PAINTING IS NOT ART

From time to time I hear the term "Art" used in the title of exhibitions, books and universtiy courses.

While attending art school I attended a course titled Canadian Art and Modernism or something along these lines. The course never made a mention of Art beyond painting. Nothing but paintings.

I have been involved in the running of an artist run centre for the last year and a half. From time to time I have sat the gallery and have spoken with people coming in to view the current exhibitions. We have exhibited, video, the installation/construction of a house within the gallery, collections of readymade objects and experimental projects. Often people come in our doors, look around a little confused and then comment "Oh, I thought there was some art showing here!?" Then quickly turn around to leave. Those that have hesitated more than an instant or that are looking for a response to their comment, I have tried to help explain that what you are experiencing in our gallery is art and you should experience it. It is about an experience and hopefully more than 1 vantage point.

I was perusing a used book store and came across the book Everything you need to make Art.
It was a book of materials with a short description of how to use it. It showed pencils, pens, inks, brushes,oils, watercolours, acrylics, thinner, canvas, gesso, pastels, charcoal, erasers and endless 2D tools.

Recently a panel of art people (amazingly they were not painters) commented on an exhibit about Art and Society organised by the National Gallery, and I was once again reminded that the show only focussed on Canadian paintings and Society.

I share these experiences to note that what is refered to as art is often thought of as only paintings. People looking for art for their new place of residence often search for paintings. Please look beyond paintings in references to art.
I have been told that sculpture is what you back into when looking at paintings. Paintings those 2D objects which only have one vantage point.

Little known fact
Galleries only hang paintings to cover the wall marks made from the installation of previous exhibitions. Have a look behind a Group of 7 sometime and you will see gouged drywall and chipped paint.

The truth is

PAINTING IS NOT ART

You have been duped into thinking it is. It does not belong in your home and should not match your drapes or make the room. I will not enter into the argument whether or not painting is dead again or where painting is going. PAINTING IS NOT ART. There are other things that are not art as well, Degas' bronze 14 year old Ballet Dancer, found around the world. Rodin's Burghers of Calais, though authorised and encouraged for reproduction by the artist himself ceases to be art. A museum is the cause of this, as Rodin encouraged reproductions of his work for all, but the museum set limits to the run as others were making copies and could take away from the musee's 'authentic' market. See Manifesto on this page for more.

So I hope everyone learned something today, most importantly

PAINTING IS NOT ART