Category Archives: On my mind this week

Am I an artist?

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I have often asked myself the question “am I an artist?” You’d think the answer was straightforward really, but what is an artist?

Most definitions suggest an artist is someone who makes “art” to express what they are thinking or feeling. That’s fine, but what about commission work then, interpreting what someone else thinks or feels and translating it into an “art work”?

Some definitions suggest art is something that is functional and generally aesthetically pleasing to the eye (Tracey Emin’s contemporary work “My Bed” might disprove this theory). So perhaps we need to think more about form and content, or the skill and techniques involved to determine whether someone is an artist?

That raises another question…who decides whether I’m an artist? I have already made the decision to use the word on my business card, but to be honest I’m more inclined to think the decision rests with others. I know that my intention is to produce art that is aesthetically pleasing both in my opinion and others’. I also hope my work connects with and provokes a response in others. Most of all though I believe it’s the judgement of my peers that determines the answer to my question “am I an artist”?

Karen's caricature portrait

Karen – caricature

So, I received this wonderful caricature as a gift for my birthday recently. I love the fun, bold colours in the picture and the fantasy fairy image on the easel.  My birth date is cunningly incorporated, along with my web identity (KL Art). Oh, and I really love the virtual weight loss around the thighs and bum!

Most of all though I feel reassured by the affirmation that there are people out there who believe I’m an artist!

Thanks for the confidence boost – Stephen, Andrea & kids!

Now, where to hang it…..

What is Art – Damien Hirst?

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Summer is here! The Queen has “Jubileed” and Wimbledon has started. I know this to be true…I was there for both! London has become the centre of the universe for me this summer (I have Olympic tickets hidden away right now too). What better, whilst in town, than to take advantage of the myriad opportunities tied up with all this and available right now.

I have been intrigued for some time by the works of a certain Mr Hirst (I can’t mention his first name as the mere mention of a “Damien” sets Carmina Burana playing in my head). I have scoffed with the rest of them about his “spin paintings” and “spot paintings”, which he doesn’t even paint himself.

Coloured spots image

I have argued against the authenticity of someone who uses an “art factory” to make money based on my perception is that the money rather than the art has been his primary driver. So, what good news while I’m in town – Tate Modern has a Hirst Exhibition that will provide an opportunity to scoff directly at some of his works. His retrospective provides the ultimate chance to prove to myself just how distasteful his work really is.

“Welcome to Tate Modern Madam”

“Thanks, yes I would like to take the full audio tour”

The narrative serves to explain some of the key concepts behind this art – useful as I’ve forgotten my glasses for the written stuff as usual. Equally importantly though everyone else has disappeared and the earphones leave just me and the art work – no distractions.

OK, so I like the colours, but pans? Pans, for goodness sake? What’s so special about pans?! And an old hairdryer, a bit like the old Morphy Richards my Mum used to have…call this art? I mean, it’s interesting and even a little bit clever but…

Cows head and flies “A Thousand Years”?! “Mother and Child Divided” Memories of rat dissections and dismembered locusts, the smell of formaldehyde all come back to me from distant biology classes. Cigarette stubs and Medicine cabinets?! Totally bizarre in my opinion, such as it is, and more the sign of OCD than the creativity of an artist…Leonardo would be turning in his grave!

But wait:

I can’t proclaim myself a convert or a prospective collector of his work, but there is a strange beauty to some of the pieces I so wanted to dislike. I will confess I was more than a little disappointed that the diamond encrusted skull had departed only 24hours before my visit. I will also confess that I rather liked the the spots and spins which had a certain je ne sais quoi. (Oh, and I did squeal a bit when one of the live butterflies tried to make good their escape by hiding on the back of my collar).

So, what is art Mr Hirst? If it’s the visual expression of things that provoke thought, feelings, discussion then I guess you have it in bucket loads. There was certainly a lot of discussion over lunch! If it’s about aesthetic appreciation then yourwork is a little more questionable in parts. I’ll leave my final judgement for now, knowing I won’t queue or rush for future tickets, but would be happy to drop by a new exhibition if I happened to be in town.

Now, where did I put that fly spray?!

What’s in a Domain Name?

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Memories of a big domain name decision…

So, here we are. I’m ready to start building a website/blog (in mind if not in body) and have a strangely familiar dilemma. What should I call myself?

It’s not that I’m having an identity crisis or that I don’t already have a name. I have a name that I quite like in fact. There aren’t too many of us Loughridge’s around, so it’s a relatively unique name. In fact, when searched my surname elicits an interesting response

Sorry, your search didn’t return any results because we don’t have enough data for this surname (nonexistent or less than 1300 records). Please search again.

In many respects that’s good news – my name should be very memorable and indeed I know it often is, when spoken. And once seen I’m not easily forgotten (allegedly). So, what’s my problem?

Throughout my life my name has been constantly mis-spelled or mis-pronounced. You see, it’s pronounced as “Lock”. Not a log, luff, low or any other sound at the start…”it’s an Irish Lough!” I often hear myself explaining.

Wikipedia agrees and gives an interesting explanation. It’s one that always makes me smile as I create a romantic image of my forebears looking out over the Lough from the ridge where they lived:

Lough is a Hiberno-English form of the Old Irish word loch, which means lake, or bay. The form loch is also used in Irish English, Lough is also used for some small bodies of water in the far north of England.

It can also be used as a surname, with various pronunciations: law, loch, low, lowe, loth, loff, lohguh.

So, mine is pronounced “Loch”. I know that because my Dad told me so and he should know!  He’s spent years explaining too, despite being told by his teachers he was wrong.

So, what’s the big deal? Well, of course I’m setting up on line and need a domain name. “KarenLoughridgeFineArt” dot com or co.uk would be the obvious choice and I would have liked to use my name. So, checking out the wisdom of my IT Advisor Stanridge.co.uk and on line expert SEOMoz domain name good practice would suggest:

  • Use something unique (check)
  • Create and meet expectations (Fine Art in title = check)
  • Reject hyphens and numbers (check)
  • Avoid latest trends – “mucking around with the English Language” is what I call it (All plain English = check)
  • Use something easy to type, remember and share – Oh dear!

Decision made – KLArt it is!

KL Art Business Card

KL Art Business Card