Inspiration from other genres

Till now we have discussed the question of stagnation and coming out of it as a landscape painter and same for the genre in general. And we also passingly mentioned the antipathy and little antagonism between two art forms , viz landscape as a part of realism and landscape as a part of abstraction. On larger scale it is the antagonism between realism and abstract and also between traditional with contemporary. The contemporary art scene is either disdainful or somewhat condescending towards landscape in any form.

In all this 'wars', how a landscape painter has to look at other genres who call themselves 'more evolved'? And to take it further, how any art form, if it leaves condescending attitude, can look at other art forms for inspiration? For that to happen, How to remain non judgmental?

Well, as far as my technique goes, firstly understanding inside that any art form is not bad and accepting that each genre will have great artists in some numbers, even if you are not tuned to that particular art form. i say 'tuned' as finding an art genre as 'not serious' or amateur, is because your consciousness is not tuned to it? And when we understand this, then we will search for greatness in that genre. For a realist who swears by beauty as a reason behind creation of art, any contemporary work, depicting negative side of life will not be 'good' or anything which tries to convey a message will be preachy! So first step is dropping these prior judgments and then finding positives. And mind you, in accepting the positives, there need not be any patronizing attitude!

What will happen? We are not in business of art criticism or appreciation courses. We are painters, and i assume more of landscapes. We are not looking at earning goodwills! Then? The new search outside our art form will give us something more.

As a painter of one specific genre even if not stagnated, we are constrained by ethics and more so by traditions formed by our and others' experiences. And like a vicious circle, these experiences in themselves are limited by prior ethics and rules. So many times being a practioner of one art, is bound to make us single tracked. In management terms the growth will be vertical, yet one dimensional.

Firstly try to understand the motives of the painter. If he is not realist then his motive will not be a depiction of a 'thing' however large or small it may be. If not a thing then idea? So we may try to gauge the idea he was behind and what joy he was seeking or what he wished to convey? And what reaction he wished to elicit from the viewers of different kinds. It may not help us find a new prime motive for our landscapes, but it may help us in trying them alongside painting a scene? Say to shock or make viewer angry or think! 

Most of us are painting just 'beauty' of different types.Though beauty is an abstract idea in itself, we take recourse to paint a thing or a place 'full of beauty'! And that is usually expected from us! Then taking a cue from contemporary paintings,whether we actually start 'preaching' via landscape is another matter but that will make us think, about how to make viewer 'think beyond the beautiful'.

Secondly, landscape, especially in watercolours, are mostly seen to be not stretching  the limit of the media.... in terms of not only technique but related questions of composition and size etc. Abstractionist for that matter is not hindered by these. As he is not depicting a 'thing' or 'scene' he is not intimidated by the medium's 'imagined' limits. He goes beyond boundaries which we seldom think to cross. Mind you, i am not saying that all abstractionists per se are better in this, than all landscape painters. But watching the 'freedom' they take may inspire us to break our chains.

Landscape has also norms of composition with all those golden points and division of spaces. Mondrian had no norms, neither Giatonde, the Indian master abstract painter. As a painter of 'no -thing'... nothing, they could go berserk with composing the work. And where to put which hue or which shape is not decided by anyone or anything else, but their own mind and heart. 

And when we can think on those lines, we can go astray from the scene in front. The whole problem stems from our decision to leave decisions in others' hands... be it the scene in front, which we only decide is 'the' reality or the norms which we decide are unbreakable!!!

If you a true landscape artist, anything... i say anything under the sun is 'above' land and  is candidate for being painted in your 'scape'.. if you decide! And for that, see masters of other genres, of course not to follow them if you wish to continue in landscape, but search the ethos of freedom they find in their art! And it is not that masters of landscape have not found their freedom; but we have woolly eyes who see what we wish to see in their landscapes, to suit our norms. We will 'worship' their greatness to accept our inability to improve. Or worse, find in their masterpieces, what we think is right and avoid seeing their freedom and joy!!!!