When ARTism runs in families
I recently attended a reunion for my father’s mother’s side of the family (my paternal grandmother). Around a hundred people were present and as I circulated around the room, I was very struck by the warmth, realness and smiley nature of those present (and the distinctly self-owning more solitary nature of others).
I found in fact that many of the folks present were poets, writers, artists, musicians. Sure there were also plenty who worked on the railways and in nursing too. But I’d say around 30-50% of those I spoke to were, well, ‘arty’. Several referred to themselves in childhood as ‘feral’ or their parent or grandparent being that way. But what person with a good dose of ARTism isn’t a bit feral? After all, as a personality trait artistic personalities are into the sensory world and relate to the physical world first; line, tone, texture, color, light, sound, movement, rhythm, form…. and the world of blah and learning second.
One really has to ask whether a good dose of ARTism isn’t really such a bad thing. Sure, all artists are emotionally erratic and we tend to do badly at remembering breakfast, when to have a bath or to get dressed before going on a creative bender, but perhaps not all of us are best designed for 8 hours confinement in mainstream education each day. Maybe some of us are better at hands on and discovery learning and we’d succeed better at mainstream education in more palatable doses if our ARTism was at least equally respected and valued.
I came across the only photo I have of my brother’s ARTism. He’s known as ‘Duel‘ and is an innovative award winning mural artist and a break dancer who (with his troupe) won at the X-treme games in 2000. I’ve included the only pic I have. He and his wonderful graffiti murals feature extensively in the documentary, Sprayed Conflict (1994), directed by Robert Moller which featured in the Hip Hop film festival.
UPDATE:
Duel’s art is now online here.
… Donna Williams
autistic artist, author, composer, screenwriter
and person with ARTism 😉
also came across this one
and this one
and Duel has a myspace here too
Your brother’s work is great.
My family has always seemed anti-artistic, but there are some hidden strains. My Dad draws well, but it always had to be for a “reason.” He has a side business selling rubber stamps, so drawing is okay if he is designing a new rubber stamp he can sell. My parents told me they “don’t get” poetry, which has discouraged me from showing them any of my poems. I do have a grandfather, though, who taught himself to paint. He died when I was one year old. I think of him as my guardian angel. He even had red hair, like me. Red hair is as rare as artism in my family.
Yes, those who aren’t artistic really struggle with those who are. They don’t get ‘the point’. But we could say, OK, then all anthropologists, philosophers, writers, film-makers, musicians, actors, cartoonists, animators and many designers, architects, researchers, psychologists… are also all ‘useless’ because ‘all’ they do is bring us to realisations, move us, expose us, dis-alienate us, gather us, bring us new perspectives, expand our awareness of possibilities, restore balance or accentuate a realisation of chaos that provokes us into action about it. This is the usefulness of the artistic nature. Sure we have serious personalities who care only for duties and responsibilities, conscientious workaholic perfectionists who can’t dare leave a loose thread or let chaos teach us, those who are only for recognition and attention who don’t get what it is to really connect through art or creativity but if you were born to an anti-artistic family, then this is why artists gather together, to feel their ‘normality’ is an equal and valid one. My paternal grandmother was very arty, always collecting bits and pieces, excited about colors, textures, patterns and music. She played harmonica and a squeeze box and danced in the sunshine of her own artism. My paternal grandfather was an improvisor, he’d make characters out of a handkerchief and bring them to life. He could naturally communicate via objects. The other side of the family has produced no artists and none I can see that deeply appreciate ARTism. Nor are they people I think art moves or reaches much. Some people are just like that. They’re oriented to different things, perhaps even things deeply at odds with all that ARTism has taught and moulded in the artist.
Hi,
I found a few old pictures of Duel’s graffiti on a site devoted to Melbourne graffiti. That is awesome after reading Nobody Nowhere finding out he went on to do graffiti!
Also, a history of Melbourne graffiti mentioning Duel on this site:
http://graffitiphotofreaks.tripod.com/Graffiti_Photofreaks/
That was fab, Mister FLEAS.
Thanks for the pics. As you know, he was one of the first really developed Melbourne graffiti artists here in the 80s and these pics show some of that early work through which he developed his style. Duel also featured in a doco ‘Sprayed Conflict’ (for graffiti), and on some TV comercials. I saw my brother on the TV and it was really great to see his group dance. If you come across any footage, let me know.
🙂 Donna *)
I consider myself to be a very talented gifited artist who mostly draws and paints. It runs on my side of thee family too. My mother mentioned that there some artists and gallery owners and fathion designers on her father’s side of the family. I never met any of them. On her mother’s side of the family, a great uncle created curved wood sculptures, one of which my mom has. Though my mother is not serious as an artist, she is a good doodler and doodle beautiful woem figures on phonebooks and catalogues. Two of my nieces like to produce art, one make collages out of tearing tissue paper. My other artistic niece who is only 6 loves to draw and create things and is very creative. My great nephew, who is a son of my first niece mentioned, loves to draw and could spend all day doing it and he is only 2 and a half. I have not hear of any artists from my father’s side of the family, including my dad. He draws forms rather then just scribble. Fortunately my parents encouraged artistic expression.
Debbie
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