Designing is for Weirdos
207/365
With every new artistic style, there seems to be a little bit of name calling and display of “mine is better than yours.” Degas use to make fun of Bouguereau’s style…believe it or not. According to the book “Bouguereau” by Fronia E. Wissman, Degas used the term “Bouguereaute” to describe his paintings because he was epitomized by them and thought they were “marred by slick and artificial surfaces.” The other impressionists probably talked smack about the classicist, and on it goes. But just look at all of these artists across the board…Da Vinci, Degas, Van Gogh, Bouguereau. What’s one thing their art has in common? We’ll soon find out!
Nowadays, we have modern and contemporary art…a lot of it being more focused on free expression rather than anything else. We have digital art, conceptual art, fine art….but a huge detrimental quality they are all lacking is design. So, what happens when we start designing and incorporating our inspiration into art, as opposed to freely expressing without logical guidance as the masses are doing? We become weird. And weird is a good place to be because, guess what? Now, we’re aligning ourselves with the true masters of art.
Everyone is trying to be the next Van Gogh, but with our fast paced lifestyles full of social media, cell phones, driving, working….no one wants to take the time to design their art. It’s a shame because one designed and properly planned photo or painting that takes the same amount of time as three spur of the moment pieces will be far more visually superior. If you are just expressing yourself with no other intentions, then by all means, splash that paint around. You could be the next Jackson Pollock or Cy Twombly (funny thing is I use to like Pollock when I was younger…mostly influenced by the hype rather than the art). But if you want to make something that will resonate with others for many generations, spend the extra time and design your art, even if it means producing less work. Choose quality over quantity. That rabid dog’s ferociousness may excite you momentarily, but a tamed dog that is obedient, loving, and full of tricks is much more enjoyable.
