Geli Girl Notes: April 2011

This is NOT my artist statement

(Here's a link to my old one from ten years ago and when I used to work with SOUND. Trying to also see if the sentiments of my artwork working with the medium of sound is the same when I create with the medium of pen and ink and paint.)

But rather the (PROBABLY-ONLY-MAKES-SENSE-TO-ME/especially because this is mostly a transcript of my handwritten notes that I typed into Notepad, which the format did not transfer into blogspot) notes during my very productive brainstorming session for my current artist statement:

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Memoir portraits reflections snapshots loosely based journal entries autobiography

(Joel said something along the lines of:)
"Each line could tell a 1,000 stories..."
"Each line tells a thousand stories..."

(A picture is worth a thousand words)

I create... ...memoir portraits,...

My pieces are...

breathing life. living. alive. capturing the spirit of...moment in time.

as viewer, listener... observing, paying attention to (details), focusing on--audience.

captures: a place/space, people, --in time.

lines, paint, draw, brush, illustrate...

i document/capture....through :"memoir portraits."

--loosely, based off of, pieces of journal entries and photographs and [collective] memory.

painter/illustrator/artist/storyteller/archivist

observe taking everything in ...the motions, the movements... music... taking in the energy in the room.

pen and ink. paintings. sound. moving stills. "capture moment of time"

EMILY TOLD ME: I "sculpt drawings" that I, "draw like a sculptor"

personal observation. portray. recording. re-telling

from illustrations-----------------> comic story
sequential drawing
"movement by movement"
frame by frame

"MEMOIR PORTRAITS"

i find myself (comfortable) in the background/back-round --behind the scenes--backstage, wallflower, fly on the wall
observing, taking in, audience member
of the action. taking in energy. the lights, shapes, shadows, movements, smiles, sound of glass, cash register, conversations loudly over live music
music.... dancing.........one single scene. snapshot. still
that captures.documents. that moment of time. "innocent bystander?"
QUIET ON-LOOKER? ---------> CHARGED with emotion, energy, feeling....
ENERGY transformed
ENERGY transferred into pen and ink... paint... RUSH (and flow) into the hands... re-lived into one (memoir) portrait. time,place, things

A collection of a daily.loosely based off of journal entries. Each line tells a thousand stories. [Only those in the room could piece together those stories.)
A collection of images -------> begin to form---> into story.

Re-creating the story, event, what happened?
in my own ("words"/language/way of communicating for myself unto others) by paint strokes, pen lines
(Clearly) Re-TELLING my own story, THE STORY with "MY SMALL VOICE." [using paint brush and pen]

DOCUMENT. "small, simple, every day--take for granted" things--the viewer relates to the picture. Document (awe and wonder) looking at these "daily" things in another way, that could give more meaning... different perspective...(through artists eye)

"Dancing Again"
"Morning Star" Issues #1-3
urban
bar. restaurants. bbq. street. waiting for cab.
open mic. city life. music. beats. rhythm.
comedy. music. dancing. luna.
street. buses. L trains.
driving. eastern market. belle isle
emily in belle isle. dan driving to eastern market on a rainy day. adam at the bronx bar.
open mics, dance clubs on a thursday
quiet dinner. back alleys at bar closing time
journals. comics. stories.
balcony. the way light the hits [bodies...]

--------ROBERT writes: "Artistic expression is inescapably linked with the character of an artist - and the elements that shaped that character are as discernible as the colors or the brushstrokes on the canvas . In the case of Angel Busque, however, there is an additional subtlety behind the lines and hues. The biographical odyssey recorded in her graphic works (remarkably candid ones, we hasten to add) is a radiant voyage with specific feelings and emotions perceived as variations from panel to panel. Likening such a sequence of visuals to music is a cliche, but just as a symphony has "movements", the pictures rendered by this particular woman have "moments" that the empathetic viewer/reader cannot help but feel."-----------

-----Marianne once wrote: "Angel Busque's works are in a class all their own. Her sketches of bar scenes, nightlife,
balconies and fast food joints are something you would expect to see next to the writings of Bukowski in a journal,
emphasizing the seediness and beauty of Americana in the creative lower class."------------------------

What is experienced? Can form one picture ----> into many ---> into story.
one line...
bursting to be told... given life.... given form... direction.

Lost. Quiet thoughts.
As one who (normally) "stands back" as viewer, observer.... audience. background -------> taking in.
.
.
.
.transferring too....
illustration----->into----------> STORIES: collected images, seconds/time/frame by frame

..............(telling)/novel/graphic novel/comic

FOCUSED . RECEIVE. BY LISTENING. ----LISTENER. I participate (in life, by listening, observing/then communicate) by transforming these moments in time into pieces of artwork.
[I pay attention to: the event: the experience.]

I DOCUMENT: stories, events, things, people, "Take photo of": emotion. energy through lines. storytelling---> through images, portraits-->BECOME MEMOIR/AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL

.....document my life. through paintings.

EDITING-->Sound. Video.

UNREVEALED
REVEAL.

In my pieces.. I begin by....
(Interacting quietly--->observing) participate as an audience member.

...these collection of images, memories..... form stories.... putting together... format... sequential.
Time based art. 4-D. "Time Design."
"Trained eye/ear" through video and sound editing. watching out for "shots" [to edit]--transform this into line drawing/painting.---> movement
light glows at night. loneliness. streets.
(viewer can relate. to fave spots. lafayette coney island. Gus. Salty Dog. Eastern Market. Kristy waiting for a cab after a night of drinking, my favorite greasy spoon: the broadway grill on broadway and lawrence in uptown-Chicago, IL, --Budacki's Hot Dogs and fries that greases a brown paper bag....Riding my bike/Zooming down Ravenswood Ave., Winnemac Park...Etc.)

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Also, I am looking for a way to officially coin the phrase "memoir portraits."

Realistic goals/things I need get done in April:

Finish my artists book for the"Art for God's Sake" exhibit.

Write a completely new artists statement (which I haven't done since 2001, when I was in the sound dept.) A new project prompted the need to write an entirely new artist statement; I've realize how much has changed/grown in my 2-d artwork in the last ten years & I need to reflect about what my artwork is about. Many, many people ask: "What kind of artwork do you do?" "What is your artwork about" when they find out that I'm an artist. I always stumble with my words, when I do know, but don't know how to explain it. You can't just say, it is what it is... I think that's bull. That and "the artwork will explain itself." I do think it's a good idea to get those thoughts on paper. I'll be honest though... I HATE writing artists statements. But it is a very, very good thing to do and I do believe every artist needs one. But I'll say it again... I HATE writing artists statements.... that being said. I need to stop being lazy and write one. It's a good thing to do.

New business cards. I don't have anymore of my old ones. A lot of people keep asking me for one. (A good sign people really like my stuff and are interested; a bad sign that I'm not being professional enough and that I don't have one ready to hand out.) I need to get on this before May. (C'mon Busque it's only about $30.00 to make.)

Update artists resume. Right now, mine is over one years old and much good stuff has happened since I updated it last.

After April:

Continue working on "Geli Girl."

Collaboration with Brian Potrafka.

More watercolors pieces.

Other stuff:

I need a wacom tablet and a more updated version of Photoshop (I have version 5.0) and memory on this laptop--really, I need a more updated laptop, this thing is oldddd...-- if I really want to complete "Geli Girl."

Fun stuff: