April 8, 2008
The idea of collaboration is nothing new, but visual artists do not use it enough to develop their work. Due to strict schedules and other life demands, it is easier to do most of our work alone and without any type of input until the day of an exhibit. While we might be able to keep up a personal momentum that drives our work, this wanes for most and eventually can burn us out. The best way to jump start a new series is to experiment in a small group of like-minded individuals.
From my own experience I have found that working with other artists on a collaboration can be fun, stimulating and encouraging. My series Ancient Boats developed from one such collaboration with the painter Ryan Goodwin. We bought thirty small, beveled pieces of wood from an art store and prepared the surface for paint. Then, we split the group in half and each completed fifteen small works. As a challenge we agreed upon the subject Ocean and all the paintings would have either a literal, symbolic or abstract meaning related to this topic. We had the option to paint in our preferred style or something entirely new. I experimented with some images based off a National Geographic series on the Black Sea, which later gave birth to a new style within my work.
As we created each piece in the Ocean series, it was fun to work with someone else in the room. For most painters, that have left the college environment, we are accustomed to creating our works in a solitary place. This experience allowed for comradeship and talk about our craft, as well as an excuse to order to pizza and turn up the music.
In other cases, collaborations have spear-headed art exhibits. When I first moved to Chicago, I found that this was one of the best benefits of working within a group of artists. We were able to secure a place for an exhibit and create all the advertising necessary. For an artist that is just starting out and looking for a simple venue, this can be one of the easiest solutions. If a young painter doesn’t know of any other artists, joining a neighborhood art organization is a good idea.
Whether the collaboration yields a breakthrough idea or an art exhibit, it can add to a general sense of well-being. It is difficult for anyone to produce good art year after year, and it is most certainly not as fun alone. A collaboration for the sake of entertainment, to keep one’s ideas from going stale, to encourage or expand one’s thoughts and craft, are all worthy reasons to engage in such a project.
