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The school of abstract expressionism and what’s happening with RIM…..

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

So, last Wednesday evening, my wife and I attended one of the Chatham Cultural Centre’s art and wine evenings. I’ve been anxious to attend one of these for quite some time because I know absolutely nothing about visual art or its history but would like to. So, away we went. The evening was about a New York City artist by the name of Robert Motherwell and he was what is called an “abstract expressionist”, which means he did something I’ve always referred to as modern art. And, indeed, it is art that can be interpreted different ways by different people. And this was perhaps not a good place for me to start my art education because I’ve never gotten modern abstract art. It has always been a mystery to me and something that makes me feel like an uncultured slob. I mean, why can’t I get it? Why can’t I view this type of art as art? Because to me, it’s just a bunch of colour on a canvass and I don’t really see art and I have trouble interpreting it as anything. Robert Motherwell was part of a school of painters that got its start in the 1940’s in New York and for the first 15 or so years they were doing their modern art, no one took them seriously – no one believed that what they were creating was art – sort of like me. But, then, in the early 1960’s, things started to change and sort of suddenly, Motherwell and his fellow abstract artists started to get noticed. Before long, their paintings were selling for great gobs of money and, in fact, abstract expressionism became the most popular type of art in the world. And I can vouch for that. Much of the visual art I see being created in this day and age is abstract. Now, I guess the art must have value because so many other people seem to get it. But I surely don’t. Even after watching Robert Motherwell create some art, I don’t get it. In fact, I couldn’t believe how he painted. At one point, he’s got a canvass and a can of black paint. He dips his brush into the paint then moves it to where he’s going to start the painting. While he’s doing that he leaves a series of paint drops across the canvass – something that looks like a mistake. But, much to my surprise, he just keeps on going, leaving the drops of paint on the canvass. It seems anything goes in this type of painting. And when it’s done, it usually looks to me like a child could have done it. Or perhaps a chimpanzee or some other type of creature. And, listen, I’ve got no problem with people creating this type of art – people will do what people will do. But I really don’t understand folks paying huge sums of money for it. I understand it for a Picasso or for a Van Gogh, but I clearly don’t get it for this type of art. So, I still feel like an uncultured slob even after my evening of art and wine. And that’s just the way it is, I guess. Once an uncultured slob, always an uncultured slob.

Have you seen what’s been happening to Canadian tech giant RIM over the last little while. A company that was once valued at $80 billion is now valued at $8 billion. About 50% of the smart phone market in the U.S. used to belong to RIM, but that has dropped to 9%. My, how the mighty have fallen. And it really is too bad because RIM really gave Canada something to be proud of – that a Canadian company could be leading the way in this type of technology. But it seems that competition from the iPhone and Android has RIM in some trouble. Still, I was talking to a Blackberry guy the other day and he said RIM is only one technological breakthrough away from being back on top. And I guess that could be true. But Apple registered a $13 billion profit in the last quarter and that’s a lot of smart phones and iPads. Still, I hope RIM can find its way again. It’s good to know that Canada is in the mix of the technological revolution.

Well, out of time for another week and hope you’re doing okay out there. Take care and remember….”Hew to the line; let the chips fall where they may.”





John Gardiner is a 25-year-veteran of the community newspaper business, but he is also a prolific writer of moralistic short fiction he refers to as "emotional thoughtscapes" or "adult fables". Samples of his fiction can be found at:

He has also produced a noteworthy piece of humanist philosophy which can be found at: http://www.xs4all.nl/~aboiten/ad502.htm He welcomes comments on his work.