Artist Towns? (Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Espanola: to live, prices, versus)

[mortimer]

While reading on this thread all the pros-cons of the various towns in New Mexico and how this or that place would be better because of the facilities and types of artists I had the thought that the most famous artist of all who worked in New Mexico came here because of the light.

It wouldn't have mattered where that person located - Deming, Taos, Gallup, Tucumcari, etc.

As long as you can get groceries ...

[ontheroad]

And, mortimer, are we referencing Ms. O'Keefe?

If you are, Georgia O'Keefe came to NM already established as a artist, and could afford to capture the light, and get the groceries down that little road.

And I sure wish I had her talent, her tenacity and her ability to paint in one of the most beautiful, but isolated places in the area.

But I didn't!

Originally Posted by mortimer

While reading on this thread all the pros-cons of the various towns in New Mexico and how this or that place would be better because of the facilities and types of artists I had the thought that the most famous artist of all who worked in New Mexico came here because of the light.

It wouldn't have mattered where that person located - Deming, Taos, Gallup, Tucumcari, etc.

As long as you can get groceries ...

[mortimer]

ontheroad argued:

> And, mortimer, are we referencing Ms. O'Keefe?

> If you are, Georgia O'Keefe came to NM already established as a
> artist, and could afford to capture the light, and get the groceries ...

> And I sure wish I had her talent, her tenacity and her ability to paint
> in one of the most beautiful, but isolated places in the area.

This could be read two ways:

(1) I wish ... I had her ability to paint ...
(2) I wish ... I [could] paint in [a] beautiful ... area ...

You could go to a beautiful area and paint, but with your ability ... ah well.
(I'm making an assumption here, I know.)

My point that I failed miserably to make was that you don't need to be surrounded by other artists, galleries, and tourists to create the art.

Before the-artist-who-shall-not-be-named started painting here, the stuff she painted was considered junk. If you have a good job to support your art habit, you can live in Deming and do work that is just as good as if you were a coffee-sipping art snob in Santa Fe trashing the tourists who are art-illiterate and hopelessly cheap. (I've heard these conversations.)

Now for my opinion:

There are lots of creative people in Santa Fe who are artists as a profession, but not so many talented ones. It might be creative to make a couple of blobs on a canvas, but that creativeness and 'artsy-ness' is not the same as talent.

The talented ones can live anywhere and do the same work. They may or may not choose Santa Fe as a place to live.

If you suck, you'll suck even more in Santa Fe with all the real talent around you.

[ontheroad]

First off, mortimer, ontheroad didn't argue, but commented; big difference.

And although an artist can do good work or bad for that matter anywhere, albeit Santa Fe or on the Moon, art community is another issue. Ms. O'Keefe did not seek community.
Mabel Dodge did!

When I came to Taos, I was seeking both. And all the arguments in the world about where or why don't substitute for one's own comfort.

[tcburns]

Artist is not a synonym for painter.

Printmakers, artists in glass, and ceramics, and others, traditionally have formed communities to create small studios and thereby share access to expensive equipment. There is also a joy of interaction that occurs in such a studio environment, from constant learning and a general support system.

My previous posts here have always had that attitude as the background for evaluation of a city or area. I add too that working and exhibition in isolation in NM -including Taos etc.- is not enough, there is a big world out their and I plan to remain connected to it once we relocate to NM.

It's all different strokes for different folks.

[ontheroad]

I concur on this evaluation of what or who an artist is--an inclusive title that might go even beyond these examples.

Good luck in your move. As you say, different strokes for different folks...I sure never implied otherwise.

Originally Posted by tcburns

Artist is not a synonym for painter.

Printmakers, artists in glass, and ceramics, and others, traditionally have formed communities to create small studios and thereby share access to expensive equipment. There is also a joy of interaction that occurs in such a studio environment, from constant learning and a general support system.

My previous posts here have always had that attitude as the background for evaluation of a city or area. I add too that working and exhibition in isolation in NM -including Taos etc.- is not enough, there is a big world out their and I plan to remain connected to it once we relocate to NM.

It's all different strokes for different folks.

[mortimer]

ontheroad added:

> And all the arguments in the world about where or why don't substitute
> for one's own comfort.

Ah. That was my point -- made _better_ by you I should add.

tcburns added:

> Artist is not a synonym for painter.

Painter is a subset of artist, however.

[dracul]

To paraphrase an old sage: If one burns with enough insensity, though he/she is housed in a prison cell, he/she can set fire to the world!

True "light" need not be derived from one's surroundings, be they verdant tropics, pastel deserts or frenetic cities...rather...it comes from within. Any true artist knows this implicitly.

[Dancingearth]

Originally Posted by mortimer

ontheroad argued:

>
The talented ones can live anywhere and do the same work. They may or may not choose Santa Fe as a place to live.

If you suck, you'll suck even more in Santa Fe with all the real talent around you.

Somehow I felt a whole lot more creative where the sun shines versus in this pouring rain enclosing me in a tiny trailer.So you believe that your surroundings don't affect your art? Putting aside whether you think it is art or not. I don't think I create the same art in WA as I did in NM. Seems to me that we are expressing both inside ourselves and outside influences when we are creating.

I do find a balance of being around other creative people creates more energy for creativity. Yesterday I braved the rain to go on an open house art tour and came home inspired. When I visit artist studios I find it interesting that the less I like the environment, the less I like their art. Cold gray, very clean, no clutter, everything lined up against the walls, suburban basement studio = cold structured bland paintings (my opinion.) Is their a correlation?

[dracul]

Perhaps it has more to with the nature and style of the individual artist than the environment. My work is extremely detailed and "labor intensive" so my face is always scant inches from my project...be it engraving, intaglio printing, silk screening, tattooing, pen and ink, miniature sculpture or other intricate creative efforts. My surroundings have extremely little bearing on what I'm focused on at the time. A painter, perhaps working in a more bold and audacious style, might require more compelling external stimulai than I require. We are all different.