Warhol might like it

cut lines instead of drawn lines - getting away from the trace of the human gesture, but still unable to escape from it as the real trace is the cut and the placement.

with the first one I was just exploring cutting and layering. I like how the light made the lines.
with the second I wanted to lift off the surface by adding a different tone - not sure about it here but another avenue to explore.
the third one i like. I like the sparseness but need to have some longer lines - too many of the lines are all the same
with the 4th I wanted to explore density and a bit more energy - prefer in real life holding as you can move it in the light creating different amounts of shadow. In this one it was interesting to cut off the lines that extended beyond the frame [photography's influence]

capitalism and being an artist

Couple of days ago started thinking about selling artwork - why do it?

Throughout history the artist has by and large been subservient to wealthy patrons e.g. Medici. The artist has created artworks that are now collateral in our banks. These banks exist not for the safe keeping of our money but to maintain the status quo, a status quo where the gap between rich and poor is increasing. To take another slant, we proport that life is freer 'the free west' but we at every corner relinquish our freedom, for example the right to demonstrate. I can demonstrate but face possibly deportation, loss of earnings, and none coverage of any medical inquiry arising from demonstrating. I am labelled with many different numbers. My ability to live outside of society is near impossible. It is possible, many we regard as drunks, or drop outs, do live to a large degree outside the regulations of society. A society that is increasingly fitting into the model of a city life. The city with many regulations that control people to a much greater degree than in the countryside.

Now the artist is ever increasingly emulating the business man, or the corporate culture; web site, resume, corporate clients. Public Art, another slant, on how artists serve business. The site on which public art is placed increases in value. Artists themselves move into studios where they are a property developers dream, they again increase the property value and get kicked out for higher paying businesses to move in. Artists again another cog of the capitalist business model.

Even now after the financial crisis, governments are ineffectual in transforming the system to benefit the majority of the populous. There are many compelling reasons to support the financial industry but on a true playing field business that fail should be allowed to fail, (not thrown money at), therefore allowing better perhaps more cautious business to come to the forefront in the situation.

The artist a willing participant in this game of commercialism. I hate private views of my own work. I wait around chat to people, the power is not in my hands. Waiting around for someone to snap up my work. I will know nothing of this rich person who can do whatever they like with my cared for artistic babies. Should i now continue to sell my artwork? Let it be possible colateral in a bank vault? No, maybe I should just give them away to whoever I consider should have them. A real connection. A real exchange.