Narrative Art: Everyone Likes A Good Story, Don’t They
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The audience is free to delight in
the wanderings of their minds, like distinguishing shapes in clouds.
David Blackwood one of Canada's most respected visual storytellers, presented an award winning retrospective show at the AGO. I rallied at his much deserved recognition as I follow in this highly espected tradition of art. From the beginnings of history artist's have depicted their world beginning with the earliest known, the cave paintings from a hunting society. Religious scenes, historic battles, portraits of the famous kings, patrons, generals,etc. have followed. Subjects tearing the souls of artists have joined this school, such as Picasso's Guernica. All have been revered but I find this is not the case in today's art world.
The large abstract oil paintings still steals the walls.Still lifes and landscapes follow in popularity but they are best received if they are barely recognizable. The audience is free to delight in the wanderings of their minds, like distinguishing shapes in clouds. But often a tale without a synopsis can do the same.
Using my work as an example I will display the various avenues that led to a wide foray of topics and interests. Autobiographical tales can travel through a wide gamut of emotional context mimicking years of psychoanalysis. This has saved me a fortune. The first example is an
acknowledgement of the lessons imparted by my mother. Mom’s message of working at a young age ,supports her theory that by working for something gave her a greater appreciation and the sooner the better. However in spite of a greater appreciation I believe a present, a
small gift every now and then would be nice.
Underage, I entered the work force,and was the bottle return girl and was saving to buy a my first car. I remember my Mom qualified said I had to pay more since I knew where she lived. An accidental cigarette flew into the back window while I was at the beach with my girlfriends and the firemen were very efficient . They modified the interior for the life of my car. My Mother using great insight said a word. However there is a lesson to be learned here.
(Insert drawing
#1) Don’t smoke and drive.
History is common in storytelling and a much loved subject among today’s youth is the Hippie Era, of the 60’s and 70’s.
In this tale even suspicion of marijuana use, brought fear to some parents as drug enforcement agencies tried to curb it’s use. This piece is aptly titled, “My Mother Turned Me into the FBI.” I wonder if President Obama’s grandmother received a call.
For me this was a life changing event as I “left town, “ traveled to Europe and by a miraculous chance viewing of a Van Gogh painting, I decided to become a painter. For me A career I still pursue.Of course, in the course of a lifetime, an event like this can happen to anyone.these events may occur leading to changes or ignored.
2.
Eventually I moved on to loftier community themes and then I created global solutions to
problems I encountered. (Insert #3 -Dally in the Alley, an annual event of music and visual arts.
2011)
Speaking with another narrative painter we debated how much should be revealed to reinforcing
the positive attributes of story and yet to let the viewer’s mind fly.
In the history of great story telling I will simply add ...To Be Continued.
Barbara Greene Mann
July, 2011
Barbara Greene Mann received her MFA from Wayne State University In 1973. She was one of the original Cass
Corridor tribe in the 70”s in Detroit and has shown her work in both Detroit and Toronto
My Mother Turned Me into the FBI
This example is an acknowledgement of the lessons imparted by Mothers. Working for something increases the appreciation of attaining the object of desire and the sooner the better, excluding toddlers. However it is acknowledged by many a small gift is nice and usually brings happiness.
Underage, I entered the work force as the bottle return girl in a supermarket. Dexter Davision. I was saving to buy a my first car. My Mom said I had to pay more since I knew where she lived. An cigarette butt flew into the back window on the way to the beach. Unbeknown to me and my girlfriends, the firemen ssemed to enjoy informing us about this accident. They, efficiently modified the interior of my car. My Mother using great insight never said a word., however she smirked. There was a lesson to be learned: (Insert drawing #1) Don’t smoke and drive.
History is common in storytelling and a much loved subject among today’s youth is the Hippie Era, of the 60’s and 70’s.
In this tale even suspicion of marijuana use, brought fear to some parents as drug enforcement agencies tried to curb it’s use. This piece is aptly titled, “Busted.” I wonder if President Obama’s grandmother received a call. Upper left a call from the family to eat out or intervention, the suspect enters the car and goes to the Drug Enforcement Agency.The man in charge (lower center) and verifies the goods To re-enforce the parents fears a story was told about Art Linklater’s daughter, wearing a black dress, jumped off a roof and died. Two narcs came to her home, they told her to squeal, but instead she went to Europe and returned home to become an artist.
2.
Eventually I moved on to community themes, Detroit: Below
Dally in the Ally, a yearly music festival
And global events. Here I created a new world vision, fired by John and Oko’ Imagination, facebook, here say and my Muse.
.
(Insert #3 -Dally in the Alley, an annual event of music and visual arts. 2011)
And then I created global solutions to problems I encountered.
Narrative creations will be continued.
barbara greene mann
July, 2011
Barbara Greene Mann
Received her MFA from Wayne State University In 1973. She was one of the original Cass Corridor tribe in the 70”s in Detroit. She has shown her work in both Detroit and Toronto.
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