random thoughts...

While working in the studio the last few days I saw postings of pots on FB from people showing what they believe to be 'treasures'.  I found myself wondering about how they became 'treasures'.  I recall seeing a piece that I simply thought was not that good, yet so many people responded with likes and comments stating how much they loved it.  It all got me thinking about where is taste developed?  Is the golden rule really golden?  How many people have to agree that a piece is good for it to exist as something meaningful in art?  Do we often check the 'like' box of appreciation simply because others do?  And while we might say they meet certain established standards, who set those in the first place?  How far back do we go to find the person, or culture, that had the answer we all now accept as aesthetic truth?  And if we do think we found the answer to what is good and bad art, who do we know that has ALL the answers so we can check to see if we (or they) are right?  Very confusing.

I still do not like the piece I saw posted on FB, even though many others thought it was good.  For me, it was not.  And if I really care to find truth in what I create, I must also find the courage to stand up to those pieces that simply do not work for me despite others making claims to the contrary.  I only hope I can remain open to the possibility of change in both my understanding and appreciation of what I see within the world I live.

Boy, this title, random thoughts, sure fits!

I am posting a couple of in-process images here that are quietly speaking to me.  I do not own them completely as they are the products of what I have seen in the study of other cultures outside of my own, as well as thoughts on faith that come through a lifetime of reflection.  I find it a slippery slope to try and identify feelings in my work about spirituality and faith in the face of all the religious hoopla around us in society, most of which I find extremely troubling.  Still, I hope to have a thumbprint on what I create, while paying homage to the work that resonates for me in a most personal manner.  And I am not troubled by others not 'liking' all the work I create, for when art becomes everything, it also becomes nothing.