What is art?

Written By Mrs. Franky

A quick Google search for “Picasso, chauvinist” brings up this:

“Pablo Picasso was a creative genius, but he was also a severe male chauvinist. He famously stated that women were either "goddesses or doormats". His personal life was filled with cruelty, control, and the emotional or physical harm of his many partners and family members.”

You and I didn’t know him but who’s to gainsay the testimony of the MANY individuals who did? And yet, I appreciate many of the quotes attributed to him, like: “Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.” He’s hard to cancel!

Mrs. Franky

I’ve been making art since I was very young but formal schooling for “gifted” artists was not a place for me!

Art in general is an expression of deeply reflected responses to life experience — and outside of childhood, real life experience is often gained through non-artistic pursuits. In my case, I studied philosophy and then focused on life sciences for many years. Given the opportunity, I might have also loved becoming an electrician, chef, or farmer — all useful frameworks that can also serve as fodder for art-making: exposure to different languages and people (and other critters).

I worked in oil for many years. However, various unforeseen circumstances led me to explore other mediums like ink and colored pencils. Like most un-plannings, it eventually became clear that here was a gift — and it makes sense now to call most of my work “multi-media” projects. I’ve always referred to my style as “mythic abstract” for lack of a more accurate term.

Photography has always been in the background… and also the foreground. It’s what has trained my eyes to look and really see.

I hope you enjoy what you find here. And if you have different ideas in terms of how an image might work better for you — please don’t hesitate to reach out. Context is everything!

https://mrsfranky.com
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