I’ve been told that in order to make art and present it to an audience. I need to have a concept.
Can art fit in a preconceived box? Can imagination which can be equated to freedom be tamed?
An Artist should make art for himself or herself. The work does not have to mean something to the viewer, not everyone can relate to the artist’s work especially when it depicts the reality perceived by the artist. The viewer will never be able to relate to any artwork and, to an extent, to the artist due to cultural differences and different physical and emotional experiences that make the world unique and individual. If everyone can relate to your work then as an artist you can be characterised as superficial, lacking in personality and dynamism. If you are not prepared to take risks in order to explore, fail and improve in the process, then you will not be able to create as you will not be true to yourself.
As an artist it is important to listen to many people’s advice whether you decide to take it or not but what you must always remember is never allow anyone to convince you that your work and therefore, you as an individual, are worthless. People will tell you to emotionally detach from your own work, but. I firmly believe, that as an artist you must be passionate and not passive, as your work is a part of who you are which no one can take away. An artist bares his or her soul and this entails taking the risk of being accepted or rejected while staying true to yourself.
Finally, people may ignore your work, and this is something you must expect and respect, but you must stay true to yourself and never stop believing in the power of your inner being, in the magic of your uniqueness as this is the beauty of life. As an artist who tends to create non-traditional self-portraits, it is almost unavoidable that people will not respond to something which is different and outside the box whose lines have gradually been erased to allow freedom to escape into a world which is there waiting to be explored. You must hope that one day someone will eventually truly see your work, may be not like the way you see it but close enough.
That day will come!
That day will come!
That day will come!! …
Cleanthia Aristodemou 