Imagine you're baking a three layer cake of creative success. Should luck, talent and attraction affirmations be your first choice of ingredients for a yummy career as a artist these days? Some experts say so.
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Monetization Versus Creative Self Esteem
BitBoy made a himself quite a deal when monetization versus creative self esteem was the question. He kicked his graphic design career to the curb in exchange for wealth, fame, a Lambo, a wrecked marriage and possible criminal charges. What a plan. Coulda, shoulda made a left turn instead maybe.
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The artist considers his own death and legacy.
And Now I'm Dead
In my case, I’ve made art for over 40 years but I could hardly call it a career either for financial gain or critical acclaim. Maybe I’ve been making tchotchkes every time I stepped up to the easel. My work has given me great pleasure but it’s unlikely my leaving will put any of my heirs through college.
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Sketchbook vs. Sketchbook
What is a sketchbook? Depends. It could be a vast stockpile of trial and error efforts all on the path to finished work completed elsewhere. A sketchbook could also be a finished work in its own right, a showpiece, every page its own complete and final piece of art.
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Me and the Wig
“Recognize the otherness of art., says Jerry Saltz in his book “How to Make Art.” He’s talking about the idea that inspiration and what we create comes from a cosmic force outside ourselves. Saltz adds, “...the work we create isn’t entirely a matter of conscious choice.”
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My Dark Humor Happy Place
Here’s my take on dark humor-it’s funny, it’s fun to make and life’s short. The website Literary devices.net defines dark or black humor as: “...a literary device used in novels and plays to discuss taboo subjects while adding an element of comedy. The Russian scholar, Nikolay N. Gubanov defines black humor as, “...the line that we hesitatingly still crave to step across. A successful black joke often causes a mixture of feelings – shock, disgust, shame, and, of course, joy.” Visual artists know a thing or two as well about black humor. There’s a whole host of artists out there painting funny/creepy/dark in the metaphoric shadows. Check out Alex Gamsu Jenkins or the artist @ghoulorama and finally, perhaps the godfather of black visual humor David Shrigley
I hew close to the above definitions in my own work. I believe dark humor is an unlocked door to a land where you get to talk about things too awful to consider. Leavened with laughter, these topics join the party carrying champagne. Growing up, my parents revered correct and appropriate ways of doing and being. Dark and humorous art is my reverse legacy-thanks Mom and Dad. . Still, I do have some no-go topics (domestic violence and animal cruelty come to mind). Too damn hateful to be funny is my criteria for exclusion. That leaves the field sort of wide open as evidenced by my current oeuvre. I don’t present myself as any sort of expert on black humor. I’ll leave that to the Russians. And, of course, dark without the humor is sort of like eating a green salad without dressing- you can certainly do it but you’re definitely not going to enjoy it. Here’s a peek at my own dark path over the last 40 years of artmaking.
I’m curious what sort of dark or black humor others appreciate and enjoy? If you’ve read this far you’ve got your own ideas about dark humor. What limits and boundaries apply to you or are those moving targets? How funny do you have to be to create dark and funny art? This famous painting by Caravaggio is universally considered one of the darkest any artist of the era produced but few would call it funny. Perhaps Midjourney can give us a whole new movement where dark becomes dark humor with the right prompts. Here’s a joke that’s a good starting point for measuring your own darkness. Funny, not funny or hilarious--
“Why did the monkey fall out of the tree?
It was dead.”
Take my survey (here) to vote for your own flavor of dark and funny. In my next newsletter/blog I’ll discuss the (anonymous) survey results. I’ll also look at why some really smart folk think dark humor promotes human progress. Of why, as an artist, I should even care.
WIP, ETC
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Welcome
Welcome to my blog. You’re likely to find it well-written and a bit unconventional. Feel free to join the conversation
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