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?"

Life Isn't about Finding Yourself; It's about Creating Yourself.

For the Dreamers

Today's blog is for the dreamers out there. 

 The people that don't give up on silly notions.

The ones that never for once looked back and said they couldn't. 

Everyone ever told "No," when their heart said, "Yes."

You are my subject today.

Sit back. Have some lemonade.

 Vincent Van Gogh struggled with his artwork late in life. He was a failing artist. What does it mean to be a failing artist? I guess that the term varies. 

If you're Van Gogh, it meant that you weren't selling any pieces in spite of having a large degree of talent. It meant that your brother had to support you throughout your life because

even though you were full of talent and expressed yourself wonderfully 

you were ignored by the general population because:

1.) They had no money to pay for your work. 

2.) They just didn't understand it. 

3.) The camera destroyed the need for painting portraits. 

4.) Your work seemed childish compared to other trained artists. 

Yet, you are Van Gogh. Your artwork will be worth millions one day. Just not now. 

You begin to feel the pressure as you grow older. As you cannot support yourself with your artwork you begin to feel your mind deteriorate. You turn to absinthe. Anything that can make you feel more lucid.

You destroy yourself from the inside out. When you turn 37, you're standing in a field chatting with two kids. A gun goes off. 

You walk back home. Instead of saying that there was an accident you slowly accept your fate. It takes 29 hours for you to die. For a long time people debate whether you shot yourself or the kids did it. 

Your last words are, "The sadness will last forever."

~~~~

People pay tons of money for Van Gogh. If you don't know who Van Gogh is, he painted this:

This is, The Starry Night.

Van Gogh painted this from his sanitarium window by memory during the day. It represents his happiness, his dreams, everything that he had ever wanted to accomplish for himself. 

He painted this as a reminder to the dreamers to sway their visions over humanity.

It's a big task dreamers. Let's be up to it. 

Be Dreamers

 By: Nic Tatum

  Don't avoid your dreams. Van Gogh wasn't successful during his lifetime but his paintings are world renown now. That counts more for him than if he'd received money. He carries on in fame where he cannot proceed in death. That's the power of following your dreams. 

They take you somewhere indestructible

and inspire others to do the same.

So, Van Gogh, you were wrong. The sadness did not last forever. 

Gears, Steampunk, and Light