Artists make art. Artists are a strange breed of creators, thinkers of the unknown, and doers of the impossible. Pretentious as it sounds, I consider myself an artist. But I believe this it is a gift you are born with, sort of a gene. You do not necessarily need to be trained in art; rather it is something that comes naturally to some people. This is not to say that you cannot perfect your technique and craft by learning from masters and practice. Being an artist is in your DNA, a calling you can not turn away from, an inner voice that nags at your very being morning to night. You have no choice; it is part of who you are and how you express yourself.
My own art tells a story. Whether it is a photograph or a film, I try to show a glimpse into another world, a reflection into another’s life. My photographs trigger a memory and a statement about a time and place. Art is a way of reliving past experiences, and conveying an expression of it to others. It is very personal to me. A great philosopher has said, “Individuality of expression is the beginning and end of all art”(Goethe).
I am attracted by light patterns, the nuance of a gesture, and images that express my unique visual sense. My images tell a story, brief narratives of life. Whether it is a fashion shoot, photos of taxis in the night in the Czech Republic, a study of kids’ with bad hair cuts, the golden light of early morning on a Parisian street, the futurist architecture of Berlin, the back stage frenzy of a German Cabaret theatre, the women of Moscow, one of Kyoto’s last Geisha, wacky dogs, or night views of the city from Mulholland Drive, I hope to share with the viewer what I experience, and how I see the world. The thrill of looking through the lens, the rush of capturing a moment, and the sheer pleasure of sharing it with people has never left me.
Everyone has their own personal way of viewing any work of art. The same image can tell a different story to each person that views it and that story might be quite different from the artist’s original intent. This is one of the wonderful things about art.
Alexander Roos Blog
Assignment 5 4-17-09
2 comments:
“You have no choice; it is part of who you are and how you express yourself.”
I’m also a great believer in the genetics of art. Art is something inside of us since the day we were born, and I believe there is no social attachment to it. It is inevitable in your life once you’re chosen. Some people may not pursue art as a lifetime occupation or they don’t do artistic practice, but they can still be considered artists only because they possess artistic talent.
It resonated me a lot when you talked about art and the spectator’s point of view. I completely agree that “the same image can tell a different story to each person that views it and that story might be quite different from the artist’s original intent.” This is how I feel a bit tired at the end of the semester after reading almost 30 plays in one of my theatre class. I begin to feel that none of our analytical commentary about the plays really captures what the playwrights try to express. We all misread them and probably the playwrights are sitting there laughing at how much we’ve over read them. But at the same time, it is what fascinating about art. It has so many layer, aspects, and so many different interpretations. It is not a statement or a single definition. That is what I like about art as well.
This is a very introspective piece into the mind of an artist. As I have commented in other artist statements, I understand the hesitation to label oneself an "artist". The word artist, or so I've been told, comes from the word "artisan" which is a person skilled in an applied craft. But when you say it in such basic terminology, it kind of loses the whole mystic around what people like us do. If it were just a basic craft like lumber jacking or truck driving, then who is to say that what we do is special, or justify it being appreciated. But an artist is and should be appreciated, because we bring so much new and vivid life into an otherwise mundane world.
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