A Successful Artist is Dissatified

The article below was written by Robert Genn, a Canadian painter of international repute who runs an art listing site called the Painters Keys..I have been given permission to reproduce the letter here…the art works in the main article, are by Tom Lockhart (his name is next to them) and I have included some of the responses to Robert’s article as well…

Tom Lockhart

Yesterday, Colorado painter Tom Lockhart wrote, (to Robert Genn) “I work 50 to 65 hours per week, teach workshops and serve on the Board of a Local Arts Center. I judge art shows and travel to locations to paint. I earn $75,000.00 to $100,000.00 annually—too much to get a grant. I pay more than my share of taxes, expense out what the law allows and still find it difficult to make ends meet. I’m constantly paying entry fees, dues, advertising, framers, suppliers and travel expenses. I can’t understand why the public insists on buying cheap, crappy art from poorly educated artists who suffer for their craft. Yuk! There are constantly retired lawyers, doctors, architects, dentists and other professionals who decide to become painters. They put their work in galleries and sell to the unsophisticated, taking sales away from deserving, serious artists. And now with the economic bad times, it’s even harder to sell your art. What do you think about this?”

In reply Robert writes, One of the great features of our game is that it’s a level field where anyone can come and play. You may have noticed that a few years ago when you first ran out onto the field. While you have managed your career well, it was the quality of your work that ultimately got collectors’ attention. While there are back eddies and fearsome rapids in the river of creativity, it’s my observation that quality is still pervasively on the rise.

We in this brotherhood and sisterhood live in a state of uncertainty and flux. One year’s laureate is next year’s dead poet.

Tom Lockhart

When we get too stuck in the relative affluence game, like some of our friends in the cash register of commerce, we lose sight of the truly great thing we do. It is to live this life of exploration and daily delight. It is to be free of the grind and indignity of working for someone else’s gain, of commuting to some office, factory or field. Of selling our souls for pay cheque and pension. Of joy in struggling with our shortcomings and weaknesses. Of ultimately making a wholesome product that fine people cherish through generations. Tom, practically everyone thinks you’ve got it made. Fact is, you have.

“Paradoxically, I have found peace because I have always been dissatisfied. My moments of depression and despair turn out to be renewals, new beginnings. If I were to settle down and be satisfied with the surface of life, with its divisions and its cliches, it would be time to call in the undertaker. This dissatisfaction which sometimes used to worry me has helped me to move freely and even gaily with the stream of life.” (Thomas Merton)

Esoterica: Some segments of the art world are a remarkable meritocracy, while other segments are living proof that idiots have taken charge of the asylum. The wild cards are not always the artists, but the critics, media, dealers, interloping amateurs and the incorrigible, unsophisticated public you mentioned. Leave out those other guys and we’d be a pretty happy bunch. Leave out those other guys and we’d all be dead broke.

Below are some of the online responses to the above article…I have just used the initials of the people who commented, though you can see them in full online…any images shown below are by the artists who commented...below them are further responses to the comments…

Rewarding values..by J.O

I have real sympathy with Tom. Anyone can pick up a paintbrush. Anyone can take up a photograph and produce an image that will pass for art it seems. We know this product for what it is. You and I have seen it everywhere; hotel rooms, boardrooms, waiting rooms, living rooms. It has little to do with Tom and his vocation and in the long run it will mean nothing. It will eventually find its way to the recycling bin. As a successful architect in my salad days I thought my design ability would easily translate into a satisfying second career in art. How naive. How difficult that transition has been. Thanks to artists like Tom, their generosity, their patience, their ability and experience, I have learned so much. I am listening, studying every day, but mostly just doing it. The only value I set on this work is how much it pleases me to produce it, how it speaks of nature, and how it tells the truth. I believe these values reward both Tom and I in the same quest and I am grateful to you for reminding us both of that.

by E.M.

We’re big kids now…

Yes, it’s a Defiance and hope
original painting level playing field. Yes, dissatisfaction can be our constant companion. Yes, working and persevering is the best medicine. But still, I think the artistic siblinghood errs in failing to educate the public. We have become so post-modern in our valuation of every scribble as “art”, of every unabashedly tacky canvas as “creative,” we have stopped criticizing. We are all too politically correct, always afraid of offending and hurting people’s feelings. Well, my siblings, not all art is art, not all canvases are good, not all creative impulses result in worthy works. It is time to stop being so nice and polite, time to call a spade a spade, time to critique and give meaning to the exercise by making it real. I am so tired of platitudes, we are all guilty of them as you know. I am tired of telling bad artists that “way to go” they did a fabulous job, when in fact their work can hardly stand on its own without blushing in embarrassment. Some of my paintings are good, some are bad. I know, I made them. But everyone says “wow” all the time – how are we to know where we stand? How are we to overcome the dissatisfaction welling in us, when we are in fact alone in our own reality. Let the artistic siblinghood vow truthfulness. We are all big kids now- we can and should take it!

There are 5 comments for We’re big kids now by E.M.

From: Patrick—Apr 20, 2009

Esti, I am so glad that you said what you did because that little stick figure painting of yours is a stupid worthless piece of crap. Seriously. Now off you go and have a nice day!

From: Patsy—Apr 21, 2009
I laughed out loud, Patrick: eggzacktly, as they say! Since when does a Spielberg alien display emotions of defiance and hope? And I thought Tom had lost touch a bit, complaining about his earnings like that. He’s very lucky – his paintings are “nice”, but I’ve seen superior work done by the amateurs he so despises. It’s subjective, isn’t it? We have different ideas of what’s great and what isn’t – if we were all the same, how boring life would be.

The art world is a funny old world; why else would someone like Tracy Emin be so successful? What is wrong with painting something that is simply a beautiful creation, that you would like to look at every day for the rest of your life? The real world isn’t so funny; it’s tough, and often distressing, so anyone should have the right to buy something that gives them peace and pleasure.

From: N. I. —Apr 21, 2009
That couldn’t have been said better Patsy! Only to add that in my opinion, bad knockoffs and a market flooded with glorified prints hurts our income worse than a Doctor turning his lab coat into a painting smock. Oops! But I traded my rock hammer in for a paint brush! Sorry Tom. I think we should all count our blessings. We are doing what we love and the folks that trade money for our work appreciate that we chose to follow our passion!

From: Jan—Apr 21, 2009
Patrick, your comment brought a smile to my face!! The old proverb, “Be careful what you wish for” held true this time. Tom is fortunate to be selling ANYTHING during these difficult times, AND doing something he loves in the meantime.

From: Anna—Apr 21, 2009
Nup, not with you on this one. Ultimately, the market will sort the successes from the failures, if it’s no good it won’t sell, and if it does sell when critics thought it was crap maybe they were wrong, no need for every Tom, Dick and Harry to throw their 2 cents worth in, sadly the intent behind these UNWANTED critiques is often coming from the worst and best hidden parts of the personality, not constructive in the slightest. A hidden agenda can be a nasty thing. I do wonder just how thick Esti’s skin really was when Patrick gave his opinion (so funny!!), which I believe she may have asked for. Go figure. If a critique is needed, be selective, ask those whose opinions you value, whose work you respect, whose honesty will be forthcoming.

Let me know what you think in response to the article and to the comments as well…....Janis

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