I was trained as an art historian. This means,among many other things, that I don't really know how to paint. I know a lot about how other artists in the past have painted, and I know and awful lot about their career trajectories.
I've been painting and, to my eternal surprise, exhibiting and even occasionally selling for nearly a decade now and I was painting for a good eight to ten years before that without the slightest hope of ever, either exhibiting or selling art. I know, for my sins, what gets taken seriously as art and what I do "ain't it". The latter, although it probably should have done, never stopped me.... In fact the only thing that ever really prevented me form working was lack of space to work and storage space.
I think, at any given time, even the most successful artists always have a massive backlog of unsold work, taking up work space and it is this, among other things which gives rise to repetition. Being surrounded by stuff which after the honeymoon phase necessary to get anything completed has elapsed and long after the sad bitterness and disappointment that immediately follows, where every flaw, every mistake, every poorly sequenced idea manifests itself, blatantly, loudly and reproachfully, there comes a moment where it's time to do things again. Not necessarily better, although that is always to be hoped for but certainly differently. The above, is a second bite at this early cherry.
This was one of the first paintings from this group and one of the first ever to be sold. It was smaller and tighter and as soon as I had finished it, I was aware that it had at least 'something of what I was looking for.
Most creative activity is predicated on, at the very least productivity. All 'creatives' are obliged to produce. The idea of inspiration and the fugitive muse are very much 19th century constructs. It could easily be argued that 'the muse', like 'The Academy' are just closed shop, trade trade union busting entities, which substitute the perception of mystery and exclusivity for actual exclusivity. The academy, it was that produced the Emperor's new undergarments.
My guy, this is definitely art. I am aware of the historical prejudice against explicit visual art, but I can't help to think "this is art" when I look at your paintings. The symbolism, the composition, the use of color, the playfulness in the sexual acts you inject in every painting... It's wonderful. You've quickly become one of my favorite contemporary artists.