Dear friends,
Welcome to ze second edition of Great Art Quotes. Coming to you live from my beautiful hometown of Hungry Horse, Montana. This week features two artists near and dear to mi wee heart.
Without further ado…
“Art as an essential mode of being rather than a strategized ambition” -Kenny Scharf
Born in Los Angeles in 1958, Kenny Scharf is a badass artist spanning many mediums and is best known for his “Pop-surrealism” style. His work is playful, vibrant, and free. I heard him say these words in a now-deleted Youtube video, and I was stunned because of how much they resonated with me. A simple distinction, but so powerful.
In today’s social-media-fueled society, it seems that every possible human behavior (including the creation of art) has been re-framed in terms of ‘engagement’ and ‘reach’, amplifying our ambitious desire (addiction?) to be seen, and encouraging artists to morph their art for the platforms. However, I am starting to feel that the ferocious online battleground for attention and advertisement dollars is where the spirit of art is slowly bleeding out. For me, the essential mode of being called “Art” which Kenny alludes to does not seamlessly fuse with the state of strategic marketing required for social media success in the saturated landscape. Rather, they repel each other.
While both states may be required in doses for survival’s sake, I feel that technological evolution has shifted the balance away from the essential, spiritual, transformative, freeing, self-reflective relationship with creation. Maybe I’m just a boomer and da zoomers have no artistic or spiritual qualms about social media lol. This subject deserves its own article.
In any case, I found Kenny’s perspective to be refreshing, affirming, and worth revisiting in 2023. Pair his insightful quote with Rick Rubin’s advice to young people.
There is no “must” in art, because art is free - Wassily Kandinsky
I could talk about Kandinsky for a while… but I think I will mostly let the artworks speak for themselves. A legendary figure in art theory and abstraction, he serves as a chief inspiration of mine and it is always an enriching experience to view his work/writings. For an introduction, check out this video. I also highly recommend his magnificent and succinct book, Concerning Spirituality in Art.
Thank you for reading, dear reader. If you missed edition #1, here it is. I leave you with this: