What is Art?

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My Views

Being Ourselves

As an artist, I value my integrity and identity - my authenticity – honouring the various aspects of my personality that together make up "me".

Judgement

I believe that the term "Judgement" is misunderstood by most people. This is a big topic, and I am not trying to give a comprehensive analysis of teaching on the subject, but rather to try and share something of the peace and confidence I find in this whole topic.

My Beliefs

There is a “spiritual” dimension to life that transcends the physical, psychological and emotional realities. I believe that God exists, and that man is essentially a spirit being in a physical body, having a soul.

Relationships

There are so many aspects to relationships and so much has been written elsewhere that I just want to touch on what I consider to be the essence of relationships.

Self-Promotion

Some time ago, when asked to contribute some thoughts to someone who was writing an article on how artists can "use a website to promote their artwork", I found it quite interesting to examine my own motives and to consider what role my use of a web site had played in my art, and whether it had met my original expectations. I would like to share my conclusions.

Success

Success is not a matter of having money or possessions, nor is it a matter of having power or recognition. True success is found in being a totally integrated – "whole" – human being.

What is Art?

As I have improved my own skills and developed more of a personal style, I have gradually come to have a personal definition of what art is - and what it is not. I am not trying to suggest that I have the "correct" view on the subject, but my opinion quite naturally affects the subjects I choose and the way in which I work.

What Is Value?

How can we conduct our liveseffectively and with integrity, especially in business,unless we understand “Value”. It is only when we know we are producing something of value that we get a sense of purpose, satisfaction and fulfilment. So what is “Value”?

What is Art?

As I have improved my own skills and developed more of a personal style, I have gradually come to have a personal definition of what art is - and what it is not. I am not trying to suggest that I have the "correct" view on the subject, but my opinion quite naturally affects the subjects I choose and the way in which I work.

Art is created when the internal forms and textures of the artist's experience of a subject are expressed through the forms and textures of the work. To be "good", to "succeed", it needs to communicate this experience to the viewer.

When viewing other artists' work, I ask myself;

	Does it "connect" with me? By that I mean, does it communicate something to me that results in some emotional response - preferably positive. If it connects with enough people in a positive way, a consensus that it is “good” art will be formed.
	Does the artist have a recognisable “body of work”? Is there some sort of consistency that indicates sincerity, integrity and skilful execution of an intention?
	Does the artist’s statement (if any) about the work have meaning for me?
	Do the artist’s biographical details (if available) help me to understand the work and therefore relate to it in a fresh way?
	Is it art that I could "take home" with me? Would I want to?

With my own art, I pick a subject that resonates with my past experiences or dreams, and if the subject is a landscape, will choose one or more photographs to use as a resource. I normally choose photographs that connect in some way with the strong impressions and feelings that I want to express through the work.