Dexter Dalwood is interviewed in Art in America's January issue.  In it he talks about specific motivations that I find particularly relevant to me and my work.  He says he likes the idea that his depiction of an event will become how you recall it in the future.  In other words he takes ownership of the event. Then the whole concept of ownership of an event or idea becomes topical, that his rendering of something becomes the reality, the truth whether it is accurate or not...... and does that even matter?  His idea of how art operates: "once you've gone away from it, its still going on in your head" is a grand one.  To create something that takes on a life of its own once you've put it out there.

It is characteristic of parenting that you nurture a being and then, hoping it is prepared, set it loose to fend for itself.  Art is like that.  I remember when a public sculpture was installed in my home town to much dissent and the artist was asked how he felt about all the criticism.  He responded that he had an idea that he executed and resolved to his satisfaction.  He then moved on to his next project having let go of the completed one... it had to fend for itself, it had nothing to do with him anymore.  I remember thinking that that made so much sense: part of the process of completing a work is to then let it go....... In many ways the work has served its purpose to the artist and is no longer relevant.  Hmmmmm, I'll have to think about that.

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