Why Art Why Now

I love that Ford commercial where the masculine trucker, Mike, walks out and says: “People ask me, Mike, why Ford? Why Now?” In a last ditch effort to keep Ford afloat and truck buyers buying, Ford is still pitching woo in spite of a lagging economy and a less than stellar sales forecast. Do the words “bail out” have everything to do with it?

If we could only apply this principle to artwork, perhaps more artists would be successful. Why Art? Why Now? Let me summarize:

• From the first doodles on cave walls, humans have had a need to express themselves, to communicate, and to illustrate their world view; whether for future generations or for their own self gratification.

• Graffiti is just another form of cave writing for the urban generation trapped within cement walls yet eager to mark their territory and beautify their environment. Is it art? Unquestionably.

• From their early beginnings, people have yearned to interpret what they see and feel, and to get it down via brush strokes or pen scratching.

• Art defines life; it defines us.

• Art brings the outdoors inside. It captures our imagination and our inner longings.

• What else can art do? If nothing else, it can brighten up a corner, make a personal statement about us, and provide us with a sense of tranquility or comic relief.

• Art may become an investment, part of a collection or an heirloom over time that may enrich future generations.

Art is probably the last thing you buy when you’re financially hurting, and the first thing to go in a downturn or recession. Yet its value is intrinsic by nature and difficult to define. How do you measure serenity, cheer, contentment, curiosity or mental stimulation?

Art appeals to the best in us and sometimes to the worst. It captures our hopes, inspires our imagination, and challenges us to think, to dream, or to ponder the relevant, the absurd, and the profound. I don’t know about you, but my life would be bleak without the influence of art from the past and the present.

Consider a life without romance; a life without the dimension of color, nuances, changes and new perspectives. The spoken and written word reveals and enlightens, but the unspoken revelations on canvas speak volumes to the yearnings of the heart. They conjoin the very soul to participate in a silent celebration of life.

Today, please celebrate my ode to flower art. I love to exaggerate color and the twists and turns of petals and leaves. My flowers are not meant to be authentic representations of nature, but celebrations of them:

“Flash Dance” my orange hibiscus reminds me of pinwheels turning, burning in the sun the way their petals overlap. If you want to read more or see more, please go to Carol's blog at http://AnfinsenArt.blogspot.com/