Category: Modern

Stand By Me 24 inches by 6 feet.  Evolving slowly, considering that white bottom line, a  musical tie, took over an hour to draw.  The brush is filled with Open acrylic titanium white from Golden, and the drawing just happens.  Then a wet rag wipes most of it off and the line is drawn again, again, again, and again, and again the line is wiped off.  The far left dropping swirl, actually, came early in the design.  The rest of the line resisted, and in fact there is still one smaller tie to draw in, but it was late, and there where not more ideas left, for now.

These paintings resist duplicating, and dislike even resembling, any previous work.  Looking at Hallelujah, and Chopin’s Valse, they both offered great suggestions for a slue or a tie, but Stand was not interested.  Still, Stand did learn from the past and in a simple  act of painting the line flowed, and its feelings where respected.   It is always Artist against the Art.  Sure the Art will win in the end, that is accepted and this Artist appreciates the defiance of the Art.  The Art is right. The Art is forever right.

Art takes everything and gives back the forever reason, the why we are here, now, at this moment.

Scott Von Holzen

Stand by Me a small update.  Time to talk about this artwork, all things considered.  A token admirer said looking at Winter, I believe, that it looked Art Deco.  It was said as a dismissive statement. This person has yet to purchase any of this art, but expects to be privileged, long story.

The style of Art Deco was not an intention of this artist, thinking nothing of it until  that comment was made.  There is no doubt this artist likes the style of Art Deco,  Memphis, Art Nouveau for examples.  But, how this style came about was because it was so time consuming to  duplicate dozens of oblong shapes.  What tipped the thinking was the reality that the standard music notation had evolved from a flat oblong object.  Over artworks that oblong shape was was slowly being raised up to a high sharp angled oblong, to increase their size and impact.  The next logical step then became the circle.

The problem with the circle was that object does not have the sense of motion that the up raised notes.  Once the way to put motion into the circle was figured out the circle then began to change all other aspects of this art.  Things just happen, so if this work is a little Art Deco, or is indebted to a dozen other artist or art “isms” that is OK.  A little research is needed, so Art Deco the Definitive Guide was purchase to add to the expanding Art book collection that has been going on for forever amount of years.  Art Deco is a wide style, and some comparisons and  some benefit may come  from inside this book, but the thought is, the Art is going to go wherever it has to go to prove its worth.

Since this is a smaller painting it was a concern not to put much effort into any minute detail.  Small details are the enemy of this art.  It must be in your face from 8 feet back, for example.  If at that distance the detail is hard to discern then that time was wasted, and painted out. That is an important rule.  Now, if only that rule could be extended to Life, so much more time could be available for painting.  Not, going to happen.

Scott Von Holzen

Stand By me 24inches by 6 feet, request information on the Contact page, at www.scottvonholzen.com for purchase information. An effort has been growing to search through the Art blogs looking at the many diverse representations of what is art. So far it has not been awarding.  There is some Art history, which has been good, but mostly just stuff to hang on an empty wall, that  coordinates well with the color scheme.

All Art is wall decoration, but not all wall decoration is Art.

Deciding  if the end goal is to sell, or to make a name for one self, or to change the direction of Art History, or to satisfy one’s own ego, can, at times, sum up the ambitions of this Artist. The one nagging thing that perplexes is one simple honest truth which counters everything else.  That thing is that sub conscience push, and push, and push more one’s own self to see if what has been assumed all of his life, that could be accomplish (if he just put his mind to it) actually could happen: can this person be uniquely creative?

The search for an answer, has accelerated, because now  there is a looming concern that so many years have already gone by , and still, and still, and still the personnel goal of self  creative self enlightenment (sounds good) through some art form has yet to be unfilled.  This artist is  still unfilled, and yet so many of these written words appear to be some form of continuous  motivation through reflection, that will of course change nothing, nothing.

What can change everything, is doing the Art at a level that goes beyond wall decoration, and that goes beyond hanging on these walls to hanging on those walls, in those cities.  That is the simple truth, and yet life and distraction has always gotten in the way of the dream. The realization, now, that time is short, has re-focused this Artist.  It will all come down to this quest:  Five years into this obsession can this Artist find what has forever been a nagging omission in his life?   Can the Art that flows from the music, fill the bill?  We shall see.  Only time will tell.

Scott Von Holzen