Sinusoid of lightness.
Quite often art is presented as a kind of liberation. So often we hear 'art is freedom'. Mostly I think it tends to mean that in artistic activity EVERYTHING is allowed. As a contrast to everyday life, interpersonal relations, science, work - areas enslaved by a countless number of rules (official, unwritten, our internal - conscience, resulting from past events...). Following this direction we get the conclusion saying that art serves us to 'strike out / go crazy'. Not a time to review this statement. Perhaps briefly - a mistake in such reasoning is the paradoxical forcing art into another scheme - the scheme of no-scheme. This is also a trap. Following such idea, one would like to see creation - by definition - as breaking conventions. BY DEFINITION.
In art freedom functions on a slightly different level. It is a lack of attachment to what exists. Not a negation by definition. Not following 'tradition' by default. It is very much about non-attachment to self-image (style). Letting go of the constant comparing, fitting, relating of YOUR work to the existing universe of created objects.
No, not everything has already been done. No, not every painting emerges from some previous one. Because if so, when was the day when 'everything has already been done/invented'? To what year, month and day was human able to create, and then only repetition began?
I briefly open these views, just to approach the concept of freedom. It should be clear that it is not a strict rejection of 'tradition'. But neither is it a resigned letting go of the possibility of something new emerging (since everything has already been done).
Actually, this is not what I was planning to talk about. It's sometimes hard to refrain from the mission to debunk popular myths about creativity. But enough for today.
Freedom is probably the topic I touch most often, as I speak, write about art. I wrote about gravity. I believe that art cannot overwhelm. But something can. What? Creation? But now what are the similarities and differences.... Personally, as I wrote some time ago, have been overwhelmed simply by the amount of things I have done. Painted paintings, drawn drawings. For a long time I didn't know what to do with them. I still don't know what would be the best solution. But I took the most simple solution - to give away a big part of my works. They may not have physically taken up a huge amount of space. But there was/is a huge amount of them. And I want to keep painting. They took up much more space in my head. The awareness that they are just lying there... and how can I continue to paint, because what am I going to do with all this... Yes, sometimes I do sell something, but rarely. Disproportionately rarely to the production capacity. I have no idea how or where I would suddenly sell 100-200 works. And about that amount I'd have to get rid of to feel the difference. And I'm keeping at least that much for myself. Slowly I feel lighter about it.
It is not something heavy for me. I am also not thrilled. Just the moment, for many works to leave, has come. After all, this way they will become more 'alive'. They will be able to 'happen' on someone's wall. My works are going to different people after I announced giveaway on the Internet. And different people see this situation in different ways. Some are trying to 'console' me, as if it was a 'failure' - giving my work away for free. Usually I do not even correct them. Maybe I should? Maybe that is why I am writing today. I've never thought of painting strictly in terms of cash. I don't consider finances to be the best measure of 'artistic success'. Sure, they are important, but it is not a goal in itself.
No, I'm not giving away all my work for free. Some are for sale. Some aren't. Someone might accuse me of 'spoiling the market'. But the truth is - I don't even know what the 'art market' is. Sometimes someone wants to buy a piece from me, so I sell it. I am particularly attached to some of my paintings - I don't sell them. For some I think it's time to part with, so I let them go. And I wouldn't consider some of them better and others worse. Everyone is its own little universe.
Again, it's all about freedom. Another dimension. Perhaps the most down to earth (ordering the warehouse), yet so meaningful. However, at the end of the day, it is about freedom in creation. THAT freedom. When you can supposedly not exist. When loose become all the ropes chaining us to...? Reality? Life? Ourselves? When something comes to me to be painted and I SIMPLY paint it.
