The gift of art

In what ways is art a gift? Most saliently, it’s a gift to the artist - in my case, me. For instance, I get to play with lots of wonderful toys, make a mess, repeatedly ask and answer the question “what if” (e.g., What if there were more of this red here? What if this horizontal piece were vertical? What if I removed/added this part of the grid, those sequins, that shape . . .) and, eventually, find out what it is that I’m trying to say.

The work and the life of the artist can be maddening and frustrating as well as joyful. Making art gobbles up many many many many hours that could alternatively be dedicated to, say, making a living. It also costs lots of money to make (think studio and storage space and a couple of hundred bucks or so at art supply, craft, and fabric stores every few months) as well as to share (think framing, photography, and website costs, just for instance). Monetary struggles are a given in the lives of all, but very few, visual artists. That artists generally need money is not, however, the reason that I urge everyone, during this gift-giving season, to consider either buying a gift of art for a loved one or using money that you’ve received to buy art that you love for yourself.

Rather, I’ve been thinking about people recently buying my work as gifts for themselves and for others, thought about those who have done so over the years, and of the art that I myself have been given and bought. How different art is from mass produced commodities, regardless of their marvels. Art provides the opportunity to see through another’s eyes, mind, and heart. One individual’s exploration for meaning, beauty or whatever else s/he seeks for is transferred to another who derives these same qualities from it. Perhaps for this reason, art tends to be kept for a lifetime.