The Subjectivity of Art

They say that art is subjective and it is absolutely true. I had a great experience yesterday afternoon. I had the opportunity to be a part of a story time at an elementary school near Philadelphia. I did a presentation on creativity and making art for an amazing group of first through fifth graders and it was wonderful. The students were great. The staff was wonderful, and I was grateful for the opportunity to serve. I used a speed painting of a Ninja Turtle as the jumping off point for my story, and told the story of the creation of the Ninja Turtles and my own experience freelancing for one of their licensees. 

The Love of Art

There was a young college student helping me to set up and tear down, as well as working with the students. He mentioned loving to draw, and that he wanted to get back into it as his college career was coming to a close. Needless to say, I encouraged him to pursue it. He told me the story of how he took an art class when he first went to college and feeling like he didn’t measure up to the other students. This made him decide not to take any more art classes. It always breaks my heart when that happens. Someone goes to take a class, to learn more and ends up discouraged. I told him one of my favorite sayings. This one could get me in trouble…

No One Knows Anything About Art…

I told the young man, “As long as Rembrandt’s and Jackson Pollock’s work both hang in the same museum, no one knows anything about art.” Now before all you Pollock and Rembrandt fans get yourselves in an uproar, here’s what I mean. These two artists are as different stylistically as night and day. They are nearly polar opposites, and yet, people find value in both of their works to the point where both artists have works hanging in the greatest museums in the world and rightfully so. This is how it should be. Both artists are beloved and valuable. One is not better, they’re just different. Maybe better stated, “Better is in the eye of the beholder.” Art is subjective. 

Social Media

One of the chief places this comparison raises it’s ugly head is in social media. If I see one more “Who is the best guitarist, or singer, or bassist, or drummer, or whatever?” post, I will likely lose my ever-loving mind. What is even funnier is the lengths people will go to, to fight for their favorite. Comparison can be ugly and even deadly to the creative process, and there’s no reason for it. From time to time I answer these polls, and what I usually do is post something like, “Alex Lifeson of Rush is my favorite guitarist.” Is he the best there’s ever been? I don’t have a clue. I don’t play. I don’t really understand playing, I just know his music has meant a lot to me and he’s my favorite. I’m a big fan and I likely always will be. Do you like another player better? That’s okay. Art is subjective. 

There’s Only One Best…

If art were able to be objectively judged, then somewhere in the world, would be one person who is the objective best, and everyone else would be somewhere lesser. My feeling is unless we want to talk about the ultimate Creative, the maker of all things, God Himself, there is no greatest artist in any discipline. There are simply people who touch the hearts and minds of their audiences, and the one who touches your heart the most, will likely be your favorite. In your heart that person might be the best. That will likely vary with nearly every person, because art is subjective.

Think About Those Turtles

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a worldwide phenomenon and have been for forty years. I used them as the example for my story, because they are known all over the world by people of nearly all ages. They are generally accepted as immensely successful, but let’s face facts. It’s a weird idea. Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird got together one night and were just drawing, and talking comics, when one of them drew a turtle, and put a mask on him, straight out of a Daredevil comic.They picked one of the slowest animals on earth, and made him a ninja. It that wasn’t enough they named their characters after Renaissance painters. I’ll say it again. It’s a weird idea, but I’ll also tell you the first time I saw a Turtle comic, my reaction was one word… Coooool!

Going Viral Before That Was a Thing

Clearly I wasn’t the only one who thought that. Oh the major publishers didn’t catch on right away, but some of us did and eventually a lot of us did, because by the time I started freelancing for one of their licensees, their licensing was a billion dollar industry. They were huge, and that’s why I was sharing their story with my elementary aged audience. These kids are being raised in a social media world, where everyone feels entitled to an opinion on everyone else and everything they do. These students face comparison like never before and to me it’s terrifying. How can there be this much comparison when art and so many other things in life are subjective?

The Concept of Tribes

What I tried to impress on my young audience is that if art is subjective, trying to be the best is a moot point. The only best any of us can achieve is becoming the best we can be. We can’t fall to comparison or most of us will give up. Instead, we need to create what we feel led to create, and put it out there for the world to see. One of the hardest realities of the creative life, is there are people who will not like your work. No matter what you do, you won’t win some people over and you have to be okay with that because art is subjective. What we need to do instead is put our work out there for the world to see, ignore the people who don’t like it, and embrace the ones who do. They are your tribe. 

Pollock and Rembrandt

Why are these two guys and so many of their peers in the museums? The short answer is because they found their tribes. They made the work they wanted to make, hung it on a wall and said, “That’s my work.” Enough people liked it. They bought it. They shared it and they supported it. Eventually their tribe of fans, became large enough that they were accepted as master artists, not by everyone, but by a lot of people. Their work has increased in value, not because they are dead, and will not be around to make more, (though that could be a contributing factor) but because a lot of people want it. It’s simple supply and demand.

So to My Young Friend 

Yes, there were people in your class who did things you don’t think you can do. That’s okay, It’s likely you weren’t intended to. Will you ever be a professional artist? I have no idea, but I believe you have a great future regardless. What I do know is if you want to make art, make it. Don’t let comparison hold you back. If we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works… maybe this is part of why you were created. You don’t have to be a professional to make art, you just have to make art. Exercise your gift and share it with the world, trust God and see what He will do.

Take Me for Example

When I was trying to be a professional artist, it became an obsession and an idol, and it had to go. For more about this struggle, click here. Now I make paintings that take me six minutes. They’re not masterpieces. They are not the greatest. They’re not even the best paintings I can do. They’re just the best I can do in six minutes, but they help me to connect people with my story (which is often, His story), and that’s all they need to be. Art is subjective, and mine hopefully will be used to draw people to their divine Subject. I could ask for nothing better.