Art Journaling

I have really fallen in love with art journaling. I love that it is just for me, and not to impress anyone else, and not to sell. I am obsessed with reading about other techniques, and looking at other pages. I read a review of a fabric altering book last night, though, and really agreed with a lot of what it said. It spoke of a whole new generation of books and artists who really are limiting what they are encouraging. Let the reviewer speak for herself:

"However I really really don't like aspects of the "art". In Jan 2008, a user called 'me', in a response to a review of a completely different book, stated ""collaging" these days seems to be nothing more than feminine thoughts from "Desperate Housewives" combined with an "instant ancestor" black and white picture of some random person you don't even know, with cut out words pasted on top of them. Originality is becoming generic." This really sums up what I found disappointing in this book. If it had come out 10 years ago then it might at least have been refreshing, but for a 2009 release it just rehashes tired scrapbooking and altered book cliches.

One specific example from many instances in the book;

The Wired Resin-paper Card (p. 16), uses a generic transparency image of a woman in a dirndle skirt, peasant blouse, headscarf, with bare feet and holding a bundle of belongings wrapped up in a checked piece of fabric; the generic exotic vintage-y gypsy-type other. This is mounted on a sheet of resin-coated sinitic text (Chinese characters); generic exotic other again. The processes involved are creative and fun to do, but the end result is really tired and definitely isn't art. This sinitic text is used in projects throughout the book, either in the form of printed paper or by transfer from rubber stamps. Equally frequent are stamped word tags saying "discover", "imagine", "explore", or "believe". At some point art has to say more to the viewer, or the creator, than "discover".

At the same time, I'm hesitant to criticise a book that encourages women to make things and satisfy their creative needs. For some women, the book is probably exactly the nudge they need to get them creating. I just think there has to be more honest self-expression in life than making a banner that spells out "C-R-E-A-T-E" (p. 84)" 

http://www.amazon.com/review/RQ99RTL22Q4Z3/ref=cm_cr_pr_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1600611885&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=#wasThisHelpful

An example of this is in the many art journal books out there. So many of the examples are just reruns of Teesha Moore's cut out ladies with pointy hats. Huh?? I don't get that. I don't get why that is art. My 6 year old could do that. Fine, I get that it is easy and relaxing to do, but is that the best that can be shown in an art journal? Teesha Moore's pages are gorgeous, her bags and fabric journals show how incredibly talented she is, but she did seem to create an army of imitators, feverishly cutting out women's faces and pointy hats, many of which are featured in books about art journals as "art." Since I am a newer artist, I hesitate to label anything as "not art," but this is just silly stuff to be calling art. And all derivative from a few such as Moore, who came up with the idea.

My favorite art journals are those that have illustrations and writing on the page together so that you can make sense of each. Here is an example from Alisa Burke:
http://alisaburke.blogspot.com/2011/02/peek-inside-my-sketchbook.html

And from Dion Dior:
http://www.diondior.com/search/label/Autumn%20Colors
and
http://www.diondior.com/search/label/Dragonfly

Both have an art journal feel, but both women are truly artists and it shows in their journals. I keep looking for ways to learn to paint and journal like that, and keep coming up with pointy hats.

Best,
Maren

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