Why Because?

A LinkedIn member and visual Artist, Jessi Campbell, Posted an honest question and quote that, I thought, took fortitude to articulate. Here is her discussion starter.

"What happened within the art world that made it seem as though everything needs to be explained?

I ask because I was attending the local first Thursday events in my city and found it to be a little blah, fake and full of fluff. I'm not saying that having an explanation is bad, not at all, after all a full concept behind a painting is great. I just feel like people expect there to be some crazy, unusual meaning and purpose behind everything that is created. And in some cases I think these explanations for certain art are there because without an explanation it isn't art.

I just think a person should be able to get something out it without needing an explanation.”

Jessie’s post is new discussion thread on Visual Artists and their Advocates, a networking group started by Art Marketing Consultant, Allyson Stanfield. Here is my response.

Jessi, that’s a powerfully honest question. I think these kinds of trends and attitudes are result of the emphasis and value many third party art marketers put on art that makes a provocative statement. I think it has caused artists, in general, to fall into a defensive attitude of “My art counts too and I’m going articulately argue until you believe it does.” I’ve got no statistics to back this up but I’ll make an educated guess that a majority of people, who collect art, do so because they like something.” I’m separating out collectors who are purchasing art for investment purposes and require a broker of art explain to them why it’s important to have a work by a certain artist; similar to diversifying your 401K. Pure, simple motivations often are considered invalid and sometimes ridiculed by “Madison Avenue” right on down to “art event, next door” venues.

I think the condescension of third party art marketers is an art sales strategy. If you don’t love some flavor of the month as an art collector, you are not sophisticated, cultured or educated. Who wouldn’t feel bad about that kind of encounter?

I’ve had many venues that ask for vision statements for each individual work. Some works I create have definite meaning and personal importance behind there conception and execution. Some works I’ve painted, I did so just because the subject or idea was fun and make me feel good. Sometimes its admiration of an aspect of the subject I paint.

When I run into the requirement of vision statements for individual works or bodies of work, I try to think about and then articulate my personal attraction to the subject. I mean I took the time and energy to paint the work so I had to have some reason. I admit having to embellish my purpose when my gut thoughts are, “Geeze, I don’t know. Painting it was just darn fun.”

I know I’m guilty of whipping up some heady titles for my artwork because I read in some art marketing book that exhibition juries will pick pieces with clever names. So I’m never surprised when people who attend my fine art events feel obligated to articulate intellectual meaning behind their appreciation of a painting. After all I’ve socked them with some hokey bloviating title. I almost feel like apologizing to them and saying,”Aaaah! Forget about it. I wanted to really name this piece ‘Man the warm summer sun feels so good. It just makes that water sparkle, like…, well it’s just totally awesome. This day, this nature God created is just pretty.’ I gave it the nerdy title you see on the wall card because I thought it would give me a better chance of getting accepted into this show.”

 If I had your fortitude, Jessie, I’d submit my next vision statement required for a submission reading. “Just because, because!”

Now try not to laugh when you read the title of my new painting.