I don’t use my blog very often to philosophize about art. Mainly because I’m not very good at it. Don’t get me wrong; I LOVE to philosophize, but I’m better one-on-one. Nevertheless, here goes.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and no one knows this better than an artist. Just recently, I was accepted at a top-notch regional art festival and turned down by a relatively unknown event, both based on identical images of my work. Go figure. And I know I’m not alone in this—I’ve heard similar stories from other artists.
You just can’t take it personally. Even the most analytical juror sees art through the lens of personal preference. That goes double for a collector. After all, the art is going home to live with them. The fact that the viewer likes or dislikes or is ambivalent towards a piece of art is no reflection on the work, but rather a reflection of the viewer’s taste.
Ultimately, jurors approve what they like, people buy what they love, and every genre has an audience waiting to be found.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and art is in the heart of the collector.
