DAY 53 - HOW TO BE AN ARTIST / by Debra Matlock

Lesson 12: Know What You Hate

It is probably you.

Exercise: Make a List of Art
Make a list of three artists whose work you despise. Make a list of five things about each artist that you do not like; be as specific as possible. Often there’s something about what these artists do that you share. Really think about this.

#2 Georgia O’Keeffe

  1. I like the idea of her, just not her paintings, except the New York ones.

  2. I don’t like flower paintings, even ones that aren’t really about flowers ;)

  3. They’re everywhere. I hope she saw some of that merch ca$h.

  4. Some are just plain bad.

  5. There’s something cheesy about the Southwest

I think while I respond to wanting to be a painter of a specific place (California for instance) I see that there can be a touristy/hackneyed element were you to get typecast as a specific kind of painter and that feeds on itself, where you become the parody or cliche of the place you loved. Like ecotourism, loving a place to death.