I recently took a Faux Bone class with well known artist Robert Dancik. One of his handouts was his thoughts on:00a0
Promoting Narrative in Your Work
Robert Dancik 2008
00a0
These ideas about narrative are neither complete nor in an order or hierarchy of importance or effectiveness.00a0 They are just thoughts concerning the nature of stories and story telling in artwork.00a0 Whether worn on the body, hung on a wall, or placed on a pedestal you have the ability to make decisions as to the sort of narrative your work will represent.00a0 While not being able to exercise power over00a0how00a0a viewer sees your work, you can control00a0what00a0the viewer is seeing and give cues as to possible references and connections.
00a0
- Think of what you want to express (feeling)
- Think of what you want to say (qualitative statement about the feeling)
- Is your audience important?
- Try meditation (this may take many forms)
- Let yourself feel things not just think about them
- Use established symbols 2013 but realize their limitations
- Draw a lot 2013 then draw a lot more (drawing may take many forms)
- Draw the same thing over and over 2013 things evolve by repetition 2013 not just by the passage of time
- Listen to your dreams
- Watch a TV program (listen to a piece of music, go to a part of the museum) that you really don2019t like and start to make marks on a piece of paper or such
- Do the same as above for stimuli that you like, make you sad, joyous, ebullient, etc. these marks can become your emotional alphabet
- Write down observations of common occurrences 2013 don2019t just report, but write about how you feel towards what you are seeing and think about the associations you make
- Sit quietly and close your eyes and see
- When you are focused on a project, and something comes into your mind, 201cout of nowhere201d, listen to it (akin to meditation)
- Pay attention to what you learn, do and use, as you work on a particular project.00a0 As Buckminster Fuller has commented,
201cMost meaningful and lasting progress is made at right angles to the path you2019re on201d
- 00a0 Be prepared to reveal yourself (to yourself and others)
- 00a0 Corollary to above 2013 find someone you trust with the above00a000a000a000a000a000a000a000a0 revelations
- 00a0 If you2019re not sure, do it anyway 2013 what the worst that can00a000a0 happen?
- 00a0 If you are working on a project and you get part way through and look down and say to yourself, 201cBloody hell, this is the best work I2019ve ever done201d, STOP 2013 LEAVE IT ALONE 2013 YOU2019RE DONE 2013 take it as a gift from the Muses
- Making a model is a good way to start and can serve as a tool for comparison and decision making
I recently took a Faux Bone class with well known artist Robert Dancik. One of his handouts was his thoughts on:00a0
Promoting Narrative in Your Work
Robert Dancik 2008
00a0
These ideas about narrative are neither complete nor in an order or hierarchy of importance or effectiveness.00a0 They are just thoughts concerning the nature of stories and story telling in artwork.00a0 Whether worn on the body, hung on a wall, or placed on a pedestal you have the ability to make decisions as to the sort of narrative your work will represent.00a0 While not being able to exercise power over00a0how00a0a viewer sees your work, you can control00a0what00a0the viewer is seeing and give cues as to possible references and connections.
00a0
- Think of what you want to express (feeling)
- Think of what you want to say (qualitative statement about the feeling)
- Is your audience important?
- Try meditation (this may take many forms)
- Let yourself feel things not just think about them
- Use established symbols 2013 but realize their limitations
- Draw a lot 2013 then draw a lot more (drawing may take many forms)
- Draw the same thing over and over 2013 things evolve by repetition 2013 not just by the passage of time
- Listen to your dreams
- Watch a TV program (listen to a piece of music, go to a part of the museum) that you really don2019t like and start to make marks on a piece of paper or such
- Do the same as above for stimuli that you like, make you sad, joyous, ebullient, etc. these marks can become your emotional alphabet
- Write down observations of common occurrences 2013 don2019t just report, but write about how you feel towards what you are seeing and think about the associations you make
- Sit quietly and close your eyes and see
- When you are focused on a project, and something comes into your mind, 201cout of nowhere201d, listen to it (akin to meditation)
- Pay attention to what you learn, do and use, as you work on a particular project.00a0 As Buckminster Fuller has commented,
201cMost meaningful and lasting progress is made at right angles to the path you2019re on201d
- 00a0 Be prepared to reveal yourself (to yourself and others)
- 00a0 Corollary to above 2013 find someone you trust with the above00a000a000a000a000a000a000a000a0 revelations
- 00a0 If you2019re not sure, do it anyway 2013 what the worst that can00a000a0 happen?
- 00a0 If you are working on a project and you get part way through and look down and say to yourself, 201cBloody hell, this is the best work I2019ve ever done201d, STOP 2013 LEAVE IT ALONE 2013 YOU2019RE DONE 2013 take it as a gift from the Muses
- Making a model is a good way to start and can serve as a tool for comparison and decision making
