On Art
I’ve realized that art is, at least in part, an amalgam of dichotomies:
Connection and disconnection;
Communication and secrets;
Understanding and mystery;
et cetera…
I find I need to load my art with personal connections and experiences, but step back to see if what I’m doing makes sense to anyone else. Often I had a great time but the experiencers just didn’t really connect. How am I going to convey what I need to convey if the art doesn’t connect with the experiencers? If the art hasn’t served its purpose, whatever it may be, than I would consider it more or less a failure. It could be said that this sort of ‘experiencer inclusion’ is a passion of mine - and I work hard to improve it with every opportunity.
How much to include and how much to leave out? That’s a tough question whose answer can make an art either great or mundane. Artistic space needs to be left for the ‘experiencer’ to be able to insert themselves to fully immerse themselves, but not too much space so that the work is incomplete. The subject also brings up the question of physical space and time-space, as with graphic and musical arts. How much detail is to be shown, and how much left out? Just enough, but not too much or little (which is hardly an answer at all!)
Understanding and mystery are closely related to communication and secrets, but it has more to do with the experiencer than the artist or the art. How clearly should art convey its point(s) and how much should be left to be deduced/solved? Often the artist doesn’t fully understand what they are trying to convey - they’re trying to understand it through art. Also, the imagination of the experiencer can be utilized to aid the art so that what was even a mystery to the artist can be nearly tangible. Interesting…
Maybe someday I’ll grasp these concepts so that I can finally start making good art.
