A viewer of an art work is lead by the artist’s work, to see what the artist wishes him to see and in the way that he wishes him to see it. I maintain that essentially all artworks are an offering to another to look into the world of the artist, into his inner being. Everyone primarily paints himself, for even if he is painting an external ‘view’ or a common subject, the artist’s personal point of view is never lost, the painting never becomes ‘objective’. I maintain that the artist shouldn’t lie about this, shouldn’t pretend to offer his work as anything more than his ‘opinion’. With this understood , the burden is upon the artist to make his opinion worth listening to, so to speak!
I maintain that the path to achieve this, is specifically and intentionally to focus upon the ‘lens’ that is doing the viewing and not so much on the subject that is being viewed; that is, on the artist himself, his inner world. For the lens itself is the most important factor. I offer an anology to explain.
Two people view the same event. One is wise and interprets the event through wisdom. The other is a fool and only understands folly. The same event with two lenses. It is simple; it is worth listening to the wise one’s version, and wise to run away from hearing the words of the fool.
In truth, if one has found a wise person it is worth listening to what he has to say on any subject, be it the most mundane, whereas a fool will fumble with the most important information, and it is always a mistake to listen to him.
Thus if the artist focuses on correcting his ‘viewing lens’, that is; in becoming truly wise, then whatever he pictures will have true value, no matter the means or subject.
The artist’s process of unraveling and unveiling the truth of his existence, and in attaining understanding that it is his own perspective and coloration that is composed in all his works, this is the work that has real value, and this is what the artist can best offer to another. This is what each of us must learn, how to plumb the depths of the self and succeed to find truth in contradiction to the proliferation of falsehood which covers and obstructs the truth.