Saturday 24 April 2010
The Aboutist Manifesto
THE ABOUTISTS is a visual art movement in development, open to discussion, debate and change, but for now based on these principles….
1. The Work
The work is about the world immediately around us, the present time, the people, buildings, objects and evident values of the place and time we are in.
2. The Subject
The work is about what you see first hand around you. It is based on looking outwards at life, not inwards at your self. It is not principally about the artist, the artist is the medium, not the subject.
3. The Source
Aboutists work from a real source. Not tracing or copying photographs or images from distant sources (such as the web). You should get close to the subject and understand something, and be willing to sacrifice photographic accuracy in favour of expression and quality in the work.
4. The Media
We use what ever method or media that works to record and express the values of a time and place. These things can, and will change and reflect the values of a time. All that is good.
5. Explanations
The work should speak for itself. If you need to write an essay to tell people what they should think about your work, then it doesn’t communicate. A title should be enough to start some understanding. This is not an intellectual movement.
6. Unify
The intention is to make connections and form groups with artists working in the same way. Aboutists should be unified and out in the world. Form groups to develop ideas and methods and to exhibit work.
7. Showing Work
Whenever possible we show our work in places close to its source and subject. In shop windows, bars and night clubs, bus shelters, supermarkets and public buildings.
8. The State
In recent times most of what we do in art is chosen by people who work indirectly for the government. Young artists are told what is, or is not art, both in schools and art colleges, and also by the media. Funding comes from agents of the government, and often they choose what is promoted or approved of. Aboutists work and keep their freedom to be honest about work and life.
1. The Work
The work is about the world immediately around us, the present time, the people, buildings, objects and evident values of the place and time we are in.
2. The Subject
The work is about what you see first hand around you. It is based on looking outwards at life, not inwards at your self. It is not principally about the artist, the artist is the medium, not the subject.
3. The Source
Aboutists work from a real source. Not tracing or copying photographs or images from distant sources (such as the web). You should get close to the subject and understand something, and be willing to sacrifice photographic accuracy in favour of expression and quality in the work.
4. The Media
We use what ever method or media that works to record and express the values of a time and place. These things can, and will change and reflect the values of a time. All that is good.
5. Explanations
The work should speak for itself. If you need to write an essay to tell people what they should think about your work, then it doesn’t communicate. A title should be enough to start some understanding. This is not an intellectual movement.
6. Unify
The intention is to make connections and form groups with artists working in the same way. Aboutists should be unified and out in the world. Form groups to develop ideas and methods and to exhibit work.
7. Showing Work
Whenever possible we show our work in places close to its source and subject. In shop windows, bars and night clubs, bus shelters, supermarkets and public buildings.
8. The State
In recent times most of what we do in art is chosen by people who work indirectly for the government. Young artists are told what is, or is not art, both in schools and art colleges, and also by the media. Funding comes from agents of the government, and often they choose what is promoted or approved of. Aboutists work and keep their freedom to be honest about work and life.
About: Patrick Warren
Patrick Warren was born in Yorkshire on 25th March 1960.Patrick produced drawings, paintings and prints, but mainly he drew. Firstly as an industrial designer after his degree at Sheffield City Polytechnic, Psalter Lane (1979 - 1983).
He lived and worked in Bristol from 1989-1995 where he was a freelance artist, graphic designer, typographer, and illustrator.
In 1995 he moved to Berlin to concentrate on drawing and lived, worked, exhibited and sold his pictures over a period of seven years. His work was shown at Bilderamung, Hachescher Hofe several times and in Burgstrasse, Berlin Mitte, and in Cookies Bar, Kalkscheuner Hof, Berlin.
In 2001 he moved base to Brighton. From April 2002 and following summers he worked as a beach and street cleaner in Brighton to fund the winter’s drawing. He spent periods of time away drawing and painting. Six months producing artwork in Sansepolcro, Italy (2002/2003). Four months working in Brandenburg, Germany and Palermo and Balestrade in Sicily (2003/2004). Six months living and working in Brasov, Romania drawing people in the district of Tracorul (2007/2008). Five month period drawing and living in Nanning, in the ‘autonomous region’ of Guanxi in the south west of China (2008/2009).
Patrick worked in series of subject matter from his travels and drawings. Series includes: Berlin, Italy, Romania and China and large collection of life drawings and life paintings which runs throughout.
All his work was based on the world immediately around him. Often his work shows people at work, or in public spaces, anonymous people who represent ways of living and working in a society.
Patrick's work is figurative, bold, confident and striking; the bulk of the series being large scale (A0 and A1). The earlier series (Berlin) includes a variety of different sized paintings. He worked predominantly in gouache, egg tempera and charcoal.
He produced hundreds of simple and wonderful unframed life drawings (A3 size) in ink, charcoal and pencil. Additionally there are sets of small batches of pencil sketches.
On his return to Brighton from China in 2009, Patrick began working on the Aboutist Movement and Art Manifesto.
He had been working on building a website of the Aboutists to include some of his pictures and to encourage other artists who worked in the same way to join and develop the movement with him.
He was looking to exhibit a collection of his work in the UK this year. He had made plans to visit and draw in 3 or 4 different towns in the South of England in 2010 with a view to exhibit enlarged copies of these in bus-stops and train stations.
Sadly Patrick died suddenly and unexpectedly in January 2010 before his plans could be completed.
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