White Noise, 2001. Joseph Grigely.

     Joseph Grigely (born 1956) is a deaf artist who uses that disability as inspiration for the technique and approach he takes in his visual displays. Losing his hearing at the age of ten, he began relying on written notes, exchanged between him and others, as a way to communicate. Discarding them for decades, in 1994 he had his epiphany- that these random pieces of paper with the writings on them could be assembled and presented as "art"- his accidental masterpiece. It's a notable example of creating art from one's life situation. What the viewer sees are excerpts from the many "conversations" in this man's life.

     The casual observer might think "What makes this any different from my cork board at home with its shopping lists and appointment reminders"? Michael Kimmelman gives us a clue in his review- one day Grigely "noticed the scribbled scraps scattered around a table and thought [they were similar] to the scribbling out of which... other modern artists have made art". Basically, Grigely decided that it was art, and so it was. Here's a link to an interesting site that explores another one of his works (a book) called Exhibition Prosthetics: http://www.sternberg-press.com/index.php?pageId=1259&bookId=154&l=en (Links to an external site.)

  Colors on a Grid, 1976. Ellsworth Kelly.

     Visually, it's my opinion that Ellsworth Kelly is most similar to Grigely. Obviously they both use a grid pattern. And likewise it could be argued: where's the technique here- it's only a checkerboard with multicolored squares, right? Yet Ellsworth is considered a major Post-WWII abstract artist and enjoys an international reputation.

     Again, (and we can see a trend developing here- one of the major themes of this course): often someone becomes an "artist" because they are paying enough attention to discover the art in everyday life- in the simple things. That's half the battle, at least...

  Three Machines, 1963. Wayne Thiebaud.

     Wayne Thiebaud and Horace Pippin serve as a sort of bridge from the minimalists in our prompt to the technically most adept, because they fall right into the middle. Both painted everyday objects or settings, and used a simplistic style. Thiebaud reminds me somewhat of Andy Warhol. What is so special about three gumball machines, or a can of soup? Answer- having the vision to paint their likenesses, and pronounce them art.

     For the more famous suggested artists Johannes Vermeer and Norman Rockwell, I chose not to include images. In both cases, when contrasted with the likes of Thiebaud or Pippin, they were far more skillful artisans who could paint with photographic realism. Their kinship with the more minimalist artists is their subject matter- although centuries apart, both painted common domestic scenes from everyday middle-class life. This is how they too fit into "encounters with the ordinary".