Group Discussions:
01 - Amy Sillman, On Color
Amy Sillman’s paintings embody conflict: balance and tension, surface and depth, gesture and structure, cohesion and chaos. During this talk at the Whitney Museum, Sillman eludes to the powerful role color plays in her work and in works of contemporary artists. She makes plain the failings of Color Theory, that color by its very nature cannot be defined. The cultural use of color is always pushing against the status quo, against the monotone values of our modern world. She describes the realities of color, the weight of pigment and its lavish price. She speculates that color is something like a drug: garish, unwanted from afar but totally encapsulating in its experience.
In your journal entry, write about what interests you about color in relation to Sillman's lecture. How have you used color in your artwork? What impact does color have on the viewer - how can it affect one's emotions, thoughts, and body? How are contemporary artists using color in their work?