I’m a big fan of artwork that has a unique way of presenting itself. It’s not so much about subject matter as it is about the way the art is conceived. I want to be surprised by work that captures the imagination in a way I haven’t seen before. The biggest hurdle for the serious artist is to evolve past what is already taken for granted. But having said this, how is it possible in an art world where it seems everything has been done already, to come up with something never done before?
I recently posted a picture on my Facebook page of an artist who used hundreds of Rubik’s Cubes to create large photorealistic portraits. The inventiveness of his incredible art caught me by surprise. The realistic images were not in themselves unusual, but it was the obsessiveness of the medium that made this work memorable. I’m intrigued to know when and how the idea to create portraits with the difficult cubes occurred? The hours it must have taken to manipulate the colors to line them up just right is pure innovation. On another level, the method used in creating this work defines the times in which it was created.
To my way of thinking, an artist has to bring something more to their art than just technique. Every time I see artwork that wows me, there’s usually some unique personal element that makes it stand out. I would hazard a guess that the artist who did those Rubik’s Cube portraits might have been obsessed with the cubed puzzle as a child. But it’s the way he combined it in his art, that is where the genius lies. What an exciting moment it must have been to actually get this to work. I can only imagine the high that came with it.
I take from this the need to incorporate my own personal experience into my work. It has to be something unique to me. This has me thinking about my own obsessions, and yes, the fears that determine how I see the world I live in. Now, not only do I look forward, but also look backwards into myself in order to get to my own unique vision.