Richard Kooyman

Say no to manufactured knowledge

So there is this..."Live your life as a spiritual ceremony where your relationship with unknownability and indeterminacy becomes more important than trying to fix the world into forms that can be categorized, ordered, ranked, and controlled" Vanessa Machado de Oliveira.

Ya, ya, ya...I haven't been here in a long time so I'm one of those who complains about social media but still is using Bluesky (which I wish everyone had moved to;-(...)
But I am reassessing how to use this platform to communicate.

YouTube video by Douglas Rushkoff Vanessa Machado de Oliveira: Outgrowing Modernity

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTEM...

This has changed my thinking on so much.

Melanie Parke and I will be opening our studios as part of the Onekama/Arcadia Open Studio Tour July 5 -6 from 11-4 each day. Hope to see you there.

From Theodor Adorno's essay 'Free Time'.

Waves, oil on canvas, 8" x 10", 2025

"Tyrants always fear art because tyrants want to mystify while art tends to clarify. The good artist is a vehicle of truth, (they) formulate ideas which would otherwise remain vague and focuses attention upon facts which can then no longer be ignored." Iris Murdoch

Waves, 8" x 10", oil, 2025

Building A New Landscape 10.5" x 8.75",oil and wood, 2025

Thank you Fiona for your kind words. I have also struggled to reconcile these two aspects of my work, but age has given me the courage to justdo my thing!

Landscape, 10" x 8" , oil on canvas with wood, 2025

"Art and morals are...one. The essence of both of them is love. Love is the perception of individuals. Love is the extremely difficult realisation something other than oneself is real. Love, and so art and moral is the discovery of reality." Iris Murdoch

Landscape, 10"x8", oil on canvas with wood

Shown: The Art Of Almost 10" x 8" oil, 2025

Painting Shown: The Art of Almost 10" x 8" oil, 2025

A new blog post at www.richardkooyman.com about how a March blizzard blew our power out which led me to think about the Italian philosopher Bifo and his ideas about Art feeding the soul.

A company I have used in Canada that produces stretcher bars now has to pay a 25% tariff. They are offering to eat 10% of the tariff but US customers will have a 15% price increase.

Settling back into the studio. Looking at this one that is sitting on the floor across from my desk.
'Sunrise Over My Neighbors' Field 20" x 24"

"Stuff without knowledge is never enough to get you there." Greg Brown

Bravo to you for exiting!

Looks sharp!

My friend, the artist Dana Falconberry, has an opening tonight if you find yourself in Marfa!

Tonight in Marfa!!!

We were just down the road from Hunting Island State Park and walked it's beach!

Back in Michigan after a vacation to SC, a State I have never been to. Filled with natural beauty and birds and a painful history. We stayed on one of the Sea Islands noted in this picture, where the Gullah Geechee people defended themselves during Reconstruction and still are from land developers.

Sure. Why not?

A painter friend posted in frustration about what is happening in Washington... "I'm just going to paint". Let's not "just" paint. Let's paint and make art like it is the shining light leading us forward. Its going to get dark out there.
Shown: Agnes Martin. She waited 20 years for her inspiration.

I think writing like Riech's just doesn't help. He reaches for straws that just will not make a difference. For example, the 24-hour buying boycott he claims is being organized. That's not going to do much of anything I'm afraid.

I feel the same. I think we are powerless to stop it. We can continue to bring beauty into the world where we can.

Oh I think it's already happened.

So true.

Thank you Danna!