The Changing Focus of The Narrative
There is a tale of two fishermen who decided to go into the business of making fish-nets. The first told the second to bring the fishing line while he, the second, will bring the holes.
In business, this could be disastrous. In art, the artist often plays with the focus on background or foreground in order to accentuate the narrative that is wished to be told.
“Tree” – Digital Illustration @Barbara Adler Art – Dec. 2021 (Printable)
The Yayoi Kusama retrospective at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art is actually a visual biography of the artist. If previously I had qualms about the display of very early pieces, I now can grasp the importance of the story-telling process. How does this relate to my fishermen? From the description of her early life, one is impressed by a very unhappy childhood. I can almost imagine the artist as a small child, sitting quietly at a table, eyes down, staring at the crochet table cloth covering a dark wooden table, bidding her time. Her early works resemble crocheted fabrics covering various colored surfaces. The “crochet” =lines, the foreground. The colored surface=the colored background. As we move from room to room and progress with her life, the background evolves into the foreground. The circles and balls are actually Kusama giving an entire independent life to the original colorful background, making it prominent, with meaning, making her own life with meaning.
To sum up, in a few words, I would say that Kusama is both of the fishermen; bringing both the holes (circles) and the net (the lines) that define her artwork.
“Myths” – Ink on Paper, 30.5/22.5cm @ Barbara Adler Art – Dec. 2021
As an artist, we have the privilege to choose and decide what part of the composition has the most meaning at that given time. As in music, often the ‘quiet” is as important as the tone, as the sound.
Everybody needs art. There is Art for everyone’s state of mind, desires, and tastes. Take a break, reflect and delve into some of my art, to my stories.
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