Not an Art Purist
A few months ago, at an exhibition in Brooklyn, New York, a potential collector approached me: “Can you explain what all of this means in a way that I can understand it?” he asked as he waved his finger around in the air referencing my most recent series.
“I think so?” I responded….then went on to tell the ‘story’ of each painting.
Normally, I would view this as a very direct and appreciated inquiry about the work but his tone was almost mocking the ‘artsy-fartsy’ view of abstract work as if it is too ‘out there’ to understand. Frankly, I don’t think people need to ‘understand it’, and I don’t care whether they do but it does seem to matter to them.
I am NOT an art purist. I don’t have an art degree. I paint out of my own natural urges to communicate what I believe is incommunicable about my worldview and myself but I want to change that……well…..the incommunicable part. Just to be clear: there is a whole world out there full of symbols, hand gestures, and expressions, which tell stories without using words. These non-verbal expressions convey feelings, ideas, and concepts without actually ‘saying’ anything. To me, that’s the beauty of abstract art but I’ve met many people who want those symbols, ideas, and expressions put into words. They want to know what they are supposed to glean from the painting.
Introspection on Display: Communicating About Creative Life and Work
How does one communicate the incommunicable? I’m trying to figure that out. Every painting is filled with deeply personal feelings, experiences and abstract expressions. These ideas are hard to explain, but I do want to share them. When others share their creative process, lifestyle, workflow, and ups and downs with me, I find it inspiring and educational. We can learn a lot from each other.
Some of the most defining moments I think a creative can have occur when someone truly interested asks about the creative life. Contemplating how to answer these questions sparks additional self-assessment and exploration, which I am thankful for because my work benefits from introspection and that means my collectors benefit from it as well. The goal is always to keep expressing honestly through the work and for its quality to improve over time.
It All Begins With a Spark
I don’t know what people ‘get’ out of a painting, I only know my own process in creating it. Generally, at least for me, the idea of titling abstract paintings is contemptible because naming them imposes some sort of idea or expectation of what the painting is about when the goal is that the receiver (viewer) will form their own concept of what they are experiencing in the process of viewing it. Every human being has a different perspective because our experiences are unique to us. This means that every individual viewing it could see a painting differently.
At shows and online, I am often asked:
“What’s your inspiration?”
“Are these rocks?”
“What are those shapes supposed to be?”
“Is that a building?”
“Is that an abstract version of a skyline?”
“Is it people?”
“Talk to me about what all this means……”
Truthfully, it isn’t easily explained.
In response, I want to ask: “How does it make you feel?”
That may be what I want to say, but I’m pretty sure it’s not a good enough answer. I’ve found that people want the story. They want the person, story, idea, process, and inspiration, which led to creating something from nothing. Collectors, art students, and art enthusiasts seem fascinated by the creative process and are willing listeners to the story. In appreciation of that, the paintings are now titled to be minimally descriptive of the process and inspiration. The titles are a ‘taste’ of where the painting came from. They are a teaser to the story of the painting.
This past weekend, I was back in Brooklyn for The Other Art Fair and my thoughts of what all this means to the viewer were confirmed. I spent a lot of time talking to art lovers and potential collectors and they asked similar questions I’ve heard before. They ask because there is a desire to connect to the art, to relate to it somehow. They aren’t just interested in its visual impact…they are looking for meaning. I think this desire is more prevalent in abstract work because more is left open to interpretation than other artistic styles.
What Exactly Is The Story of a Painting?
The story of a painting is the narrative of its underlying meaning: how and why it came into existence. The story of a painting, or the story it is telling, begins with a spark. That spark can be a dream, a color palette I’ve wanted to work with, lines on a leaf, ripples on water, anything remotely visually, emotionally, or intellectually interesting. After that, there is the contemplation of what that spark means. Why is it interesting to me? What fascinates me about this spark both visually and emotionally? Just as in a literary story, the characters in the story develop into something more substantial with each color choice, each meditation, contemplation, line drawn, brushstroke and paint pour. Every action creates a reaction and these interactions become the story of the painting.
One of the reasons I love doing The Other Art Fair is the opportunity to be physically present with the work, other artists and potential collectors of my work. This past weekend, I watched a young woman and her friend stare at one of my paintings for a long time. They saw it, left, and came back again. They were clearly visualizing the painting in the space and the colors and shapes resonated with them but they wanted more, so they asked for the story.
The story of that particular painting is deeply personal. It’s a visual account of part of a harrowing personal journey in which I have to climb up the face of a cliff and into a cave and argue with a man about why he won’t help me with a very female problem I have. This story is only a partial account of the entire journey, a whole series of paintings about a dream in which I am in search of my ‘identity’ and have to retrieve it from the bottom of the ocean. In this particular situation, the story helped them understand and connect with the painting. That day, this young woman became a collector of my work.
Unfortunately, the story doesn’t always create that effect. Sometimes it’s too much, too personal and it drives people away. I get that, but if you are asking for the story, you are going to get an honest explanation of what it is, even if that explanation is less than pleasant.
In the End, It’s All-Good
In the end, I’m glad the seemingly snotty guy who asked me for explanations last Spring in Brooklyn did so because it really made me explore what is behind each painting and now I take notes on inspirations and meditations about the series as they develop so I know where and how each painting originated. So you see, this communicative relationship between me, the paintings, and the audience is essential to the development of good and meaningful work.
I’m not sure whether the guy who wanted an explanation was mocking the art scene or truly interested in the work but he got the story for each painting and when I was done talking I asked: “ Is that understandable?” He humbly answered, “Yes I think so”, and walked away without another word.
So, for future reference, feel free to ‘walk away’ after having read what is written here or if you are inclined, comment or shoot me an email to continue the conversation. After all, what good is putting the work out there if it doesn’t create a spark?
Next time…just for kicks…..some stories…….