Craig: Your art, like Meredith’s, is incredibly honoring its subject: the story as originally conceived. I’m sure your attention to the author’s intentions show, and DO connect the audience to those intentions in a way that wouldn’t have occurred otherwise! Thanks for the comment, and for your art

What does my art express? That’s a difficult question, in my opinion. My art simply expresses what the subject or object “is.” It’s not so much of an expression, but an observation and invitation to the viewer to look, and perceive. The play of light and shadow, the turn of form, this is what my art is about. For now, I feel that is all I can do, content based art is not my thing….yet. I prefer to let the inherent beauty of the object, for all things have some beauty, be the main focus. Here are some bullet point themes of my art:
-reality, or realities (after all, what is a painting, but a collection of observed instances of time, all meshed to form a single eternal average of instances?)
-dichotomy and harmony and the interplay of the two
-understanding and portrayal of the beauty of the subject.

-m

Thanks for commenting

I think we agree more than you suppose. I do think, though, that there is a way to separate; a way to be untrue to whatever Taylor described above as her “innermost feelings” that couldn’t be “express[ed] in words.” That’s to NOT go with the flow, but instead force something. That’s to NOT let the art choose you, and instead attempt to choose it yourself. I agree with Mr. Gioia whole-heartedly on this: it ceases to be art if it is not allowed to guide the expression. Perhaps my “pact” was more of a surrender to finally participating in real art, rather than merely imitating it as I had before.

As for your “themes” of expression, whatever you think you lack, you’re doing wonderfully. You’re always comunicating and inspiring — just never stop striving for more

-A

Awesome comments. They really describe your photography (which is incredible). Sometimes the most beautiful artistic expression is whatever can’t be expressed some other way…

-Alex

WILL: Thanks dude!!! I hope the summer is going well for you — thanks for the comments, bro.

first, i have to say im a little skeptical of your “making a pact” to always express your life in art. i suppose it could be helpful if you need direction and focus like that, but i think for me the two are inseparable. however, if i were to put too much of an imposing requirement or too conscious of a focus i would be restricting both myself and the art. Dana Gioia (the chairman of the national endowment for the arts, and a poet - http://www.danagioia.net/) said in a lecture i recently attended, that many times it is the art that chooses us, we do not choose the art. this means that at times we are just the vehicle or an avenue of expression. as a result i cannot always read my life into my art, but let the lives of others, or the message of the art be expressed through me.

second, the former aside, i do think that i seek to have a specific message in my art (although i think sometimes that doesnt always line up with the message of the work). in my work i seek primarily two things:
1. to express beauty (one of my core values)
2. to express story (an important redemptive tool)

however, being an idealist, the majority of my work falls short of those two criteria and probably will for the remainder of my life, such is my lot. and yet, there is hope. my high standard does not prevent other people being impacted by my work, and that is my prayer.

sarah

I don’t think I have one thing I like to express, generally when I do my photography I dont go out and say “I plan to make this statement” with my art. Its generally very spontaneous (unless its a specific photoshoot I had with a model I planned beforehand, like this one I did with an asian girl in a tea party theme, that actually came to me in a dream..LOL)

What I do with my regular art is go out into the world and find things that stir up something. When you see art or something beautiful or sad, I take the picture so I may share it with others, to see thier reaction. I think alot of my art has a more macabre feel to it. Something along the lines of being more on the dark side. Its a way for me to vent my feelings that I can’t express in words. Its kind of like letting my alter ego out.

I’m generally a very happy outgoing social person but when I take pictures its a way for me to let out the side of me I have a hard time letting out verbally, hence why some of my art has the slight macabre twist. People don’t expect it.

Thats what I try to express. My innermost feelings. The ones most people shove back. Wheter its sadness, death, or just something to lift up God when your feeling blue.

-Tay