Lately I’ve noticed something that might have always been there, but now I’ve noticed it, it erks me a bit: when you click on an image to have a closer look, you get this message – ‘Tried this Pin? Add a photo to show how it went.’ and there’s a button to click to add your photo ‘of this pin.’  The message might just as well have said ‘Have a go at copying this and let us see how successful you were’.  Of course there are no instructions or list of materials, and all artists who display their work understand that imitation/copying does happen, and can often be regarded as the sincerest form of flattery.  But such actual encouragement to copy is a bit annoying.

Arcs in the Bungle Bungles series

This morning my eye was caught by a red and cream abstract work of the German multimedia artist Sati Zech on Pinterest.   There are many images of her art online, and I loved the way she repeats particular organic shapes, especially the arcs, quarter circles or approximations of, elongated arc-like shapes that I have often used myself.   I went to her website and found her to be a very gifted multimedia artist and teacher. Her own media include paper, fabric, plastic, paint and found objects – and probably anything else she sees that grabs her imagination.  There is a lot of information on her website, but the closest thing to artist statements are her master class workshop descriptions; from which it is clear her focus when teaching is the basics of design which the student can achieve using any medium and any technique –  sculpture, sewing, photography and accessing a wide range of materials.  How stimulating it would be to be in such a class.