I had several reviews of my work recently - and that process (opening one self up for being seen and commented on) threw me for a loop - so to speak - the way I see myself and my work is much different than how others see it and experience me.  I suspect,  most people see themselves and their work in a different way than the world sees it - and every so often, it’s good to get feedback - even if that feedback does nothing but throw you back on yourself - as it did for me.

I suspect that most guidance and direction really needs to come from “within” - that even well meaning people, often give the feedback and criticism from the prospective of what “they” would do, what they “like” but what an artist needs to do is filter that feedback, and decide, by going “within” what is right for that person.

I believe the best teacher is oneself - one’s own inner self - and feedback that comes externally will only be valuable as it echos in one’s inner voice.   Perhaps, the best thing to be said from external critiques and schools of art, is that the refine your technique and perception, perhaps also helping in forming social networks and communities the artist can draw on later - but one’s inner voice is where the real seat of wisdom lies - and that can’t from from anyone else, but you (me) - at least, for me it’s that way.

I also ended a friendship, more or less, last week, and that was and has been painful for me, but I’m getting over it (and who knows if anything really ever ends?).

At any rate, here’s a new work, something I did yesterday, did it differently, taped two sheets of paper on the wall and I’m not really sure if it’s really done - or if it even matters.   I just want to have fun with it - and maybe, that’s more what I need to do anyway:

I’m not really sure what I’m painting - but I know I need to do something beyond what I have been - just don’t know what. 

I guess that’s the challenge for Artists in this 20th and 21st Centuries that’s somewhat different than the past - there really is no established path, and in fact, no real “social need” for Art - and yet, there’s still Art.

Why?   I don’t know, perhaps it’s a fundamental need of ours to create - to comment on our lives and what we think of it all.

As I wrote recently in Webmetricsguru.com about Interesting post on the value of Blogging and the difference between internal valuation and external valuation; the value of Artwork is determined by at least two factors:

1. Your own self valuation
2. Valuation of Art Authorities, Museum Curators, Communities

At the end of the day, Artists need to believe in themselves and their own vision - and all work, I believe, should be done out of self development, self growth and not for money - money really should not be part of the equation - not for doing the work.

On the other hand, the value of work we do is determined by externals, by supply and demand and fundamentally, by what communities of influentials believe your work is worth - and while the Art Market can be, and has often been gamed in the short run, in the long run, it can not be - as time shows a truer picture of what’s really valuable (to the world) and what’s not. 

And all of that - involves community and Social Networks of influentials - there’s no way around it - it’s an ecosystem one can’t really avoid - might as well embrace it.  

Someday, I’ll write a book on this, but I’m not ready yet - the ideas are still forming in my mind, as I write.

Perhaps I go should paint more and go to openings less; maybe it’s the wine and company that does it for me - maybe it’s the wealth of possibilities there - but sometimes I feel like I use the Art World as way of avoidance from facing my own work - of being with myself.  I wonder how many other people I see at openings are doing the same thing?

Anyway, tonight I went to a show titled ”A New Spirit of Progress” presented by Art for Progress at World Culture Open Center and found the atmosphere too controlled, too tame, though the work I saw there was good - as far as it goes - I was left with the thought in my mind of “why”?   Why about any of this work really stands out?  

It got me back to thinking about something I’ve been grappling with for a while - why do people buy Art at all?   My feeling is there needs to be a compelling reason to buy someone’s work - otherwise, there’s no real commercial value to it.

For a while now, I’ve been working on the theory of “community” and how an art community can affix value onto any work, which otherwise is valueless.  For example, if I want to think of one of my paintings as worth 500 dollars - that’s a declaration of value - but only when someone buys it for that is the value really declared (to the world) that the painting was worth 500 dollars.

But wait, that’s not enough - in order for paintings to be worth something to a large community - there needs to be several who also agree (citations) that my paintings are worth 500 dollars (or more) - meaning that it’s the community that really sets and confirms value to anyone’s work.

Getting back to the Art For Progress show - what I felt missing was not so much community (there was a community of Artists present, after all, the same artists and friends of the Artists, that want to display / sell the work) but of the wider community that can affix real value and liquidity to work.

That’s why I’ve often fell back on the idea that Artwork is done (by me) for self development - and not really to sell - or even to display.  Why?  It’s too hard to get real, widespread buy in for your work, or anyone’s work - so it’s not a viable path to making a living - but more of a pleasant surprise that works sells, when it does.

So…getting back to the Why?  Why this show, why paint, I feel it’s OK to show display work and being a member of the Art For Progress Collective is not a bad idea, the benefits seem worthwhile and they do good work for their members, that only a few of the members would largely benefit from it - those that can best leverage the community they’re allied with.

I think that’s true for many organizations - perhaps they help everyone a little, but some benefit much more because they can leverage contacts they make.

At least, that’s my thinking about Art Communities today - maybe I’ll feel differently at a future time - I’ll leave the door open to change of my opinion here - though what I saw tonight more confirmed my opinions than changed anything.