Behind Every Painted Canvas – Introduction To Artist’s Soul

Marcel Duchamp, a French artist who had produced works of representation of the strange and unintelligible, said “The most interesting part about artists is their lives”. It is interesting to note that artists and scientists are both similar. It is a group of geniuses who are struggling to find their voice and have taken up art. We could see behind the curtain what makes an artist a completely different person.

First, let’s discuss a quick history of Art taken from the fourth chapter of Homo Aestheticus. In the Enlightenment, the word “art” came into use in the eighteenth-century. The term art is derived from the subject of aesthetics. Aesthetics deals with display types that originate from one’s ideas, feelings, and originality. The Renaissance Period is when art began, so artists from that period are still remembered. Why? The stories behind the paintings. Ananta Singh wrote an article about the history of famous paintings and their backgrounds. Leonardo da Vinci created his Mona Lisa to celebrate the birth a son. Edward Munch painted Scream after seeing what he initially saw on a dirt-paved street one night. Vincent van Gogh is one of the artists that stands out. Starry Night’s original painting was done outside his asylum windows. Vincent van Gogh’s struggle was not over. His most popular works of art described his severe mental agony. Even though he was treated in many mental hospitals and given psychiatric medicines, he was still not declared normal. It was amazing that he could still create works of art so beautiful, it looked like a representation of him. Artists can create beautiful works by expressing their inner feelings, emotions and ideas. Artists are able to imitate or create life. Imitating life can be a way for artists to push themselves further and explore their own imaginations and skills. As they say, do not go deeper into the rabbit’s hole. Scientists and artists are very similar. As you call them, perfectionists are the ones who will go crazy when they see an imperfection.

Their minds understand that which is beyond simple explanation. A complex imagination is what an artist has. Their brains would probably never stop turning. In this state it will always imagine anything that comes to their mind. Vincent Van Gogh is a good example of someone whose memory was so sharp that it could recall the scene outside his window. In theory, the mind of an artist is similar to a photographic memory. Imprinting this memory along with innermost feelings in a medium could result in a work of art. They would feel frustrated if they were unable to reproduce that memory.

The paintings that they would make are the equivalent of their lives. The colors clashing in perfect harmony symbolise the greatest tragedies that they experienced during their lifetime, and also the moment of peace. Each brushstroke they applied to the blank canvas surface was a work of art created by their hands. To them, one speck of colour or even an entire blotch is a symbol of the meaning and tranquility they seek in life. It’s as if the specks of paint or even a large blotch of color represents the meaning of their lives and towards the unknown tranquility of life itself. The confusion in their minds was not of their own making, but that of the creator. Like father, so son. It is amazing how difficult artists find it to create art that comes straight from their subconscious. They would need to be prepared for the perfect combination of their inner subconscious and physical state. Like balancing both worlds. They could lose inspiration and interest like athletes. When they lose inspiration, it could be the end of their art and sanity.

A silent mind can only express itself through art. It’s a way of communicating. It’s subtle, not violent but not peaceful either. The canvas is the communication environment, while the colors are the language. Finaly, their brushes served as their substitute mouths. Each stroke replaced the words that could not be uttered. They speak a language.

Behind each canvas, an artist has balanced his soul in every way. It was important to tell a story, to feel a particular emotion, to recognize a certain experiment. Since the beginning, the life of an artist has been messy. Their pieces tell stories of their lives, making them unique. Henry Ward Beecher said: “Each artist paints the truth of her life with her brush.”