What is art?
Art is what an artist makes!
(Not yet completed, still think about it.)
And who is an artist?
This one who has learned it.
This one who does nothing else.*
This one earned (all) his money of it.
This one who teaches it, which does not exclude the others.
Art is, according to the classical definition, creations of works based on the artist’s talent and his certain skill. This means for a visual artist, be sure of:
Shape, color, effect (perception and exercise)
Expedition, contemplation, inspiration (imagination and intuition)
Psychology, philosophy, physics (optics) … (knowledge, not only about technology)
This definition is too thin for me. I rather prefere a definition by the effect of art. There would be a lot to explain. Fundamentally, art is perceived somehow. A work of art that is not seen is not art. So check out my pictures!
Since 2015 I am concentrated on the essential things. There is an unprecedented flood of images. Good gracious! What should I paint, that is still perceived. I simply take existing pictures, my own and foreign pictures (music videos, film classics and YouTube clips), and drag them onto my canvas. I do not copy, I steal! Realism is something that just gives me a feeling of beeing secure. Then my creativity “only” has the task to surprise me with something new. The underlying principle of chance removes my problem and the question what to paint.
(So not yet completed, still think about it, to be continued, do not copy.)
Jens H. Westermann, 2015.
* at least he suffers when he does not.
Here some opinions of others (not quite complete):
