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Some specific insights. . .

The last blog addressed general arts. This post is more specific to the visual arts.

Recently, there was a news item about an astounding bid for a banana secured to a gallery wall with duct tape. It took place at New York’s Sotheby’s Auction House and the winning bid was for 6.2 million. (This piece goes under the category of conceptual art and is entitled Comedian. Instructions for its installation, along with a roll of duct tape were included with the bid.) 

So, what does that say about the worth of art in everyday terms—not much—but it probably fuels the fires of cynicism and showcases stupid excess in the elite world of collectors.

Which brings up the opposite end of the scale. There is an occasional comment that is levied at stylized or abstract art–“My kid could do better than that!”— which comes from a view not attuned to nuance in the arts. In reality, the artist in question is no doubt precise and deliberate in their experiments with abstract art forms and stylization–the reason it is on display.

On the other side of the coin, a person not burdened by an opinion that art must conform to reality, may find themselves drawn to a painting or sculpture and not understand why. It’s because it evokes a mood. It may not be a mood the artist intended, but it is the “emotional magic of art” that happens between the viewer and what they view.

There’s an old question that asks if a person is born with talent or is it nurtured. I don’t know the answer, but as a teacher and as an artist, I do know art can be learned. If the desire is great enough, and there is persistence, an individual will arrive in the artist category, or be deeply associated with some satisfying aspect of it.

There are lots of ways one can be part of the arts–as a creator, a performer, or an appreciator. And there are many places you would not expect to find artists filling a need. There is commercial art–graphic design, illustration, photography–in the service of advertising products; product design with packaging and trade show exhibits; book or album design; the film and game industry; fine arts (which has no set purpose, but aesthetics), which is the world of gallery sales and museums; non profit organizations that promote the arts; and, teaching art or related crafts.

Specifically, in regards to teaching design (since that’s my background), I like to think of serious art students as progressing around a clock. One student might have taken a lot of art classes and be thought of as a “born talent.” Another might not have taken many art classes, but is committed to following an arts “path.” Both start at the top of a clock. They go in opposite directions around the clock and when they arrive at the top again, from their work, you will not know which one had the advantage.

The “natural born talent” needed to learn design theory to grow–otherwise, they might have plateaued (I would liken it to a musician enriching their capacity through knowledge of music theory). The disadvantaged student learned design theory, but also needed to learn to stimulate the kind of creativity that transcends mere technical skill.

They have different journeys and whether a journey is long or short depends on individual dedication and persistence. However, when they complete their training, they will be equally capable of outstanding art. At least that’s my observation and working theory!

I wanted to mention a final thing that a commercial artist or a fine artist needs to watch. It’s getting “stuck.” It’s fine if you like doing one style all the time. However, if you want to stretch and explore, the remedy is regular practice in journaling, sketchbooks, and doodling. The culprit is an efficient world that likes to pigeon hole. In the commercial world it can lead to mediocre portfolios and tired trends. And in the fine art world–frustration.

I have found that mini design exercises help–setting up thumbnail visual arts problems to solve in unusual ways–like an elegant game of solitaire. I’ll share some of them as future posts. They are from the book Learning First in Black and White.