I've just finished reading Playing to the Gallery by Grayson Perry. What, you may ask, has a book about art got to do with writing? Actually, quite a lot.
This summer I have dabbled in a little art after many years. As a teenager I spent many hours with pencil, crayons, watercolour and ink copying other people's pictures. Later when married and with children art slipped into the past (a bit like writing). When I did get my sketch book out I was disappointed and frustrated with the results. However, this year being frustrated with writing I reverted to art. I decided I would not judge what I did and do it for purely for enjoyment. I'd forgotten how relaxing it was. I was able to switch off from everything just like I did in the those early days.
Art crept back into my life about ten or so years ago when I began going to exhibitions and art galleries. I took a few courses in Art History and started to understand what I liked, and recently I have rather taken to some modern art. In the last six weeks I've been to about four exhibitions and two art galleries. It was at one of these exhibitions that I bought one of two books by
Grayson Perry.
In
Playing to the Gallery Grayson Perry deals with the art world in a way I understand and with great humour. I love the little sketches he does and he made me laugh. However, it was the last paragraph I most enjoyed because here he spoke about his journey into art and a lot of what he said rings true for writers. He talked about learning techniques. Yes, you could be an artist without going to Art College but it's difficult. Writers also have to think about technique and writing a bestseller, poetry or short story is not easy without some kind of learning, whether it's a Degree in Creative Writing or Workshops and courses. Having a career as an artist isn't dissimilar to a career as a writer. You do it mainly because you can't not do it. It's something in you. You may never earn any money but that's not the point.
The ability to play was interesting. Perry said that almost as soon as he decided he would be an artist he lost the ability to play. He'd grown up and found losing himself in art wasn't as easy. It took him years to find that freedom again. I think this is a bit like writing for yourself and then suddenly writing for the market. You are trying to please other people, finding what they want to publish.
What makes an artist or a writer? For Perry he admits that he sees things differently. I'd agree with that as a writer. When I look at what I write, especially poetry, it is the way I find the words to convey something. Friend have said to me, 'I'd never thought of it that way before.' I don't know where these ideas come from but I'm glad of them! My eldest son is dyslexic and he sees the world in a different way too and I think, wow! On the few occasions when I've gone to him to sound off something I'm stuck on (usually a story) he often comes up with a new perspective. So being a writer (or artist) you need imagination, the ability to see things from a different angle and then produce a work to convey that. Oh, and you need persistence and a very thick skin!
Finally comes that time when someone asks, 'What do you do?' Do you come out and say 'I write'? Perry found it hard to admit to being an artist at first (well, it's not a proper job, is it!) and then there are the questions that follow as a writer, 'What do you write?' I've always thought about writing a book myself' It took me some time to tell people I write, though this year because I've been in a very 'off' mood I've not said anything!
Finally Grayson Perry talks about the pressure to do the next thing - for him it was filling a large space with art which he has to do from scratch. What will people think of it when they see it? What will people say? And then he has to sell it. For the writer it is the next book. Can it possibly be as good as the first? Will their agent/publisher like it or say sorry you need to scrub that, your character isn't strong enough and you need to re-write the ending? Maybe they will reject it totally. It's been known. Then after all that what will your readers think of it? Suddenly we are part of the mad world of publishing. Of course we may never get that far in the first place!
I learned quite a lot from this book, and not just about art. I actually found it rather reassuring.
Here are three of my little art pieces created over the summer.
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An original! My back garden with washing!
Pencil and crayon |
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Pencil and crayon
(copied from Culpepper's book on herbs & plants) |
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Copied from the exhibition guide - Edward Bawden 'Adam & Evelyn at Kew'
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Pencil, watercolour and ink |
