Art With A Voice

The process of creating any artwork, or piece of craft for that matter can be a therapeutic process. Creating something artistic produces a sense of accomplishment and something its creator can be proud of. This is true whether the creator is a beginner or an accomplished artist. However this is not art therapy. The term 'Art Therapy' has been popularised by adult-colouring books.  A better term for this type of art is 'art for well-being'.

Simply through an artistic process a person may experience feelings of peacefulness, enjoyment and satisfaction. However if the person is a professional artist with a major exhibition next week, the process of creating that piece of artwork may not be so enjoyable. People take part in the process of creating art for a variety of reasons. If you ask 100 people why they chose to partake in art based activities you might get 100 different responses or you may get one. If you ask 100 professional artists they will tell you they create to sell. A professional seeks to make money from the skills they have acquired through training, even if they are self-taught they are skilled in the process of creating art.

Someone from an indigenous culture might explain their art as a connection with the spiritual relationship with 'their country' or tribal land. Formal art therapy may not produce a work of art and the person undergoing art therapy is not an artist. Legally art produced during a therapy session can not be shown to others and thus unlikely to be seen in an art exhibition.

However artists often talk about finding their artistic voice. There has long being a debate over what is art? What is craft? And what is the process of simply painting? Does it really matter anyway? The short answer is 'no'. 

This is a doll I created at art school. At art school we were required to create 'art'.  The face of the doll is art, the rest is very close to being 'craft', my tutor informed me.  We can debate all day where the line is between art and craft. Here in this post I am referring to art as being a creation by a person to evoke feelings, emotions or thought. I argue some types of craft can do that.

So a professional artist creates work to evoke a reaction from their audience.  Hopefully enough emotion for a person to buy it.  This is what gives artists their voice.  It is not something that is produced from a point of feelings of well being. Generally the work and professionalism of the visual artist is not well understood.  Few of us can sell enough too put food on the table and an additional income affords our ability to create art. 

The piece of artwork at the top of this post was created by an artist that works in a supported art studio, even though his work appears in exhibitions and sells, because he does not receive any payment, his skills and abilities are not valued.  Like me the artist has cerebral palsy, unlike me he has no rights to his work. 

The general community see art produced by artists with a disability as a pastime, an activity they do at an activity centre to fill in their day, giving their work no value.  Yet because I am an autonomous artist I can set my own price and my work sells. I am well respect ed in the art community and so is my work. And  now I can claim I am award winning. So my art has a voice - some pieces more that others.

I am proud of my work, not because it is therapeutic or because I am able to work as an artist despite my disability.  I know when the work I produce is not up to standard and I know when I achieve something magical.  I do not want people telling me my imperfect art is great because I have a disability.  As a professional my work is and should be judged like every other artist.  If an artist is not prepared for criticism then they should put their tools away. 

This week along with other artists that live with their own challenges we will show off our talents. In a exhibition called 'Having  Your Voice' I am not quite sure what that means.  I do know we all want the public to come and see our exhibition and let the art speak for itself.  Good art always has its own voice. 

'Having Your Voice'

Ipswich Community Gallery

24th August to 26th August

Official Opening 3 pm Saturday 25th August