“More” Art…

It appears as though my idea that art which is appreciated by more people is “more” art has created some discussion (Guy Tal and Skolai Images) . By “more” I do not mean “better”. “Better” is a supposedly objective determination made by a rule set derived by people who study art. What I mean by “more” is “greater impact”, and that is I feel, what gives art value. I believe that the creation of art is a cognitive process combining imagination and skill for the purpose of expressing some emotional response to a subject or just the maker’s state of mind. What makes art powerful is its communicative, or emotive impact on others.

If, as I believe, art requires a viewer in order to be complete, to count as more than just paint on canvas, words on paper, than something is “art” as soon as that first responsive viewer exists. But art is a subjective idea. The label of “art” is a judgment  made by people. What I perceive as random marks, may hold emotional meaning for someone else. I suggest that the power of something as “art” ( it’s “artfulness” )is a cumulative process so that the more people “see” it as art, respond to it, the “more” it is “art”. Being “art” to more people, I feel makes it “more” art.

I believe the Mona Lisa is more “art” today than if it were locked away in a closet after made. It will be more “art” a hundred years from now than today. Artists understand this, museums understand this, galleries understand this, investor’s understand this. It’s the reason they put their works out into the public through exhibits, books, catalogs, magazines, DVD’s, the internet and any other means they can find. The perception of something as “art” is a cumulative process, a work takes on the value of being “more” art, the more people respond to it as such.

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If a Painting Falls in the Woods…

You know the riddle, “If a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it does it make a sound?” I subscribe to the reasoning that it does not make a sound as there is no person to perceive the sound.  A falling tree only creates a vibration in the air. It is the human ear that translates that vibration into a sound.

I feel the same way about art. If there is no human to perceive it and translate the experience into an emotion, then there is no art. Art is a strictly human concept and requires a human presence to be perceived as such. Maybe it is enough for the creator of a painting, sculpture, photograph, poem, to perceive the work for it to be art, but how much more is it art when there is a second, third, or ten million observers, readers, listeners.

So just as a falling tree needs to be heard in order for it to make a sound, art needs to be heard, seen, felt, in order for it to be art. It seems clear to me then that there is no art without a patron, they make art “heard”. They are the human ear that registers the “ sound”.

I was so pleased to receive an email recently from a collector of my work after receiving a framed print from me. She wrote:

The Arrival “arrived” today and looks beautiful on my wall as I knew it would.  One of the things I enjoy so much about your work, is that since I spend so much time outdoors, I identify immediately with the beauty that you capture in your images.  If that is one of your goals as an artist, you have succeeded.  Thanks again.  – Sue

I love that sound….

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On the Move

I have been a member of  Artist’s Gallery since last August and have truly enjoyed the experience. Now things get even better as we begin our move from Coryell street to 18 Bridge Street in Lambertville, NJ. Right over the bridge from New Hope, PA, this new location offers easy access and puts us right in the middle of the action. It’s also a really fine looking building!

Starting on March 5, you can come to our new home and see the work of up to 18 talented, professional artists. Our hours are Fri – Sun 11-6 or by appointment. Put this date on your calendar too – March 13 from 5-8pm, it’s our Grand Re-opening. It would be great to see you there!

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Winter Wonder

Early last month I saw a forecast for a few inches of snow and jumped on the phone to Lakota Wolf Preserve in New Jersey. I’ve been wanting to get back to Lakota to work with the wolves in or during a snow. I got to do both on the day I went. My last time at Lakota years ago was in the fall, this time the wolves had their full winter coats and were striking. My goal when working with any animal is to create imagery that speaks to some aspect of their interaction with the environment or each other.

In this case, I sensed in the wolf a curiosity or joyousness in the snowfall. The gaze of this beautiful animal looking up as the snow softly landed around it and the snow on its nose, seemed childlike. It was cold and somewhat sloppy work, but the 2 hours I spent at Lakota were very rewarding and worth the $321 that it cost.

This image is now a limited edition print entitled Winter Wonder  in two sizes: 7×10 matted to 11×14 for $47 and 10×14 matted to 16×20 for $79 also available framed.

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