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| Franie encaustic mixed media on birch 6x6 |
I just left a long winded post for a good friend, Kat Sloma, over on her blog - Kateyestudio She was pondering the concept of labeling in the art world. She is a photographer. Now, I ask you.. does that conjure up a picture in your mind of what her art might be like? I know the label photographer definitely brings up images of traditional photography in my mind. Yet, her art is beautifully altered photos done digitally. She is really good at it and her art is beautiful. However, her question is - is what I do photography? That's where her roots are and where her artwork starts - as a beautifully taken photograph. Yet, after she works her digital magic - her art looks more like a painting. It brings up a really good question of labeling.
So, I label myself as an encaustic artist - yet the representational work that I do in encaustic is the minority of what is done. Most people conjure up the idea of beautiful textured abstract work as the stereotype for encaustic. Yet, as a medium it is hugely diverse... There is encaustic collograph printing, encaustic over clay, rich beautiful monoprints Its endless what can be done with the medium, yet is there a stereotype? An expectation if someone says - I am an encaustic artist? Is there a label? How about other artists - oil painters, acrylic painters and watercolorists? Is there a stereotype with these mediums? Or have these been around so long with so many different representations done that people are open to and curious about what it is versus planting a stereotype? Its an interesting subject to ponder.
Happy Friday everyone!
