Passion

Lately I've been thinking about what really makes art beautiful to me; what is it about art that I am drawn to, and that I love to put into my own art? I think at least part of the answer for me is passion. The reason for this is probably a combination of being drawn to works that communicate deep emotion better than words can, and also in reaction to some aggravating art that I've been exposed to that appears completely void of any emotion at all... I think that if an artist is to make art, it should come right from his or her heart. Art is at least partially an expression of deep feelings, I think, and if it is done well, these feelings will be revealed in the piece and will make an impact in those who view it.

I think that one of the things that makes some of these modern Christian films (like Fireproof) a bit less "artistic" is a lack of sincere, personal, raw emotion. There is a portrayal of people being emotional...and for what it's worth that might have an impact on some people. But viewing the film as a piece of art is difficult because it, as a whole, lacks what I like to call the "life" of the artist. By life, I mean to say the one thing that connects everything together...the thesis statement of the heart, if you will. I think what we talked about in class regarding the difference between message and meaning can be seen as a result of this. When you try to make a point or communicate an idea to the rest of the world through your work, that is all that will be communicated - there will be hardly anything else other than a message that could just as well have been passed on without pictures. It fails the "test of real art" because it does not start with a picture. It does not start with a feeling...with a raw element of humanity. Instead, it starts with an attitude of superiority and with a desire to play teacher to the rest of the world, hoping that they will convert and demanding that they listen. But artists are not teachers, they are children.

So I guess the point of this is that an artist should probably find out what makes him or her feel... not just feel sad or happy, but feel suicidal or euphoric....the deepest parts of us are, I think, the things that make art the most meaningful. It's like something else that we talked about in class... how you don't tell your story, your story tells you. And you are so much more than you can tell of yourself without just letting yourself be told.