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What's in a title?
I am always so disappointed when I go up to read a work's title and see the word 'Untitled'. I think, 'really? You really couldn't come up with one word, one phrase, one thought that could address the work?' I know a picture is supposed to be worth a thousand words, but why not use the poetic potential of language to add or enhance the meaning of your work. At the very least, titles are helpful in terms of talking about your work to gallerists, curators or when you are trying to organize your work on your website. Imagine a curator saying that she wants 'Untitled' from 2004 and you happen to have cleverly titled four works 'Untitled' that year. Whether the purpose is poetic or practical, I think art is better off with a title.
Sometimes artists don't title each individual work, but rather they title a group or series, such as the case with the painting on the right. This painting is from a series called "Wulf's Artistic Training Facility at Chamless, CA" showing at Tif Sigfrids in Los Angeles. While I was intrigued by the image of work, it is the title that inspired me to investigate this artist further. I was fascinated that the artist described his studio practice as 'artistic training'. We tend to think that artists get trained in school and then go off to be professional artists, but the truth of it is we are always in training.
Wulff's paintings are a response to a new environment; he came from Berlin to a desert studio in Chamless, California. In an Interview with Ulrich Wulff, he speaks of painting as a tool for communication. Part of an artist's ongoing 'training' is a continual response to new environments and new situations, and these responses often involve a re-invention of a previous learned artistic language.
So the next time you find yourself using the word 'untitled' to title a painting, take a moment to think, 'is there another more interesting word I can use to enhance what my work might communicate?'
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Gift Certificates will be available for purchase at Open House on Saturday Dec 14
or at VISA office during regular office hours.
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Buy yourself and a friend a workshop gift certificate and make it a fun date!
We are pleased to offer TWENTY THREE one and two day weekend workshops including many new workshops never offered before at VISA.
All art supplies are included in our weekend workshops.
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TODAY SATURDAY DEC 7 NOON - 4PM
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VISA UPDATE
Holiday Hours: 
Monday, Dec 23, 9am-5pm
Tuesday, Dec 24, 9am-1pm
School closed Dec 25-January 3
School reopens Monday, January 6, regular 9am-5pm hours
Please note that our evening classes now run from 6:00-9:00 (instead of 6:30-9:30)
Stay tuned for Art Film Nights (once a month at VISA starting in January)
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