The Rooster Crow

                                                          La Promenade by Claude Monet

Monet had little to worry over during his lifetime. Unlike Van Gogh, who faced a lifetime in obscurity and financial destitution, Monet had ninety-nine problems and selling art wasn't one.

I talked about Monet's relatively low level of inhibition 

a few posts ago.

 I've also mentioned the majesty of Van Gogh's dream for humanity.

Understanding an artist's message is difficult. Do they act as prophets displaying hieroglyphic symbols with hidden meaning or are they vying for humanity's transcendental enlightenment? 

I talked about visiting museums a few posts ago. 

When we visit a museum to view artwork,

we participate in cultural empathy,

not to get kicked out. 

But if you want to get kicked out (can be fun sometimes),

 just follow the last post about museums. It'll go well for you. 

An audience remains the most critical part of the artist's endeavor; they witness the final painting. 

Artists always have their audience in mind. 

Not because there is a powerful symbol they want to creep forth through the canvas and sit in everyone's subconscious.

These symbols do get painted in regularly and can even be the reason behind starting a piece.

However, after a piece leaves the artist's studio, the painting is now for the world's participation and consumption.

Everyone is free to decide how they feel about a painting.

(No worries. You don't need a weird aluminum foil hat.)

Zombie-Rex Juice Anyone?

Hopefully it's more than just a general response that the artwork is "powerful" or "moving". These words are empty and don't reflect that any new type of insight reached the audience.

Paintings are ideas put to canvas. Not just the paint and canvas. 

When something is "powerfully moving", that means it really stinks. Nothing in the painting grabs the viewer. The artist seems uninspired. The canvas may as well go where other movements go.

 Into the toilet. The artist may want to go there too.

If we look at La Promenade, and only stare at its beauty, we will have lost nothing. Monet will still have made his money. Van Gogh will still have died without any. 

Yet, if we approach the piece and realize what it means to us, what it could represent for others, then we will have participated in an act that far surpasses the freeing beauty of uncertainty

trapped in a parasol wielding woman who smiles a challenge

towards our notions of security. The boy without a smile becomes us; we stare, trapped in the sunlight that dances off the dress. A time, that has left us before it arrived, just as light travels through the vacuum of space, dances through a meadow -- forgetting it's duty to fate, instead, going on holiday to play in the breeze.

Steampunk Promenade

By: Nic Tatum

Let's struggle against the machine that binds us to live without creativity and develop empathy for culture.

It is our job to witness the journey of painters, sculptors, artists, writers, poets, and dreamers. The child in all of us stands in Monet's painting staring back an audience, people living quite a different life, as if asking them, "Of what good is a life not explored to every capacity?"

Claude Monet

Today's painting comes from Claude Monet's The Boat Studio

(seen above)

This talented artist developed Impressionism. Monet did well for himself. Art boomed in Europe around the 1800's. It was before the development of the camera. Artists took more liberty with materials and brush strokes. Art business was a big deal. So, big that Monet's aunt pulled strings to get the artist out of a war and into art classes. 

Seriously, it was that big. Still, considering Monet's contribution to art it inclines one to quote Arthur Schopenhauer,

                  "Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see."

  

Finding the root cause of Monet's genius is easy in my opinion. We're dealing with an artist that had very little latent inhibition.

What is latent inhibition? 

Have you ever wanted to accomplish something but decided against it? Like for instance, I wanted to be an archaeologist when I was seven. However, I decided not to when I learned that:  A.) They don't make much money. B.) They rarely get a chance to go to digs. And most importantly!!! 

C.) They have a myriad of other problems facing them, namely Zombie T-Rex.

 Serious Business...

I thought that all archaeologists wore leather hats, carried a whip, and spoke fluent Latin before I turned eight. Z-Rex kills the dreams of children around the world. Just saying. Friends don't let friends get bitten by zombified fossils. So, I let those around me influence what I wanted to be at that age. Everyone does at that age. But, we shouldn't. It dampens our creativity.

Monet didn't have the stress of latent inhibition back in the 1800's because art was seen as a necessary window into the human soul. It can still be this way for many of us if we allow it to be. Because Monet felt like he could succeed with his art, he expanded upon his own ideas, matured the idea of

Impressionism, painted -- even when he was suffering from

debilitating cataracts. He lived life fully and positively.

But,what makes Monet such a genius painter? He had very little latent inhibition. He had enough money in his pocket. Why does this mean he was an artistic legend? Well, let's take Monet's Impression: Sunrise and do some science to it!

Monet's Impression: Sunrise

When looking at this impressionist painting above, we can really notice a richness in the orange flare of the sunrise. The blues help it stand out to us. It's so bright and vivid. I know adults tell you not to look into the sun. Ignore that for a moment and stare... 

Now you can scroll down.

 

 

Notice how difficult the sun is to see? It's invisible! The reason? It's desaturated. We're looking at the painting with the eyes of an animal now. Monet is gifted with the ability to notice and paint luminescence as it's meant to be shown. Deep within our human brain, at the cortex, we are still animals, nevertheless, humans and primates are capable of seeing more distinct colors because we evolved our cortex for better vision. Monet's orange only seems brighter than the blue. It's a trick of a true genius painter.

Take that future Z-Rex overlords! You can't see Monet!

Today's painting, True Sight

By: Nic Tatum

Monet's genius is that the he wasn't scared of his future. He painted with courageousness and created a style that would later give other painters, like Vincent Van Gogh, a way to express themselves.

It gave him the truest sight imaginable.

Impressionism seems like a simple artist's style. The loose paint strokes feel childlike.

 Yet,

it's this childlike embrace with art that's true genius, perfect sight, and a much needed dismissal 

of the primal inhibitions that can deny humans their dreams.