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 :)