Saturday, April 21 2007 @ 02:31 PM CDT
Contributed by: Marilyn
The Internet is an amazing tool. However, I'll be the first to admit that I am still a reluctant participant in this technology, I use it but I do so as little as possible. We have it in our gallery and it is indispensable for business. I think my hesitation is that we may become more and more dependent on its' information for our everyday life. To my thinking, reliance on information alone can take away much of the newness and spontaneity of life and I still love surprises. For example, if this is your first trip to Cabo and you went “on line” and gathered all the information you could possibly use during your trip here, you have probably already discovered that a lot of the information is incorrect, out-dated or not relevant. Armed with your “list of to dos” you could miss other opportunities, or activities that would unfold naturally if you didn't have preconceived ideas of what you wanted from your vacation.
Holiday time is a time to renew yourself and try different ways of doing, looking and being. This is the time to let go and experience the joy of just being here. No amount of information can prepare you for the beauty here or the peaceful feeling that comes over you as you descend the stairs of the aircraft to make your way into the terminal; this in spite of being hit with a blast of heat and humidity that comes from being summer in the Baja.
Now, you may have all kinds of ideas gathered from “surfing the net” about what you might like to bring home as souvenirs for yourself or others. May I propose that you might like to consider art as a memento of your time here. “I don't know anything about art” is no excuse. Most folks know nothing about cars, but drive them. They may know very little about the Internet but use it occasionally when needed. Most people don't have degrees in decorating, medicine, accounting, gardening or anything else for that matter and yet we all do these things with varying degrees of competency.
Fifteen years ago, you'd be hard pressed to find good art in Cabo. The unprecedented growth in Cabo has attracted many professional artists from all over the world. Not only is the landscape inspiring, but the light here is unlike anywhere else. Artists love to paint here and the constant influx of tourists and people moving here is sufficient to keep them painting to keep up.
Most art galleries have a wide selection of art to fit any budget. Emerging artists can be a great start for beginning collectors. Their pricing is within most budgets and it's a wonderful way to help artists get going in the market. In addition to original art, the new “giclee” printing process is a wonderful alternative and in many cases looks as great as the original painting, for 1/3 the cost. Art galleries are a resource and can help with questions on style or technique, if that is important to you and give you backgrounds on their artists to help you with the technical aspects of art collecting. In the end, you make your choices based on feeling. Do you love this painting? That's the benchmark for buying art, even pricing is secondary to the joy a painting gives you. This is the criteria that makes art collecting priceless and why it is so important in ones life.
One of the other unseen benefits of buying art is the personal stake you have with “your” art. Most items one buys over a lifetime have no real personal attachment. Even so called decoration art, is at best 2 dimensional in a 3D world. If you discover an artist whose work you love, you'll want to follow their career and watch for new works as they're produced. You'll also discover that art is transforming not only for the artist and the way he produces his art, but for yourself as well. You're taste changes over time as circumstances and events unfold in your life. You may end up collecting many different artists over your lifetime as your travels and life takes you different places. Your “collection” becomes a living testimony to your feelings about life.
Most art is “impressionist”. It's the artists' impression of what is there. That can branch off into other interpretations with each having different sub-headings: abstract, surrealist, photo-realistic, magical realism, gestural to name but a few and I've included some examples here to explain, but the important point to remember is your perspective. Viewing art without the interference of the human reasoning mind is optimum but failing that, just try to “feel” with your gut. It's not just a “I'll know it when I see it” attitude, it's more just letting the art speak to you rather than mentalizing where, what, how, when or how much. It's a good exercise in non-judgment, just allowing your real feelings to emerge when viewing art throws the spotlight on your inner being. After all, real art comes from the artists' inspiration and that is universal.
There are many galleries to visit in the Los Cabos area now, in addition to our own Golden Cactus Gallery in Cabo San Lucas and we're confident you'll find a long lasting memory to take home that won't end up in next years garage sale. San Jose has a wonderful art district, and Todo Santos is 1 ½ drive up the Pacific although it would be wise to call before hand as many could be on summer hours. Good hunting and enjoy our paradise here.
