artist's statement

I have to write an artist's statement for myself for a class... so far all I've managed to do is drink 1.5 beers and chew on the stem of my new estate pipe (a bent style The Everyman London Pipe).

Also I've been looking up artist's statements from my favorite artists... not much help. Do people even really read these things? They most often seem thinly veiled ways to sound hoity toity while saying nothing.

While I'm doing this, the wife is editing a song that she's been recording... a new one she wrote. So I've been hearing this beautiful voice coming from the next room, repeating the same words over and over and stopping in the middle of a word, then moving to another section of the song and repeating again and so on. The repetition and abrupt stopping... the cycles and multiple sound tracks are entertaining. The new song has a simple beauty.

Also, I've almost finished a new film and she did a nice simple music accompaniment for it. I'll put that up soon. I think I've got to get a vimeo account... youtube doesn't quite cut it for full resolution video.

Oooh... I just got to listen to the song... before you... neener neener ha ha. I do think it's the type of song you have to hear a couple of times. I believe this is the first original song of her's she's putting on on the myspace. You'll like it...

But back to my art and my statement of it. Blah. I think much of my art has an entry point from real-life experience and emotions. In fact, much of it is straight up facts from life (not facts... of life... don't make the joke). Personal narrative. There may be elements of exaggeration or minor changes, often for anonymity or humour (British pipe in mouth mean British spellings), but there's only honesty in my work. And simplicity. I fall on simplicity and hope it doesn't come off as "an easy way out" because my intent is to avoid the mess of over worked crap. I used to keep "Simplicity is key" written on my sketch book covers. But it's just the aesthetic that's important to keep simple. I hope the meaning is something that needs repeated viewings to uncover. Not because I want you to think I'm deep but because I don't want to be blunt. Much meaning can be found in the small objects. Of course, there's some stuff I do with no specific meaning pre-determined. The new film I'm almost done with came from pure enjoyment of playing with the elements the film is made from. I had fun and I think there's a meaning in it, but I couldn't tell you specifically what it is.

Anyway, I've had two beers at this point and I'm rambling and at some point I have to turn this drivel into something I can hand in. The wife's almost done with some final mixings and will be putting up the song. Take a few listens. There's a lovely story to be heard.