Hot Flash Friday: Working in a series
Working In Series
What is a Series?
Simply put, it is a group of
pieces based on a common element or group of elements. You can base
a series on subject matter, a technique, a particular set of materials, a group
of visual elements, or a compositional format. A series can be created in
an afternoon – as in a group of quick collage studies – or last a
lifetime. Many artists keep several series going throughout their careers.
·
Working in series allows you to explore ideas more thoroughly,
give them some breathing room.
·
Working in series gives you the opportunity to try out different
solutions to visual “problems”, and explore multiple possibilities.
·
Working in series gives your art practice focus and
momentum. Rather than face the blank canvas with too many possibilities
to choose from, the parameters of your series create clarity of intention.
·
By considering the series the basic unit of art making, you lose
the preciousness of the individual piece, the fear of “ruining” it, which can
keep you stuck. Get un-stuck by working in multiples.
·
Committing to a quantity of pieces allows you to push through
blocks and discover new solutions.
When I was in
Washington DC (see Bike Trip
Pittsburgh – DC, GAP, C & O) in October 2015 I visited the National Gallery
where there was an itinerate exhibit, The Serial Impulse. Let’s face it, a series of anything is
boring. I was about to skip and rush on to other things. But then, I thought,
what is the art behind series? Warhol with his screen printing and John Jasper
with his flag series. Van Gogh with his sunflowers and bedroom. Jane Freiliche
revisited her subjects over and over again=pansies and peonies=she considered
it a form of contemplation, meditation. The challenge isn’t in the product but
in the exercise, not in simply re-creating as close to the original form, but
to explore through process, to re-discover, to see anew after over-seeing. It’s
what happens after we are forced to play a piece over and over, after a while
we become numb to it, it becomes abstracted, then after perhaps the 100th
viewing, screening, listening, we have a breakthrough and begin to see, hear,
feel differently about it.
From the
National Gallery, The Serial Impulse:
Overview: For
centuries artists have made multi-part series, undertaking subjects on a scale
not possible in a single work. This engagement was especially prevalent in the
1960s, as artists dedicated to conceptual, minimalist, and pop approaches
explored the potential of serial procedures and structures.
For this week’s
Hot Flash—try working in a series. Pick something and see how many memories you
can squeeze from each “topic.”
*playgrounds
*ice cream
stand
*drive-in
movies
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