I've been doing some thinking over the break; like, "Who am I in regards to my art?", and, "What do I have to contribute?" Constantly I am berated by thoughts of plagiarism and hero-worship.
Let's get one thing straight: I fucking love James Jean. It worries me; I admire his work so much so that when I look at a blank page in my sketchbook I see a piece by James, not by me. There are a few artists whose personal vision is so refined and pure that the work temporarily blinds me to all other options and outcomes. Andrew Hem puts me in a similar place- among others I won't bother to mention.
I've decided that although I would most definitely gain some sort of sick satisfaction from being able to imitate James (who wouldn't?), I know I have much more to gain from eventually refining my own work down to its own purity...That satisfaction, I'm sure, will be long overdue.
For now I am content to allow these people to inform my work but not dictate it; in the meantime, I must broaden my own influences.
I'll be posting some more sketchbook work up soon, once I get some good quality photos.
Haha I have similar issues with Ashely Wood and Dice Tsutsumi. Cant wait to see what creations you bring forth.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't worry so much about it, Dan. We're all so young, still! Our personal points of view will make themselves known to us. I feel the same way about George at times, but we all work through our influences to arrive at something unique. But I don't need to tell you this, you already know!
ReplyDeleteNice piece!