Why like that artwork? - Recognizing true soul
I'm not really a very religious person and the answer to the
question is definitely not religiously related, but want for
another word "soul" will have to do. What I refer to is that bit
of the artist which goes into the artwork bringing it 'to life'.
No! Not all pieces have this; the artist has to coax it. Once he
has nurtured it out of materials and medium, and agonized for
hours, his or her creation will come alive.
It's not difficult to accept and it's not wimpy, it's what makes
the investor or the lover want to purchase or drool over the
artwork over and over again. It's that feeling when you walk
past the piece and you have to return, and return, until you are
so frustrated that you do not own it and someone else does! When
you just cant let it go.
At a little country art show, you walk around checking it out,
and see something that warms you up. From the depths you
remember that you are here not only to mingle with the local art
and cultural elite; or, to help prop the visitor numbers for
your fellow local artists. You are here because you like art, it
does something to you. You are primed, a bit out of practice
maybe as it's been so long, to buy that diamond in the rough, or
help discover the next Picasso.
You see something in the corner of your eye, it's good.
Something warm, something frustrating, something good; what is
it? Yes, I like this piece; in fact I love it, but why?
You have to ask yourself why you can rush past so many artworks
but this one grabs you with enough emotion that it can make you
feel sick. In fact... when you see the red dot (sold), damn, you
feel robbed, "If only I was here earlier." you say.
You know that picture was sold when the first person saw it.
The artist in his studio doesn't know you, he is not sitting
there or standing there thinking, "What will they like, I know,
I'll use this color." Well maybe there are a few that do! The
artist sees something in their picture, it's not right... agony,
agony: till finally they work the problem through and are so
happy that they start bouncing around the studio all happy
planning another wonderful week. This is the point when the
artwork has 'come to life'.
The artist enjoys his or her work, though enjoyment is probably
too small a word to capture all the feelings they go through.
They must have their creation near them; there may be a brief
moment they want to hide it from view. Just a while, as it did
strain, it did hurt. But they must take it out again, after a
day, or an hour, and never hide it again. The more works he or
she creates the more their previous creations will hide away,
until they move to a bigger studio, just for more space to show
their favorites, permanently.
BUY THESE PIECES!! These contain part of the artist's soul.
These are the first to be sold in any art show, the show stopper
in any gallery and finally: the pieces that end up in the State
Gallery, and only either: because the artist has died, or they
have donated it (not wanting it to be spoilt by the callous
association of the coin).
This is truly what the buyer or viewer is experiencing. If you
are not an artist you will not understand, the birth of their
creation, the moment soul starts to enter the 'nothing' in front
of them, is to the artist: the elation they experience. They do
NOT want to sell it to anyone. If they didn't have to eat and
pay bills, believe me, the true artist would never sell anything
with soul. Think about it, the only pieces you could buy would
be the works they didn't really care about, and neither would
you.
When coming across a piece that really hits your spot, think for
a minute. It affects you because it's real, it's got soul. The
artwork is loved by its maker, as one of their children. Of all
those paintings you browsed past in the local art show, you had
to return to this one, you had to have it. Listen to your body,
there is always a reaction to the living and the "attractive";
it's probably the time when you should buy, or at least savor
the moment.
Remember, if you feel a great overwhelming desire to keep
admiring the artwork, and the artist will not let it go, you
have discovered a winner.