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International Art Treasures Web Magazine August 2005 |
Don Frost : In his own Words
I was quite obsessed as a child with the artistic concept of making “a nothing” into a thing of beauty. By this I mean the absolute avoidance of any recognizable realistic form to intervene in my pursuit of the essence, the pure fundamentals of form and beauty. Decades later I am still pursuing this ethereal essence. In a strange sense I feel that the child never left the sand box, the sand box just grew larger to encompass the world. When the time arrived when I was supposed to be an adult and face redundant responsibilities with gritted teeth I became blessed by a wealthy patron, who for another twenty-three years and some forty sculptures later simply expanded the scope and capacity of my sand box.
The same exists for designers, architects, chefs, actors, and many others that I have missed. My point is that we all begin with a problem, a challenge, and it is the mastering of our individual similar problems that allows us to create and evolve to the next level of development. It is not simply natural, but required, for a novice to copy existing material in order to be able to perceive the integral structures of their particular chosen method of expression. The writer will read, the chef will follow recipes, the painter and sculptor will copy real things. This plateau of accomplishments causes a level of success that is critical in the career of any creative person. The success of reproduction will bring forth the glory and praise of acceptance from those individuals who require familiarity and security for their positive evaluation of the importance of the art form. Due to this acceptance of their reproductive ability and compliance with a degree of present social values the “artist” will receive recognition for the first time in their lives. More critically important, they will also receive money for their success, which they have done without during their developmental years. This plateau of relative fame, success and financial security is sufficient to halt the spirit of the creative process. In trade for a never before realized level of financial security the new creative problem to solve is that of survival. At this point in time in their artistic development only a few determined individuals, whose spirits are grand, will be able to face this seduction and stand for their spiritual/creative values. To expand upon this idea lets take a fine artist, a painter, who has developed their skills to a paramount level of reproducing the obvious and who is now confronted with the creative challenge of what to do next. This “next” is to proceed into a personal level of expression on the mental and spiritual side of life and feelings. I believe that there is a fascinating evolution that takes place when the artist enters this new realm, and is not so concerned that their duck looks like a duck, but rather does their new level of expression portray the significant feeling and drama that they would like it to? Stepping ahead with this idea, at this level of expression, there is no difference between the art and the artist.
This sounds so easy in words, but in reality this is exactly the mechanical process that the artist is involved in by being self-expressive. There is a unique circumstance that takes place within this rare world of self-expression where the artist achieves an unparalleled state by becoming objectively subjective. The artist can and does look at them self in a state removed from them self through the mirror reflection of their art. There are many things that take part in this process, but the most significant is that the art and the artist have become an interactive machine, working with each other to solve and evolve to a greater, higher level. This process does not happen anywhere else, and it is necessary for us all to take note of who is really making the necessary changes in our world and why.
I would like to say that I have high standards. I have dreams, and the creation of these ideas is not only a wonderful thing for me to experience in fulfillment as a reflection of myself, but I also feel that I have understood my position in society as an artist to cause change by seeking to achieve my single goal of expressing beauty in a form previously undisclosed to the world. Life is and will always be as beautiful an experience as we choose to understand that it can be, and then indulge ourselves in the creative effort to learn to make it into such a place. Life is not a spectator sport.
My work is a continuous evolution of shapes, techniques and finishes. In one situation where I was asked to duplicate one of my own sculptures I found in nearly impossible to do, because my feeling about that shape had changed, and I wanted to advance it to my present level of thinking. Every time I create a new sculpture I will try something different and I am continually reminding myself to be more extreme in my expressions. A goal which I have set for my future is to impose only one limitation on my sculptures and that is to make sure they will fit through the door of my studio when they are finished, that is all. We have an increasing number of restrictions imposed on us and are being suffocated by our own good behavior. This pressure cooker needs a release or it is going to blow. My art is not reactionary in any sense and I don’t need to shock or upset anyone’s delicately arranged values. Life itself is hard and weird enough without digging a surprise pot hole in the already ill paved path of life. I like to think that by dealing with my own path and trying to make it a little smoother, rewarding and interesting that I may also provide something of beauty and inspiration to others. This may all sound altruistic and fanciful but any level of living a dream is far better than watching it on TV. Speaking of which, I haven’t watched television in over thirty years. I don’t need entertaining, and wonderfully enough, my idea of taking a break from sculpture is to do a sculpture which I wouldn’t normally do. There is a lovely walking/bike trail in front of the house and every so often I’ll make one of my now infamous “path projects”. These are total nonsense fun things that are tossed together relatively quickly and set beside the path for sheer amusement.
There are several images of sculptures included and I think that an explanation of their content would be better done by explaining how, why, what these sculptures should be, observed from my standpoint. Drama, excitement caused by contrast, is the primary feeling of the sculpture and even though many may end up looking like “something familiar” it is not my intention. These works are not my impression or expression of anything real. Realism and its many off shoots are best experienced by a walk in the woods. When you look at these sculptures you should notice a play between thick and thin, sharp/smooth, square/round, positive/negative, cup/dome, curve/straight, so that the entire piece seems to be playing with its own shape. As the sculpture is rotated as shown in a following sequence of pictures, the present side flows into the new side to produce an entirely new feeling and a new sculpture. Three-hundred-sixty degrees of rotation should technically give you three-hundred-sixty sculptures, each slightly different than the last. Then, as lighting effects change and new shadows are produced, you can start the whole thing over again. If you set them up high it will be a different sculpture from viewing it on the floor. This is a slight exaggeration. However, with all of the potential variations of light, viewing angle and rotation you will have 1800 different sculptures.
Being a professional sculptor is not an easy gig. It is a mini-industry that includes every aspect of a major corporation, with the added catch that everything manufactured is a new invention. I must think of a new concept, manufacture it, finish it, photograph it, market it, crate, ship, advertise, have a web page, communicate, speculate and provide time and funds for research and development in new materials and finishes. It is also very, very rewarding. I have experienced many superlatives in life, fascinating times and situations that I could never have been a part of if I were not an artist. Being an artist is great, and I don’t take sufficient advantage of this label of “artist”, where people not only allow, but expect a degree of obscurity from you. I guess I am a bit weird, but I think I have to get to know somebody before I unleash that part of me. I was good friends with a past Mr. America and had a riot pushing, poking and tracking his muscles like he was this hyper-developed Gumby toy who indulged my anatomical curiosity because I am an artist! Knowing Marlen and Mike Cowpland for twenty years was an unexplainable experience of endless inspiration and value, many levels and types of value! They were a tremendous influence on my art, not only for their extreme support, but through the experience of learning to know them as human beings. Most people don’t get to experience this level of wealth, controlled by brilliant, passionate minds, who are kind, humble, generous and just want to have fun. Their standards for normal life were so high that you couldn’t help but get magnetized by their presence and somehow become a part of it. I think I have made over forty-five sculptures for the Cowpland’s but I have lost count. It was all such a fantasy whirl wind where I was creating a commission for the new house and then working - developing - thinking about my own new ideas about art.
Art reflects the life of the artist and it is impossible for it to be any other way. Art in its proper context also changes the life of the artist and that is impossible for it to be any other way. Support your artists, for they will add to the dimensions of your own life! It is their unsung job to do so. Be an adventurer and read a new book, try a new meal, turn off the television and go outside to look at the stars and ponder the true dimensions of infinity. The beauty of my life and work is that I must continuously question the unknown, seek the superlative level of expression and perpetually strive for perfection. I can not remember the author: “The problem is not in setting one’s goals too high and never attaining them, it is in setting them too low and attaining them.”
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