The Energy of Art

What is it about a work of art that draws a viewer in? Attracts her attention? Keeps him looking? It’s just a piece of canvas, a sheet of paper, a wall of metal, a pile of stones. Somehow the successful artist imbues an inanimate object with the energy of thought and process, of beauty and intent, or life and creativity. From a personal viewpoint, I know I have succeeded when the burst of energy I feel when painting or printing is transferred into the artwork itself. It is a visible exclamation point that draws the eye, grabs the viewer and satisfies an aesthetic need. In line with this manner of thinking, art may be thought of as a form of energy made visible – the energy of a moment in time, the energy of a model, a landscape, a thought or a concept. Every molecule of a painting, of a drawing, of a sculpture, of a performer, of a photograph can vibrate with meaning. Study a Picasso – his weeping women still project their angst. A Matisse Odalisque continues to luxuriate in pseudo-Oriental splendor. Jackson Pollack’s drippings will always resonate with his mad passion for paint. The best artworks live on and continues to capture attention.˜