Saturday, July 18, 2009

Art Is About Feeling

Dark Goddess, E. Lorien Shaw, 2009

Sometimes I worry my art isn't good enough. Good enough. Whatever that means. Usually it means I'm comparing a single piece to some Master Artist or another. "Waaa...my sketch isn't as good as Leonardo's!" or *Snivel* My painting's not as good as Vincent's! or >Whine< "My sculpture's not as good as a Degas!" See, I almost never compare my work to Mary Jane's or Dave the gardener's, but rather to artists so well known they only require one name for instant identification by the masses. *sigh*

But the real issue is the act of comparing, since an accurate basis for said comparisons isn't even possible. Because art is all about evoking feeling. Of course, I could go on intellectualising, explaining how my art doesn't evoke the same dizziness as a painting by Picasso, the clarity of place and moment as an O'Keefe, the deep and inescapable sadness of Munch, or the sheer madness of a Dali, but that's really nonsense, for my work does evoke feeling when viewed. Even by me.

So let me leave you with some hope for my fellow artists and dreamers in the form of this video that loses nothing by being part of the crazyones.org commercial endeavor.


2 comments:

artquest1 said...

Hi,
I've been reading your post (anonymously) for a few weeks, but based upon your latest, I thought I'd drop you a line. The entire evaluation issue concerning art is such a deadly one, and I often feel that the questions raised and the answers evoked do more harm than good, I write a blog that deals with many of these issues, and if you'd like to stop by and drop me a line, I'd be pleased to read your thoughts,
Best wishes, Bob
ArtQuest1.blogspot.com

Els said...

Slowly but surely, I'm whittling away at it...