Make an “Ugly Painting”

A Developing Environment

Oil on Synthetic Paper   

20 x 20 in

$ 1,150.00

"The process is interesting and presents challenges in itself, compositionally with balance and color.  For example, Space Composition has a funny story to it.  While I was studying at VCU in the summer of 2013, I was challenged to make an “ugly painting” because my paintings were “too beautiful”, with not enough behind that visual aesthetic.  I created this piece in an attempt to try the assignment, yet I didn't truly believe in what I was doing because I couldn't support the act of making a piece ugly just to see if I could (of course that was not the point of the assignment but like many things it took me some time to see the value of the exercise).  Nevertheless, I made this attempt and still people who came to critique me praised its beauty.  Diving into what beauty really is, in life and as it applies to art, is a long conversation that we could have another time.  But through this piece, I realized that compositional aesthetic is important to me, while “beauty” may not be the goal, balance and cohesiveness are; and often that harmony pleases us." - Amy Harris