Tightrope

When I begin working in the visual space of abstraction where imaginaries and concepts are floating around, I attempt to create a visual space where my free will makes choices as to what I want to see and what I want others to see.  That is where my training comes in, I have learned how to help others visually read the imaginaries, the concepts that float around in that abstract visual space. These concepts are real – a beautiful reality, they are objective, so others can see them also. They are not nonobjective. This for me is the struggle when I come to a blank white sheet of paper, to look for and emphasize in my work those concepts for which I believe in – independence, individuality and freedom and hope that others can see them also.  This is the challenge of my work.  These are the subjects in my work.

The piece I recently finished.  “Tightrope” Which is part of my Precious Jewels series.  Let me know if you can visualize, independence, individuality and freedom here.  Would love your feedback.

What is Art

My current thinking seems to be asking the age old question,  "What is art?" 

I don't know why I say my current thinking. I have been asking that question ever since post modernism with all of its relativity. Not only has art become part of the postmodern movement, it has also become less precious. It seems that everyone accepts comments such as "anyone can make art" and "it's all about your own personal interpretation or how one sees things." 

I believe art, aesthetics, are all about personal interpretation. That does not make art relative and subjective. How can I say that?

Everyone is unique and all “art” is unique.  If an object is not unique, original, and one-of-a-kind, then it isn’t art.  The idea, the concept and their uniqueness is art.  

Just like one person is unique to themselves and to their own individuality, “art” is unique to itself and its own individuality.  It does not depend on collective thinking.   NOT everyone’s ideas and concepts are art.  Not every individual is an artist. They may create something that looks like art. It may have a frame, and be in a gallery and the person who made it calls themselves an artist and their work art.  But it isn’t – if it is not unique. 

What makes art, art? Value. We should value it as art.  If everything is called art, there is no value in art. As a lifetime romantic, I believe art must have the ability to stress goodness, imagination, creativity, discovery, ability and virtue. These notions are all subjective. Subjectivity is unique, individual and not based on collective thinking. Modern art stops right here.  Modern art is nonobjective art. It works toward an unattainable utopia, white bless. It is based on a blissful romantic anticipation of something, a notion, a concept that never becomes real. 

What gives art reality?   I believe it is based on an objective reality, perhaps a romantic objective reality but still an objective reality.  The origin of the concept, the idea begins with the maker and their subjective individual uniqueness.   Art gains value through the maker's subjectivity. The objective reality is that others can relate to as they search for their own pursuit of happiness and their own liberty as they live their own lives. Life has struggle and creating value comes with a struggle. Without the struggle art, is nonobjective and mindless.

My current works speak to the subjective fluidity in concept and idea forming.  From this fluidity, a concept or idea is not yet objective.  I search for this objectivity, I struggle to find this objectivity as I create.  Why? Because I believe that the combination of fluid subjectivity and real objectivity give meaning and value to art.  I struggle to make this fluidity become real and relate to reality, to life, to my struggles and to my happiness and the happiness of others.  I believe that by making the work objective I make that reality work for me and what I believe in and hope that I inspire others at the same time to do likewise, as they too struggle to give meaning to their lives and have the meaning that they have created work for them.  Objective reality can be, personal, individual, and have unique meaning, not the collective meaning, of one size fits all.  If everyone worked towards their own happiness, their own reality and allowed others to do the same, I believe we would live in a very rich time indeed.  Instead, we seem to be sucking the creativity out of one to give it to another. Doing this, there will be no creativity, no art and no imagination. They will have no value and no meaning.  It is up an individual to create things for themselves, things that will make them uniquely happy.