Mine Your Inner Hurt

Jul25

It doesn’t matter what sort of art you take up—writing, painting, music, cooking—you need to dig deep into whatever hurt you have. If not, then the art will be false and flimsy.

Salvador Dali pondering how to make himself insane in the office of Dr. Sigmund Freud from the film “The Death of Salvador Dali.”

I was watching the Next Food Network Star. On one episode, a contestant opened up about how he lived his childhood scavenging from garbage cans. This not only moved me, it showed how authentic he was. Another contestant would not open up. She obviously had some sort of hurt in the past. One that had shaped her way of thinking, yet she was afraid of going to that dark place. On that episode she was eliminated. Why? Because she didn’t connect with the viewers.

Be authentic with your art. If it doesn’t hurt, then you’re not doing it right. When you dig into your inner self, it’s like therapy. Only art comes out the other end. If you’re not willing to be brutally honest with yourself, then your work will feel false. It’s like the difference between a museum painting and a hotel painting. They both contain skill, but only one has passion.

Salvador Dali once toured a museum of paintings. After viewing them all, a reporter asked him which one he liked the most. Dali pointed at a door, freshly painted and still wet. He said there was more skill and passion in that door than any of the other paintings.

Tim Kane

Papercut Art by Peter Callesen

Mar12

I can cut snowflakes out of white paper. That’s about it. Peter Callesen takes paper cutting to an entirely different level. He often imbues his work with a whimsical or surreal quality. The two-dimensional negative space where the figure is cut from is just as important as the three-dimensional figure he creates.

“Inspiration” is a perfect example. The tree is created from the negative space and the roots from the tree.

Another amazing work is “Casket.” Here you can see where the casket shape was cut. The flowers have been cut out and seem to grow from the casket. The actual cut outs have been dropped into the three-dimensional casket.

A more recent work, “White Dairy,” shows just how insanely complex this guy can get with white paper. It shows a human head with a sketchbook in the center. Ideas flow from the book, filling the head. The detail is so enormous, that only from a distance can you see the figure for what it is.

The detail of this piece shows a full blown city.

Callesen says he likes to use white paper because it’s so ordinary and represents something common to the viewer. We all write and print on the stuff. Yet in his hands, dreams are created. Click over to his website to view all of his breathtaking art. You won’t regret it.

Tim Kane

Duct Tape Art

Apr11

I love being crafty with my three-year-old daughter. She wants a bow and arrow. I grab my two favorite building devices: duct tape and cardboard. Yes, I was able to create a bow and arrow. It doesn’t actually fire, but she has a keen imagination. I’ve built all sorts of things: a coffin for Halloween, a toddler-sized house for Alice in Wonderland (she likes to grow to gigantic size in the house), and a pirate ship (with sail).

At the start of this year, my wife and I decided that we should have an Alice and Wonderland theme. That’s going to mean lots of whacky decorations. And mushrooms. So I took it upon myself to create a giant mushroom out of, what else, duct tape and cardboard. Now, I have to say, I did cheat a little. I created a support for the fungus with wood. I wanted this to last and not collapse, should she want to place something heavy on top.