A dinner party at my house last night sparked the discussion about whether writing or art needs to communicate something clearly to an audience in order to be deemed 'a success' or whether the mere act of attempting communication and self expression through the medium of words, imagery and object is enough for it to be considered a worthy contribution in either the artist's or the critics mind. Can we talk about the way we feel without being accused of a self centred approach? Is what we have to say about our own experiences relevant to a wider audience?



In my view, the beauty of the dialogue between the work and the audience is enough, regardless of whether these two points ever meet. What is this obsession with being understood? I think it is an illusion to believe you can effectively describe your internal landscape and intricate thought processes to another.. afterall, there are so many stages in the process of an idea from concept to realisation to reception...


The inspiration has to first filter through the artist's mind, originating in some way from external stimuli, then the artist has to feed these thoughts through the process of creation into a physical form. At this point, when the complex thought processes, having been spun into something visual and palpable, the work lays wait, at the total mercy of the eye of the beholder... what mood are they in today? What
experiences affect their reading of the work? What new filters must this work now pass through?


In my belief, the dialogue, instead, should be seen as a meeting place between one mind and another. How much do we relate to eachother? Do we understand another's perspective? What can we learn from this exchange?


I will agree that a certain amount of self awareness in the voice of the work is necessary for the messages being conveyed to hold credibility, but the rating of success should be in the authenticy of this voice, and not in it's eloquent story telling capabilities...


One must remember, art exists in time, so there is infinite possibilty for an individual to be touched by it's sentiment on one day, and dismissive of its presence on another... just as one glorifies and dismisses their own thought processes on a day to day basis.


Lets not be too precious about art, lets clear our throats and see what comes out...


Keep in mind that before one can be considered a genius, they must be considered a human, atleast in the contemporary thought... and this delicate state of being with which we all balance is an art form in itself. If an 'artist' is telling you something about their world, and attempting an honesty in their expression, they are doing an infinitely good service to all listeners, encouraging interaction, sharing, and an open minded approach... and who are we to disregard what it is that they have to say? Who knows if we try, we might learn from this process...


In this way, as we live, we can all choose to turn our experiences into an expression which we can invite others to share in, and we can call be considered artists of our time.


Afterall, lets not be pretentious about the job of an artist, when we are all living...


...personally, i am a fan of David Shrigley.





Read more of my discoveries on my artist's blog at
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