Audio Version of the Chapters is Here.
Part II
“When bankers get together for dinner, they discuss Art. When artists get together for dinner, they discuss money.” – Oscar Wilde
“To see far is one thing, going there is another.” – Brancusi
Ordinary problems – They are something that no matter what career someone goes into they will face. They alter somewhat depending on whether you are a banker, an artist, an accountant, or whatever your passion drives you towards, but those problems are there. You work hard at what you do and want someone to recognize it, whether it is a painting or other product. With creating art there exists a cycle. When you are young, if you create art there is usually somebody there to praise your success, and that in itself acts as payment. Occasionally you will actually have someone offer to pay you for your art, which feels great at first, until you think about the hours put into the product… and so the cycle begins.
Half way through the chapter they start talking about competition – I have found comparing yourself to others and their level of success is a huge waste of time. Apples to waltzes. If the amount of shows we have or the level of recognition we receive equates to our worth as an artist, wow, am I in trouble. I have been part of a gallery because I thought it was what artists did, I have done a few shows because I thought that was what artists did, I’ve started a web page because I thought that was what artists did, each thing was an ok experience, and they work for other artists, I just haven’t figured out what is best for this artist.
I encourage those of you thinking of a career in art to seriously consider taking business/marketing classes), my advice is to not get obsessed with selling your work, it can interrupt the creating end of art. Create your art and put it out there for people to see in a way that works for you. There is not one best way for all artists, just the best way for you, oh, and be prepared to adapt.
Beth Schlieger – Art Teacher – Marshall High School, WI
—
There is so much in this chapter that you will not learn in your standard art class. Looking to the instructor as to how to snap a shutter or adjust the f-stop, how to push the paint across the canvas or erase just enough to give the hazy feeling of morning fog in a drawing. The network of the art world is something that needs to be experienced. This chapter explains so many parts of it so well.
Ordinary Problems – “There’s one hell of a lot more to art than just making it.” Isn’t that the truth. How often do we hear our friends and colleagues comment on how easy we make it look? I heard today that “I just don’t have time to come up with my own ideas (stained glass student searching the world wide interweb for ideas – and then copying it verbatim in glass – that surely makes for “original art” – total sarchasm – duh). Oh the challenge for making art is so very difficult.
For art to be successful, it surely must attract attention, create discussion and cause questions to be raised, right? When have YOU found yourself in front of an artwork (a famous painting or sculpture, a not so famous painting or sculpture, a poem, film or play even) that has caused you to question the art in front of you? Have you ever had someone stand in front of one of your works with that sort of reaction? During an exhibition of landscapes a viewer, not knowing the artist was standing next to her, said to her friend “These look just like paint by numbers… I mean really… why is this so good?” While this may not be the controversy a Robert Mapplethorpe photograph gets, it was curious to me that she chose to question the landscapes and their worthiness of wallspace. What is it that makes you question what you see when you look at art?
Common Ground, Art Issues, Competition and Navigating the System are all additional aspect of being an artist that are essential to really knowing what it is all about. As I have said in the past, art is far more than simply making pretty pictures. Take time and read one of these sections VERY caferfully and share something aout yourself that is specific to that section. Is there a common ground that you share with your fellow artists’? Do you feel concerned or worried about the issues of representation and “making it” as an artist? Is the school situation and classroom interaction competition enough for you to make your work the best you can, one notch better than the kid sitting next to you?
– FKorb
Art & Fear 
My work would never be in a famous gallery or museum and I’m okay with that. I do not make art for publicity, I make it because I can and because it makes me happy. Competition does not really seem to exist in our class. Yes, some people create amazing pieces that may make other students feel self conscious or ashamed of their work but you really do not see that. Everyone in AP Art has a variety of skills and styles with which they make their work. You should not feel like you have to compare your work to the work of others when your pieces are unique. Something you make yourself is special because you took the time to create it, not anyone else.
The most successful work comes from people who are making art for themselves and trying to convey that strong message or idea theough their work and they do it confidently. I try not to worry whether or not the people who see the final product are going to think negatively about it or look down at it. Most of the time if you actually just do forget about that and create what you intend to (without making alterations influenced by the fear of judgement) the final product will be successful. That is my philosophy and what I have been able to take from this.
I not sure about ‘making it’ as art. For my deffinition, art is something that has a specific meaning to it. The outside world sometime can motivate you to create art. But not all the time. Art is everything that you can do to creating artworks. After reading this a while, I feel that the author start to repeat himself by talking over and over why you are a failure. For myself, if you scare of making art is a failure, then your artworks will turn out like your fear.
art takes a lot of time if its making art, or if its taking classes, or even cleaning ur studio and even putting up a show. competition happens if you like it or not. The harder part of it is competing in the art world compared to playing sports. I think its good though it makes me realize that I shouldn’t be in this class, looking around and seeing all these skilled people makes me jealous and makes me realize that I might of taken this class too early. I guess its a good way though cause it pushes me to make better art and try new things and pushes me to try harder.
I see myself someday, probably never being able to make it in the art world as someone who is famous. I cannot picture myself because I don’t think I have that ability. Most of my work is censored by my brain and others who think they are confidently better than myself. Others who haven’t experienced the art world would say that my artwork would belong in a gallery. I have no connection with my artwork that I make by hand anymore and that will always be my problem. I’m rejecting it from being shown to the world.
I feel everytime I read something from this book it is always about something not being ‘good enough’. I am a highschool student, I have enough lack of self esteem to not feel good about. Honestly Im getting really tired of being so focused around fears. I don’t mind expanding my horizons and embracing my fears, but this has gone on long enough for me. Why should I have to feel terrible, unmotivated, and like a failure just to not learn a lesson. I havn’t done anything in class for the past week and just now started my AP project assigned, all becuase I hate what im doing in class. I have told you this Mr. Korb and made it quite clear.
Art can be fun for me and is probably my favorite thing in the world, but being forced to look at all my worst qualites just to not grow at all as an artist is not my ideal lesson. I get that I will have to do art jobs/assingments that I don’t like but the last thing I want to do is ruin my favorite class and fake the meaning (or have no meaning) behind my projects.
To answer this chapters question, there are plently of times that I question art or people question my art. It sucks to have someone tell you your art doesn’t have any meaning to them or isnt at least thought provoking. I feel that is quite obvious to know. Also it sucks for me becuase I don’t understand abstract art at all. Why should I care that Mark Rothko put some unconnected idea behind some colored squares. Sorry to be so negative again but this is what this book makes me think.
If anything, it has given you the knowledge to stay focused on what you love and are skilled at. However, facing fears is an important life skill. Some take this lesson literally, some look deeper. The idea behind this is not to ask you to feel terrible, unmotivated, like a failure… it is about being challenged by what you might be uncertain about (material wise) and to force you to look deep into creating something that might not be observable.
Art and Fear is looking to help you realize that the art you make is good enough, is great, and that everyone EVERYONE, has the skills to make meaningful art. Maybe the message will come to you later on. I hope it does. We’re done with the “fear” project on Monday… back to concentration.
One of the first things discussed in this chapter was how the world will censor artwork. I have seen this throughout history and today. Free expression is a freedom expressed greatly, but for some reason, art is censored. Art is censored often because majority of people don’t agree with it. Art challenges ideas that many will not want to agree with or think about. Though art is not as censored as it has been, some works are just too “shocking” and “inappropriate” to many viewers. Art is shocking and can be inappropriate! Art explores the depths of someone else’s soul and ideas. You can’t censor that. In addition, the chapter talks about competition. This is a difficult concept in the art world for me. He talks about not comparing ourselves to others, because we are not them. I understand that, but I still can’t help comparing myself to other artists. Ever since I was a kid, I would look at others work and thought it was ten million times better than mine. However, I did strive to be better. Not everyone will strive to be better though in these situations. It depends on the person and their confidence in themselves and their work. Competition is difficult to escape in any aspect of life. It, personally, makes me want to be better.
I agree that part of what can motivate artists is creating something unique when so many things are mass produced and give the same experience to everyone. I think this also ties into the competition part because people often compete to have their creations be the next big thing that millions see. The ‘best’ creations would then inspire another wave of ideas and the cycle repeats. If people didn’t compare their works to popular works or the works of their peers, they would have less experience to draw from when creating their own art.
I don’t think I am very concerned with “making it” as an artist. I like to think that anyone can be a successful artist if they put their mind to it. I am a very optimistic person. I also would not say that I find myself “competing” with other students. I try not to compare my artwork to anyone else’s, nor theirs to mine. My only concern in art class is to learn the skills I expect to learn. Trying to be better than you were yesterday is way healthier than trying to be better than everyone else, if you ask me. It’s not like other people’s opinions really matter end, anyways.
Art is all about hard work. If you really put in the work and give it your best, you should feel satisfied with what you’ve made–even though other people may not see it the same way as you do. And it really doesn’t matter what other people think in the end. Obviously feedback is important in order for growth to occur, but I also think it’s important to stand by the choices you made (since all art should be painstakingly intentional, after all). I think in the face of outside pressures telling you how to make your art, it’s important to stay true to your vision.
When he says that there is more to art than just making it I understand that but I’ve been lucky enough to have time every day to make new art. And hopefully, I will be creating a different kind of art for the rest of my life.He also mentions that our art should make others question what they believe. I don’t think that all art should do that. If every piece of art asked some philosophical question those questions would become boring. I also believe we need some art to be more lighthearted. The art that doesn’t ask the heavy deep questions serves its own purpose. It helps people relax a little bit. It takes people away from the possibly stressful thoughts of everyday life.There is also the fact where some people don’t want to think about complicated things all they time. People need relaxation and that’s what other forms of art bring us. Cartoon are the best example of art that doesn’t make people stressed out about the meaning of the universe. However, I am not saying that I don’t appreciate a good deep think about why we exist.
The world has already been observed and defined by others, however, artists do not realize that their own voice matters and has a place in the world. We all have the same common ground and competition forces us to work harder and to make better art than previous days. I believe that competition is unavoidable and it is part of the art making process to observe what others are coming up with or creating. Also, I think that we need to keep in mind as artists to focus on ourselves and make art that matters to us, personally, without fearing what others will think of the final product.
I think a lot of artists are afraid of not being “good” enough. Personally, I don’t really feel too concerned with “making it” as an artist because I don’t plan on going into an art field as a career, but I think it is a common issue for many up-and-coming artists. I think in our studio, we have a lot of competition, which helps a lot of us grow as artists. We do have a lot of people on different levels of skill and ability in making certain types of art, but I feel like in our studio, people are more comfortable because we have a lot of control on what we want to make based on a given topic.
Of course I try to be the best I can at what I do, but the more I mature, the more I realize that there will always be someone out there that will be able to add even more detail and more texture and more highlights. I have excepted that I will not be the best, but I will not giving up on growing in skill. You will only be as good as you work toward.
“The well-defined world we inherit doesn’t quite fit each one of us, individually” (69).
The majority of this chapter speaks about the fear and depression that an artist faces when comparing their art to their competition, but yet it creates a sense of raw energy. A View Into the Outside World is the chapter I chose for my Art & Fear piece. I based the chapter around the quote stated before, and took this into account by individually comparing many hand print results to another. Altogether, one piece does not match the rest, and they are each different. Although there are a few hand prints that are the same hand and color, they do not match spacing and texture. Like many of my pieces, there is a small commentary on my perfectionism and OCD. Each piece has the exact scale, concept, and unity, but the colors and pattern throughout all of them do not match. Creating personal feelings of anger, confusion, and frustration, these parallel the same emotions discussed in the chapter. In conclusion, my piece is based from the repeated production of art, my personal reaction of “anger and denial” (67), and emotions brought with the pieces.
I believe this chapter speaks about the difference between artists and non-artists. The common ground between people who share a passion for art share an understanding. Likewise, the chapter talks about how the viewer’s reaction to art is often anger and denial. Artists and people who do not create art have many different perspectives. The effort, work, thought, and passion that is put into a work is understood by all artists, and is not by people who do not create art. When I visit museums or come across another piece of art, it take time to analyze medium, technique, thought process, and deeper meaning. Those who do not share this understanding look at the image, and then move on. I am not concerned about the success of my art, because any creation is art, without definition by another person. I create the best work with time, critique, and contemplation. Competition drives the creation of more work and improvement, but self motivation can reach the same conclusion. From the words of Bayles and Orland, “The urge to compete provides a source of raw energy.” I am driven by creating work that reaches my perfection, but withheld to the point so I do not become frustrated. The outside world references to the world without art knowledge.
The outside world can be a cold and scary place but the way you perceive it is dependent on your thoughts, focuses, and ideas. Looking at the world around us and being scared to say or do things because were scared of the judgment we may receive is like living inside a box that has little holes poked in the box, because you’re trapped inside this confined space (restriction of your ideas and potential), however you can still see outside of it because you know your capabilities you’re just too worried to use them. Making art ties into this a great deal in the way that my thoughts can’t always be transferred to paper. Why? Maybe it isn’t developed enough, or maybe I just do not know HOW to say it. I think the best way to handle the topics discussed in this chapter is to make art like you’re the only person who is ever going to see the final product, and let the rest of the world interpret it how they want to. Some peoples jaws may drop at that idea but I feel it’s rational, given our rights as people.
I enjoy the ideas of looking at your art, making your art as if you are the only one who is going to see it. That said, the idea of communication to the masses is lost. I feel there is a middle ground in there somewhere. Keep working at it, but keep trying to engage your audience, make them question the status quo, make them think.
I lost my urgent sense of competition a long time ago. I used to be aggressively competitive–to a fault–but over the years I’ve worked to internalize my motivation and strengthen my work ethic, doing things for myself and for my own sake, especially in art. Once I started paying attention to process instead of product, a lot of my instinct to “be the best in my class” started to fade.
Lately I’ve felt a lot more relaxed about making art. Some of my art might not have the same passion behind it as it has in the past, but I don’t find myself suffering through the process nearly as much as I have before. I’m working on striking a balance between considering my mental health and finding that same passion. I think all of this progress stems largely from the fact that I’ve realized my art-making is about me, not about others.
This is a difficult thing to do – make art (stuff) for oneself… Especially when one has “grades” hanging over the head. Glad to offer you that space where you can do that with confidence and a knowledge that your works stand on their own as successful without regard to the “kid” next to you.
Competition in my opinion is what drives me. Without it I wouldn’t have a motive to get better at a fast pace. I like being competitive because it makes things fun. This is also true for any other class or game. For example, in band I try hard to be number one even though I know that it is improbable I still want to prove to everyone that I am able to do things better than most.
This is a difficult hill to climb. Competition is important (races, Olympics, sports, even the game of business) in life. As you race towards being number one, understand that there will ALWAYS be someone better at something, create a more realistic image, hit that note in a band slightly better, keep a beat with something more… You are the only one in the arts that you need to keep pace with. Be as strong as the last you, keep reflecting at what you have done, what you are currently doing, and where that next work is going to go. This is a long journey, please be careful that the “better ones” out there don’t frustrate you to the point of “not doing” anymore.
One thing that really stood out to me in the Art Issues section was the sentence “Finding your place in the art world is no easy matter, if indeed there is a place for you at all.”I struggle with being a part of the art world because I often find myself feeling as if I don’t belong at all. Maybe the reality of me not belonging in the art world is the truth and I just can’t face it.But then again, I wouldn’t be here writing this comment if I truly believed that. Being involved in art and getting enveloped in my creative side is my favorite part of any day. I really enjoy creating art at home because I can be free and do what I want. But I also really enjoy creating art at school because then I have my peers to push me to do better. Having artists around me gives me another perspective on what I’m creating. We share ideas and constructive criticism to better help one another.One thing we all share is the struggles that come with being an artist and understanding that we are all going through the same issues involving the creative process. As much as I enjoy art and letting my artistic side shine, I don’t see myself as an artist in the future. I’m not committed enough or as serious about my artwork as those who make a living by being artist. What makes art stand out to me is color and pattern. I’m highly drawn to colors and patterns because those things are the most eye catching and interesting things to stare at. When I make art, I tend to use a lot of color and pattern because that is what catches my eye and I am hoping it will catch the eyes of others.
You are not alone when it comes to feeling accepted in the art world… whatever that term really even means. I hope that, even if you do not pursue the arts as a career, you understand that the arts can be and should be a part of your lifelong pursuits and learning. I imaging your life be full of the arts – regardless of your choices of careers in the future. Keep making – for yourself – and if the work is there, if it inspires others, if it causes conversation, if it is getting made (just for you…) you are part of the art world.
An artist has the idea in their head that they are the only one who has a certain problem. They are not, even though these problems are personal because we make art that is self inspired and always put our heart and soul into each artwork we are not alone. Many artists experience the same downfalls and if we all work together and share our mistakes we can all “fail forward” together.
Also finding time to do art at home is difficult. Every artist including me has that piece that they started a month ago and still have not finished it. Last year I had some extra time and started doing a small artwork every day. After awhile the semester changed and so did my time so I have about thirty little artworks instead of a years worth.
One of the sentences in this chapter says that we all have our own worlds that we live in. For artists that world is art, we invite people into our “World” by making and showing people our art. Then when people like our work we get overjoyed and so accomplished and it is just an amazing feeling.
For some artists they teach themselves and figure out art completely on their own. That was not completely the place for me. I knew I loved art before high school but I just wasn’t very good at it. So like the famous quote I had to learn the rules so that I could break them. Once I learned the basics it set me up to learn from my classes but also develop my own techniques and teach myself.
The final part is competition, even though everyone wants to deny it this is a big part of art. To be the best at something is a great feeling. But on the other hand it also hurts others because if you are the best the others cannot be the best. That is why it is healthy to compete sometimes but you also have to give each other support so that everyone can be their best.
-Mary Heesbh
You have found your mantra! Keep failing and learning Mary. This is one of those things that your art students will appreciate from you. Experiment, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes. When it comes to being the best one can be, being better than others is of less concern than simply being the best you that you can be. Lastly – I enjoy the “small” art a day – keep that practice up when (and as it fits into your world) you can.
In AP I don’t think there is any competition! Maybe at the beginning of the year there was some competition because none of us knew what the others could do. I think we all have became more comfortable with each other and we aren’t afraid to ask each other questions. I enjoy the small class because you get to see everyone’s growth throughout the year and their own idea of what art is.
Keep looking at and listening to other’s ideas about art. I have seen growth and exploration in the work you have produced and the “family” of artists that has developed has certainly been influential in the process. Cubism without Picasso, Braque, and Gris – might have happened, but not in the same way that it did.
Really with any career or path in life one goes, its a good idea to have a few different sides to you because life can take you anywhere and you have to be ready. Funny, calm, professional, etc. Overall, I think it is healthy to take in other’s opinions to try and better yourself and your art or whatever it may be. But don’t take in other’s opinions to the point where it completely effects who you are and what you have been doing because then it’s no longer yours, it’s theirs. Our class is not competitive at all. We help each other with everything from advice, answers, and even giving a quarter or two. I prefer it this way because for most of us, we are seniors and this is our last semester before, for some of us, art is gone. I enjoy being a small friend group or a small little AP class family. It makes a great atmosphere for art making.
Beautifully stated. Listening to other’s for feedback is essential in the process of making anything. Even if you have a recipe for the product, if someone sees something that might make a worthwhile difference, one needs to listen, reflect, perhaps play and experiment, but is never under the pressure to make those changes unless they feel it is in their (and the works) best interest. Keep it yours.
I have two very different sides of me. I am a very competitive person. I love competition. I hate loosing and winning is awesome. During a sport i yell, get pumped up, and get in fights. Football is a physical sport and i like that kind of competition. The other side of me is calm, maybe not very talkative and laid back. I think competition can be good and it can be bad. having someone to compete against makes you better at whatever it is you are doing. But competition can cause hatred towards one another and it can lead to bad things. I believe there needs to be a balance. Art making is a stress relief for me. It calms me down and i feel like i’m in my own world. I don’t think our class is very competitive. i like that, but sometimes i wish we had a little competition.
This really comes as you take it, you may say you have common ground because the education or setting was the same. But you may argue that the motives and struggles are very different. Its as though you poured water in a cup and then poured that water out and refilled it with water. You may say its the same, but someone else might say that its different water. Thats how I see common ground. I find competition to be almost unavoidable, while it can be greatly reduced, I believe envy and jealousy are what creates competition in the art setting, Whether it be the response someone got about their artwork or the skill levels. Its nearly always there but in different amounts.
In my art class, there is not a lot of competition. However, I’m sure there is a little internally hidden competition between us, because when one person makes a more quality piece than the other, I’m sure they strive to try harder next time (but that’s normal). I am glad my class is small and does not have a lot of competition because if it did I would be even more stressed than I am now. I also believe that my art class does not have a lot of competition because we ask each other constantly how to improve our pieces as they are being made. Lastly, we all have our own individual styles in my art class, making it interesting and fun to critique and listen to my peers.
I do not feel like there is a lot of competition in our class. There is no real way to compete with them when all our our work is so different and unique. However, I do think we all share a common ground. We have all had the same art teachers that have taught us how to make good art and we all use their teachings. I am glad that we do not have competition because if we did I do not think we would come to each other and ask for opinions or give our real opinions on how to make our work better.
Competition. There is no escaping it. Someone will always be better than you. And you just have to suck it up and face it. Art isn’t about being the best out of everyone, its about being the best you can be for yourself. Simple as that.
Right on. Very smart. How to encourage everyone to push oneself and strive for better?
To me, competition is a driving force for a lot of aspects of society today. I agree a lot with rylee’s comment, in thatI for sports, I hated people before I even met them, and sometimes, in the case of swimming, I hated members of my own team if they beat me, because of the drive to be the best. I really don’t see art that way tho, because everyone has there own style, and things that make their art work, theres. That’s what I have always loved about art, because its a break from the competitiveness of real life. However at the same time, looking at the future, the line between what I’ve always thought of life and the real world will soon be crossed, if I want to go into graphic design. Company’s will be looking at the “best” which really is just personal interpretation. The beauty of art is in the eye of the beholder. I might think something isn’t as aesthetically appealing, but another person could call it a master piece. That’s the love/hate relationship of artmaking. and sure, its nice to be told they love it. But at the same time, even though it might not feel that way at the time, its just as nice to be told how they would improve it, and receive constructive criticsm..
Competition:
I grew up with competition. I am sad to say that I have hated people I have never even met in sports because they were my competition. But art class was different growing up. Not to sound full of myself, but I didn’t have to worry about competition because there was none. It was nice to not having to worry about competition. I was blessed with a talent that no one else seemed to have. However, that changed growing up. Moving into public school and then middle school, I discovered more people were good at art. At first I was competitive. I had been the best at something that I didn’t even have to try at and now I had competition. Finally I just let it go. Art had always been stress free and I wanted it to stay that way so I just gave up the competitiveness. Going into high school I realized that I did not have to be the best and that everyone was good at the style of art they did. Now I am intrigued with peoples’ ideas and piece, with not one bit of envy.
Every piece of art that’s out and about in this world gets looked at differently its liked to some and disliked by others. A lot of artist can capture what they want shown but it only reaches the mind of so many people than what it can. I personally don’t care for to much of famous pieces because its not my interest. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy famous pieces. Chances are taken, criticism needs to be expected when art is shown to the world. Not everyone is going to like, understand, or even get the message that is being shown in the art work.
Competition is a big issue in the world. Yea everyone competes to beat somebody but sometimes its not as helpful as people say. Art is a huge deal to many and when many find a picture or a person they want to out better well it can sometimes lead to throwing the pencil down, in other words quitting art. Art is taken seriously and it can lead to stupidity instead of helpfulness. Take me for example, I know my art isn’t even close to good as a lot of peoples but I don’t care. I haven’t ever tried to out beat their artwork because I don’t need to. Yea I get jealous of how good they are but that just wants me to practice more to maybe get better and prove to myself that I can do it. I could care less to out beat someone. All that would do for me is bring me down when I realize its not possible and I embarrassed myself. Competition is good in many ways but I don’t think its the best for me when it comes to art, but that’s my opinion.
I’ve definitely questioned art’s validity before. For the longest time, I didn’t believe in abstract art. I felt that for art to hold any sort of significance, it had to be recognizable. Then, I saw this phenomenal paint splatter thing, and I just really really liked it. I don’t know exactly why, but through further developing my tastes for abstraction, I’ve realized that certain colors and lines inexplicably appeal to me. I’ve also questioned art in museums. There are some artworks which society recognizes as great that I like, too. But generally, I don’t like famous art. I have really specific tastes and am not impressed by much. Of course, there are always little details in pieces that I appreciate but overall, most completed artworks aren’t anything I’d fall over for. I rarely genuinely like things as a whole, but rather for the details.
Common ground is something that I feel can be found in artist’s attempts to visually portray their version of the world. That part of this chapter, that discussed artists’ worlds being placed into their work, available for other people to look at or take home with them, was my favorite. I developed a similar definition to art about a year ago. I guess I really just love the concept of putting my personal outlook onto a piece of paper, because most of the time, I don’t even realize how I see things until I try to solidify it. It’s fascinating. & fun.
Society often accepts the most heinous things but rejects things (in my opinion) I think are totally fine. And that sentence can be double underlined where art lies. Art is something to whomever made it, it always ends up being an issue with others on some level or another. Things like that are just such an annoyance in my opinion. Example, I create a piece depicting a queen of demons or something, someone would be offended and flip out about it. What people often miss in art is its a more like a bar-code than a message; its how we identify ourselves rather than how we think others should see other things. There is kind of a crux in that though, because the bar-code is ALWAYS changing, we get new ideas, new parts of our life, new spurs of making art due to competition and so on. Competition is always one of those things I was never realy big on, but when it comes to art I will see art stronger than mine and am flooded with envy. Then I push harder. Good Art creates Better Art.
Common Ground- As artists I believe we be so guarded when it comes to our artwork, because for example, I will make a piece of artwork, then weeks later I will find something very similar to what I drew on the internet and I will get all defensive and will be like who the heck is copying my work, but then I realize there is no way they could have copied me because no one really saw my artwork. As artists I believe we all have similar ideas and sometimes we don’t mean to “steal” someones ideas. The ideas come to more than just you.
Competition- I always tell people I do not like competition and I am not a competitive person because I don’t play sports, but actually I am. When someone in my art class or someone close to me like my sister for instance makes a really amazing piece of artwork, I am in such awe at first, but then I get extremely jealous. As I am sitting at home or in a critique jealous, it makes something arise within me. Ideas are like fireworks going off in my head and I am trying to think of anything to be better than this persons artwork. For example, when my sisters photograph went to State for 4H, I was originally really proud of her, but then I was just exploding with jealousy because my entire family was just “so proud” and in awe of how good an artist she was. But, I realized after that, it made me a better photographer because I was striving to be better than you. Without competition you cant become a better artist. Competition is what drives us to continue our work and strive to be the best we can be. So even though my sisters artwork makes me jealous at times, I am glad she is that good, because it makes me a better artist too.