What are the greatest human motivators? Many seek power, fame, or wealth, happiness and purpose. We desire greatness, to create a legacy, to be remembered, to change the world, to make our mark. Since the first lines of human expression were recorded on caves in paint thousands of years ago, mankind has desired to tell his story for the next generation, and we have done that in a powerful, lasting way, through drawing and painting...and more.
In the World War era, many philosophers were overwhelmed with the meaninglessness of life: so many lives lost, the restless chaos, the struggle, the anxiety of existence. From that existential void, the bold, heroic artist stepped forward to make his mark. He says, "I am here. I exist." His expression is a loaded gesture: painting becomes the ritual act for transforming consciousness. Art is now ideas. Who needs a painting that looks like a photograph? Painting can change the world! The gesture is a process, the artwork is a process, more than a product. The German Gestault theory transcends in the modern word, saying "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." The painting means so much more than lines and shapes. The process of painting is a discovery. Jackson Pollock said, "I am nature." His brush is fluid like the ebb and tide forces of nature, a raw, spontaneous gesture. "The painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through." "Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is." The expressionist uses distortions to express the emotion and energy of the inner world. There are no accidents. Enter the energy field of the void and make your mark! Pollock was an action painter, a dancer, painting in the air over the floor, listing to jazz, becoming the processes. His multi-million-dollar signature drip paintings caught the moment, and his new use of line moves us through his fluid, meditative world where there are no accidents. You can learn more about Pollock's revolutionary abstract expressionism and watch how he painted here. Pollock said, "When I say artist I mean the man who is building things, creating molding the earth, whether it be the plains of the west, or the iron ore of Penn. It's all a big game of construction, some with a brush, some with a shovel, some choose a pen." Some people are artists, and some themselves, are art. 1) How can the artist's purpose and process of art be more important than the artwork itself? What does making art mean to you? 2) What are the greatest stories told by art? Which pieces have created the most lasting human legacy? Which ones cut to the heart of who we are? Which ones will we look at 1,000 years from now? 3) How does art create meaning and purpose for the artist and the viewer? How can art change the world? 4) If you were to create an artwork that would leave a lasting legacy for future generations, what would you want it to express? How are the processes of your life, the creative things that you make and build, a form of art? 5) Some of my favorite philosophies about art come from modern artists like Pollock. Share a favorite quote from an artist that shares your philosophy about art, and explain why it resonates with you. Please share a 7-10+ sentence answer.
5 Comments
Logan Ruddell
10/28/2019 02:27:22 pm
An artist purpose is host he art is intentionally suppose to be. If he doesn’t have a purpose then why create art? Art means more then just a beautiful image. It has a meaning and symbolizes many different things.
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Alexis Banuelos
10/19/2020 11:42:20 am
To me the artists purpose for a work of art is more important that the actual art itself because sometimes its easier for people to connect with someone's story and backstory. Art has a larger meaning than just being beautiful. Artists can use art as a way to express feelings or experiences that they may have had. One example of a piece that has created a legacy over time is "The Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gough. The meaning behind his work of art was his quest to overcome his illness reflected in the dimness of the night sky. If I were to make a work of art leaving a legacy to the world I would want it to express all of the things I have achieved or all of the obstacles I have overcome.
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Angel Cabrera
10/20/2020 09:29:52 am
The artists purpose is more important because without purpose and process the art can not be made.Making art means to create something you like or something that relates to you.An artwork that i believe will be still viewed 1000 years from now is Starry Night and the Mona Lisa
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Fabian Baugh
11/1/2022 11:13:55 am
Art has always been about expressing some sort of emotion, be it your own or someone else. So it makes perfect sense for the process and purpose to be more important than the art itself. It's standard, actually, for the purpose to mean more than the art. Making art to me is just expressing myself. Either translating my feelings or an idea I've had, it's a process of emotions. Of course, the tragic art stories are from Picasso or Van Gogh. I don't really have an opinion these legacy pieces, since I don't typically gravitate to the 'old world' art. Any piece which contains true emotion should cut to the heart of who we are. There can be many representations, and some artists are able to communicate that. I presume we'll still look at the same pieces we are now, since it's what the generations before us have done. Art creates a purpose because it is an expression of emotion. Weather or not the artist is aware of it, the simple act of making art requires some emotional investment. These expressions can bring light to topics, which can help inform and inspire people. I don't create art with a general purpose, just a go with the flow person. So I don't know what would be my 'legacy' piece. Many artists didn't know either, some hated the pieces the public now adores. Your experiences can also be communed through art, making the processes of your life a big factor in what and how you create. I don't necessarily have a favorite modern artist, but I do adore this prayer; "Elohim, Essaim, Elohim, Essaim I implore you". It's interpreted in a multitude of ways, said to either give good luck or summon a demon. It comes from the book of black magic, but the basic understanding of it is you are offering your soul to gods, angels, or demons in exchange for what wish or command you have made.
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Mashfee Tabeeb
11/25/2022 07:25:26 pm
The artists purpose is more important than the product it self is due to the purpose creating it. Most beautiful and great artwork has had a purpose behind why it was created. I think all art tells a story and reflects the time it was made in, for example art is more creative and goes outside the box today while a long time ago art was fancy and had a distinct direction it went. Art to me is a documentation of that era, I would call art good in my eyes if it gave me a clue of the time it was made in, Art to me defines a century it is the book cover to a era .
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