Why Your Art Needs the Right Tension
I sent this post to my mailing list last year, but thought I’d share it here too:
…
I’m just back from a holiday with the folks. This year we stayed in Kilkieran, a remote part of West Ireland about an hour’s drive away from any main civilisation along winding rugged roads and surrounded by breath-taking scenery.
However, the bliss of being this remote has had a bit of a consequence which made me think about the role of tension in our Art.
How the right kind of tension creates forward motion, but the wrong kind can stall us in our tracks…
I’ve an old Repetitive Strain Injury in my right arm from making a large set of sculptures years ago which flares up when I overdo certain things, one of which is driving.
And last week we did a lot of driving – 1037 miles to be precise. I took my dad’s huge beast of a car with my husband, dad and the dog in tow. But what this superior car had in gadgets, heated seats, safety, and comfort, lacked in one crucial thing for me - armrests.
This simple support reduces the strain placed on my right arm and without it, I’m now feeling the effects of too much tension.
But tension isn’t always a bad thing - in art is can be very useful. The tension of Maybe is powerful.
Maybe this time will work, maybe I can do this, maybe if I try it this way? This type of tension empowers our learning and can propel us into new and exciting directions.
But the wrong kind of tension can stall us.
Maybe I will fail, maybe I’m not good enough, maybe people will think I’m silly, Maybe I’m just wasting my time. This kind of tension is fuelled by fear and when left unchecked can prevent us from moving or even turning the ignition on to make the journey in the first place.
We all feel both types of tension when we choose to be brave and travel into the unknown - into a new painting or technique, sculpture or experiment, business or personal change. The important thing is to keep a check on what’s fuelling your tension and make the decision to steer towards the better maybe.
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ForM is by far my favourite group exhibition of the year to visit and I am honoured to have been one of artists involved in it this year.
If you missed the exhibition, here’s a round up.