But, must an artist choose? Must we settle on a medium style or message? Is it possible to continue to explore techniques and for those things to constantly show up in our work and be a successful artist? Perhaps there is a balance between playing with technique and not messing with your 'style' too much.
One of my goals has been to find my voice as an artist. To find what I do or say better than anyone else, or perhaps clearer than anyone else. The answer has not come so clearly, as I would have liked. However, it doesn't surprise me. It is a direct reflection of my restlessness and constant doubt in life. I guess, in a way, I am leaving my 'mark' on my work.
Hey Spring Flowerchild - so true. Art is an extension of a person's being, some might say their soul. Whatever or however you wish to phrase it art is apart of who you are if you're an eclectic being then the art maybe considered eclectic. But I also think that this is possibly something that is put on after, not by the artists themselves but by the viewers, the critics, in order to define something that isn't quite definable. Does that make sense?
ReplyDeleteI understand exactly what you mean. But I sometimes wonder if this means I'll have less success as an artist, if people really don't know what I do. Do I just make things or do I have a message? I'm not really sure. I'm just exploring as I go and hoping something will emerge.
ReplyDeleteI've wrestled with these questions before. I don't think artists have to choose and stick to one medium and style at all. Nor does your work always have to have the same theme or message. I think when you experiment and make what naturally comes out you'll be able to look back in retrospect and see that your body of work was more cohesive than you would have ever planned.
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Dawn, thanks for posting your comment. I've been away for a little while and I kind of came to the same conclusion on my own. It's reassuring to hear it from an established artist. I guess we all go through the same doubts. I love to experiment and there's so much that I still don't know. In a lot of ways, I think being an artist is about finding out who you really are.
ReplyDeleteThanks again and looking forward for your post on making more.
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