Artist Manifesto

Suzanne Gibbs on Painting Paintings

Suzanne Gibbs, 2011. Detail of Empty, Oil on Canvas.

1. There are no mistakes in art or painting
2. Impermanent and changing
3. A painting is an object that goes on a wall, often over the fireplace or sofa
4. It is all about the experimenting or exploration
5. There is no such thing as a masterpiece
6. Each piece teaches me what I need to know in order to move onto the next piece
7. Sometimes I learn nothing, and move on anyway
8. I am not always proud of yesterdays work but there is always today
9. Transparent or hidden in plain sight
10. Is there a message? Does there have to be?
11. It's all been done before, maybe – and certainly not by me
12. Who needs the work?
13. To not paint is not an option
14. If it looks machine made–why do it at all?
15. Expressive and ongoing, occasionally emotional
16. I'll take care of the quantity–the quality comes from a universal source that flows through me at will–without quantity I might miss something
17. Building, making, imagining, creating–it's just what I do
18. Reuse, recycle, re-purpose, re-imagine, redo
19. Is it important to create a new realm, a new point in history, to make history?
20. When in doubt make more work, work harder, have more fun, make more work, make work, doubt some more, but keep on going none-the-less.

Lady Grid is a great example of my manifesto. She was a painting of something, then she became she - there is a face below the grid, then she became the grid. Always exploring. Will she remain?

Suzanne Gibbs, 2011. Lady Grid. Oil on Canvas.