking major truths about my practice.
“I don’t just do abstract art,” I thought.
This idea goes back to my first rule from What Is Art Without Vulnerability?
Don’t corner yourself.
Every now and then I will put something out there that is confusing and peculiar. People either love it or hate it. It has always been this or that. Black or white. Yes or no. I understand it or I don’t. I like the rigidity of the response. This kind of work often deals in absolutes… and I get a huge kick out of it.
I never say much, either. My titles are ambiguous… Sometimes I name the files “i don’t know yet,” and then they grow to become the most important photo/video work I have ever made. It took me some time to open myself to conceptual art, and I am sure it will take you some time, too. Looking at conceptual art for the first time is like judging a book by its cover. Only after you spend some time looking through its pages can you even begin to grasp its nature.
In this style of artwork, the idea is the art. Sol Lewitt wrote a manifesto of sorts on the matter titled “Sentences on Conceptual Art.” Here are a few of my favorite lines that might unlock a new avenue for possibility in your creative practice.
#10 — Ideas alone can be works of art; they are in a chain of development that may eventually find some form. All ideas need not be made physical.
#25 — The artist may not necessarily understand his own art. His perceptions is neither better nor worse than that of others.
#26 — Banal ideas cannot be rescued by beautiful execution.
#33 — It is difficult to bungle a good idea.
Let these sentences marinate. Take a moment to think about the last good idea you had. What was the concept? What made it good? Is it art? What makes it not art? If you are thinking about the idea through a creative lens and with an artful gaze, can it become art?
This newsletter comments on art, but is not art.
I got the keys to my new studio…
It’s been one week since I moved into my brand-spankin’ new art studio. Studio MAXIMA LLC is now an active and legitimate business in the state of California and things are starting to come together!
I made a separate studio account, so be sure to follow along with the Instagram page Studio.MAXIMA (Click here) to show your support.
The goal is to create an environment that promotes the clearest vision. Where seeds for ideas can come and be planted, grown, and nourished. Where you can come to let your hair down and express yourself without fear of judgment or critique. There will be no gatekeeping, grey areas, or prerequisites at Studio MAXIMA.
Studio MAXIMA is for everyone, just like art.
More information and news on the startup of the studio on Instagram!
Thank you for being here,
Eli
P.S. Thank you for all of your email responses! Always happy to hear feedback or thoughts you have had after reading my articles.
RECOMMENDATIONS!
One of the books my forehead is pressed against is called:
What Artists Wear by Charlie Porter. It’s a lovely read highlighting the uniform of an artist.
Dance of Many Handys, 2017 by Kudzanai-Violet Hwami
Instagram: hwamistudio
I came across her studio page a few days ago and haven’t been able to look away. I won’t act like I know much about her work, but I hope to soon. I am particularly drawn to the orange background and the touch of vibrant red atop the plant. Reds are hard for me to see, but I knew straight away when I saw this. The composition and balance paired with the color palette are absolutely marvelous. Looking forward to getting to know her work more!
Conversation Piece by Yoko Ono
I recently saw a film from one of my favorite directors, Kristoffer Borgli, called Sick of Myself. I think Yoko deserves some credit for the idea of the film. Also, this is an example of an idea being the art.
Jacob Walter Wolf Flanagan
Instagram: j.w.w.f
Zoom in if you can. You can still see all of his original pencil marks and tracings. He doesn’t utilize too much detail in the shape of the bodies or in the material of the clothing. I find my brain looking past it and or imagining the texture. There is a “L'Atelier Rouge” by Henri Matisse quality to this work and it is quite stunning. The clasped hands of the man sitting in his chair along with the two red/brown smudged bodies behind him call for an interesting duality between attention to detail and total disregard. I can’t find anything on this guy anywhere but Instagram. Sometimes that’s the beauty of it all!
love the conversation piece!
I had this realization, or more an observation of my mind yesterday. When an idea or a reflection has started to grow in my head, and I continue to spend energy on it, I tend later to see the idea take form in my physical surroundings. If I'm in the right mindset, and see it with an artful gaze, I found answers and a conclusion in front of me. Art is everywhere, and my questions to you are if you tend to have the same process, and if/how you document these things.