Time Fractures 12x18
Is all art simply subjective?
This was an argument I recently heard from a painter who thinks it's only about expressing oneself, and no painting is 'better' than another.
I hear this argument a lot, and I can only comment on the subject as it pertains to representational painting. When judging representational paintings, YES you can tell if one is better than another. It simply requires you to understand that there are both subjective and objective viewpoints.
The initial impact you FEEL is the subjective part and that will naturally be a different reaction for each of us and that's perfectly valid. However if you look to analyze the merit of the work, there certainly are measurable skills to be evaluated. Good drawing, value control, colors that can actually exist under the same light source, paint application with variety and authority, original and inventive design concepts...These are the things that separate a professional from a Sunday painter. Within the realm of representational painting, art happens when inspiration and skill collide, BOTH should be actively pursued at all times if you are a professional. The emotional impact will always be subjective, but the skill in the execution certainly can be measured and it is a disservice to hard studying, hard working professionals to say otherwise, in my opinion.
For many of us, our art is not something we dabble in, it's our life's passion, it's often our whole identity and we spend our lives sacrificing nearly everything to practice, learn and grow to achieve increasingly better results and understanding. The idea that these hard won gains can be washed away with the blanket statement that 'Art is subjective' turns my stomach.
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