My friend David is a regular reader of the New Yorker,. Every once in a while he will pass along a favourite article, a little gem of some sort. I never know what it will be about but there is always a spark of inspiration for me in there somewhere. So yesterday when he handed me an article titled "Missing in Action", I was instantly intrigued. It was about contemporary artist Lee Bontecou, a female sculptor who in the late sixties loomed huge in the New York artscene, amidst such contemporaries as Jasper Johns, Frank Stella, Roy Lischtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Claes Oldenburg. She was dubbed as one of the best artists working anywhere.
And then one day, she disappeared. Seemingly without a trace.
Surprisingly she reappeared in 2002, to do a retrospective show, of the last 30 years. It left people wondering, 'what happened?' Her work even better than before, it told a story of an artist who allowed herself to emerge in her own way. Untainted by the 'art world'.
"So there it was--an artist like Bontecou didn't need the art world, didn't need the stimulation of seeing other art and testing her own against it, didn't need to exhibit or discuss or sell her work in order to keep developing and expanding her talent. An artist like Bontecou could work in isolation for thirty years, and give up nothing, not even her basic sanity and sense of humor. "Being an artist is not a career, it's just something that grabs you." -fr. "Missing in Action", Calvin Tomkins
To me this is a sign of a true artist, one who listens only to their own heart, and voice. And will shut out the loud tauntings of the outside world. To pay attention to the thing that is moving around inside them, and to give it a chance to flow out. How easy it is to be led by what the world wants of you instead of trusting yourself. Sometimes the amount of courage required to pursue that which you need is daunting.
but the universe urges us to walk through the world with our eyes open. when i start to drift off i recieve a little jolt, (ow). they become impossible to ignore.
o.k. i'm awake already.
Posted by kerismith at March 01, 2004 10:24 AMThe collage is absolutely beautiful!
Posted by: emma on March 3, 2004 06:35 AMCan't help but think that it's an awful romantic stereotype way of looking at artists. Soit. Glad you woke up. You found things on the floor of your studio, I found something inspiring in a box. (March 2nd)
Posted by: eliane on March 2, 2004 09:32 PMI think all artists, new or old, have private 'rhythms' that they work to. Lee Bontecou's story is both amazing and inspiring to me, but I've also thought about it and realized that everyone works differently - so what worked for her might -not- work for me. But yet the principle contained within is so true though; sometimes you just have to stick your neck out knowing what's best for you and do it come hades or highwater or stale, stale tea.
Now, to put that in practice. Oww, that's hard.
Posted by: Shuku on March 2, 2004 08:18 PMFor those who are interested, i forgot to include the issue date:
Aug 4, 2003
Your post on Lee Bontecou put me on the quest--have been researching more on her and it is an fascinating story. She paid the bills by teaching, but her students didn't know about her past (till now, I guess!). It's so inspiring for those of us in the trenches to know that among the diapers, gardening, and caring for aging family members, an astonishing body of work CAN be created.
Posted by: Kateri on March 2, 2004 08:15 AMYou are nothing but the marvelous.
Keep your chin up and your eyes open.
I believe in you.
Posted by: Donavan on March 2, 2004 12:06 AMI absolutely love your blog. Pardon me for intruding but you are quite inspiring. I found your link on cancergrrls site. I agree with your insight on being a true artist. I create what I feel. Not what I want others to see or to purchase...except for maybe my newest project...my Elvis bowling pins! LOL
Posted by: Pinky! on March 1, 2004 09:44 PMas I read about your post I thought: well then how did girlfriend pay the bills all those years? How does an artist survive without selling their art, creating art to sell, or having a job that takes precious time and energy? Being an artist is tricky business . . . so important to keep the fire alive, the vibrancy cranking out the internal images to shine a light into the world . . . but money must be made . . . and to keep the heart clean, sugar daddies just ain't an option :)
Posted by: Katherine on March 1, 2004 08:04 PMI saw that article too. And her beautiful artwork. Amazing.
Thank you for this wonderfully inspiring post. I needed that.
I read this article in the New Yorker and was moved by her work and "disappearance" - I am so eager to find as much info on her as I can, but so far haven't found so much. I'd love to see the retrospective.
Posted by: Michelle on March 1, 2004 12:52 PMI saw the Lee Bontecou retrospective out here in LA at the Hammer Museum. It was an amazing body of work - the range of materials she works in and the complexity of her pieces...I highly recommend getting to Chicago or NYC to see it.
Trusting yourself is hard to do...sometimes we look to the outside world for reassurance and guidance...when oftentimes the answer is right inside of you. It's a struggle...
good thoughts for a monday morning - thank you keri.
Posted by: becky on March 1, 2004 12:12 PMkeri
another good pick me up for a sunny monday. Thank you for passing on such wonderful thoughts and ideas.
cheerio
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