Showing off!!!!!

Recently an artist friend, an abstract painter, on my invitation came to see my latest works. I say works, because as per mutual understanding in very beginning of our discussion, the word landscapes was dropped. He is a very thinking artist and refreshingly unbiased to 'realistic' form of paintings. He gave me a lot of food for thought and reason to introspect on this whole business of SHOWING YOUR WORK.

We all show our works in exhibitions and its imperative for an artist to show his work. My master always says each work finished has a right to be exhibited. Whether we do this or we can exhibit all our finished works, is a different matter and its a matter of choice for the artist. Exhibitions are part of journey of a painter to grow, earn and in rare cases earn renown. I say rare cases, as getting a few hundreds of friends to admire your work is misunderstood as renown. Fame is beyond this little circle and cannot be earned with your own efforts. Little publicity and fan following rather takes you away from real fame, which comes only when artist drops yearning for it. What we usually call fame is indeed wide publicity.

So exhibitions are part of our life. The subject here is not showing in exhibitions but showing to your friends and peers and patrons. We show to find out if the current theme or style or experiments are working out and gauge the response of the viewer. And more importantly to get feedback on fine tuning we need to do on current efforts. The final aim is to improve and go a notch higher when one feels that he has hit a roadblock and friends can help to go ahead. And few 'smart' ones will try to show their patrons not to fine tune but forecast the sales.

But all this are known facets and positives of this whole process. Now lets delve in the needs, reasoning and negatives. Asking one or two friends to come and see your new works, takes lot of reasoning. Usually positive aspect is to fine tune. And learn in case, the person is your master or senior. But does this usually happen? Looking at the whole act of showing your friends takes a different turn if it is showing off. And that is very prevelant in representational arts. Abstractionist is somewhat aloof to this lure of showing . Say it his pride or reluctance or plain whats there to show? The realist has much more to show.

What happens? We see in camps or tours or working in groups, the whole act of showing and seing each others works. What we are doing? Its seldom the same as showing to the master. We are doing many other things.

Competitive judgements and me too games... challenging and taking the challenges.... deriding and seeking certificates.... winning and loosing....

All these have a main thing common. The human nature to find faults and belittling others to make oneself bigger. It sounds harsh but if we really admit then this is the truth. We find faults and deride in others works and justify our own works when faults in them are shown. We justify that the fault is not a fult at all but experiment . And the one finding fault is not capable enough to understand so it seems as a fault to him! 

why not reverse the angles or positions? And if possible just go away from this act. Why not we search ourselves where we lack and where we can go ahead? We seek guidance of the master and search. Not basking in glory of claps or defending when claps turn in cat calls. We challange ourselves not others and we judge our works and not get judgements from others or give on others.

And attempts towards this has a great risk of getting wayward.  I have seen painters being very positive on others works , being 'constructively admiring' all the while expecting the same in return! All the while being on guard not to displease so that you dont get displeased! And all become each others admirers! Nothing wrong, as long as your aim is to win admirers and friends instead of improvement as a painter. HOW TO WIN AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE! All seem to have read such american books. Yes, i am making fun of the process. Not to say that the competitive derision is right but to understand the folly of it.

The need or yearning to show should stop at masters feet or your own heart!

The artist has gone through an experience. He has put his soul in that work.In fact it is painted through him not by him. When this understanding happens then he doesnt need to ask others. He 'knows'. That the work was being painted and he was a medium. He was not there or he just was a watcher who saw the whole process of creation. Why he should ask when he doesnt feel the pride of creating it? This is divine and surrender as Osho advoctes for creative people.

And one more facet . In words of Maugham, art is not like a seashell lying on the sea shore for anybody to pick up and admire. Artist pours it out at the torment of his soul and the viewer cannot be justified to comment till he has gone through it!!! Well, very proud and very private.

But both these extremes.... one of surrender and other of self confidence have one imperative qualification. It is for the blessed ones....van Goughs or Blakes!

For us, the crux lies in going inwards...seclusion. Be ruthless to your own works . Challenge yourslf. And leave others. Admiring others, expecting admiration in return is delusional. And criticizing others to make you feel greater is rather foolish.

And lastly one honest admission....I have not gone beyond any of these faults but its a food for thought.... for you, maybe to learn from where I have been going wrong and saw others on same path!!!