Schadenfreude

Often there isn’t much difference between painting an image or a text, both are paintings in the end, with meaning and content. Some ideas are best spoken or written while others demand a visual narration. Text works can be dry and literal, and too much to the point, but if the content allows or demands using text and if the message is confusing and unforeseen enough and done in a beautiful way there’s no boredness. Handwritten text is of course much about identity. Copying somebody’s signature for instance is fun.

What will be the reaction? Hard to say, of course everything I’m addressing has been out in the open, talked about in one form or the other or printed or published for that matter. Interestingly enough when placed into an art context, not the least when shown in a Museum, National Gallery in this case, things start to be of another value. Art manifests its content differently than other media can, in my opinion. The content might get outdated, less talked about but the work will still be there, sharp as a knife, especially if done in such a conservative way as paintings are. In art one’s never out to hurt or be mean, other means are better for that. There’s a difference in walking the line and crossing the line. If art has a purpose at all, it has to have its own way.

Series of found texts and qotes

Oil on canvas