2024 #30×30 Day 03 : Title Case, or a Case for Titles
10×10″, Oil on Panel, Title: “Just try to leave a thought unthought,” he said. “Can’t do it, can you?”
For a long time I didn’t believe in titling work. I thought perhaps, it was even a bit pretentious. But of course, I was doing mostly plein-air(e) work and that can just have location for the title.
I think, as a student, as an urban sketcher, and later a teacher, my work lived in a technical realm.
Non-fiction, if you will.
These days, I’d like to think there’s more storytelling. I want to hint a bit at what I’m thinking, but also, play a little game. How does the work change as the title changes? The visual experience is altered by the context of a title. And too – I think we should take some time with titles. Sometimes I end up changing the title after enough time has gone by. Wait a bit, live with the work, and the title might reflect how it makes you feel after you know them better.
But my on-the-spectrum-quirk of mine is this: I Don’t Like Title Case.
If a title is going to be a tiny story, I’d rather see it formatted for the page. Including quotation marks and punctuation, and correct spelling. (Not my strong point).
Sometimes I worry about the strangest things, don’t I?
Citizen Sketcher 
It’s GORGEOUS Marc! And right away I can see that you are a lot more liberal with your paint than I am…I’m definitely going to give your style a go… it looks so delicious!!! Love from Qld Aus, Marylin Smith
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Japanese use haiku is untitled
I think it also depends a lot on how much time you have or allow yourself for each work. For a prolific plein air painter looking for a well fitting title would inevitable mean that at one point one has to choose between painting and titling 😂 Unless you spend the painting time mulling over the title that is.
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However, I do think that the title plays an important part in how the work is perceived and what you want to communicate. It can add a whole new layer of meaning to a painting, negate what is apparently there or encourage the observer to look deeper. No title would then be a missed opportunity …
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Sending warm regards from Spain :-)
Absolutely agree! (re: extra layers)
I had been looking recently at a contemporary painter – you know the kind of work that’s just bands of color created by layering and removing paint. This work is very abstract, and some might say even random and meaningless. I mean, *I* wouldn’t say that, but some might say it :) But his titles were excellent. Almost as if, the titles were *so good*, he was only making paintings to carry those messages :) Really made me think again on this!
Yeah, absolutely! This is the point where painting and poetry might mix beautifully to creat an even richer texture of meaning.
I wouldn’t mind to have a look at these extraordinary titles.^^
I feel art speaks for itself. No titles needed!
looks like the tide has turned to the “inlet”.