Finding Your Way

Hi, this is Kelly Londot, Mandalin's partner in crime for Imminent Artist. I am a full time tattoo artist and painter. I attended art school at Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio. Though I feel like the bulk of my education happened outside of school. In fact I would say that my best years of learning and discovery stem from the years that I decided to abandon my traditional education and strike out on my own. I struggled in school because of the structure and organization of the institute of education. I found myself reading biographies of some of my favorite artist and seeing that the only common thread in the stories of how they came to make such wonderful work was that they couldn't help but to be themselves.  Diane Arbus, one of my all time favorite photographers, was quoted as saying," there is more than one way to learn about art."  and the context of the quote came as a response to why she had been absent from her art classes. She had a curiosity for the world around her that needed to be explored and the classroom was no place for her. Though my experience does not completely parallel that of the late Ms. Arbus, I can say that the thought resonated with me. Art is an extension of its creator, who is an extension of the world around him or her. With out fully knowing ourselves or with out having taken time to gain authentic life experiences our artwork is more contrived and akward. In other words the authors voice is not fully developed. Of course there is beauty in development, and an artist will always seek the hidden potential behind their work, but I found that in a college atmosphere I was not seeing the depth and spirit that I saw in the works of Nan Goldin or Patti Smith. I wanted to live a more raw and gritty life with out all the creature comforts I was raised with. Because like Diane Arbus I always new that in my privileged upbringing there was somethings that I was being sheltered from. A life where the human condition was free to float and falter as it experienced ups and downs and to express each mood as it came, and to live and love in each others company free from the rat race. Diane Arbus found this in her freaks, Weegee found it at crime scenes, Patti Smith found it in Punk Rock, and I found it in tattooing.  Of course not everyone would see the beauty in such places, but in human strife we find the beauty of the human experience. 

So what I'm trying to pass on that I gained from my experiences thus far is be your self, your path will be your own. Don't let others decide for you and don't let society decide what the most appropriate path for you is. Go where you want to go and be with the people that light your fire. Make mistakes and and rebuild yourself over and over. Make art because you love it, and others will respond to what you are doing. Life is a bittersweet experience that we all choose to be a part of, so embrace both sides of it and learn to live in balance with the good and the bad. Let your work be the expression of your soul's experience. Find other imminent artist to share your work with and watch your community grow.