Have you ever looked at a piece of art and wondered what on earth it was about, or what it might mean? Or even what you are supposed to get out of a piece of art? Is there even meaning it art at all?
Believe me, you’re not alone!
Often we think that artwork has to have a BIG meaning behind it, but that’s not necessarily what an artist will be doing.
A lot of the time, the artist is expressing themselves, as opposed to expressing meaning in their art. They are showing you their perspective on the world as they see it. This may not even be a conscious thing, as most artists are not necessarily making art for the person buying or viewing it. They are making art because they need to express themselves – the exchange of art is a by-product of that expression.
So, often the artwork is about the emotions of the artist, nothing more, nothing less.
However, having said that, some artists have specific messages that they want to get across in their work. For example they may have a political or environmental message they are trying to express.
From my point of view, I probably have 80-90% of my work that is about my expression of myself, my emotional reaction to things and even my excitement to try new things. The other 10% is about getting a specific meaning and message across. Bear in mind, this is not the same for all artists, that is just about me.
Do you need to see the same meaning or expression that the artist is trying to get across?
Well, the quick answer is NO! Your relationship to any piece of art comes from yourself! It’s about how you emotionally connect (or not) to that piece of art. You may look at a piece and just say ‘I love this, it would look great on my wall’. That is an emotional reaction to the artwork. You may also go ‘oh hell no, that is awful’. That’s nothing about the quality of the work, and everything about your emotions.
I have pieces of work that I have a specific meaning for. There are others I have done just because I love the idea of doing it, and people looking at those works will always assign their own meanings to the works regardless.
This used to bother me, as I’d think ‘I can’t have done a very good job is they can’t see ‘x’ about this painting’, and would put it on myself. These days, I love it when people come up with all sorts of meanings and/or thoughts about what a painting reminds them of. It means that people can engage with it, that it’s making them think and is raising different emotions in them. To me, this means that a piece has been a success externally! (noting that I probably wouldn’t necessarily show it if I didn’t think it was an internal success!)
Now, if you are looking at a piece in a gallery, you may have a blurb from the artist about what it is about to them. That doesn’t mean that you have to derive the same meaning from it. It may speak to you because the colours remind you of something. Or a scene may make you reminisce about something that you love from your past. It may just make you feel really good. Or it may make you think. Whatever YOU get from it is as valid as what the artist intended for themselves. You buy or like what speaks to you, regardless.
It’s the same with things like music. I have a song that I really, really love as in my mind it means something to me. However, I found out that the musician meant something completely different. I’m sticking with my meaning thank you very much! (for those interested – Dave Matthews Band – Crash Into Me)
So, when you are looking at an art work, think about how it makes you feel. Have a think about what the artist might be trying to say and decide whether YOU personally like it. If you don’t like it, it’s not for you (unless you think it’s something that you want on your wall as a conversation piece!).
Each of the paintings above fit one of my two ‘meaning explanations.
The painting on the left, ‘Evanescent’, is one of my paintings that has a definite meaning for me. It is an environmental statement. ‘Evanescent’ shows that certain things are more ephemeral than others. Humans are the most ephemeral, most of us living less that 100 years (hence why they are ghost like). The people you see on a jetty may never be seen there again. In terms of the age of the earth, they are just a speck that doesn’t have a lasting impact in that body.
The jetty, or physical structures may have a longer life (although, here in South Australia, a lot of jetty’s get destroyed by nature on a regular basis!). But, it’s still not as long as the sea, the sky, the atmosphere. If we destroy the earth, we will be destroyed as well, but the earth may be able to regenerate without us! This is my expression of this meaning.
This may not be what you get out of it though – you may see ghosts, you may see destruction, you may see an unfinished painting – I don’t know, but it may or may not be what I intended. And that is fine!
The painting on the left is definitely about an emotion. I’ve called it ‘Flow’, because what I feel inside is movement in a slow and steady way, with vibrancy and that ‘feel good’ kind of emotion. However, other people have associated it with the Great Barrier Reef, tropical vibes and various other things.
This just shows that what I mean, or am feeling from something may be totally different to what the viewer gets out of it.
Let me know what you think about meaning in art! This is part 1 – I think there are some other things we can talk about concerning meaning, and I will look to continue the conversation in the future.
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