Motivation to paint
Introduction
Explaining the unexplainable
Existence
I think therefore I am
Impressionalism
Visualise the feeling
Self-portraits
Who am I?
Art that I like
Australia
Beauty in the wasteland
Europe
The underbelly
Iconography
Picture writing
Chinese Art
Traditional and modern
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Art Essay: Skills Versus Originality
There are two main things that can be appreciated in an artist. One is originality. If the artist has the ability to create something original that can still resonate with a wider audience then the artists has what could be referred to as talent. I would put Picasso in this category. He was unique, but his was unique in a way that everyone liked. A second thing that can be appreciated is a crafting aptitude. If an artist is able to see a picture, and paint it as if it were a photograph, then it could be said that they have a lot of patience, determination, knowledge on paints, brush control, and a detailed eye. Some artists have such refined abilities in these areas that they can create photorealist paintings that almost look like photographs.
Personally, I liken photorealism to a jigsaw puzzle. Even though jigsaws aren't my scene, I can understand why someone would want to spend two weeks reassembling little pieces to see the completed whole one more time. It is one of those journey activities that test mental discipline and provide emotional gratification as each piece gives shape to the greater whole. Once the jigsaw is reassembled, I can appreciate the endeavour, the eye, and the determination that the reconstruction entailed.
Although I can respect the process and skills involved in the recreation, that still doesn't change the fact that looking at a completed jigsaw is quite boring. It lacks originality and mystery. Photorealist art, for me, is no different. It simply involves reconstructing a scene that has been constructed before. It lacks what I would call a soul.
In addition to lacking a soul, I think photorealism is too defined and thus it lacks any kind of wonderment to hold my stare. Someone, I don't know who- it might have even been me- once said, "art does not reveal the world with definition. It reveals the world with mystery." Without mystery, there aren't many reasons to look at a work of art more than once. There can be no mystery in an image that is simply a recreation of something that has already been created.
Although photorealism isn't my scene, the other extreme isn't my scene either. In the quest for individuality, many artists go out of their way to be different for the sake of being different. For example, in China, I've seen very skilled oil painters use the random effects of photoshop to gain their inspiration. They take a photo, put it in photoshop, do some warping effects, print it off and then paint the picture. For me, it is all very irrational. If photoshop needs to be used to create art, the artist might as well just print the final image onto canvas. The final product would be superior to anything they could do by hand, and a lot of time would be saved.
While I can at least respect the photoshop artists for having some skills, there are plenty of being-different-for-the-sake-of-being-different artists that have no skills at all, and their unique art is pointless. For example, I went to a function showing the latest acquisitions of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. One piece was an artist's name in italic letters. The artist was on hand and said that his work didn't show any insight. I agreed. Another piece was lots of records on the wall. Again the artist was on hand and he explained that these were vinyl records that he had sent to companies to see their reaction. While the artist obviously thought this was an interesting subject matter, I thought listening to someone talk about a ruminating cow would have been more gratifying.
Being different is very easy. Being different in a way that resonates with a wide body of people is not.
Judging Art