Slow Art

Slow Art is something I've been hearing a lot about lately, and actually thinking about more too.

Slow Art is a creative development by Chrysalis Arts inspired by the Slow Food movement, it highlights current changes affecting rural living and working, landscape, agriculture, and the impact of climate change on the environment. It means that artists make work from low environmental impact materials and use sustainable processes and perhaps challenge some of the perceptions about contemporary art making.  There is a Slow Art Trail in Skipton which was a pilot project defining the concept for slow art and reflects on the slow concept of taking more time to appreciate art.

There is a Slow Art Day (it is on Saturday April 28th, 2012) - which was started with the hope of changing the '8-second rule' - a widely reported statistic that when visiting a museum most people spend only about 8 seconds at each piece of art, and then leave the museum tired, not inspired.   

I love this idea - being encouraged to slow down and really see art - if you look slowly, your experience will be transformed.  If you'd like to get involved - first find a venue, visit on Slow Art Day and look slowly at a piece/s of art for 5-10 minutes, then if you like, meet up with the host and other participants and discuss the experience.  It seems most of the venues are in America - currently the only venue listed in the UK is Gargrave, North Yorkshire - presumably because Chrysalis Arts are based in Gargrave.  I'm glad to be reminded to see and perhaps create in a slow way too. This practice is about being mindful of detail, valuing the history inherent in re-usable materials, putting time into creating small items. The practice encourages the maker to be naturally meditative as they create. "Slow" ends up being a way of being.

It seems the slow movement is gaining pace (so to speak!), and now we also hear of Slow Gardening - actually I discovered my very own piece of Slow Art whilst gardening.  I went into my greenhouse to see how my seedlings were getting along, and there it was on the glass - a very beautiful snail trail.