Not just pretty a picture.

Last week I had a pleasant conversation with a girl in my printmaking class. We talked about art and how as students our end goal is to be able to create works that represent our own voice and display conceptual ideas and emotion that whey personally on our minds. Post-Modern art typically derives from an exploration of a concept or is a means for social commentary or expression. It isn't just about painting pretty pictures. Surprise pinterest lovers! (No worries, I love pinterest too!) But true fine art isn't just about decorating your home with melted crayons on a canvas it's about making a statement and using line, shape and color as your words. It makes art emotional and interesting to view, with the viewer striving to understand the story behind the work.

When we had our first critique my friend was the only student who had a deeper meaning behind her print and during subsequent classes we've talked about that meaning. She spoke of the impact a relationship has had in her life has had on her thoughts about our society and these thoughts are deep and reoccurring. She spoke of how in the course of time we are often drawn to certain things be it objects or colors or concepts and many times we don't know why we are drawn to them until a much later point. We conversed about how as artists we have to continually change and explore not only new mediums but explore our inner selves in order to apply it to our work. We have to learn to become conscientious of our thoughts.

In school it isn't until about Jr. year that students begin to get past the "skills training" and delve into the heart of what makes fine art compelling as we begin to learn to follow our interests and find our own voice. I keep drawing back to this conversation and how this is exactly where I need to be going next with my work. It's time to move beyond drawing spheres trying to perfect value and shading and time to apply my thoughts, emotions and experiences that are beyond words, creating impactful imagery.

I'm toying with the idea of explaining the concepts I'm working with in written form but am also thinking of letting my work speak for itself. I suppose both will come as they will it, but for now I'll leave you with images of objects I seem to find interest in quite often. I'm just beginning to possibly understand why I'm attracted to them.

What would you gather about them? Discuss.