Our fundamental nature as a
living being is to value, because objectively all
things either sustain our life or destroy it. Only
by comparing all our past experiences can we judge
which individual choices are to be valued, or not.
Fine art’s distinguishing characteristic is that it
is our tool for showing a particular comparison of
our experiences because it is the selective
projection of only essential and valuable choices.
Fine art is the selective re-creation of reality,
implying two actions; selecting and re-creating.
Re-creation pertains to style, and selection
pertains to the subject of art.
Style is a particular and
distinctive mode of execution, which reveals an
artist’s perceptual process or how one sees the
world. In life, I seek truth, therefore the hallmark
of my style is clarity. I am stylistically a realist
in the sense of showing essentials clearly, not
copying every accidental detail. I consider the
essential building blocks of visual reality to be
tone and form. Tone is the lightness or darkness of
a shape, and form is the shapes themselves and
overall composition. Texture and color can not exist
without a tone and form, making tone and form
primary to the way we see. But to see and stylize
implies a subject that is seen or can be stylized.
Re-creating a subject that is a convincing
experience is the purpose of my style.
The subject an artist selects
reveals what they value. I choose myself as the
subject for the beginning of my body of work,
because I have found that in order to see reality
more clearly, you must see yourself as a value, as
you are your own tool of perception.
Self-portraiture is the best means of
self-evaluation. In this re-evaluation I learned
self esteem is fundamental, because you can’t value
anything in reality until you first trust and value
your own evaluations. In recreating my own self
image and only selecting aspects I value, I found
that I possess more value than I originally thought,
thusly my view of self changed to a more positive
image. My new self image is causing my view of
reality to change as well. This changing philosophy
has helped me realize that revealing a selective
view of reality can inspire, and inspiration is what
I hold to be art’s purpose. My art inspires by
showing life as it ought to be, and this makes me
philosophically a romantic. That is not to say I
illustrate fanciful ideals that are impossible to
achieve but rather present life as it ought to and
could be. My goal is to create a projection
of reality as a place where happiness is achievable.
Therefore I consider myself a romantic realist.
Becoming a romantic realist is
the theme of “A Changing View” and is what set me on
my path to happiness. My changing view makes me
happier, so naturally I want it to do the same for
others. In my past view of life I saw happiness as
an unachievable ideal, but all I needed was to see
that it is possible to achieve happiness, in this
life, no matter what the struggles. I want to show
my changing philosophy and my resulting happiness as
fuel for life.
Like a beacon atop an enormous
cliff giving you something to focus on when
struggling to reach the top becomes trying or
painful, my art is that beacon to remind you the top
is worth reaching. The overall goal of my work
cannot be summed up better or more beautifully than
a quote from The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand,
“Don’t work for my happiness, my brothers – show me
yours – show me that it is possible – Show me your
achievement – and the knowledge will give me courage
for mine.”
