Comfort

Most art falls into one of two categories. The first is depicting things as they are — truth telling. In our imperfect world this requires looking past the way things should be and delving into the uncomfortable space that lies between our reality and our deep desires. When following this path, it is quite easy to go to the “bad place” and merely startle and depress. It is much more difficult to offer enough hope to keep the work from casting the viewer into despair. In this first case, the best artists generally express the time in which they live and explore the specific struggles of their age. Insightful work taps into feelings and realities that are present but perhaps remain hidden, unseen or unarticulated. This work offers insight and an understanding that you are not alone in the struggle — a moment of clarity that often produces a certain level of comfort. Resolving or gaining control over a matter demands a clear understanding of the way things are.

The second category is depicting things as you wish them to be — yearning. This requires one to look past the way things are, to see and suggest a possible future or alternate reality. This could involve capturing a moment when perfect harmony, beauty and sense of peace are achieved. A moment when everything is in its proper place — achieving appropriate and balanced relationships. This approach does not always point to the future but rather can involve uncovering or amplifying the beauty and harmony that lurks amidst our imperfect reality. In this case the artist is offering up an alternative perspective or insight that produces an unexpected satisfaction, comfort and hope that all is well. This is quite hard to achieve without being trite or naive. It is interesting to consider how non-objective works, which exist outside a particular narrative, situate themselves within these two categories — relying on composition to express either truth or yearning.