NEW EYES

Rebecca Jackson is an intern studying with me about the life and times of being a professional artist. She is a brilliant, insightful and curious young woman and I am certain that you will enjoy our conversations here.

On my first day of interning at Open Studios, Marian and I thought it would be interesting for me to walk around asking people broad, triggering questions about why they even like art and what draws them in when looking at a visual piece. This question is centuries old, given that humans have been producing art in various forms for nearly 30,000 years. So what is it that captures our attentions and stimulates our attraction? Well, if the people I met yesterday have any reflection on the general population, I think I may have gained a little insight into the answer to my question. So, here goes.

The most prevalent trend I heard in peoples' responses was their yearning for connection. Be it through the emotional chord a bold color struck or the recognition of a subject, people gravitated towards work that they could connect to on a personal level. From memories of "moments of enchantment" to dreams, people spoke of their desire to find a way to capture their own feelings and connect to their own lives through the artwork.

In contrast, there were those who spoke about art in a much more removed manner. Some expressed their attraction to pieces that were technically intricate, precise, geometric and even mathematical. While there were few who searched for intellectual elements in a piece, many expressed an appreciation for work that was challenging for the artist to produce or, more interestingly,  challenging for the viewer to understand.

However, both parties seemed to value the "wow" factor and excitement that accompanies an unusual or unexpected piece of artwork. The only thing that really took me by surprise was how strongly people expressed their dislike of conflict and their desire for a more "peaceful" and calmly juxtaposed piece.

From professional artists and gallery owners to neighbors, everyone was interested in sharing their perspective on the motivation that drives us to create, sell and buy art. Although there are an infinite number of reasons and explanations, these general trends seemed to encompass much of what drove the visitors to take the time to stop by and welcome the spring season to our neighborhood through Newton Open Studios.