Thoughts on art

Dedicated to my new friend Irene.

After a short conversation with Irene today, I finally figured out the words I have been looking for for many years about art interpretation. I find so many of us try to solve this great puzzle of what a piece of art work means, when the answer is quite simple. As they say there are always more than one side to every story and, likewise, here, there are a zillion sides. That is what it makes it so unbelievably beautiful. It starts out with the artist putting their heart and soul into a work. Yes, I suppose we have intentions. However, it is the opinions that follow that give the work its life, what it evokes for each viewer. Today, for example I saw the fine work of an artist in Cordoba that made me think about winters in New Jersey, the blue-violet hues of the snow at dusk, chicadees that are mere sillouettes in the evening light and flocks of late migrating (or rebellous resident) birds. I am sure that was not his motive, but that is what I took from the work. Art is a tool to express as well as evoke feeling. When we only look at what the artist wanted to say then we are not seeing the art, we are having a one-way conversation with the artist where we are not truly involved. It is when we say, "I just hate this piece" or "oh my lordy" that we start to communicate and where art becomes real.

Dedicated to my father.

When I told my father that I was posting my artwork, he became nervious. He said "don't let them steal your ideas". This was interesting because I never really thought about someone copying my work. I only thought about how wonderful it would be to be able to give additional life to my work and get comments about it by sharing it in this arena. Then I thought about my art. Most of it is using "stealing" images or taking found objects that someone else ultimately made and using it to create something new. Am I stealing? I dont think so. John used an image that I also took from elsewhere and gave it a new life. It is like a long food chain that originates from life, nature and our interactions and reactions within it. In the end, art connects us together and to nature.