This month I signed up for one art contest in Barcelona and one thing they required was a statement for my paintings. This has brought me to the questions of what it really means to be an artist, or to create something that can be considered art? And who actually determines it.
The first thing I did was to read what others say. So I did some extensive googling. And this is what I found.
What do others say about art and artists?
- Artist is a person who regularly attempts to express themselves or others, his or her thoughts, emotions and perceptions—whether real or fictional—through a certain medium, which can be painting, music, dancing, roaring, cooking, writing and many other ways.
- Art is a way of communication, which is essential for human survival.
- If you are able to express your thoughts and feelings, you are an artist.
- Our abstract feelings cannot always be expressed through words. Visual art provides this opportunity.
- A good artist is a person who can communicate through his art.
- Being an artist is not an option. It’s a way of living.
- Being an artist means causing a reaction.
- Putting your soul into an artwork.
- Expressing the truth about society.
- Create from nothing.
- To create something. If it causes a physical reaction in an observer, it is an art.
- Art is what comes from the inner self, and anyone who can live from his soul is an artist.
What does art mean to me personally?
The more I create, live and study, the more I realise why I do it and what art really means to me.
I have always been fascinated by beauty and function. But to paint a clearer picture, I’d like to go back a bit.
Childhood
It took me a lot of years to find what really fulfills me and especially to have the confidence to go after what makes me happy. To a certain extent, it was influenced by the dominant environment in which I grew up, but above all, it was my hunger and drive to try everything that the world has to offer. And there were a lot of things that I was good at. My parents taught me that if I want something really bad and believe it, I can achieve anything.
So I persevered and kept chasing something, but I didn’t know what. A few things I fucked up, and a few I made great. My parents, however, supported me in almost anything I came up with, no matter how insane it sounded. Which I sometimes reevaluate whether that was good or bad.
Anyway, thanks to their financial support, I had the opportunity to study the British grammar school in Prague and university in England, and now glide through the English-speaking world like a fucking kite. They also helped me a lot to start my business which was quite stormy in the beginning.
I’m really grateful to my parents for what they did for me and that they stood by my side even if things were going south.
Dreams and Moments of Revelation
After a lot of experimentation in my twenties, I decided to take the journey to be a professional industrial designer when I turned 28. It fascinated me. When I was 6 or 7 years old, I dreamed of being a designer. I knit slippers, caps, built technical legos for adults, created new words, imagined new worlds and realities, etc. I never thought I could do it as a career though.
But at the age of 28, fear left me. I designed and manufactured a fashion watch for which I won an Italian design award, a few magazine articles were published and a few months later, I was approached by a Czech manufacturer and innovator in window shading technology, to design a roller blind.
And that’s how I started my fifth business attempt, but this time driven by tremendous passion, love, rich experience and great gratitude.
Art and Expression of Emotions
First painting that I created in November 2016. It’s called Road to Happiness.
Soon I was completely absorbed by another passion of mine and that was painting. All my life, I had the urge to express myself and discuss with others various concepts about life, knowledge, love, relationships, and so on. I was always carrying some emotions and thoughts that wanted out to be expressed. I tried it verbally, but I encountered much painful rejection from people, misunderstandings, and criticism that I’m thinking about crap and that I should only be interested in the practical and physical world, not in the spiritual and the intangible.
But the physical world was never enough for me, it seemed primitive, simple and lacking a deeper meaning. In every human response, I looked for something deeper and more emotional. When someone told me something, I had 10 more questions. However, the people I met didn’t respond to my questions and also refused to discuss, analyse and ask questions why something works the way it works, to question the status quo, etc.
How did I solve that in the end? I noticed that expressing my emotions verbally is not my morning cup of tea—at least not back then—so I began drawing and later picked up painting.
Through that, I was able to make something physical, material, but at the same time, the non-material. Since then, it’s become an integral part of my life. It’s an addiction in a way. An urge. It’s a way to blow off steam and has become therapeutical for me. Through art, I have the opportunity to turn my emotions and thoughts, whether they are negative or positive, into an aesthetic experience and beauty. I enjoy sharing these openly, whether through my exhibitions or my abstract paintings I offer for sale.
Also, I like that art gives the viewers an opportunity to perceive it in their own way and determine what it represents for them. When I finish a painting, the artwork is no longer mine, it becomes the work of the observer. I would compare it to two people reading a novel. For example, each of them will imagine physical characteristics of the protagonist in different ways. Well, isn’t that beauty?
So what exactly does art mean to me?
Art gives me knowledge about life, how to deal with various life dilemmas, how to treat other people, and how to live, to be happy, balanced and self-confident in the long run. At the same time, it means creating both physical and non-physical beauty using creative combinations of colours, shapes, and brushstrokes.
“I see it as a gift from God, which makes me satisfied on a regular basis and which I can share with others.”