I read an interesting blog post from David duChemin over the weekend. One that resonated and made me think about what makes our style, our creative work, ours. And what makes it connect with others. (You can take a quick read here.)
I think it especially resonated because I spent part of the weekend talking to people about my work at the Local 14 show. Explaining my process, how I create it from a technical standpoint, just falls so flat. What I want to talk about is not how I create the work, but why. What it means to me. And I want to talk about what it means to you. Why does it resonate or connect. Why does it draw you in.
I believe when people respond to my artwork, it’s not for the technical execution. It’s not because there is perfect focus, or exposure, or composition. It’s because, deep down, it connects on the human level. It’s the me reaching out to talk to you. I believe people can see and sense honesty and emotion in art. I believe people respond to artwork created with passion.
Why do I keep coming back to the same themes, the similar compositions? Because they are part of who I am. They are a little piece of me, made manifest in the world. Not everyone will like my art, just like everyone isn’t going to like me as a person. But those who do? It’s a relationship that runs deep. Kindred spirits.
How about you? Where are you, in what you create? Are you showing up with your whole heart; is that passion coming through?
As David says in his blog post, what people want to see is more of you.
As a curator I always encourage people to open up to the visual experience. To allow a part of themselves to connect to an artwork, the lines, patterns, the colors, the images that provoke, reminisce, recognize the familiar in the unfamiliar. . .