Behind Every Painted Canvas - Introduction to Artist’s Soul

Introduction

“The most interesting thing about artists is how they live,” quoted by a renowned French artist himself, Marcel Duchamp, who created works that represent the unusual and incomprehensible. Artists are somewhat similar to scientists. They are undermined geniuses who have directed their inner turmoil towards a medium called art in order to quench the insatiable need to create and be heard. Here, we can peek inside the curtains on what truly makes an artist a whole different being.

Behind Every Painted Canvas - Introduction to Artist’s Soul

First, let us discuss a brief history of art taken from chapter 4 of the book entitled Homo Aestheticus: Where Art Came From and Why (Dissanayake, 1995). The word "art" was coined in the late eighteenth century during the Enlightenment period. This was derived from a subject called aesthetics, which addresses the type of display that has originated from ideas, emotions, and one’s own originality. Since art dates back to the Renaissance Period, artists who were famous back then are still remembered today. Why? It is because of the stories behind their paintings. As read from a history article, "The Famous Paintings and their Backgrounds" by Ananta Sharma, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was originally painted to celebrate the birth of a baby boy (Sharma, 2021). Edward Munch’s painting called The Scream was created based on what he originally saw one evening while walking down a dirt-paved road. One artist who stood out was Vincent van Gogh, whose famous Starry Night was originally painted outside the view of his asylum window. Vincent van Gogh underwent a lot of struggles. Most of his popular artworks described the severe bouts of mental agony he experienced. He went through numerous mental institutions and psychiatric treatments, yet he was never declared normal. Despite all these, he was still able to produce such admirable pieces that seemed like visual representations of his whole being.

The difference between artists and other people is their ability to express their inner emotions, feelings, and ideas, whether destructive or not, and transform them into something beautiful. The ability to create or, in fact, imitate life itself is what distinguishes an artist from a normal person. The imitation of life is actually a drive for them to venture further into their own set of skills and imagination, often leading to what some might call insanity. Artists are similar to scientists, perfectionists as you may call them, and imperfection is a particular thing that can drive them mad. Their minds comprehend otherworldly entities that cannot be easily explained in simple terms. An artist’s imagination can be described as complex. The gears inside their brain presumably turn without end. It is in a state where it is always picturing anything out of everything their senses can grasp.

In relation to Vincent van Gogh, his mind remembered what transpired from his confined state, including the view outside of his window. This suggests that, in theory, an artist’s mind is akin to having photographic memory. Imprinting that memory, combined with their innermost feelings into a medium, results in a masterpiece. If they somehow fail to replicate that memory, it can lead to frustration.

Their lives are equivalent to the pictures they paint. The different hues of color clashing together in utmost harmony symbolize the great tragedies and moments of peace they have experienced throughout their lifetime. Their hands give life to each brushstroke that strikes the blank surface of the canvas. To them, a single speck of paint or even a large blotch of color represents the meaning of their lives and the unknown tranquility of life itself. It is as if they embody the condensed definition of God as a creator, balancing chaos and harmony. Yet, their perplexed minds did not originate from themselves but from the one who created them in the first place. As the saying goes, "like Father, like son." You see how hard it is for artists to create something that emerges from the depths of their mind. For them, they must prepare themselves for the right combination of the inner subconscious and their physical state. It's like balancing two worlds together. Like athletes, they can burn out and lose interest, most importantly, inspiration. When they lose that inspiration, they risk losing the only thing that keeps their sanity intact, and that is art.

Art is the only thing a silent mind can ever express. It is a form of communication. It is subtle, not too violent yet not too peaceful either. Colors represent language, the canvas represents the context or the environment where the communication takes place. Finally, their tools serve as their replacement mouths, and each stroke of a brush replaces what words cannot utter. It is the language they speak.

Conclusion

Behind every painted canvas is a little bit of an artist’s soul, balanced in every proportion. A story needs to be heard, a feeling wants to be felt, a certain experiment awaits recognition. Therefore, an artist’s life is a messy one, ever since way back when. The pieces they create tell a tale from their experiences, making their entire being the most unusual. “Every artist dips her brush into her own soul, and paints her own truth into her pictures,” as quoted by social reformer Henry Ward Beecher (Beecher, n.d.).

References

Beecher, H. W. (n.d.). Every artist dips her brush into her own soul. Retrieved from [insert source URL or publication details]

Dissanayake, E. (1995). Homo Aestheticus: Where Art Came From and Why. [Publisher].

Sharma, A. (2021). The Famous Paintings and their Backgrounds. Retrieved from [insert source URL or publication details]