Chance

Bird's description of chance introduces us to the concept of the artist relinquishing a certain amount of control; of letting extraneous forces, the inherent characteristics of the medium, and the unconscious mind to enter into and impact the work.  This speaks volumes to the philosophy, particularly prevalent in art education, that there is as much, if not sometimes more, value in the process as in the final product.  As it turns out, viewers tend to be fascinated by work that allows them to enter into the artist's process, and in the postmodern milieu, the processes the artist used and the experiences he/she underwent therein, are often the key to the most profound understanding of a piece or body of work.

I'm digressing a little, but I was particularly struck by the connection Bird drew between total artistic control in the pursuit of an ideal, and cultural vanity and hubris.  He quotes Hans Arp as saying "Since the cave age, man has glorified himself...and with his monstrous vanity provoked human catastrophes.  Art has been the collaborator of man's false development".  This spoke to me of the  dualistic mindset, historically endemic to patriarchal western culture; that the world is comprised of good and evil, us and them, man and nature, and artistic conventions that define what is correct and incorrect; that art, like the world, is something to be conquered rather than experienced.  The catastrophic wars of the earlier half of the twentieth century left many people questioning this worldview.  The realization that the world exists and creates, that beauty exists and abounds, with or without our intervention, is a profound and humbling one, especially for the artist, who must then reevaluate their role, acknowledging that perhaps they are just the medium through which truth and the nature of things is re-presented to the world.

I long for this kind of authenticity in my work, though it is a constant struggle against my dominant left brain tendencies.  Incorporating this into my work would probably require the implementation of exercises that would force me to relinquish control, which is a bit of a contradiction, I know.  Exercises like working off of mistakes and using media like fumage (smoke) or the ever popular coffee could help me to see the beauty that emerges inherently from within the media and/or my own kinesthetic impulses.  Perhaps destroying my work, at least to a degree, or creating work that is impermanent would help me to let go.  Sometimes creating constraints, parameters, or systems for oneself can force you outside your comfort zone, accepting the results that come rather than pursuing a predetermined outcome.  And if all else fails, remember to play, play, play.