If eyes are the windows to the soul then the visual world is the canvass of our creative spirit.
Being artistically inclined I have always veered in the direction of all things visual. I like things that make me see the world in a different way, question my part in it and can surprise me with either its immense complexity or its sheer simplicity.
I once stepped into a room in a gallery to be confronted with a full size yellow rhino standing on the wall as though the wall were actually the floor. The impact of the the piece was immediate. As is often the case of being a visual learner I have completely forgotten the name of the artist but will never forget the art work.
Sometimes it takes time for a piece of art to fall into my love zone. I can appreciate the intricate nature of its creation but until I’ve looked at it long enough or delved into its inner depths I may not gather its full communication at a level pertinent to my own way of thinking. It doesn’t always click. Of course some just never make it anywhere near the love zone and I have to wonder what internal forces make us love one piece and not another. Can it really be just based on the elements and principles of design or is it something more primal? Surely there is something to do with personality and experience which drives our internal love or hate of a piece.
I must say my love of art is wide-ranging at best. The old, the new, the 2D and 3D, the varied media of pencil, paint, photography, clay, metal and so on. I can find something I love in just about any form. Perhaps whoever said ‘variety is the spice of life’ was in deed correct.
Whatever the reality, the list below represents a small number of my visual inspirations. They are in no particular order. I plan to add to this as I go along with more names, pictures etc.
Who are some of your inspirations?
My Visual Inspirations
(artists) The Group of Seven
Indian Art of the Northwest Coast e.g. Haida art or the works of (designer) Dorothy Grant
(photographer) William Wegman
(photographer/installation artist) Sandy Skoglund
(artist) Claude Monet
(artist) Joseph Mallard Turner
(photographer) Ansel Adams
(architect) Frank Lloyd Wright
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