One of the most interesting aspects about art is understanding the why and the how of "becoming" an artist. There is a myth that artists are somehow born knowing that they are artists, or that some event occurs in their lives that causes them to become artists, or that artists starve, artists are misunderstood, artists are creative undisciplined types who could only ever be artists, etc. I have met many artists during my life, and I have found that very few of them meet common stereotypes.
It has been suggested that all of us at one point or another produced what can arguably be called "art". We all sought image making as a form of communication and pleasure. As children we played with crayons, and created rather miraculous (so we thought) things. As some point, however, (my guess is that for you, like me, it was around age 10) we begin to recognize that our images lacked the sophistication we desired. We had classmates who drew better than we did, we saw examples of art in magazines of a quality that we could never attain, etc. The fact is, around the late primary grades, most of us lost our interest in visual art because we didn't get the positive personal reinforcment we needed to continue.
So how do some artists find their way back to making art? What creative energies linger, and resurface at what critical point? Why does one become an artists, and, for that matter, does one "become" an artist. I asked artist Clint Brown some questions about the formative years of his early career, finding acceptance in the art market, initial successes, and current direction.
Clint Brown is an artist who has consistently used the human figure as a means of commenting on the human condition. His work has encompassed painting, drawing, printmaking, bronze and resin casting, and large scale public sculpture. He is also the author of two books on art, Drawing from Life (Harcourt Brace Jovanovitch)ã an instructional book on drawing the figure; and Artist to Artist (Jackson Creek Press), a compilation of philosophical ideas about life and art described through quotations attributed to well known artists.
Currently Clint Brown is working on a new series of drawings based on classified ads placed by individuals seeking relationships. The ads, which run the gamut from desperate to humorous descriptions of the authors, inspired
Brown to draw generic individuals that might go with the ads.
What I wanted to do was combine these images with the ads from the "love and relationships wanted" pages in the newspapers. I create the drawing first, then I determine which ad goes with the fictional person Ižve created. The drawings are very quick to produce, and yet they describe a character. When you read those personals, you never know what that person is really like. You basically feel that therežs a kind of longing, almost a desperation behind the personalities that have placed these ads. You read the ad, and wonder who might have placed it.
JM A career as an artist is fraught with challenges. At what point did you
decide to pursue the arts seriously as a career?
CB Ižd always excelled in art, even as far back as elementary school, but in high school I had a very good art teacher, who encouraged me to apply for a scholarship to art school, and I got it. That helped my decision, although I also have to credit my art teacher for giving me the confidence to believe that I could win the scholarship. When I announced that I would attend art school, I was hit with the sorts of questions that I think every student who wants to major in art has to put up with. Your relatives all ask "Why?" and "Surely youžll study commercial art" etc. Freshman year in art school everyone takes the same classes regardless of their major. It was during the sophomore year that we had to declare a major before we could register...I remember having a bit of anxiety when I got my registration form, but I checked the box next to Fine Arts, and I remember feeling pretty good about it.
JM Did you experience encouragement or discouragement from the arts
community when you first started out to make a living as an artist?
CB I experienced encouragement in a number of ways, although not through the sales of art, which is how many people think artists receive their encouragement. The art field is very competitive, but I got my encouragement from instructors, ãencouragement to apply to graduate school, encouragement from being accepted, encouragement to apply for a university teaching position, encouragement from receiving a university teaching position.
JM Your early career seemed focused on constructions that combined paintings and sculptures together, as exemplified in Madonna with Stars and Stripes. What caused you to return almost exclusively to two-dimensional media? Do you think artists who work three-dimensionally face challenges that other artists avoid?
CB Well Ižve always been interested in both areas, and I've always been interested in a variety of different media. I worked both areas in undergraduate school, but became more heavily involved in sculpture when I received an assistantship to the University of Southern California to oversee their bronze casting facility. Many of my sculptures and paintings reflected a desire to combine both two- and three-dimensional art. In fact most of my sculptures were wall mounted pieces.
What ultimately drew me more toward two-dimensional work is the "turn around." You can realize an idea and work through it much more quickly on a two-dimensional surface, where as with sculpture, you have to build it. Sculpture takes much longer, the materials are bulkier and heavier, you need a bigger tool chest (welders, saws, chisels, etc.) to work the medium, then you have to deal with the sheer physical nature of the work, not to mention the shipping!
JM The human figure has always taken a central role in your work. What consistently draws you to using the figure?
CB Well I think itžs the most loaded subject there is. Itžs also a subject that communicates something to people about people. The figure becomes very biographical in a sense...itžs about the viewer, and therežs a tremendous amount of information that can be read from the work. If you consider all the great novels or pieces of music that have been written, theyžre not about landscapes...theyžre about the human condition. Figurative art allows the artist to create a work that addresses the human condition directly.
JM The AIDS drawings to place you in the position of an artist/activist. The vivid "sexual wretchedness" of the figures displayed in these drawings makes them both inviting and repelling at the same time. What do you want viewers to feel when they look at these drawings?
CB If we go back to the last question about the figure, I would add that there are two basic ways people approach using the figure. First, there's the formalist approach in which the artist is interested in the model primarily as a compositional device. Then there is a humanist approach in which the artist wants to say something-again about the human condition. This might include personal, social, or political issues. My intent with the AIDS drawings was to comment on the social issues surrounding the AIDS pandemic. I wanted these drawings to be erotic and threatening...and have a real conflict between approach and avoidance...something that you are drawn to, but not without its risk. I think thatžs the situation with AIDSãmost people that have contracted AIDS have contracted it sexually, and most often from someone to whom theyžre really attracted. Itžs that conflict I was trying to express.
JM Did any of these works create public debate, or outrage?
CB No. I donžt think anyone has had a real bad reaction to them. The feedback on the drawings has been 98 percent positive. There were a few people who were upset by the sexual connotations of the drawings, but I think they just didn't understand the work. A couple of people even said that they would pray for me...but again, they´re people you didnžt bother to read the statements or literature that accompanied the exhibition. Interestingly, one professor actually borrowed slides of the drawings to use in a human sexuality course.
JM Is it important to you to sell your work?
CB NO it´s not. Itžs nice when that happens because you can buy more materials and supplies. If my goal was to sell art I donžt think Ižd do the type of art that I do. If I wanted to just sell art I would redesign and start packaging it for that purpose. Ižm egocentric enough to think that maybe someone would feel that itžs actually better than work thatžs made to sell.
JM Who's art do you admire most?
CB One of my favorite artists is Pierre Bonnard. His colors are luscious. I also admire Henri Matisse and there are many things I like about Picasso. One of the artists who most recently influenced me is Francis Bacon, whose work is extremely powerful..the German Expressionist Kathe Kollwitz has also been inspiration. I sometimes jokingly think that if I was in museum that caught on fire, what painting would I try to rescue? I´d probably run out with a Bonnard! I also have a strong admiration for Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin...I love Chardin!
JM Have you ever been the beneficiary of a public art commission? Do you
think that public funded art projects are a good idea?
CB Yes, I have done a couple, actually three. I do think theyžre a good idea...a great idea. I think that itžs important that cities, states and governments support the arts.
JM Do you feel that an artist who receives a public commission should
have complete freedom to interpret subject matter... or should the public
and commissioning agency become involved in the work?
CB I think as public art there is an opportunity for an artist to really address a public forum and environment. I think it would also be foolish for an artist to just accept the money and do whatever he or she wanted to do. Public art by its very nature is different than the type of things that an artist might prepare for sale in their gallery. There are certain public spaces that are inappropriate for certain types of work, and I also I think that the work needs to appeal to a broad audience. The drawback here is that artwork which tries to appeal to the masses doesn't always meet the highest standards of quality. In many cases works of art in public places run the risk of becoming big design solutions that try to address everyonežs interests. I think the artist needs to be sensitive to the interests of the commissioning agency, as well as insuring that an idea doesnžt become overly diluted as a means of avoiding controversy or reaction.
JM What do you tell your students who say they want to become
professional artists?
CB Hey...good for you! Wise decision! Actually, I try to be encouraging and supporting, because I know that most of the people around them are going to be less encouraging. Itžs not an easy row to hoe...itžs not an easy path to take, and you have to be willing to make some sacrifices and some important decisions. I tell them that they have to ask themselves Is my art important enough for me to pursue it seriously?ū One of the things I always tell students is that they shouldnžt let people turn their art into a commodity. Therežs a concept that artists have to sell a lot, and therežs a lot of desire on the part of young artists to get gallery representation. Once they do, they often find themselves making the same thing over and over again...so...donžt let your work become a commodity!
Clint Brown
