Inspiration

I have always been a big proponent of 'Don't Use It Lose It' in regards to my body but for some reason forgot about my mind.  Ha.  I am not saying I stopped learning okay maybe a little or not absorbing as much knowledge as I could in different aspects of my life.  Example I would say I am not a writer, even a bad writer.  Well I am, only because I have labeled myself that way and didn't try to change that.  So here it is, me changing.  I am going to learn to write better.

http://saskiapouwels.nl/index.php?project=project6

I am beginning with snagging text for projects.  I was fortunate enough to receive a grant from TACA called the Master Artist Apprentice Program.  It is so awesome in so many ways but number one way is getting to know my Master (yes I call her Master or Master in Commander)  Nance Cooley.  The text snagging is my homework with Nance.  She keeps and has encouraged me to keep workbooks of images and text, letting the ideas spill out on paper unedited.  Letting the ideas come, showing up everyday doing the work then being able to look back and see themes and ideas develop.

Life is full of surprises and we have to look out for them and appreciate them.  Learn to appreciate the little nuances that make life grand.  I have a few people on the out skits of my life that seem depressed and stuck in old depilating patterns.  I want to help but know that is not possible.  All I can say is change is inevitable.  Learn something new and challenge yourself.

 I am fascinated with learning more about Artist Joseph Beuys.  I love the spirit of his political art activism, his quotes or slogans still ring true today "Unity in Diversity" and "We do not need all that we are meant to buy today to satisfy profit-based private capitalism." Or this one is super awesome "Art that can not shape society and therefore also can not penetrate the heart questions of society, (and) in the end influence the question of capital, in not art."

Reading and studying Goya's War: Loa Desastres De La Guerra.  "One must be horrified by what one sees"  Looking for text and ways to talk about consumerism and excess better.  "…we should be horrified.  We should not just find this horrible we should be horrified.  We should protest, we should deplore.  We should take a moral position." (Susan Sontag- Regarding the Pain of Others)

Fine Artist + REmake

This is a new series highlighting the amazing work of Fine Artists around the world that explore materials in a sustainable and thought provoking way.  Many showing how art can play a role in environmental change.

Ackroyd & Harvey

"Sculpture, photography, architecture, and biology are some of the disciplines that intersect in Ackroyd & Harvey’s work, revealing an intrinsic bias towards process and event and often reflecting urban political ecologies by highlighting the temporal nature of processes of growth and decay in sites of architectural interest as well as contemporary art galleries and museums worldwide." (http://www.ackroydandharvey.com/biography/)

The exploration of new material, space and questioning of society is intriguing in their work.  Chlorophyll grass images to growing crystals on skeletal systems the team pushes the boundaries of art making, using science and new discoveries to confront the viewer.

Go to their website for more artwork and information.

Art Art Art

As an artist I was confused.  I didn't want to make more stuff.  I wanted to inspire change.  Reuse was my way to make sense of my art.  I love the possibilities of sourcing material, experimenting with new surfaces, manipulating found objects.

Please look for ways to add reuse to your art and life.  We have lots of stuff.  We have to stop pretending we live in a disposable society.

Buy REuse art here!