anyway, while we are talking about the word literal:
lit·er·al (l
t
r-l)adj.
1. Being in accordance with, conforming to, or upholding the exact or primary meaning of a word or words.
2. Word for word; verbatim: a literal translation.
3. Avoiding exaggeration, metaphor, or embellishment; factual; prosaic: a literal description; a literal mind.
4. Consisting of, using, or expressed by letters: literal notation.
5. Conforming or limited to the simplest, nonfigurative, or most obvious meaning of a word or words.
look at the third entry. and focus on the word "avoiding."
many people would assume that this is what i am doing in my work. avoiding creating artwork with a deeper meaning. well. most people that look at artwork do not know the rules of composition, or know how to analyze an image for content the way artists, and art students know how. they see an image and if they like it they like it and if they dont, then they dont and thats all there is to it.
i do not want a viewer to have to dig deep into my artwork to figure it all out. If you think that I am taking the easy route, think instead of the possiblilty that i am giving viewers the easy route. people that are not intelectually inclined can immediately understand the purpose of my piece without having to dig up the hidden or disguised messages. Most of the time when people discuss art, they make things up that aren't even what the artist intended while the artist has another meaning or intention that makes perfect sense once shared with the viewer. So, the bottom line of this whole post is that what a viewer gets from my artwork will always be interpretation, even if they perceive it as i intended it to be. So, "easy way out" or "allowing all viewers to understand" will still be open to interpretation.
look at the third entry. and focus on the word "avoiding."
many people would assume that this is what i am doing in my work. avoiding creating artwork with a deeper meaning. well. most people that look at artwork do not know the rules of composition, or know how to analyze an image for content the way artists, and art students know how. they see an image and if they like it they like it and if they dont, then they dont and thats all there is to it.
i do not want a viewer to have to dig deep into my artwork to figure it all out. If you think that I am taking the easy route, think instead of the possiblilty that i am giving viewers the easy route. people that are not intelectually inclined can immediately understand the purpose of my piece without having to dig up the hidden or disguised messages. Most of the time when people discuss art, they make things up that aren't even what the artist intended while the artist has another meaning or intention that makes perfect sense once shared with the viewer. So, the bottom line of this whole post is that what a viewer gets from my artwork will always be interpretation, even if they perceive it as i intended it to be. So, "easy way out" or "allowing all viewers to understand" will still be open to interpretation.
2 comments:
Vern,
I get the sarcasm in your hear and soul posts. But with the most recent post there are few things I'd like to comment on.
The fact that people who are not artsists may not understand the fundementals of art, such as composition, doesn't mean that as an artist you should disregard their importance. A successful, interesting composition will most likely convey itself to the average viewer regardless of their knowledge. That's the beauty of composition - it has rules and principles on your end - but to the average viewer it is somewhat intuitive. They wouldn't be able to analyze it or anything but often recognize that it just "works". You are the one who has to make it work!
I'm glad you've thought about these things a bit but there is one more comment I want to make about the fact that you don't want the viewer to have to find a deeper meaning. No one is saying the viewer should have to spend forever to "get it" BUT you do want them to spend some time with your piece. If they just "get it" what is keeping their attention?
great post! i for one love the sarcasm.... and i know how you feel about the whole content issue -not wanting to make things too complicated.
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