Artist Statement

If I could choose only three words with which to create an artist statement it would be these: “Art is essential.” If you read no further, you will have gotten the gist. A minimalist statement such as this, indeed minimalist work in any media, gains its power by forcing the reader/viewer to interpret the work for herself. The work is an empty vessel waiting to be filled. More accurately stated, artwork is the framing of the question. That the meaning is not some intrinsic property of the artwork is a core idea in my definition of Art--Art is not created by the artist, but by the viewer.

And with this, the seemingly simple statement explodes. For after all, what is “Art”? And what is “essential”? And even a US President can question the meaning of “is.”[1] Universal Truth and Beauty are failed concepts, as is the idea that there is a universal definition of Art. But it is exactly this that gives the statement weight. Its veracity cannot be measured on a universal scale, therefore, it requires us to weigh it on our own personal and subjective scale. To do this we must examine the terms and supply our own definitions, setting us on a spiral dance of examination and re-examination that inevitably leads to greater depth of understanding. This process, to me, is Art.

I view the world in terms of Art, just as a scientist views it in terms of Science, and a Franciscan monk in terms of God; and all these share the common trait of the spiral dance. This is the one capital-T Truth in this world, that we get to choose what we look at and that we get to choose what meaning we construct from it. This is essential. It defines us as a species. It is a life force ever thirsting for knowledge, for an awareness of the underlying patterns of our existence. It pushes us to deeper understanding while requiring from us only a simple awareness; a mindfulness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us. It is Art; it is Science; it is God.

"Let the beauty you love be what you do.
There are a thousand ways to kneel
and kiss the earth."
   -Rumi (1207-1273)

[1] A much-quoted statement from Bill Clinton's grand jury testimony showed him questioning the precise use of the word "is." "It depends upon what the meaning of the word 'is' is. If the—if he—if 'is' means is and never has been, that is not—that is one thing. If it means there is none, that was a completely true statement".

"Starr Report: Narrative". Nature of President Clinton's Relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 19 May 2004.