I was watching a TV show today called, "My Kid Could Paint That", which is an old documentary from 2007 about a supposed child prodigy named Marla Olmstead who was 4 years old at the time and was creating beautiful paintings which were selling for tens of thousands of dollars (!!). At one point of the show, the gallery owner who was also a Realist Artist expressed his disdain for Modern Art and was frustrated as to why people would spend significantly more money on such art pieces, as opposed to paintings in his preferred style. I sort of agreed with him, but also reminded myself that art really is very subjective. What may come across as a hot mess on a piece of canvas, may appeal to others and be perceived by them as a wondrous masterpiece. The same goes for music, theatre/ movies, fashion and all that.
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| BIGGIE - Sculpted by Gemini Grrl (Age 2) |
To me, listening to Heavy Metal and Rock music actually makes me feel happier, it can even calm me down and just put me in a better mood. Of course there are also certain songs that will fire me up and invoke other feelings, but generally I like to listen to these genres of music because it speaks to my heart. Some people, on the other hand, wouldn't even consider it as music, citing it to be too noisy, scary, and that it promotes violence and anger. They find it strange that I don't listen to Jazz for example - but honestly, for some strange reason, Jazz makes me feel highly irritable and it really makes me feel like punching someone in the face. My Mom thinks I'm odd.
There was buyer of one of Marla's painting and he was describing what he could see from the random paint splodges of colour smeared on the canvas. At one corner, he could supposedly make out a narrow pathway leading up to an open door, and the figure of a person inside the doorway, looking out; as well as another figure of a person outside, looking in. When he pointed that out, I started to see it too and was nodding along in agreement. But then he pointed up towards the "sky" part beyond the open doorway and said he could clearly make out a baby's face with the perfect details of the nose, eyes, mouth etc - much like on an ultrasound scan. That's where he lost me. It was a literal look in the clouds and he saw what he wanted to see. But if that was what he saw and that makes him happy enough to fork out a 4-figure cheque, then it's his prerogative. Maybe some people prefer their art to be open for interpretation? Something which allows their mind to wander and their imaginations to run wild? Perhaps Realist Art is too "final"for them - because it is what it is and there's no other way to interpret it. Not to say that a skyline of buildings or a luscious landscape is not as admirable as random splatters of paint, I definitely agree appreciate the amount of talent, hard work, patience and effort that goes into such paintings. But maybe some people don't want their art to be definite and enjoy seeing what they want to see.
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| RED TULIP - Painted by Gemini Grrl (Age 2) |
I was a Drama (Theatre Arts) student back in college, but was also exposed to the other mediums of Art as part of my course, however, I do not claim to have much knowledge in the field of Visual Arts, neither can I fully understand nor appreciate paintings, sculptures and such. But I do understand that just like any other art form, if you truly pour your all into your work, then it will be shown in the final piece. Also, if you create art with wild abandonment, only then will you be able to capture the raw and honest reflections of your heart and soul. I remember there were points in time when I was forced to come up with a devised piece or write a new script under pressure, and would work hard to squeeze out my creative juices. But art does not work that way. You cannot force it out of you. It is not something you can just sit down and let it flow out if the inspiration is not there. Especially if you're stressing about how many credit points it's going to get you, what grades you will be marked for it, whether the audience will appreciate and understand it or would anyone pay good money for it? An Artist cannot overthink things. That is the problem a lot of adults face.
But children on the other hand, have no inhibitions. Creating art comes naturally to them and it is often in the innocence of children's artwork that you can catch a glimpse of the purity of their souls. The happiness in their heart. The beautiful way they see the world through their eyes, which we adults sometimes forget about.
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| I WANT COOKIES - Painted by Gemini Grrl (Age 2) |
When I watch my daughter painting or drawing with crayons, there is this peaceful calm in her face as she concentrates on creating her masterpiece. It may not be the work of a child prodigy, but it makes me smile just seeing how relaxed and happy she is transferring her ideas onto paper. When she's done, she will proudly show me her work and I would ask her about the things she has drawn. Sometimes it is "a baby cat eating and it starts to rain", sometimes it is "Mommy is very happy and smiling", sometimes it is "a purple carrot in the garden". Sometimes I can't even make out what exactly it is. And sometimes even she doesn't know what exactly it is. But there are also times when I get myself excited because I think I can see a wonderful toddler's interpretation of Modern Art, so I snap 199 pictures of it and upload it for all my friends to see and give me their feedback whether they see the same thing I do - or do I just need to calm down and get my eyes checked.
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| OILY MAN - Painted by Gemini Grrl (Age 2) |
There is a funny quiz online which asks if you can tell the difference between Modern Art and Toddlers' Art. I scored 5/11. Yikes. But apparantly when ABCNews asked Artists and an Art Historian to take this test, they didn't score too well either. So maybe, just for fun, I should submit Gemini Grrl's artwork to a gallery somewhere and hope that someone sees the value in them as much as I do? :P What do you think? Am I delusional? Can you make out the same things I can in her creations below? Let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear your feedback!
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| BLUE JAY - Painted by Gemini Grrl (Age 2) |
