"Paintings With Personality"

CRITTER IN THE ATTIC

      Last fall I kept hearing scratching and rustling sounds coming from the ceiling in my bedroom. I decided something unwanted and alien had moved into the attic and began looking for a solution to the problem. I asked everyone what to do. My 93 year old dad said it was a ‘haint’, meaning the house was haunted (he was joking). My daughter thought it was something on the roof not in the attic. My husband thought I was imagining things (of course). My son-in-law was sure there was a squirrel in the attic and my cousin voted on a raccoon instead of a squirrel. The point is that they all had different opinions based on their own experiences.

      All those opinions caused me think of the way we view art. Two hundred people could look at one piece of art and each one would have a different opinion about it and some would have more than one opinion. What the artist intends and what the viewer sees isn’t always the same thing. The viewer’s background and associations affect what they think or feel about our work. The best an art lover can do is read the artist statement and the title of a specific work then try to determine what the artist might have been thinking.

      In general those who have studied art have a greater appreciation for abstract and modern art. Untrained art lovers prefers art they can relate to in some way, for example, someplace they have been, colors they love, work that will go on a wall in their home, etc. Or perhaps they have an emotional response to the piece, it makes them feel good. In the Unites States, emotional responses have become the way to experience art, and the creation of an emotional experience has become the way the contemporary artists want to paint.

      Simply said, contemporary painters aren’t noted for the subjects they choose, but for their creativity in the treatment of the subject. Painting things you are familiar with and have deep feelings about are the most fun to do and I believe the viewer can read that enjoyment when looking at the work.

      As to the critter, that too has a very simple ending. My husband went into the attic to get our Christmas decorations down and the noises went away. I’m hoping he scared our unwanted friend off. I’ll let you know if the noises come back in the spring when some wild creatures wake up.

MURDER is my next blog post. Look for it on Thursday.

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