Barbara Schaefer Art

What is Success?

Today, in a bi-weekly email newsletter I receive about art, by Robert Genn, he talked about the meaning of success for an artist. As he said, success can mean a lot of things for different people. Society clearly regards success by visibility and in terms of monetary value, whether it regards an artist or any other trade. Of course, the two are related for an artist, since your work is often priced according to how well known you are.

The most intelligent thing that I heard regarding this issue of success, was a radio interview with the composer, Phillip Glass, in the early 90’s, when I was working in Barcelona for a 6 months sojourn away from Roma. The interviewer asked Phillip what he thought about before he was successful, and he replied, “No, no, my work has always been successful.” This to me is the core of the matter. The work itself is what’s successful or not. And an artist knows when her or his work works. If not they’re in trouble.

Then, whether the work is accepted or rejected is another story. How many times have you heard of great works of literature and art being rejecting innumerable times until someone miraculously recognized them? This I tell myself when want to give up.

We have found our “home” for the June 15 - 22 art workshop in Italy. It will be in the Southern region of Puglia, located at the heel of Italy, on the Adriatic Coast. We will be staying at a cultural/art center, nestled in the country, 10 minutes from the town of Ostuni and 15 minutes from the sea. Besides an art studio and sleeping accommodations, the center offers a studio for movement, and outdoor amphitheater, acres of land with olive groves to roam on, an organic garden, trails leading to interesting sites, such as the dome shaped truilli houses, known in the region, caves and other things to be discovered.

Although we were treated like queens in the Miramonte e Mare Hotel in Ischia, and have absolutely no complaints, this year we will be freer and unexposed to the flux of tourists that inevitably create noise and stress. In Ischia it was hard to get away from. I’m sure Ostuni and thereabouts have its share of tourism, but it will be for us to decide if we want a taste of it or not.

I’m working on a page for this workshop, which I shall put up on my site. Please check back soon for details.

Posted by Barbara at February 10, 2004 11:00 AM | TrackBack