When HomeGoods is selling abstract pieces with artist bios beneath the cellophane, art has officially become mainstream. There are works that prompt the I can do that reaction. Questioning whether the pictures have the kind of symbolism you learned in art history or do they just look really good above a sofa. Any shift in the art world is synonymous with controversy. How can you decide what signifies a good piece of work? Three different expert perspectives offer insight.
A grouping of current works show the direction the artist is channeling.
From the Gallery Owner
Carla Tesak, Gallery Owner, Salt Fine Art, Laguna Beach, California
“I love art where craft meets conception. An idea that surprises and moves me with an execution that is equally impressive. Something I wouldn’t have thought of but connected with–meaning something I couldn’t have made in a million years. That, to me, is Art,” says Carla of Salt Fine Art in Laguna Beach, California.
Does the piece spawn a reaction?
From the Art Show Chair
Alexandra Murphy, Fine Arts Chair 2019, CCNS Art Show, Rowayton, Connecticut
“Art is all about how it makes you feel and if it can spark conversation,” says Alexandra Murphy of the CCNS Art Show in Rowayton, Connecticut. “I imagine as an artist the art is inspired from within–even if it is an outside object to paint, it is still the inside desire to paint it or the feeling you get when looking at that thing (most of the time). So when I choose worthy art, I too try to feel the art or talk about it even if it’s to my 4-year-old. Art is very subjective and it depends on what walls you have available in your house. But when looking at a piece, if it evokes an emotion, then it is worthy.”
Prepping works for an art show.
From the Artist
Jacqueline deMontravel, Artist and Founder of ducks goose, Darien, Connecticut
You can understand why artists have issues. Outside criticism circulates through their stream because art is not scientific. There are no right or wrong answers and the creator is motivated by encouragement. In that initial moment when the brush connects to a clean canvas, the excitement from where to take the work consumes. Perhaps the initial direction will be lost to the energy of how the paint and colors are manifesting. Artists grapple with the challenge of what they’ve been told works well, which may not be what speaks to them.
Though the best art takes time. It doesn’t typically happen after the first attempt. You spend days with the work, think about what it needs as the paint dries, and can only let it go till you spend enough time with a piece to the point where you want to live with it in perpetuity. If an abstract work looks simplistic, which has become my favorite genre, it in fact involves many layers to get to that ultimate place–an artist’s approval.
Resources:
Art: ducks goose
I love this post. I’m a huge fan of art and I always find it interesting as my collection has evolved over the years. I’m gravitating towards large abstracts in the main part of the house since it suits the airy open nature. But in my office, I have the same oils – mainly portraits – I’ve had forever. I have everything from minor pieces from listed artists bought at auction, to pieces bought at Art School end-of-year shows, to pieces I’ve literally hauled home from the curb (the benefit of once living in a very wealthy area filled with the elderly and their non-discerning relatives putting treasures in the trash.) I also frame some of my children’s art. The only thing these pieces have in common is that they called to me somehow. I love your work. So fresh and cheerful. I believe good art shows the best of what people can do and always inspires hope. Xx
I need to send you a piece! Love your insights, very important to me. xo