The other night, while bartending, i found myself in a great conversation with a regular who is a statistician. It was the first time we had been allowed an extended time to talk.
Somehow we got into the fact that I am an artist. From there some phrases were thrown into the conversation such as- "I am not artistic at all" and " I just took one art history class in college".
When I hear such statements it is a trigger to reassure and break down barriers. In many ways I'd much rather talk to somebody who doesn't know all the fancy words and instead just speaks from their gut. With such disclaimers out of the way, they are usually more free to speak from their hearts without encumbrance. And I am eager to listen.
This man, unbeknownst to himself, knows a great deal about art and how to observe it. My medium , encaustic, elicited the most explanation- but he needed little assistence in internalizing and reflecting on specific pieces. Beautiful...
This was in joyful contrast to recently observing another artist (who is of a more traditional bent) railing an installation art piece to a patron at an exhibit. The Patron might have been confused by the piece if they are not familiar with installation or concept art, but the guide made them dismiss it completely. I was greatly offended.
Artists who "take it out of the box" and shake things up a little are often a breath of fresh air. Famous artists who once did that and were greatly ridiculed are now some the most praised (Ex. Monnet, Sargent, Duchamp)
My guess is that if that patron was left alone and not told what to think, her reaction would have been at least a bit different.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the putting on of eirs in regards to art is often inhibiting. Just because you know some fancy terms ( and yes, I know them too and will spend the next 10+ years gladly paying for it) doesn't mean that you actually "get it".
And whatever is to be "gotten" from my work and many others is in the unincumbered viewers gut response. They observe without being told what to think and if it strikes them, it is in a meaningful and personal way. That is sacred in its own right.
