slowart.jpg (6796 bytes)

Direct Art Magazine    Slowinski Paintings    Limner Gallery   

SlowArt is an all-encompassing philosophy of art and life developed by the artist Tim Slowinski. It was founded as a business entity under the Internet domain of SlowArt.com in 1995. Under the domain, logo and label of SlowArt, Slowinski has operated a fine art production company, SlowArt Productions. The primary business activity of SlowArt is the publication of the fine art magazine, Direct Art, and the operation of the Limner Gallery, a fine art gallery founded by Slowinski in Manhattans East Village in 1987 and currently located in Hudson, NY.

The Development of SlowArt and The Slow Art Movement

In 1978 Slowinski inscribed on the wall of his studio what was to become the foundation of SlowArt:
"Art is a way of life, a method of being, a way of perceiving the world."
It was this concept of art, not only as a process of creating objects, but as a way of life and perception that was to become the basis of SlowArt. Essentially, under SlowArt, the life process itself is a devotion to art, all life energy is directed and focused as an expression of art. In a SlowArt life, activity that appears unrelated to art is engaged only as a support structure for art. Art is not an occupation under SlowArt, it is a vocation and devotion. Much as a monk will engage in mundane activity such as farming or manufacturing to support the monastic devotion, the artist working under SlowArt will also perform such activities, but will do so only to the extent that it enables and supports a continuing devotion to art.

During the 1980s American society became enamoured with fast food. This provided further inspiration to the development of SlowArt. SlowArt is the antithesis of fast food and reacted against the fast paced, high-speed culture. Under SlowArt, art is created very slowly and deliberately. The act of creating art is a meditation and devotion. The principle of food created and eaten fast is in conflict with SlowArt, as such food would not support the art process. Under SlowArt food, like art, is prepared very slowly and carefully. This was expressed in the paintings created by Slowinski during this period, Burger Booth, Chicken Heaven, Buy-Mor-Mart, Pig Factory, Egg Factory and Pig Farmer, all these works were critical of the processed and fast food industry and were exhibited in Manhattan's East Village, at the Cat Club exhibition in 1985, and at S.R. Rage Gallery in 1986. Many other artists followed suit and incorporated anti-food factory and anti-fast food imagery into their artwork.In 1987 Slowinski opened the Limner Gallery at 216 E 10th Street and continued to rail against processed food, Wall Street greed, warfare, industrialization and religious intolerance.

In 1990 Slowinski moved the Limner Gallery to Soho at 598 Broadway, then expanded to an additional gallery space in Nolita at 215 Mulberry Street. At Mulberry he established the business entity SlowArt Productions as an umbrella organization to incorporate the Limner Gallery, the Direct Art Magazine and his fine art studio. He registered the internet domain SlowArt.com in 1995 to promote these activities. Publicly, at the Limner Gallery, from 1995 to the present day, he promoted the concepts and principles of SlowArt.  From Mulberry Street, Limner relocated and operated for five years at 870 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan. In 2006, the Limner Gallery relocated to 123 Warren Street in Hudson NY, where the activities of SlowArt continue to the present day.   

During the beginning of the 21st century, the pace of life continued to accelerate. Faster computer and Internet speeds combined with hand held devices and apps to draw human consciousness deeper into the electronic reality. Simultaneously, society struggled with conflicts of war and fell deeper into debt. This social atmosphere brought a renewed interest in principles of SlowArt as people longed for things slower paced, simpler and profound. Mid-decade, the Slow Art Movement appeared to spontaneously emerge. Internet references to Slow Art began appearing with more frequency. Exhibitions were organized under the heading of Slow Art and manifestos published as artists proclaimed their allegiance to new found principles of Slow Art. These new principles involved new ways of looking at art. In keeping with SlowArt principles, the viewing of art under Slow Art is a slow and meditative process. To properly view a work of art, it must be viewed and pondered over for a duration of time. Under Slow Art works of art are an expression of a devotional life process, they are not decorations or part of a social setting. A gallery opening where artists network and crowds of people stand talking and drinking wine with their backs to the artwork is demeaning and disrespectful to the principles of the Slow Art Movement. Ultimately, Slow Art Day has been organized and museums around the world have begun to celebrate this day by having organized viewing of work according to the principles of Slow Art. 

 

Direct Art Magazine     Slowinski Paintings     Limner Gallery