The irony of using a computer and the internet to capture my
thoughts on technology and its impact on the arts is not lost on me. I think
that it is a very important relationship in these times and it is a relationship
whose dynamic every artist has to create for themselves. There are plenty of
books, websites, career coaches and artist reps out there who claim that they
can do this heavy lifting for an artist, but I really think that we, as
artists, have to do this work for ourselves.
A story that is demonstrative concerns the Scottish artist
Paul Emsley, who recently unveiled his portrait of Kate Middleton, Duchess of
Cambridge, which now hangs in Britain’s National Portrait Gallery. To make a
short story shorter: the Duchess loves the portrait (at least in public) and
the British art establishment and Kate’s fans hate it. Mr. Emsley, who has a
significant body of work that can be seen by anyone, is a portraitist who
creates non-idealized paintings of his subjects. He didn’t give us the
airbrushed, “Fashion Magazine X” version of the Duchess, he gave us the truth
of her beauty. Or is it the beauty of her truth? Machts nichts. More power to
him I say. I don’t particularly buy into the notion of idealizing the subjects
of my portraits either. I prefer to tell real stories with my art. Unless I am
creating a fantasy painting, of course.
I recently read that, because of the uproar and hatred of
the painting, the artist has been in seclusion at his home and he lives in fear
that the painting will be defaced, if not destroyed, by one of Kate’s rabid
fans. Apparently, he has received a lot of hateful and threatening e-mail about
the portrait. For me, this story has inspired a lot of thinking and internal
debate about art and how we use technology to present it to the world. Perhaps
the artist should launch a major and very public counter-offensive and
vehemently defend his creative decisions. Maybe he should say nothing. Should
he paint a new version of the portrait that makes Kate look like a Barbie doll?
I honestly don’t know what he should do, and I have no idea what I might do in
his place. I do know this, the majority of people who are so vicious and quick
to vilify the artist have not seen the painting in person, and only know it
from the photos available on the internet. No photograph, poster or plate in a
book or on the internet has EVER done the original work of art true justice. If
there is a painting that you love, and you have only ever seen it in a book or
on the internet, then you owe yourself the privilege of going to see it in
person. A photo of a work of art is a very small thing when compared to the
work itself. I’m willing to bet that the experience of seeing the Duchess’
portrait in person is revelatory. Wouldn’t it be silly to judge the taste of
the Mac & Cheese by the flavor of the photo on the box?
Now, I accept that this travesty is not completely relevant
to me, except that I, too, have sometimes received negative criticism of my work.
But I take Mr. Emsley’s story as a cautionary tale. Should it ever come to pass
that my art is sought after on such a scale, wherein I am painting portraits of
the rich and famous and am known beyond the region in which I live and work,
then I will endeavor to control my own press. As artists, we can do that up
front through the form and content of the web presence that we maintain. I am currently
building a new website and online portfolio for my art, and, as you can see, I
am trying to be more active in my blog writing. It is a contemporary necessity
to control your digital avatar, which in these modern times is almost as real
as the flesh and blood person that you stare at in the mirror. Be careful with
yours.
PS - I just had a thought about Picasso. Can you imagine how
many paintings he might have sold with the internet at his fingertips? Can you
imagine the power of his reputation with such global reach at his disposal? It’s
a staggering thought, and possibly an inspiration for artists who actively seek
fame. I merely seek to create good art. If my work finds a wide audience,
great, but I’m not going to sell myself out (Thomas Kinkade) to achieve that.
Now go make some art!
Chris Ingram
Now go make some art!
Chris Ingram
