Day 57

The art of Rene Magritte is probably the single biggest influence on me as a painter. Not only do I borrow heavily from his style, but I also hold dear one of his personal philosophies about art-making: like Magritte, I generally refuse to give an interpretation of my art.

I once had a person sign the guestbook at one of my exhibitions; she mentioned which painting she particularly liked, and wrote what it meant to her. Frankly, I had to laugh because what she thought the painting represented literally could not have been farther from what the image actually meant to me! But then I got to thinking that this person had brought her own experiences, ideas, and beliefs to the artwork and these things had all led her to her own interpretation. For that reason, even though she didn't get my meaning, she was still not wrong with what it meant to her.

This is why I usually won't tell what an artwork is about; I like for the viewer to find their own meaning for each individual piece, rather than simply relying on me to TELL them what it is supposed to mean. And this drawing is no different...

#57 December 16, 2010,  Charcoal on brown paper bag
Sounds: Elvis Presley, Elv1s 30 #1 Hits