ISOM SYMBOLIC ART: symbols

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Philosophy

As many of you know my art and teaching philosophy relies heavily on experience. I have always been fond of the “monkey and typewriter theorem” and in my own work I have been pounding at the keys and turning out hundreds of pieces of art work. in hopes of producing something meaningful. Exploration in the arts is a continual process. Human beings, always seem to be searching for something, trying to gain an understanding of our world and ourselves. I view my work as a means of exploration, something that allows me to investigate, and contemplate my own inner experiences, thoughts, and emotions, as well as observations of the external world.

John Dewey in his book, Art as Experience , proposed that artistic expression is not "spontaneous." “The mere spewing forth of emotion is not artistic expression. Art requires long periods of activity and reflection, and comes only to those absorbed in observing experience. An artist's work requires reflection on past experience and a sifting of emotions and meanings from that prior experience. For an activity to be converted into an artistic expression, there must be excitement, turmoil and an urge from within to go outward.” Art is expressive when there is complete absorption in the subject.