Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The Value of Art Making

Making art is valuable because it reveals the artist.

You are the myriad decisions and intuitions that go into the making of the piece. When you look upon (or listen to!) a piece of art, you are looking at the material embodiment of the artist.

The ability to transfer your thinking, and what some would call soul, into inanimate objects is a minor expression of the divine. You literally breath your life into it.

I took my 4 y.o. daughter to see the Frida Kahlo exhibition a year or so ago. She stopped in front of “The broken column (self-portrait)”






She started tearing up, and looked like she was about to cry. I asked her why, and she said, "she hurt so much". Indeed Frida did, and 70 years later, in another country, a little girl felt her pain for a moment.

Art making is amongst the most profound human activities.

Everyone should make art.

28 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. deep.
    thanks for sharing this moment!

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  3. great post.
    and im stoked youre showing your daughter art at an early age, more parents should be doing this!!!

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  4. true, i appreciate good art

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  5. Art speaks to us on a level we don't yet understand and as such should be kept and nurtured as the language of the soul

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  6. Yes I completely agree, and I think its really unfortunate that art and music programs are sometimes the first to feel the effects of budget cuts in public schools. We need more art! Very thoughtful post- thanks for sharing! :)

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  7. I really think that making art is one of the best reasons for being alive in this world, thanks for sharing this post with us!

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  8. Fantastic. It's often the case that children are the most receptive to art too.

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  9. Art can speak volumes, imo everyone has the ability to express themselves through all types of art!

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  10. Big Freda fan. It's nice to see respect throwing her way!

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  11. woah that was just too deep

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  12. this is true, and art comes in so many form today it's amazing. we may say we live in a bad time for art, but it's everywhere, just.. look outside.. graffiti, ads, on tv.. everything, on your computer.. so many.. blogs, videos... GAMES!

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  13. You sure know how to appreciate art.

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  14. cool story bro--seriously. almost makes me want to have children, so that i can raise one who will have some actual culture.

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  15. you forgot about the art that you read, though. i suppose that could fall under "look upon"

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  17. Awesome artwork, inspirational!! ;D

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  18. Great blog! Keep the good stuff comming.

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  19. Yeah, as overdone as the emphatic agreement is at this point, I must throw in my own weight behind it. There are few things more important in the world than art, especially in a world where globalisation and social-networking have begun abolishing the self in light of the masses, treating each and every person as a unit of the cosmic currency that is humanity as a whole. Technological advancements and ease-of-living exercises aside, what we need most in this dark technological and conformist age are the beacons that allow us to show our individuality, the works of art, be they literary, musical, illistrative, filmic or so on, that help us to reveal the inner light that fills each and every one of us, that singular essence that distinguishes our faces from the myriad others around us.

    An inspiring blog! Keep it up! I shall be following!

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  20. It's strange how there's this conception that art is only made by 'artists' like it's something you need to be certified for. It's intrinsic in human nature. Yes some artists are better at communicating but that's mostly due to dedication. Part of the beauty is that it's not some processed product but an honest representation of human thoughts and feelings. At their core, no one person is more honest and human than another.

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