“I’m an artist you know…it is my right to be odd”– E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly.
Ever since I’ve learnt about Art and Artists, I’ve always wondered what it is about them that cuts the clutter and brazenly yelps of oddity. And I’m sure, a lot of us do!
Creative people are largely outlandish, nonconforming and eccentric in their own ways. They constantly intrigue us with their curiosity & never cease to amaze us with their unconventional thoughts and actions. They mostly seem absorbed in their ideas and seldom conform to societal architecture. They are often seeking new possibilities and work very hard to improve thoughts and elucidations. Contrary to the belief surrounding creativity, very few works of creative excellence are produced with a single stroke of brilliance or in a frenzy of rapid activity. Creative performers are always striving towards perfection.
Ironical it may appear but when they create, they universally appeal to a large audience like magic!
When Artists perform on the stage, they amaze me with their innate ability to transform the audience into an abstract world of imagination often overpowering their thoughts and senses. The essential relationship between the artist and the audience beautifully unfolds during this journey binding them together. I have always loved performances where artists have taken over the stage, cajoling us to believe in him, distrust him, question him and love him though not once doubting his skills. It is these hues of emotion that brilliantly capture the audience minds’ building a powerful connection.
I simply adore artists. Not because they deliver unforgettable performances but because they play a third and a powerful dimension in this society that questions normal. I love them because they make the atypical seem natural and trigger associations and fantasies within my unconscious. When it is most intense, the energy exchange between the artist and the audience feels enchanting. Artists are like magical scientists. The best artists subtly gain access to all kinds of intense or repressed archetypal energies in the audience. Our ordinary life does not give us the opportunity to experience these energies. Connecting with energy is the fundamental reason audiences attend performance events. They understand and can communicate what it means to be human on the most profound levels.
In this sense, an Artist is a great teacher; helping us reconnect at a level they probably had more of a connection to, when we were children. As we “grow up,” we outgrow most of these precious emotions. They inspire through their art and feed our creative soul. They enable us to nurture deeper bonds with our conscious self. They also change perspective.
I have always found myself falling in love with an Artist followed by his Art form. They are closely followed on their lives, philosophies, little secrets and serious goals. Like Pablo Neruda, one of the greatest Spanish poets who has unfailingly stayed with me ever since I read him nearly a decade ago. His extremely poignant & illustrated works had both political and poetic impact and found him dwelling in the highest plinth of his readers’ mind.
However, there is a mystery surrounding Artists that draws the audience closer. They usually appear guarded on the exterior and soft beneath. As a matter of fact, we like it this way.
Therefore, audience connect is key to building admiration and appreciation for the Art form.
Art is what makes us human. Art is what helps make magic together. By performing plays that tell us about who and what we are; by performing music that strike a deep cord within us all, reminding us that we have a soul; by painting the human story in a myriad ways that remind us of our history and the dexterity and vision we have to transform our environment and hence ourselves. All of this and more is art.
Most celebrated art forms like cinema, music and accomplished works of literature also serves as a great source of information subsequently bringing larger communities together on an international scale.
Be it cherished pieces of poetry, scintillating musical performances, an engaging play or a significant painting – while very diverse in their subjects, artists resonate with an underlying feel for the human condition and its boundless universal appeal. Denying the need for a common dialect, they beautifully communicate through their skillful demonstration of art nudging the fine layers of human emotions. The excellence in their craft casts a mystic spell on the audience that seem far away from the periphery of purpose and convention.
They empower & encourage us to imagine the unreal warily weaving precious emotions in our real lives at the same time.
The love for art is love for the human race. And the day we no longer create any recognizable piece of art, the day we stop singing and dancing, painting and sculpting is the day we disappear into oblivion.
