Lessons 1-5 from Saltz’s article really resonated with me due to his insistence on embracing your personal stories and experiences. No two people go through the same experience and come out with the same story to tell, much like how people may have different interpretations of the same piece of art. Thus, I support his notion that “art is not about understanding,” but about doing and experiencing.
Art, literature, and language are all nuanced; while it could mean everything to one person, it could simultaneously mean nothing at all to somebody else. Not everything needs to have some overarching meaning for it to be important to us. When you create something, you are the only one that can truly determine its value so it shouldn’t matter if nobody else can understand it as long as you enjoy it yourself. This is compelling because I believe more people should adopt this mindset. In our society, we often strive to please others or rationalize every action we take rather than living in the moment with our own experiences, which may hinder our freedom of expression.
Take nonobjective or abstract art for example; people often feel disconnected and criticize artists for creating something that doesn’t depict reality and with seemingly “no meaning” due to the lack of a recognizable subject within the artwork. However, nonobjective art isn’t necessarily made to be interpreted by everybody because at the end of the day, artists are creating it to explore their own aesthetic and inner self. It’s definitely not an art style that everyone enjoys compared to styles like realism or impressionism, but artists that work hard constantly to put out pieces like these will find personal satisfaction in being able to express themselves through it. Hence, creating a space that’s your own to embrace and let go can help you live your life a bit more freely.