The Chain of History and Contemporary Competitors

We build upon or improve what has been completed in the past in trying to create something cutting edge and new. This painting is a continuation of my exploration of oil on acrylic sheeting. Similar to my hybrid paintings, it is a tension between painting as an illusion of something and the object of paint as a viscous medium. Aided by the sensitivity of the acrylic sheet, the tension builds through layers and texture:

Without consciously thinking about my influences during the process of painting, I see now that this piece calls upon some artists of the past. Waterfall No. 2, 24" x 18", oil on acrylic sheet, 2013.

In reviewing the chain of history to build something new, it also makes sense to review what others are doing today -- the contemporary "competitors", to say it in a democratic way. A contemporary artist who I find to be creating striking work is Romanian-born Adrian Ghenie. Ghenie is a relatively young artist (b.1977) who has exhibited at Pace Gallery in New York and Mihai Nicodim Gallery in Los Angeles. I appreciate not only the way he incorporates abstraction with figurative, but also his reference to historical and current events.

For example, the following is a portait by Ghenie which reminds me of a painting by artist, Francis Bacon, who in turn referenced a painting by Diego Velazquez. The chain of history exemplified...

Adrian Ghenie, 2009:

Francis Bacon, 1953:

Diego Velazquez, 1650:

Thank you for reading about the paintings, sculptures, drawings, works in progress, reviews, Doodle of the Day, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark Novak. To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE :)

Doodle of the Day - At The Drug Store

Drug stores have certain products displayed for sale behind the cashier. But I recently saw a guy standing at the counter, staring at the shelf where two different types of products should never be displayed right next to each other. He wanted to make a healthy purchase, but he looked baffled, befuddled, bewildered, and indecisive. Poor guy; perhaps it's an evil conspiracy . . .

Thank you for reading about the paintings, sculptures, drawings, works in progress, reviews, Doodle of the Day, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark Novak. To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE :)

Joshua Tree National Park - Happy Mother's Day - Thought Process Part 2

So here's what happened: I went camping in Joshua Tree National Park a couple weeks ago. On the first night, we went for a night hike, headlamps or flashlights, in the open desert with a faint glow from the half moon and billions of stars. The area had weedy clumps and spiky shrubbery scattered among rocky clusters and uncompromising joshua trees, and it's where we searched for jack rabbits, coyotes, foxes, roadrunners, snakes, scorpions, or whatever else might strike our fancy.   

A ways behind me, I could see little yellow and orange glimmers representing a few campfires remaining at our campsite. The campsite was huddled in a circle around a tower of boulders and rocks - the type notorious for the park. Not far beyond the campsite were jagged rocky "hills", silhouettes cutting into the lighter-shade atmosphere.

I suddenly saw a light in one of the jagged rocky hills - like a bright star of its own - its immediate ascent into the sky at a 45 degree angle, completely silent, with a consistent speed and straight path. As the light ascended, its brightness would fade at times, so that if its shape were - cough cough - a saucer, it would make sense that the light faded because the saucer tilted slightly in its ascension. Up and up, disappearing into the dark distance.

The next morning we wanted to see if we could find anything out in that rocky hill. We found a hiking trail on the other side of the campsite leading to some adobe ruins from maybe a hundred or more years ago. The trailhead had a sign with some information about the ruins. But most strangely, it was entitled We Have Contact. We made it to the ruins without much incident, but we didn't stop there. Here's a member of our group, Abdul Mazid, taking a photograph in the direction of the flying object from the night before:

Here are the others wandering around:

Here's the landscape:

We continued hiking beyond the adobe ruins, and as we neared a crest in the path, we heard noticeable but unidentifiable breathing sounds up ahead. We stopped moving. At first, I thought, perhaps a dying rabbit. Then I thought: a dying person??? We inched forward, and then Scotty announced, "Two turtles having sex!"

Indeed. Here they (tortoises) are:

For all we know, based on our vantage point from the night before, this was the exact spot where the flying object began its ascent. If not the exact spot, it was damn near.

Happy Mother's Day.

One creative thing leads to another. The following are Thought Process paintings Nos. 14 through 19 of the series, 8" x 10", oil on acrylic sheet...

Thank you for reading about the paintings, sculptures, drawings, works in progress, reviews, Doodle of the Day, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark Novak. To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE :)

Thought Process Paintings

I often choose painting as my artistic medium because, like society, there are limitations which must be accepted at first. But within those limitations, regardless of the subject matter, there are infinite possibilities. I believe painting remains one of the most complex forms of art for an individual artist. As society continues to evolve, so does painting. Painting is not simply about representing forms or images. It is a form of communication on a level that cannot be described in words. 

Here are some 8" x 10" abstract paintings on acrylic sheeting from the Thought Process series...

Thank you for reading about the paintings, sculptures, drawings, works in progress, reviews, Doodle of the Day, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark Novak. To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE :)

A New Painting for EARTH DAY

Today is Earth Day! It is an extraordinary international event where about a billion people will take action in service to our planet. Concerns about air and water pollution, toxic exposure, oil reliance, deforestation, coral reef destruction, and ocean acidification, among others, will be topics of discussion in schools, and will give purpose to the actions of those recognizing this day.

Over the weekend, I went camping near Santa Barbara in the Los Padres National Forest. The abundance of animal life was inspiring -- among several appearances by squirrels, crows, bats, quail, soaring vultures, and the hooting of an owl in the night, I came upon a fox, a 4-5 foot gopher snake, a skink catching a roach, deer, and a flock of wild turkeys. And on a hike beyond a water hole, my friend caught a glimpse of a mountain lion high on a ridge across the canyon. I was looking in the opposite direction at that exact second. Can't believe I missed it.

Some of the turkeys:

The gopher snake:

Next weekend I plan to camp at Joshua Tree National Park. 

Many of my posts in the past have centered around environmental issues. I am glad to have completed this painting just in time to add to that theme. 

Man With Dogs, 44" x 32", oil on acrylic sheeting, 2013.

Thank you for reading about the paintings, sculptures, drawings, works in progress, reviews, Doodle of the Day, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark Novak. To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE :)

The Tormented Artist Cliche - Part Two

The recent March edition of ArtForum magazine features an article by art historian and critic, Tom Holert, on the responsibilities of contemporary art. It is a rational analysis with logical conclusions, but I felt more like a lawyer reading it than an artist. It's entitled Burden of Proof. 

The ethical integrity of art remains a topic of discussion for those who discuss art. Some believe that contemporary art must have an association with political and social struggles, and the artist has a social obligation to act responsibly; otherwise, the artist and art become obsolete.

Creating art to have a positive impact on political and social struggles can be a good thing. Many artists successfully do it. I've tried. But to create expectations about art and impose them as rules against artists only creates a false institution in which to converse. It forces artists to replicate an end result, to fabricate a creation to measure up against what others expect in the end. Instead, the creation should begin from within and grow into what it is meant to be -- whether political, social, or something entirely different. An artist who is experienced, knowledgeable and skilled will act responsibly when it comes to taste in art.

We live in a society of political and social structures, but I think good art is the product of individual struggle, isolation, passion, and torment within that society. That is the spark that sets the fire. Love, hate, peace, war, and the grays in between. The torment is somewhere in there, and when it comes to art, maybe the torment is a beautiful thing.  

Art may be ignored by literal, linear, unimaginative types. But for creative people, art will never be obsolete, unless so too is seeing, feeling, eating, breathing, or sex. Art is the individual's attempt to make sense of the inexplicable.

Battle of the Shaman, 45" x 36", oil on canvas, 2013:

Thank you for reading about the paintings, sculptures, drawings, works in progress, reviews, Doodle of the Day, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark Novak. To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE :)

Doodle of the Day - Short Story Illustration

This is an illustration I made for a short story written by a friend. The story is about a little girl who finds herself in dark places.