Every day, I am inspired by art; I find beauty in so many different works of art. I am particularly inspired by local artists at art festivals and artist markets, but unfortunately, because these works are local, artist names and pieces are hard to remember, and they become part of the nameless sea of many I admire. So, before I go further, let me just say that those artists influence me more than anything because rarely do I see local artists ever doing the same thing as another artist. I recall an art history class begging the question about whether or not we are in a current trend in art--whether we can as modern artists be compartmentalized into movements such as the Dada or De Stijl movements, and I say no. I believe modern artists embrace individuality, and the reason I find art at artists markets so inspiring is that each artist's personality can so clearly be seen in their art, and I love the versatility and uniqueness each artist brings to the table.
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With that said, though, there are some fine art pieces that I've always felt stood out in my mind. One of my very first favorite works of art was by the great Leonardo Da Vinci, Embryo In The Womb. My drawings tend to be very rough and gestural as I look for the form of my subject, and Da Vinci's human study pieces have always been what I view as the perfection of human form. I find portraits and anything relating to the human form very fascinating since it is so hard to capture and replicate in art. I really appreciate Da Vinci's piece simply for what it is: the study of the development of human life. I believe there is a mysticism and wonderment that has always surrounded child birth--the idea of creating life--that I believe captivates me in this piece. How are we here? How did we come to be? What is our purpose in life? Why does the universe work the way it does? Ever sine I was a child I've wondered these questions, and I've tried to find the answers through art, self expression, and spiritual reflection. I believe Da Vinci was a great pioneer for these questions, and he risked so much by studying science in a time where God and faith were the only reasons why.
Another work of art that inspires me is Henri Matisse's Le Bonheur de Vivre (The Joy of Life). I love bright colors, and how taken I was by this piece when I learned of the existence of fauvism. More times than not in my work, I get caught up in the idea that form is more important than color, but I've never been even close to proficient at form seen in realism, and Le Bonheur de Vivre is a great reminder to me that art can be fun and beautiful just for the sake of being fun and beautiful--form is not always necessarily the most important part of art. I love how the colors pop in the piece and how playful and vibrant the energy is of the piece because of its freeness. I think more times than not we daydream about life as we wish it should be or think it should be--I believe we have fantasies about where we would like to end up, and I think Le Bonheur de Vivre embodies my vision of how I would like to live my life.
We recently discussed Alphonse Mucha's poster, Job (1898) in my History of Graphic Design class, and I was incredibly fascinated by this poster. It never occurred to me that the 1970's psychedelic rock posters could have been predated by a similar style of artwork. For most of my life I've been told I was an old soul and that I was an indigo child, and I feel some days like I missed my calling not growing up through the 1970's. I love old rock n' roll from the 1960's and 1970's, and this poster tickles me because it reminds me of Jefferson Airplane and some of the old music videos for Led Zeppelin and J.R.R. Tolkien novels and tarot cards. I am inspired by the dreamlike colors and flowing lines of the woman's hair and just the attitude of the poster. I like that Job (1898) makes this statement that art doesn't necessarily have to be "fine art", and that creativity can exist outside of Western European art.
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And finally, I did a project for my Intro to Studio class where I studied Oliver Herring, a modern artist who is famous for his experiments with spitting food dye. To the best of my knowledge, there is not a name for this photograph, but there is an incredible story behind it. What Oliver Herring did was he found strangers off the street who would be willing to help him with an art project--not ever telling the person what it was they were actually doing. This man in the photograph, Chris, said he would be interested in helping. So, Oliver Herring had Chris spit food dye out of his mouth for hours at a time, photographing him, non-stop. Oliver never told Chris what the actual outcome of the project was supposed to be, and, after several hours, Chris began to tire of the project. In the exact moment where Oliver felt that Chris had given up was the moment when Oliver ended the project. The art project had nothing to do with the photographs he was talking, but more so, a study on the amount of trust and vulnerability a stranger would place in another, and the relationship of the type of power Oliver had over Chris, and Chris' trust of Oliver not as a person he knew, but as a fellow man. I find that concept very interesting--how far will you let someone go? To what extent are you willing to subject yourself to other people and place yourself in their hands? I think this is a very powerful piece and speaks highly of our personal relationships with our fellow man. I am taken by this photograph because the vulnerability and exhaustion displayed by Chris was genuine, and before I knew the history of this photograph, I felt like Chris had the 1000 mile stare of a soldier at war. Intense.