Why, despite a world health crisis and uprisings for social justice, or even better, because of it, are we persisting in making art? It’s satisfying to make something from nothing, and can sustain us as we stay home, putting idle hands to work. But we’ve been asking this for longer than the current crises. Why do we push our creativity into the realm of art?

To find out more, last year I read 33 Artists in 3 Acts, and I’ve continued to think it over during the current state of the world. In this book, author Sarah Thornton tried to get many of her subjects to consider the same thing: what is an artist? She saw several themes in the answer to that question: caring about your influence on the world, connecting meaningfully with others, and working hard to create something worthwhile. Each of these points helped me understand why I create, especially on those days when I don’t know where to find the urge. Do they resonate with you?

Influence on the World

Many artists are trying to make a statement, an impact with their art. While that impact can be purely visual, it can also demand thought from its viewers. Kutlug Ataman (Act 1, Scene 10) states it this way: “Art is not supposed to repeat what you already know. It is supposed to ask questions.” The questions can be big, or subtle, but that resonance is a great factor, as when Martha Rosler (Act 1, Scene 15) points out, “real artists” are trying “… to persuade others that there is something in your work that will linger after the initial encounter.”

Art that makes you think, and makes you want to take another look — yes, that makes it influential. And it doesn’t require a museum setting to make it so. Anyone who’s got a piece of art on their walls, who sees something new in it as they pass it by — that is influence, and something I can relate to. It affects the work I want to have in my home, as well as the pieces I want to create.

Connecting with Others

When we create, we forge a connection with the viewer — with collectors, curators, and other artists. While sales can help create that connection, sometimes just exhibiting and discussions are enough.

We can start with common experiences. Massimiliano Gioni (Act 2, Scene 19) says “Humans make images to hold onto what they love and what they are about to lose.” In doing so, they create an empathetic vision that we can relate to. When we tell our stories through imagery, we connect with viewers. I think of that when I add textures to favorite scenes, as in my Familiar Territory series.

However, Andrea Fraser (Act 3, Scene 13) references D. W. Winnicott, who, in the article “Communicating and Not Communicating” looked at the “inherent dilemma between the desire to express oneself and the anxiety that it provokes, between an urgent yearning to be known and a more urgent need to keep parts of oneself hidden. ” What if I experiment, go too abstract or too busy, and it doesn’t resonate with others? It’s always a risk.

Creating Something Worthwhile

For all its trappings of museum shows and critical reviews, and the difficulty of exposing oneself, the art world is really trying to make something that lasts, and those structures are just our imposed ways of checking if it worked. At the heart of it is more whether the artist has imposed some of themselves into the work.

As Grayson Perry (Act 3 Scene 7) notes: “craft can be taught whereas art is about self-realization.” Gabriel Orozco continues this thought:

The border between art and craft is blurry. The decorative arts can be innovative and fine art can get into a system of repetitive production. … There are moments when artists are artists and then they are not anymore. When they are not thinking, they become craftsmen of their own art.

Gabriel Orozco, in 33 Artists in 3 Acts, Act 3, Scene 11

Martha Rosler’s observation applies here too — creating something that lingers on makes it worthwhile, and the quest to make that creation is motivating. When we take the risk to create, AND it connects, that makes the difference.

Personally, I make art, crisis or not, because there’s a slim chance that I’ll make something that takes my breath away. It’s like chasing a healthy high — it feels good! These days, it might even take my mind off the news for a bit.

I look to other artists for inspiration and instruction: I read blogs and books, take classes, look at lots of images for ideas. But until I put some of myself, my thinking, into the piece, it’s not enough. And until I connect with someone else, it really doesn’t feel worthwhile. I say my piece, visually, hoping it catches your eye, evokes a comment, helps in some way. The conversation is key.

So, to everyone who looks at art, who talks about art, who’s connected with me or any local artist — thank you for helping us feel worthwhile, connected, and influential. We all have roles in this interconnected world, and I’m so appreciative of everyone doing their part to help each other, as we sort out a path forward. Here’s to connecting, through art or any means at our disposal.