I have been following Jerry Saltz for many years and marveling at his light but a not simplistic way of approaching life from the perspective of art and the artist’s perspective. I could not say that Jerry is an optimist nor a pessimist, but someone who understood that art, as Ethan Hawke would also say in his famous TED talk, is not a luxury but a necessity.
I bought the book some time ago, following the impulse of the media, but I kept it in the pending pile, not for lack of interest, but for fear of finding an instruction manual, a pre-chewed checklist for everyone. I doubted Jerry, I confess, but I finally picked up the book one afternoon and read it thrice in 2 days. The book is essentially a non-linear conversation, a constant jump from topic to topic, but in the end, as in all of Jerry’s writing, it all falls into place beautifully.
It is hard to summarize or review a conversation, so I will not try it; instead, I am going to comment on the resonating ideas and the quotes that I made for myself and that I hope will not satisfy you, but, on the contrary, leave you so dissatisfied that you decide to go to the book by yourself.
I begin by thanking the photographs and illustrations with which almost all the chapters begin; like the beautiful photograph of Matisse working from his bed, Andy Warhol in his study, Margaret Bourke-White on top of the Chrysler tower, or Alice Neel in her study. These images, sometimes revered directly in the text as a didactic resource or only placed there as a correlate, are like talking while walking through a vast universal exhibition. By the way, I love to chat while walking through museums; I do it frequently with my wife, my children, and with friends. The galleries create a protective effect in which the conversation flows; I feel that feeling is reproduced in the book through the use of those images.
The book has no table of contents or index, which is excellent. There are 63 topics organized in 5 parts, with consecutive numbering from the beginning. The order is essential. An index would offer the temptation to jump to a topic directly. For this book, it would be equivalent to fast-forwarding a video to get to a specific point in the conversation in the best Instagram or TikTok style, which would be nonsense.
One aspect that Jerry emphasizes in multiple ways throughout the book is self-reflection, the ability to assess oneself, not against an external standard, but to create an internal barometer about our work. “If it doesn’t feel right — it’s not right” is the answer to the question “How do you know if your art is working?”. The goal is not to reach a position of security and control since The artist is on a continually evolving path, accumulating experience but always starting over”. And the path requires a cultivated intuition since, as Cindy Sherman mentions, art feels like “summoning something I do not even know until I see it.” In short, we get better and better at recognizing when we find something worthwhile, and this is only possible by working with discipline and perseverance.
“Art is like birdsong: it is made of patterns, inflections, shadings, shifts — all things that have an emotional and perceptual impact, even if we can never really translate their meanings.” The “Meaning” opinion is always a problem in contemporary creation; Although, in my opinion, the relevance is what is essential, there is a solid tie with a supposed commitment to the meaning that alienates the creation. “The faster your work makes sense, the faster people lose interest.” At this point in the book, the references to Coleridge and Louise Bourgeois, “Tell your own story, and you will be interesting,” are remarkably lucid. Oscar Wilde, quoted by Jerry, expands these ideas to the artist’s understanding of his work and that of others, “The moment you think you understand a great work of art, it is dead for you.” Nobody asks Mozart or Matisse “means.”
On the problematic differentiation between style and genre, Jerry recommends that emerging artists assume a genre but not a style; the style is the unstable essence that the artist brings to a genre. It is like mutation, using an analogy with genetics, that allows gender to expand. The danger is that assuming a genre can lead to the adoption of its conventions, and conventions are limits and must be recognized as such. You have to explore, get lost, and avoid being predictable. “Predictability is good for computers, but it’s death for artists.”
In some of the topics, the book includes exercises for assimilating ideas and recommendations for processes that Jerry considers beneficial for creation. One of them has to do with assuming that creation is a job that requires space, time, and environmental conditions. Schedules, deadlines, planning, and research must be used rigorously in the creation processes.
The search for one’s voice is a “big deal.” The imperative of “you must find your own voice” is so tremendous and imprecise that it paralyzes the artist. “Imitate… then separate” is the recommendation, and I fully support it. Imitation is one of the most valuable tools in teaching art. By imitating, the artist assimilates techniques, and little by little, he creates his languages born from that lousy imitation. That is where your voice is born. An interesting exercise that Jerry proposes is to analyze the compositional style of an essential list of artists.
Now, as in art, there are no precise roadmaps; how to measure progress? Furthermore, perhaps more importantly, how to avoid frustration? Stanley Whitney, quoted by Jerry, said that “A bad day is a good day because a bad day is when you’re trying to take it to a different level” In my personal experience, the important thing is to do something every day that moves us in the direction we want to go, whether it is researching a work, writing a text, making sketches, editing a new series or revising an old series; at the end of the day we can be calm if we can identify those movements towards “the goal.” This maintains our Mindset and allows our brain to work on new connections.
Connecting with this idea of the Mindset, I want to end with a topic that Jerry dedicates several parts to in the book, looking carefully. You should become a seeing machine, “look hard, look openly.” There is always something beyond the obvious, and even in the obvious, there are aspects that we will only see if we do it carefully. In the first place, the look must educate our sensitivity, but then we must go to the next level and differentiate between subject matter and Content.
Jerry puts it beautifully, so I conclude with this quote, “When you look at art, make subject matter the first thing you see — and then stop seeing it. Start seeing into the art; find what needs are being expressed or hidden there and what else is behind the narrative. A work of art is a rich Stuart of material, personal, public, and aesthetic ideas. Let its water pass through its banks to reach you”.
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Son muchos anos siguiendo a Jerry Saltz y maravillándome con su forma ligera, pero no simplista, de afrontar la vida desde la perspectiva del arte, en realidad, desde la perspectiva del artista. No podría decir que Jerry sea un optimista, tampoco un pesimista, sino alguien que entendió que el arte, como también diría Ethan Hawke en su famosa charla TED, no es un lujo, sino una necesidad.
Compre el libro hace algún tiempo, siguiendo el impulso de los medios, pero lo mantuve en la pila de pendientes, no por falta de interés, sino por miedo a encontrarme con un manual de instrucciones, un check-list premasticado para todo publico. Dude de Jerry, lo confieso, pero finalmente tome el libro una tarde y lo leí 3 veces en 2 días. El libro es, esencialmente, una conversación no lineal, un constante salto de tópico a tópico, pero al final, como en todos los escritos de Jerry, todo terminando encajando bellamente.
Es difícil resumir o reseñar una conversación, así que no lo intentare; mas bien voy a comentar las ideas que quedaron resonando y las citas que hice para mi y que espero que no los satisfaga, sino que, por lo contrario, los deje tan insatisfechos que decidan ir al libro por si mismos.
Comienzo agradeciendo las fotografías e ilustraciones con las que inician casi todos los capítulos; como la maravillosa fotografía de Matisse trabajando desde la cama, la de Andy Warhol en su estudio, Margaret Bourke-White en el tope de la torre Chrysler, o Alice Neel en su estudio. Esas imágenes, a veces reverenciadas de forma directa en el texto como recurso didáctico o solo colocadas allí como correlato, son como conversar caminando por una inmensa exposición universal. A propósito, me encanta conversar mientras paseo por museos, lo hago con frecuencia con mi esposa, mis hijos, y con amigos. Las galerías crean en un efecto protector en el que la conversación fluye; esa sensación la siento reproducida en el libro a través del uso de esas imágenes.
El libro no tiene tabla de contenidos ni indice y eso es fantástico. Son 63 tópicos organizados en 5 partes, con numeración consecutiva desde el inicio. El orden es importante. Un indice ofrecería la tentación de saltar a un tópico directamente y, para los efectos de este libro, seria equivalente a adelantar un video para llegar a un punto especifico de la conversación, al mejor estilo de Instagram o TikTok, lo cual seria un despropósito.
Un aspecto que Jerry enfatiza de múltiples formas durante el libro es la autorreflexión, la capacidad de evaluarse, pero no con respecto a un estándar externo, sino para crear un barómetro interno acerca de nuestra obra. “If it doesn’t feel right — it’s not right” es la respuesta a la pregunta “How do you know if your art is working?”. El objetivo no es llegar a una posición de seguridad y control ya que :The artist is on continually evolving path, accumulating experience but always starting over”. Y el camino requiere de una cultivada intuición ya que, como menciona Cindy Sherman, el arte se siente “summoning something I don’t even know until I see it”. En resumen, nos hacemos cada vez mejores para reconocer cuando encontramos algo que vale la pena y esto solo es posible trabajando, con disciplina y constancia.
“Art is like birdsong: it’s made of patterns, inflections, shadings, shifts — all thing that have emotional and perceptual impact, even if we can never really translate their meanings”. El “Meaning”opinión siempre es un problema en la creación contemporánea; a pesar de que en mi opinión la pertinencia es lo importante, existe un solida atadura con un supuesto compromiso con el significado que aliena la creación. “The faster your work makes sense, the faster people will lose interest”. En este punto del libro son particularmente lucidas las referencias a Coleridge y a Louise Bourgeois, “Tell your own story and you will be interesting”. Oscar Wilde, citado por Jerry, expande estas ideas a la comprensión del mismo artista sobre su obra y la de otros, “The moment you think you understand a great work of art, it’s dead for you”. Nadie la pide a Mozart o a Matisse “means”.
Sobre la difícil diferenciación entre estilo y genero, Jerry recomienda a los artistas nacientes asumir un genero, pero no un estilo; ya que, el estilo es la esencia inestable que el artista trae a un genero. Es como la mutación, usando una analogía con la genética, que permite que el genero se expanda. El peligro es que, asumiendo un genero se puede caer en la adopción de las convenciones del mismo, y las convenciones son limites y deben ser reconocidos como tales. Hay que explorar, perderse, evitar ser predecible. “Predictability is good for computers, but it’s death for artists”.
El libro incluye en algunos de los tópicos, ejercicios de asimilación de las ideas y, en muchos casos, recomendaciones de procesos que Jerry considera beneficiosos para la creación. Uno de ellos tiene que ver con asumir la creación como un trabajo que requiere un espacio, tiempo, condiciones ambientales. Esto aplica al artista profesional o al artista a tiempo parcial que balancea sus horas de creación con el trabajo que constituye su fuente de ingresos. Horarios, deadlines, planificación, investigación, son conceptos que deben usarse con rigurosidad en los procesos de creación.
La búsqueda de la voz propia es un “big deal”. El imperativo de “debes encontrar tu propia voz” es tan grande e impreciso que termina paralizando al artista. “Imánate… then separate” es la recomendación y yo la apoyo totalmente. La imitación es una de las herramientas mas útiles en la docencia del arte. Al imitar el artista asimila técnicas y poco a poco va creando lenguajes propios nacidos de esa mala imitación. Allí es donde la voz propia nace. Un ejercicio interesante que propone Jerry es analizar el estilo compositivo de una lista importante se artistas.
Ahora bien, como en el arte no hay roadmaps precisos, como medir el avance? Y, acaso mas importante, como evitar la frustración? Stanley Whitney, citado por Jerry, dijo que “A bad day is a good day, because a bad day is when you’re trying to take it to a different level” En mi experiencia personal, lo importante es hacer todos los días algo que nos mueva en la dirección que queremos tomar, ya sea investigar una obra, escribir un texto, hacer bocetos, editar un serie nueva o revisar una serie vieja; al final del día podemos estar tranquilos si podemos identificar esos movimientos hacia “la meta”. Esto mantiene nuestro mindset y permite que nuestro cerebro trabaje en nuevas conexiones.
Conectando con esta idea del Mindset, quiero terminar con un tópico al que Jerry le dedica varias partes en el libro, el mirar con atención. Debes convertirnos en maquinas de ver, “look hard, look openly”. Siempre hay algo mas allá de lo evidente, e incluso en lo evidente hay aspectos que solo veremos si lo hacemos con atención. La mirada debe, en primer lugar, educar nuestra sensibilidad, pero luego debemos pasar al siguiente nivel y diferenciar subject matter y Content.
Jerry lo expresa bellamente, por lo que concluyo con esta cita, “When you look at art, make subject matter the first thing you see — and then stop seeing it. Start seeing into the art; find what needs are being expressed or hidden there, what else is behind the narrative. A work of art is a rich Stuart of material, personal, public, and aesthetic ideas. Let its water pass through its banks to reach you”.