Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Does Art Matter Any More?



New Work.  "Trip To The Beach"  20x60 Mixed Water Media  A Unique Original.

Does Art Matter Any More?

The foundations that I have and that I work with when I create a work of art are always challenging me.  For example, the notion of all art being subjective - as an expressionist I used to live and die by that notion. But, lately I have noticed that the foundations that I was taught many years ago don't work for me anymore.  I ask myself why,  I build from my history and values to try and figure out if art matters any more or not.

The notion of expressionism has changed for me. The word was once linked to independence and individualism.  But individualism and the struggle by others to capture my soul and my uniqueness and formulate it into their notion of selfness and subjectively have altered the notion of individualism as unique to individualism as anything goes - in particular the arts.

So, I ask, "Does art matter any more?  Is art a relationship of power with others or is it something that transcends these relationships, is universal (color blind so to speak) and natural?"

For me, expressionism has become my uniqueness and my ability to do what comes naturally. I have my eternal hope and I search for transcendence beyond the powers that try and subjugate my uniqueness.

The grids that are appearing in my work represent this search and represent subjectivity.