One of the most inspiring aspects of being an artist is one in which most artists are at best only dimly aware of - being a 'spiritual visualizer'... there is, to many, an impulse of having to render, but beyond the seeing in terms of compositions of arrangements that are pleasing to the eye, whether as still life or more likely as landscape, there is often little more that comes consciously to mind... it is an awareness that is not informed, and comes in general only to those few who are willing to engage in introspection - not only in terms of the composing via visual, but in terms of answering the 'why' of doing the rendering in the first place...
Too often, tho, this turns to propaganda as the means of justifying some deliberate meaning applied to whatever rendering is under consideration - as if there was little to other meanings which can be gendered to a work, to say nothing of the nature of seeking to do the work itself, why it has interest to the artist, why in that construction, or coloration, or size even... this is where being aware of the artist as a 'spiritual visualizer' comes in - it provides the grounding on which a better understanding of what one as an artist seeks to do as an artist and why [for without the why, without going beyond ascribing the being as mere 'impulse' [as if, in effect, an artist is a mere animal more glorified], there is no real understanding which is needed for improvements and directions worth taking] ...
A work of art, of 'fine art' in that its primary purpose is one of contemplation, is a selective re-presentation of reality [that is, of emphasized graspings of the world around the artist] according to what the artist considers as of fundamental importance [fundamental in that there is of necessity to inclusion AND exclusion of what is to be in the rendering]... it is, as such, a showing of what, out of all the myriad sights and connections of diverse objects and subjects, the artist considers worth seeing... the base on which comes to pass is what the artist considers of value - and that depends on the code of values that artist ascribes to [and rest assured, different values make for much different consequences in what one does and how one does it - and why]... a code of values is what one uses to guide oneself thru life - it is what provides the 'spiritual', the non-material, to living, which gives that material its importance, and WHICH material gets to be important, and why - and, to the artist, the reason of showing that which the artist shows, AND WHY, PROPERLY, AN ARTIST IS A 'SPIRITUAL VISUALIZER'...
Too often, tho, this turns to propaganda as the means of justifying some deliberate meaning applied to whatever rendering is under consideration - as if there was little to other meanings which can be gendered to a work, to say nothing of the nature of seeking to do the work itself, why it has interest to the artist, why in that construction, or coloration, or size even... this is where being aware of the artist as a 'spiritual visualizer' comes in - it provides the grounding on which a better understanding of what one as an artist seeks to do as an artist and why [for without the why, without going beyond ascribing the being as mere 'impulse' [as if, in effect, an artist is a mere animal more glorified], there is no real understanding which is needed for improvements and directions worth taking] ...
A work of art, of 'fine art' in that its primary purpose is one of contemplation, is a selective re-presentation of reality [that is, of emphasized graspings of the world around the artist] according to what the artist considers as of fundamental importance [fundamental in that there is of necessity to inclusion AND exclusion of what is to be in the rendering]... it is, as such, a showing of what, out of all the myriad sights and connections of diverse objects and subjects, the artist considers worth seeing... the base on which comes to pass is what the artist considers of value - and that depends on the code of values that artist ascribes to [and rest assured, different values make for much different consequences in what one does and how one does it - and why]... a code of values is what one uses to guide oneself thru life - it is what provides the 'spiritual', the non-material, to living, which gives that material its importance, and WHICH material gets to be important, and why - and, to the artist, the reason of showing that which the artist shows, AND WHY, PROPERLY, AN ARTIST IS A 'SPIRITUAL VISUALIZER'...
I’m spiritual and I think I understand what your trying to develop but let me play “devils’ advocate.” What if an artist is an atheist. The artist can believe in the beauty of his fellow man but does not believe in spirituality for himself or the belief a higher force exists.
ReplyDeleteWhen I’m researching my work or thinking of my next project/painting, I remember what a teacher once said to me and his class, “all art is autobiographical.” So whether it’s the subject, style, size color, spiritual, not spiritual or what is actually present or left out the work is about the artist.
I guess where all of this applies for me is being honest with myself & others and the work will grow and hopefully show it . . .
My inner workings are not more then or less then the guy next door. I just hope I can express myself to the best of my ability and make a connection with a viewer on some level. Anyway that’s my thoughts on the subject....
It is more than just 'about the artist' - it is what of the artist which is considered of primary importance [and by contrast, what is thereby considered of less or not importance]... as for 'spiritual', see the next inclusion...
ReplyDelete