When Art Inspires – Words left unspoken...
Do you find yourself thinking of an image or piece of writing that you saw days ago or even weeks ago? Did it resonate with you because it was perfect, did it follow the rules or did it simply remind you of another time and place? The image or writing swirls around in your head, inspiring you, haunting you…Alexander Edwards’ latest series “A letter to a friend…” inspired my latest blog post here…
hsien-ku
yes – this has happened to me very recently. I saw this beautiful image by donnamalone and was mesmerised by it for hours.
It certainly didn’t resonate with me because it was perfect, or rule conforming. And it didn’t remind me of another time and place – but it did evoke meaning for me. It seemed to affirm in my mind and emotions the real possibility of freedom for humanbeings and creatures alike. I read the image as a little beacon of optimism and a reminder of the preciousness of freedom.
Visually I think I was very drawn to the imbalance (it’s really left-heavy) and the childish innocence of the figures.
Your post raises a difficult issue though – where is the line between creation and recreation? and how can I be sure that an artistic idea is really mine and not just something half-remembered from someone else? and, barring issues of appropriation, does that distinction really matter? is innovation a prerequisite for art?
damn. now I’ll have these questions swirling around my head all day too!
Adriana Glackin replied
Thank you for your thoughtful and detailed reply. Have you created a work based on the piece that inspired you? I find it interesting that some pieces simply don’t leave your brain space for days and weeks or ever, yet others, although better (for whatever reason) have little effect.
I understand what you’re saying about creating and recreating art. Tracy Wallace’s Clumsy Misfortune not only inspired me to take the story further, but another artist Dee Boylan also created an image based on Tracy’s original image. I sought Tracy’s permission at the time, as did Dee, and Tracy’s photograph was certainly essential in the creation of the subsequent pieces. I saw a lot of emotion in Tracy’s image, as obviously did Dee. In fact, I would love to see the whole series exhibited together one day – that would be lovely! :) And if I were a writer, I would love to be able to write a whole story about the girl who wears the Mary-Jane shoes through her life’s adventures…but maybe that’s for someone else to feel the inspiration and create the appropriate story.
Who does the artistic idea belong to – well, that is a can of worms, isn’t it. Using Tracy’s example, I have always seen the idea as Tracy’s. In the case of Alexander’s new series, my phrases have been generated because I saw his heart-felt phrases and was immediately in a spin over how powerful the words were. While I have no intention in creating a series like Alexander’s, I felt the need to blog about the experience. Sometimes the words or images are in our head, and need something ( art or writing) to trigger their escape….
Rosemary Scott
For me, the best art always is that which evokes a strong emotional response from me… I couldn’t care less about the rules. What I love most is when a piece makes my heart pound in my chest or sends tears streaming down my face…..
How does this person know me so well? How do they know just the right buttons to push?? They’ve never even met me…..
Adriana Glackin replied
Yes, Rosemary, that is exactly what I’m talking about. I certainly felt that with Alexander’s series. Very simply executed, with minimal words, yet to me they packed a punch. Like Alexander’s phrases, the phrases I’ve included in my blog could also – funnily enough – be uttered to more than one individual in my life. and it’s when these emotional buttons, as you say, have been pushed by someone you’ve not met, that the image/words seem to be even more powerful. Interesting, huh?!