Painting
the Digital River
by James
Faure Walker
Prentice Hall, New Jersey, USA, 2006
320 pp., illus. $24.99
ISBN: 0-13-173902-6.
Reviewed by Rob Harle (Australia)
harle@dodo.com.au
In this book Faure Walker builds his discourse
on the metaphor of a river. Whilst it
is a work of nonfiction, it is written
in an engaging, personal narrative style
that results in a good story, not simply
a bland exposition on painting and digital
art. It is this engaging narrative
that makes the book such a pleasurable,
easy read. As we float along the river
in our metaphorical canoe we absorb an
incredible amount of history, gallery
politics, aesthetics, and technology related
to art and its practice. This river is
a gentle one, no life threatening rapids
nor obviously treacherous whirlpoolssome
mild rapids to stir the imagination, some
calm bays in which to contemplate and
a steady continuous flow towards a possible
confluence of physical painting and digitally
produced paintings.
The relationship between physical
and digital painting and the relevance
of either (or both) to our contemporary
society that is driven by uncontrolled
capitalism, narcissistic individualism,
and postmodern hopelessness is an important
problem that has received little balanced
and informed debate. Faure Walker has
over 30 years experience as an exhibiting
artist, educator, art magazine editor,
and computer devotee that well qualifies
him to bring all the issues involved to
our attention.
He does not, however, supply definitive
answers to reconcile the two forms of
art. Perhaps there are none? One thing
emerges from his investigation though
and, I think, this is the vital pointall
the technology, coupled with the most
mind-blowing software possible, "does
not a artist make". Our digital computer
based art equipment makes it easier for
dabblers to produce mediocre art images,
but as Faure Walker is at pains to point
out, composition, colour theory, pictorial
balance, and subject matter (the fundamentals
of good art) are the same whether using
colour pencils, oil paint, or computer
software.
One point Faure Walker does not, perhaps,
discuss enough is how various media suit
different subject matter. So, rather than
bemoaning the lack of texture, as with
giclee prints for example, we should be
matching the subject matter of our art
to the medium. This results in artists
being acutely aware of the media available
and choosing the specific medium based
on the best expression of their intentions,
not based on such mindless utterances
as "oil painting is dead" or "mobile phone
art is the only valid art". There is room
for all types of art to exist side by
side if we are strong enough to be honest
and true to our inner selves as artists.
There are eight chapters with odd titles
such as, Gone Fishing, Big Pixels,
Small Minds, and A Bend in the
River. The book has a smattering of
b&w illustrations and a centre section
of colour plates both representing Faure
Walkers own artwork and that of
others. A minor criticism is that there
is no Bibliography or Suggested Reading
section? Also, at times the book is somewhat
repetitive, which slows the journey down
the river just a little.
I believe this book is a must read for
all artists from the most conventional
watercolourists to those avant garde
interactive, digital web-based installation
artists. There is much wisdom and insight
in these pages that, if understood, will
not only result in an increase in quality
art (perhaps even great art) but also
a happier existence for artists generally.
Much of the new technology "freaks-out"
many traditional artists, and a lot of
new-media artists almost despise and certainly
dismiss traditional art practices, such
as 2D watercolour landscape painting or
wood carved sculpture. An artist/art university
lecturer friend (whose work I respect)
visited my stone carving workshops a few
years ago and told me bluntly that if
her students produced a stone sculpture
(regardless of treatment or subject matter),
she would fail them! Consequently, many
artists feel in need of psychotherapy.
This book will help postpone such drastic
measures. In Faure Walkers own words
referring to the physical-digital
painting divide"It is enough
to keep a painter like me in a state of
panic and in need of therapy or at least
something like a comfort blanket. It has
all become so strange. That, I suppose,
is a good excuse for writing a book" (p.
xv).