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From: Al
Date: 29 Apr 2004
Time: 01:55:49 -0500
Remote Name: 216.192.4.1
Subject = inspiring art. Saw this profile on PBS on Arno Rafael Minkkinen. Wow! One exposure and what you see is what is on the negative (no digital or darkroom manipulation). You can see his stuff at http://www.robertkleingallery.com/gallery/minkkinen I do not know what it is, but some of his photos at Fosters Pond (7 of 41 for instance) just push the envelop. In the age of Photoshop where surrealism is only a few clicks away, this guys stuff blows me away. (And the feet sticking out of the cabinet drawer is just too funny! I cannot even imagine what it took to do the snow picture. Yikes!) What is so intriguing is his focus on timelessness and limits outlined in his artists statement at http://www.arnorafaelminkkinen.org/ under the Preface heading. . . . . Here I quote "It was a quote from Georges Braque that nailed it. "Out of limitations, new forms emerge." Six words, but they are so concise and precise. To know what it is that we want to do, Braque was saying, we had to know what it was we did not want to do, what it was we would never allow ourselves to do. If you happen to be an artist yourself, try it. What are your limitations? What will you never allow yourself to do?" . . . This is such a flip for me. I get the need for bounding both sides of the [equation] what you want and do not want. But limits as creative (I do not even know what to call them . . .tools)? Finding mastery and excellence through limits instead of focusing on freedom from constraints? It feels like the idea is upside down, but it works for him. Whada you guys think?