- ContributedDetail of Capriccio #4 by Karl 'Jerry' Craig.
Michael Robinson, Staff Reporter
PEOPLE have a hard time feeling comfortable in a situation where they perceive themselves to be ignorant. Every time I go to an exhibition, there's one thing I can count on hearing: "I don't want to say anything because I don't know anything about art."
It seems there is a great imagined divide known as 'information and training' that separates the 'knows' from the 'know-nots' in matters of art appreciation.
Well, let me say that art is as subjective as things get, and the only real gauge needed to experience a work of art is one's own feelings.
Art is not created for the critics or the artists, or even for knowledgeable art collectors. Okay, maybe it's created for all those people too, but the primary goal of any piece of art is merely to convey an idea from artist to viewer. It's a snapshot, if you will, of the creator's inner landscape, so viewer reaction to the experience is and will be as varied as it is undeniable.
For some, their expression of the feelings aroused in them by the work can be quite eloquent. For others, the feelings are misunderstood, ignored or, God forbid, suppressed because they don't believe themselves qualified to speak on it. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Some of the most revealing and thought-provoking sentiments I've heard were whispered by self-deprecating 'art ignoramuses' speaking from the gut. Honesty, while not always appreciated, is the key to appreciating art. Technical jargon merely facilitates expression, as well as the occasional ego boost I'm sure, but shouldn't be seen as a barrier to discussion.
The truth is that creation is a cycle. Ideas start in the ethereal pool of the unconscious. The artist channels concepts into this world where, through the eyes of each viewer, they are transformed and reabsorbed into the unconscious. The cycle continues.
Each person who interacts with a piece of art plays an integral role in the cycle that is creativity. Even if they never say a word about the experience, the idea they've seen is filtered by a brain unique because of its personal experiences, and redeposited in the great pool of the unconscious into which others dip their thinking straws.
Anything anyone has to say about art, as long as it is an honest representation of what they feel, is not only relevant but vital to the continuance of the growth of our society as a thinking entity. An exchange of concepts can only give rise to evolution in thought, and that is always a step in the right direction, for individuals and for nations.
The fact is that there is no one truth -- there are truths. What matters is not that somebody comes up with an answer to all the aesthetic questions, but that the questions exist. What matters is that discussions take place, people hearing from others as well as expressing their own ideas. What matters is that we continue to grow.
There are as many opinions on what is good art, what is art even, as there are pairs of eyes on the planet. This will remain a problem for anyone who believes in the sanctity of definitions and pigeonholes, because it means the questions are more important than the answers.
Hopefully it means many more discussions to come.
