What is art?
Is sticking a banana on the wall still art? Or: what actually makes Salvador Dali famous? And why does everyone love Mona Lisa?
I am sure of it:
- that it takes courage, wit, timing and the right location to create an impressive work from a rotting banana – some works live from their uniqueness alone – and from all the fuss around them.
- that Mona Lisa’s smile is so remarkable because there are far too few depictions of women in art who look at the viewer with such self-confidence.
- that an unconventional outfit alone does not make an artist, because a complete work like Dali needs absolute consistency. If you want to stand out with your overall appearance, you really have to want to take brand management to the extreme.
- that many successful artists’ biographies are not worth emulating.
- that art needs constant renewal and that you don’t have to adopt “recipes”.
- that art means great diversity and that you can find your own way.
Do your own thing!
The art market, and with it the financial success of art, is subject to a constant struggle for power and status. The demands on art have been changing for thousands of years in parallel with social change. Religion, culture, politics, science, finance… the dominant influence depends very much on the era.
Art breathes the spirit of the times. In the beginning, nature was still revered as the highest power and depicted artistically, but since the emergence of the first advanced civilizations, it has represented the respective authorities.
Well – art is not as free as it would like to be and is often claimed to be. Hurdles are erected to keep the art market attractive. The scarcity and thus the value of “true” art is kept high. Power and art are an old, controversial couple. Current political developments are not currently in favor of more openness and diversity. Women have always been at a disadvantage compared to their male colleagues. This will not change on its own.
As long as we are stuck in hierarchical structures, we women will also be put at the back of the queue as artists, sorted out, trivialized and downgraded to the status of objects. An artist colleague once explained to me why I would never be able to depict a human nude anatomically correctly: “It’s because of women’s brains!” he said seriously. “No offense meant at all. But as a woman, you just can’t do it!”
That put an end to any discussion about the quality and further development of my work. Above all, however, such a statement is a blanket disparagement of all female artists of all times. It cannot be assumed that such views will be overtaken by time or somehow die out on their own. Perhaps the artist in question has now realized his misjudgement. We can all learn from our mistakes.
And how can I still judge art today?
Oh, it is so incredibly versatile: it can provoke, reflect, ask questions, explore new things, teach, heal, cast visions or apocalypses. It can reinvent itself again and again. Especially today, artists around the world have a lot of freedom – as long as they are not financially dependent on their artistic work. What the future will bring remains to be seen.
Let yourself be inspired by the developments of other artists from the past and present. They are often unusual and sometimes inspiring. For artists as well as those interested in art. Be open to what moves and drives others. Try out techniques that you are enthusiastic about. In the end, however, this one excuse does NOT apply:
If only I had…! If only I could…! Oh if only I could…!
Because it doesn’t matter where you start from – get going! Only your own first steps on your new path will take you further!
Go from consuming to creating!
Because only your own creation is the minimum consensus and the authentic starting point from which you begin! Because art is first and foremost expression – and therefore a basic human need.
When you set out to develop your own art, only this much is certain:
Your path is your goal!
Whether you are an artist, there is no guarantee of success in art.
Every supposed detour has brought me further so far.
What obstacles did you let get in your way? What helped you to keep going anyway?
You can also find more thoughts on art here in my blog