A friend said recently that she thought artists created what they individually liked, or were compelled to, and if anyone else liked it so much the better. I've thought about that quite a bit, and I'm reminded of what others have said about making art. Jeane Dixon, famed psychic and mystic who ran off the rails in the end, said, "Your talent is your communication with God." Someone else--I wish I could remember who--said, "Your talent is your communication with others." I find both notions true at the same time, the artist connecting with her gods and bringing others along through her work. Really, I must communicate with others in my painting or I will find I am communicating only with myself.
Take a would-be concert pianist who sits at the piano banging the keys with both fists. He says this is his interpretation of Chopin. One stops by, listens for five seconds, and walks on. This "interpretation" of Chopin does not speak to this listener or, as it turns out, to any other listener that comes along. The pianist is passionate about his playing, but just the pianist. So he is communicating only with himself.
When you gaze upon my work, you enter my dream. If no one else does, then I communicated at least with you, and I hope you brought your checkbook. If you smile and tell me you just love my work, you might mean it; if you write me a check, I know you mean it.
My friend went on to comment on the number of starving artists we seem to have in society, and this could be the result of a couple of possibilities: One, she is communicating with too few people who can write checks (her work could just be that bad), or our society does not value Fine Art and would not think it important to have hanging around a painting of any stripe.
I guess I tipped my hand: I'm afraid I do hold to an objective rightness in Fine Art, and God knows that's a can of worms for another sitting!
Back to my ill-trained Labrador Retriever!
PW
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