Systems of Expression

Systems are on my mind quite a bit lately. Specifically, I’ve been contemplating what are the systems or prerequisites for making artwork. In order to make an expression of any kind you need to have a system that undergirds or supports that expression.

For example:

Within the realm of artwork, for Leonardo da Vinci to make the Mona Lisa (an expression), first of all, there has to be a field of painting (the prerequisite system). You can’t have a painting without the broader practice of painting. That sounds obvious, but it applies to other examples as well…

When I taught at Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School, my students were a result of their high school. The high school is a result of the congregations and individuals who support it with their prayers and gifts. They support the school because it lines up with their shared Lutheran heritage. The Lutheran belief system is built on a specific understanding of the Bible. The Bible communicates the very Word of God. God’s Word communicates his love. My ministry is to communicate that love to my students…

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Another example:

A work of art is a result of a system of expression such as “Impressionism” or “Jazz”. Systems of expression are built on systems of thought or feeling exemplified by ideas such as “Order”, “Carpe Deim”, or “Git ‘er dun”. Systems of thought or feeling come from one’s basic priorities such as survival, leisure, community, legacy…  

If surviving the winter is a real concern, various sequences of thoughts, words, and actions will follow to cope. If community is a priority, there will be corresponding results extending through etiquette, formalities, and networks of acquaintance. If religious faithfulness is one’s basic priority, it would not be surprising to see one’s studies, activities, writings, and daily speech all affected.

I remember ruminating on these concepts heavily in 2017 when Richard Bresnahan gave me his printout of the Louis Sullivan quote on basic systems of living during my residency with him at The Saint John’s Pottery Jerome Foundation Emerging Artist Program.

“You cannot express unless you have a system of expression; and you cannot have a system of expression unless you have a prior system of thinking and feeling; you cannot have a system of thinking and feeling unless you have had a basic system of living.

When all is said and done, the great masterpiece, or the little masterpiece, is but the condensed expression of such philosophy of life as is held by the artist who creates it.”

Louis Sullivan

I realized then I’ve had a fascination with paradigms for years. I love to think about the assumptions behind thoughts, words, and actions. I guess it’s just an extension of the toddler question, “WHY?”  

David Kolb’s learning cycle has commonalities here. Maybe I’m forcing this, but synthesis is one of my favorite challenges. His cycle of learning proceeds from Experience to Reflection to Conception to Planning (for the next Experience). I see a similar pattern of one thing depending on the previous. The interesting thing with Kolb’s cycle is that it leads into further cycles.

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These concepts and systems have shown up in my artwork and studio for years, such as my “Carriers” sculpture series I created during my Bresnahan Residency or making my own tools to create artwork. Recently I posted a Facebook Live video about this very idea where I used a handmade tool to create a handmade tool, which will then allow me to create handmade artwork.

Making your own tool gives you a special relationship with it. It won’t be the same quality as the tool you can buy; it may be worse, or you may be able to make it better. But having a relationship with the materials changes how you treat them. You’re less likely to throw something away if you’ve invested time and energy.

I think about artists in the Middle Ages grinding their paint. Somebody in the artist’s life would have to generate that material: find the mineral, buy it, or dig it up. Someone would need to break it down and grind it up to a useable form before mixing it with the appropriate oils. By the time you got to painting in a medieval studio, you had already done a lot of work and spent a lot of time with your paints.

But starting with the Impressionist movement and the manufacturing of paint and metal tubes for storage, the artist no longer spent a lot of time with their paint before using it — you just go to Hobby Lobby and buy it. But there was a time when you knew exactly where that paint came from: which hillside it was dug out of, what kind of oil you mixed it with, the exact amount of each ingredient.

It’s a concept I’ve been thinking about for a long time, and sometimes I actually explore it. I explore it by making my materials and tools and seeing how that relationship affects my state of mind, the outcome, the art itself. 

So this is the stuff that’s been on my mind. I make artwork, but I’m also thinking about creating the systems behind artwork. What does it take to create an environment in which artwork can thrive?

Let me know any thoughts you have in the comments below.

To see other artistic musings, visit www.jjjaspersen.com or follow us on social media @JJJaspersen.