My Sunday Thought for 062517: Speaketh to Me, Oh Work of Art!

Anyone can throw crap on a canvas and attempt to call it art,  

because what they see is art.  

All I see is crap on a canvas.

Art, much like beauty, is an interesting animal.  H.G. Wells once said, "Beauty is in the heart of the beholder."  Whether it is the written word, drawing, painting, sculpture or music, the beauty of our art, like beauty, also rests in the heart of the beholder.

"The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection."

-- Michelangelo (1475-1564), artist, sculptor

Not to be indelicate, but have you ever really noticed the nude male sculptures of ancient Rome and Greece?  I mean, these are gods and heroes, right?  Yet they are depicted with, well, tiny packages.  Back in the day a Hellenistic or Roman sculptor sculpted what was seen, for better or worse, and we are usually treated to historically realistic depictions of the human form, however emasculating it may be portrayed.  It is hard for me to critique realistic depictions for anything more than the artist's ability.  I mean, it is what it is, and this honest imagery continued until the mid-1800s when our view of art and reality gets lost out in left field.  Reality is, once again, redefined by the mind's eye.  When I look at the works of some of the greats from this period to present, I'm more apt to think our taste was redefined by the British import of marijuana and opium to the western world.

“One cannot create an art that speaks to me when one has nothing to say.”

-- Andre Malraux (1901-1976), art theorist, author, statesman

And then, BAM!  Enter impressionism, post-impressionism, fauvism, expressionism, cubism, futurism, supremativism, constructivism, deconstructivism, de stijl, dada, surrealism, postmodernism, neoclassicism, et al.  We find ourselves having to judge not just an artist ability, but what in God's holy name the artist is trying to say to the observer; what is the, all too often, hidden message?  What does the work say to us and how are we affected?  

We get caught up in the culture of art and soon find ourselves with our noses stuck high up in the air as we pride ourselves in knowing what school, technique, and period of any particular artist.  I have come to my own obvious conclusion:  Anyone can throw crap on a canvas and attempt to call it art, because what they see is art.  What I see might be better defined as crap on canvas that some talentless schmuck, thinking they're worthy, wants some other poor schmuck, with questionable taste, to pay good money for.  

As for myself, I failed my structured art classes, and then went on, self-taught, to have several of my works hanging in Europe.  I'm not sure my instructors can say as much, but then, that is art for you.  Those that can, do.  Those that can't, teach.  Show me someone with a degree in art, today, and I'll show you a bartender or a teacher, and the bartender is making much more money.  Was I any good at painting?  A few people seemed to think so, but I didn't give up my day job.  I also haven't touched a paintbrush in 15 years, to do anything more than paint a house.  I get bored easily. 

"Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling the artist has experienced."

-- Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910),  author

Some have said I should try to be charitable in my critique of folks artistic endeavors.  I am trying, but my mouth all too often jumps ahead of my brain.  Like most people, however, I like what I like and see no reason to blow smoke up someone's haughty ass just to make them feel better.  I expect no less for my artistic endeavors and, as I am my own worst critic, have received none.  I have tried to read art critiques full of colorful language (re: art speak) about use of color, lighting, brush technique, and yadda, yadda, yadda.  All this bullshit comes down to one important question:  Do you like it?  Don't try to overthink it; why you like it is of secondary importance to the fact that it speaks to your soul, even if you don't understand the language.  I've seen chimpanzees and elephants express themselves on canvas better than most 'artists' can.  Just saying.

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." 

-- Edgar Degas (1834-1917), artist, sculptor

A painter paints, but artists bear their souls to their audience.  Anyone can speak to a crowd, but it takes a true communicator to reach them.  As in any communication one needs to first consider their audience, the social context and the education, the message and the receiver.  If you simply want to paint, then do so and be the best 'painter' you can be.  Painters can accomplish a landscape painting in an hour which is suitable to hang in any hotel room; an artist needs time to do God's work justice.

I have never been proficient at drawing people, the talent escapes me because I overthink it.  I worry over the process way too much instead of just jumping in and taking the risk at offense.  Edgar Degas explains the issue for most artists very well in two quotes:

"Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do.""Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things."

When you are your own worst critic the difficulty is always right in your face, the concern is always that you no longer know what you are doing, if you ever did, and you rely on a strength of inner faith to guide your hand and "do good things."  Such it is in life as well, and art is nothing if it is not a reflection of life.  Our art keeps us honest, whether it be our handicraft, our trade, our hobby, our relationships, or our faith.  

"Drawing is the honesty of the art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad."

-- Salvador Dali (1904-1989), artist

In a sense, life itself is an art form to be mastered and, yet, you will have to come to the realization that you have no idea what you are doing before you can finally do good things. Lao Tsu says, "People usually fail when they are on the verge of success. So give as much care to the end as to the beginning; there will be no failure."  I think the fear of failure is mitigated when you let go of your desires for success and simply apply yourself to the task at hand.  The canvas is finite and will fill in due time.  Mistakes disappear with another coat of paint or a change to our desired outcome and, many times, simply take us to where we should have gone originally.  Failure is a judgment reserved for us to make on ourselves.  Better we should see our attempt as a continuing process of learning than to judge the success or failure. 

"Are you really sure that a floor can't also be a ceiling?"

-- M.C. Escher (1898-1972), graphic artist

Life is our personal work of art.  Life speaks to us, or not, depending on how much soul we invest into it.  It is our life, our canvas, not someone else's.  Paint your canvas because it is what you want to do, and don't be concerned about what others think.  If they like it, that's great; if not, it isn't their canvas so don't be too concerned about it.  Do we happily paint our canvas as a reflection of who we are, or do we simply throw a bucket of paint on it hoping someone will be moved by our "attempt" at a literal crap shoot of making something out of nothing?  Don't worry about what a thoughtless critic thinks, throw the fricking paint, you monkey!  You'll never know if you haven't painted crap until you fill a canvas with it.

Learning begins when you have the strength of character to pick up the brush.  I will be there to look at it and exclaim, "Speaketh to me, oh work of art!"  The eye sees much better than it hears.  

But, this is just My Sunday Thought, and I could be wrong.  I leave you with another thought, inspired by graphic artist M.C. Escher, through his quote I used, above:  Is life creationism or evolution, and are you really sure it can't be both?  

Editor's Note 

(re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card) 

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 23 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, to wage his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.