Ou L'artiste Au Travail

The last few weeks I’ve been hard at work locking down details regarding my new releases for the coming year. It’s always a hectic time – but exciting too. The pressure of looming deadlines helps me focus and guarantees decisions must be made.

But deadlines also mean paths not taken.

When I’m working on new material I generally come up with several alternate handlings, presentations, and sometimes even substitute methods. Even after I tune, tune again, and fine tune – I find myself making changes over time. It’s one of the primary reasons I’m reluctant to make magic videos. They only capture a creation at a point in time.

And that’s the thing about creation - it’s never done.

Leonardo da Vinci said, “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” – and if you’ve ever seen his Oil & Water & Canvas Routines you know he’s a pretty savvy guy on such matters. I agree with Leo but, in doing so, I know that means…

every painting
every sculpture
every movie
every piece of music
every play
every drawing
every bit of magic

…is a snapshot of the art in that moment.

I know, equating my little tricks with art is a stretch. But Andy Warhol said "Art is what you can get away with." – so perhaps we can at least agree they are cousins.

There is no such thing as a finished product. Only products in development. Soon I’ll need to abandon the new products and set them off into the world. My hope is that others will find them and help take them to places I could not have imagined. The crossroads of art and commerce can be a dangerous place to stand and if my connecting art with products offends - then I’ll close with the wise words of the Scottish "scul?tor", George Wyllie.

"Art is like soup. There will be some vegetables you don't like but as long as you get some soup down you it doesn't matter."