“The painter unfolds that which has not been seen.” – Paul Cézanne
Sometimes finding yourself requires losing your way.
Growth only happens when we struggle; new knowledge only accrues when we cease depending on what we already know. That means embracing the unknown – letting down your defenses about 1. learning new techniques on the one hand, and 2. being open to experimentation in subject matter and “what’s allowed” when you approach a subject relying on imagination and a sense of play instead of worrying about getting it “right.” It is really okay to not make pretty art, even remotely wall-worthy art, all the time. Really, it’s essential to step into the woods to bushwhack your own path.
Steven Curry, Afternoon Delta, oil, 10 x 8 inches
What You Make of It
In terms of making art, observation, though essential, will only get you so far; art is as much about the unseen as it is about the seen. To go further than the surface, you must make choices based on your ideas about the world. You have to be open to telling the truth not just about what you see but about yourself – how you feel about what you see, and why you feel it’s worthy of a painting.
This takes becoming conscious of your inner world and how it intersects with the one around you. Trust your imagination to pull from your own unconscious mind your truest, unnamable experiences of the world. Then you can can see then, name them, and share them with the world in turn. The more technique you master, the freer to do this you become.
“When you have done your best, confronted your fear of committing to color and form, and dared to step over the threshold into the unknown, you will invariably find your own voice.” – Michele Cassou
Paul Cézanne, Victor Choquet Seated, ca. 1877. Oil on canvas, 18 x 15 in.
The following are a few thought-provoking quotes, each of which has the potential to start a revolution in your creativity if you’re open to it. Ask yourself, what do these quotes mean for YOU, as an artist, right now. Growth will happen if you ask yourself questions like this seriously, regardless of where you are with skill, technique, and ability.
“Art is a step in the Known toward the unknown.” – Kahlil Gibran
“Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.” – Agnes de Mille
“Given the diverse raiment life sports, one never knows what the guises of the gods may be.” – Stephanie Mills
“I like thinking about the state of not knowing and how it is most near to that of knowing. Drawing can be the moment between the two.” – Wes Mills
George Braque, Blue and Gray Bird, 1962
“In Art there is only one thing that counts; the thing you can’t explain.” – George Braque
“Find your own voice; it’s what sets you apart from the rest” – Steve Curry
Learning to live in the unknown – to let go, gently, of what you know – is the first step to becoming an original. If that is your goal, check out the video Finding Your Voice by artist Steven Curry explains why the goal is never to copy a scene, a style, or an artist. The message be your own artist is at the heart of this video.
SCAD Presents de:FINE ART
Jorge Pardo, Untitled, 2022, set of 5 lamps: glass and hardware, dimensions variable. COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND PETZEL, NEW YORK.
The programming complements new exhibitions on view at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, featuring work by Pardo, Rottenberg, Feinstein, and other globally renowned artists including Ann Craven, Hassan Hajjaj, Chase Hall, Gyun Hur, Leung Chi Wo + Sara Wong, Josh Sperling, and Ana Bel Lee Washington — an international roster of artists representing countries and regions including Argentina, Cuba, Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, South Korea, the U.K., and the U.S.
