Originally published in Ken Danby: The New Decade, 1984
I've been engrossed with creating art since I was ten year's old - since I first decided that I would be an artist. I've been obsessed by it in the years since, as I've worked at it full time, and as the adage applies - the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.
During these years, I've found that I've had to question, puzzle over, and try to resolve the broader sphere of art; what it is, what's important about it, why certain things work and others don't; how one direction of art relates to another, how it relates to society as a whole, how my approach can fit into the overall development of art. How art influences our lives. How it can improve our lives.
There are no easy answers to these questions. At the same time, there are answers proposed: not absolute, not confirmed, but nevertheless, sound theories, philosophies, or opinions if you like, which when presented in relation to the overall history of art, can suddenly expand our understanding of art.
As an artist, it has become important for me to gain an insight into this overall perspective, so that I can better comprehend what I do, how I do it, and how this fits into the general scheme of things. This increased understanding helps me to heighten my awareness, and generally allows me to comprehend my own creative directions.
In doing this, I have been obliged to question many of the rationales and interpretations which prevail, and as a result, I slowly developed what is, for me, a clearer and more meaningful understanding of art, sometimes at variance to that which is generally offered. In the course of my studies, I've learned to appreciate art in all of its manifestations. It has become apparent to me that each direction is as meaningful and valid as all others. It is also apparent that there is a logical and investigative progression at work, which can be easily seen if one views the various stages of art as an evolution, rather than dismissing one direction in favor of another, which is our habit.
As with so many other endeavours, the past 100 years have offered a tremendous acceleration of artistic growth, to the point where we've gained so much ground, that it will take years of digesting before we can fully appreciate its true impact.
At the same time, there are many basic elements and insights which have developed through the centuries, from the beginning of art to the present day.
As with any form of evolution, there are many tangents and spin-offs which occur. Yet, equally, there is a definite and continuous growth evidenced by the understanding of these basics as they slowly become part of the artistic vocabulary. I think that it's important to emphasize the words "artistic vocabulary" - because that is, in fact, what I believe has been developing.
From his earliest efforts at an artistic exercise, man has -attempted to improve his ability to communicate, visually, with his fellow man.
As we progressed, we became more sophisticated in these attempts and began to employ design and intricate forms of decoration to the act of visual communication. During the time of the great civilizations such as the Egyptian, Greek and Roman eras, art advanced to the point where proportion, perspective, spatial balance, composition and the understanding of linear movements were highly developed and essential fundamentals of art. In sculptural forms, relief, mass, contour, and dimension reached classic levels of understanding. Today, we are still in awe of what little remains of their achievements. These works of art can leave us breathless by their subtlety, sophistication and power.
During the Renaissance, knowledge of art attained great heights, with the realization of countless masterpieces. The disciplines and skills employed and expanded upon in this era involved more complex technical development, such as in foreshortening, forced perspective, the study of anatomy, a greater appreciation of colour and composition and even the introduction of drama in art.
This development continued following the Renaissance, but at a slower pace, influenced (as always) by the occasional instability of society as a whole. As reflected by history, a growth in artistic directions must be reinforced by a corresponding enlightenment of society, in order for this growth to consolidate.
While an exploration of technical awareness continued through the years, the artist also began to utilize a greater scope in the purpose of his art, beyond that of a simple story telling or decoration. Social commentary, the reflection of both the banes and blessings of society, political propaganda, personal fantasy and a more liberal use of imaginative imagery, all became more prevalent in the world of art.
The next significant era of change came about when artists began to concentrate on examining light and colour. Rather than simply being concerned with an accurate depiction of nature, they examined the subtleties and intensities of its effects. This marked the beginning of the modern era which was confirmed, more or less, when the lmpressionists first exhibited in 1874.
Since then, the pace of innovation accelerated and a profusion of directions materialized. Not only was the tradition of representational art abandoned as a standard, but artists deliberately altered proportions and reconstructed them according to their own concepts, giving birth to "abstraction" as a new direction in art.
Once this occurred, the freedom to alter or eliminate nature completely, all of the former traditions were often discarded and the visual exploration of everything and anything resulted.
Initially, abstraction was objective; natural imagery altered according to the concept of the artist. Later, this gave way to the elimination of a natural subject altogether and the work became totally 'non-objective'.
Artists concerned themselves with shapes, space, formal or informal compositions, texture, colour, balance, action, emotion, and other visual entities for their own sake and for visual effect. They also approached their efforts from various viewpoints, in terms of content, such as fantasy, whimsey, or intuitive expression, as well as for the pure analysis of the various individual components.
For instance, colour has been investigated to infinite degrees, even to the extreme extent of exploring white on white, and black on black. The juxtaposition of shapes altered these effects, or the introduction of texture, or a splash of colour, or a footprint, bicycle tire mark, shirt sleeve, torn paper or whatever. Eventually, this influenced us even further, to the extent of creating art from found objects and focusing attention on artifacts from society. Pop Art looked at and utilized the images of commerce, advertising and media, from soup cans to billboards.
Of course, this opened the gate, and allowed a greater degree of freedom in artistic endeavours than ever before, because the criteria for quality became directed toward creativity and away from the more traditional disciplines. This has served as an extremely healthy influence. It encouraged everyone to respond to their artistic natures without inhibitions based upon previous traditional expectations. It was no longer demanded that you be able to draw well, or depict nature in an absolutely representational manner, but simply asked to "let it all out", and "be creative", and we have achieved considerable benefits from this.
This was made possible by the "evolution" of art. We have now reached a stage where we can comprehend the individual elements that comprise the creation of art. We can now recognize the value of an intuitive approach to creating because we have become aware of these components and their effects; both in the act of creating and in its effect upon us.
Yet we mustn't lose sight of other elements by developing a singular focus toward intuitive creativity. We must remember that art has provided us with more than this insight.
Art involves much more than simply a sensual pleasure of sight. We know that it stimulates our individual imaginations, allows us to become more perceptive to visual experience, and greatly increases our ability to assess shapes, space, light, colour and texture in relation to both ourselves and our environment. It also provides us with a clearer understanding of who we are, where we are, and where we have been, as human beings. It offers us a profound exploration of, and concern for aesthetics.
It has taught us to comprehend how we can influence others and be influenced ourselves, in communicating visually.
Our tastes, design, aesthetics, expression, communication, imagination, visual perception, creativity and awareness are but a handful of the elements which have been vastly expanded by the evolution of art.
As a student, I came to regard exploration of the various "isms" in art to be experimental at best and in fact the pursuit of abstraction generally, to be so as well. Later, I began to appreciate more and more, the significance of these directions in terms of the evolution of art. I realized that there were profound elements at work.
Placed in the context of creative evolution, these various directions conveyed to me less importance as individual expressions, or personal creative impulses, than I had always assumed was the case. Certainly the historians, scholars, and critics of art have stressed this side of the artist's role more than any other, in their interpretation of the innovations and changes which were occurring. I'm sure we've all encountered the various rationales offered for explaining an artist's intent, which emphasize the psychological and expressionistic motivations.
What I interpret from this, is that the essence of art is not as concerned with personal expression as much as it is with the exploration of all facets of visual experience collectively - the study of the entire sphere of visual communication and interpretation. The individual artist's unique approach simply becomes a particular vehicle by which a more important avenue is explored, the complete sphere of art.
Certainly, each artist throughout history has conveyed distinctly personal emotions, experiences and preferences in approaching his or her work. Each artist has conveyed a personal viewpoint, mannerism, or other characteristics, as an integral part of his work. Each artist is motivated by a need to communicate; to make a statement in his work. At the same time, there is a more basic continuity at work, that of the artist conveying new insights toward our visual sensitivity, a heightened visual awareness and understanding of how we see. Collectively, art increases our ability to absorb and discern everything visual and we learn to become more sensitive to all visual experiences as a result. Individual expression may be the motivation and creative impulse, but the overall effect and achievement relates more to unraveling the essence of seeing, of total visual experience.
I believe that this is the essential core of what art is all about - not simply that of "individual expression as we have come to know it, but, in fact, the basic science of seeing. Creative expression and the continuous development of visual comprehension are really the handmaidens of art. One cannot survive without the other. However, one fluctuates according to the individual and the other is relatively constant.
Of course, on an individual basis, the particular approach of an artist, his personal statement and idiosyncrasies are both fascinating and essential. They provide an insight toward the very nature of man, and more readily expand our understanding of ourselves, as a result. It requires the individual to provide a unique interpretation, in order that we continue this expansion of our insight.
At the same time, it is the constant that is really the more important side of art--the continual unveiling of the numerous facets which collectively create a visual image and extend our comprehension of it. It's the perpetual accumulation of this knowledge which comprises the greater contribution to the growth of our visual awareness. I believe that the role of an artist can be related to that of an explorer and teacher, a teacher of seeing. No one is more capable of conveying this enlightenment than the artist. I believe that art is simply the collective pursuit of creating, interpreting and communicating visual experience.
We do not see with our eyes, but through them. The mind does the actual seeing, and it can only evaluate a visual experience according to its degree of visual awareness. Every person who is capable of sight deserves to have this faculty expanded, as part of the process of enlightenment, just as much as being taught to speak, hear, read or reason. Art is a necessity. History has exposed its relevance and we're in a better positlon to understand this today, than ever before.
Ken Danby
