The Rebellious Curator

Changes in the gallery landscape and the over-saturation of abstract artists has prompted me to consider moving in a new direction.

I've noticed an exponential increase in abstract artists both online and in galleries, and contrary to stats, women abstract artists do currently dominate the artworld. It's not a bad thing, and I encourage women artists to make art when they have something to say, but there are too many right now, and it makes me yawn. Whenever there are trends, the quality of work descends, and it's time for me to go another way.

My focus will be on miniatures, dollhouses, dioramas, and re-thinking and re-purposing structures into assemblage. 

I may return to painting in a few years, but for now, I will be a closet painter. 

"Be the curator of your life. Slowly cut things out until you are left with what you love, what's necessary, and with what makes you happy." - Leo Babauta

Follow Kleinwerks Gallery on IG for latest miniature exhibits, and Kleinwerks on FB, for dollhouses, dioramas and new builds.

Coming soon, my new YT channel Lilactree Miniatures currently under construction.

Attribution - (def.) The act of attributing something, especially the ascribing of literature and art to a particular author or artist. In simple terms, signing your work.

I currently posted an online exhibit for Kleinwerks Gallery (IG), where I purposely did not reveal that the work is mine. I have made a point of doing this for most of my own work that I post on Kleinwerks IG. (Note: If I am featuring other artists, I always cite their full name, contact info, and statement). However, for myself, I have chosen not to.

Why? Part of the reason is because I have always had difficulty tooting my own horn. The idea of creating work and sharing it with the world anonymously is very appealing to me. 

My other reasoning has to do with the current culture: we live in a very self-interested society. Social Media has made it easy to exhibit our every thought and point the viewer to ourselves. I wanted to explore the opposite idea - In contrast to the current trends, what if we did not attribute our work? What if the work had to be taken at face value, without knowing the artist's gender, race, socio-economic status, or education? What if a well-known artist did not reveal their signature? Would the viewers see their work differently? I wonder if knowing who the artist is has ever skewed the meaning of the work? There is the point that good artists usually have a recognizable style which can give it away quickly and that's a good thing too. 

These are interesting questions and I welcome dialogue on the subject. Feel free to email your thoughts to jones07@telus.net

Thank you for stopping by!

Then, we have the ever-too-common, hyper-curated IG photos of female painters poised in front of their abstracts wearing paint-splattered overalls, next to a mug of organic loose-leaf tea sitting atop carefully positioned Pottery Barn furnishings. Does anyone take these people seriously? 

How does one wade through this ultra-deceptive society without banging their head against the wall, and yet, function in the Covid-on-line culture...does anyone else struggle with this, or is it just me?

I feel like it is just me.

A quote by Kurt Schwitters: "I'm a painter and I nail my pictures. I'd like to be accepted into the Dada Club." This was a quote from his letter to Hans Richter c. 1916. No artist statement needed.

What is an artist statement? It is a written description of the artists work, it may even be considered a defense of their concept for the work, or their intention. 

Writing an artist statement is a relatively new phenomenon which began in the early 1990's and most artists prior to this time did not write them. I attended art school at UN-L from 1989 to 1993, and I can safely say that art students were not taught how to write artist statements, nor were we required to produce them for our work. I was an Art History Major, so I completed internships/work studies at several museums. There, I encountered original works by well-known abstract artists like Rothko and Frankenthaler who did not have statements for their work. We were expected to view their work and respond to them based on what we knew about the artist's history.

So why are artist statements now encouraged in art schools? 

Today, they are used to obtain grants, apply for residencies and art schools, and for submitting to galleries and shows. But does an artist have to prove that they fully understand their intention, or reveal the meaning of their work? 

I contend that people come out of art schools today, mostly knowing how to write about their work the same way as everyone else. That is not creative individuality, that's conformity. 

A little mystery goes a long way. Try not to make your every thought known to the world. Let your artwork do the talking and put your time and effort into the craft.

Let's face it, most people have little interest in reading a two page polemic consisting of hubris fluff and flashy artspeak. A title, and a brief description if necessary, is all that is needed.

I'm curious to know your thoughts, and I welcome dialogue. Please email jones07@telus.net if you have something to say about it.

Working on a couple of assemblages with structures inside them. This one is a cardboard box which I placed inside an antique frame. This piece is about the increased homelessness I see in the Downtown Langley area located near my studio.

"Pay attention to the things that you are naturally drawn to.

They are often connected to your path, passion, and purpose in life.

Have the courage to follow them." - Ruben Chavez

1. I learned first and foremost, that I do my best creative work in isolation.

2. I learned that fewer people in my life seems to work for me.

3. I learned to be careful who I let in, if at all.

4. I learned that my husband really is my best friend.

5. I learned that my cat is my next best friend.

6. I learned that I should strive to be more of a mystery rather than an open book.

7. I learned that bad art is actually good art.

8. I learned that social media is not necessarily good for my art practice.

9. I learned I should make whatever art I feel like making even if it seems lame to everyone else.

10. I learned that I am happier now than I was before the pandemic.

I'm thinking of appealing my municipality to be able to utilize one of their locked glass kiosks located in one of the community parks as a miniature pop-up gallery. Because of Covid, most of the municipal kiosks are not being used for their intended purpose and are currently sitting empty. I would propose making one of these locked kiosks into a miniature art gallery featuring local artists four times a year along with the artist's statement and contact info. 

I'd appreciate any feedback on this idea or if you are an artist interested in showing your miniature work.

Please email me at jones07@telus.net

Finally completed an assemblage I had been working on for almost two years. I would feel inspired to work on it from time to time, but I was consistently getting stuck over my initial concept, and battling the composition...when all of sudden today, it came together completely unexpected.

The title is "The Commodities" and simply put, it is a comment on how fine art has become a commodity. 

I don't hand-hold when it comes to the interpretation of my work. Nor do I use hubris bloat or flashy art speak. I title it, and then let the viewer take it from there. I'm happy to discover that my assemblages are developing a style with a recognizable colour theme as well as my ever-present vintage elements and use of miniatures.

Detail, The Commodities (m/m, found objects, paint, housed in a vintage money drawer)

I made these granny peg dolls for the first time the other day and really enjoyed the process. They are a little quirky and flawed, but they do have character. I didn't create them with any intention, but I concluded that the one on the left is a poet, the second one in is a free spirit, the one with the big schnoss(my favourite) bakes cookies, and the blonde likes to wear high collars and turtlenecks:D

The Granny life... 

I've always identified with grannies. As a child, I watched my own grandmother who was the embodiment of warmth and comfort. My great aunties, and our granny neighbours who lived quiet lives in their little homes with pretty lace curtains and the gentle smell of lavender. There were always warm baked goods on the counter, a project on the go, and a contented cat or two in the garden. I remember thinking how lovely it would be to live a simple life like that. As an adult, I encountered stories about the interesting lives of Grandma Moses, Tasha Tudor, and other aged modern painters and writers who, late in life, pursued their passions. In particular, Tasha Tudor, who lived on a rural farmstead surrounded by forest and farm animals. She was a painter, a cook, a lover of nature and animals, and she kept a dollhouse. In all honesty, this is what I aspire to.