THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 22, 1995 TAG: 9510190193
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Mary Ellen Riddle
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
This month marks the one-year anniversary of my column in The Carolina Coast.
During the year I have had the opportunity to meet a myriad of interesting artists and art appreciators living in the area served by this publication.
As part of a personal celebration of my first anniversary, I am writing to say thank you to those folks for speaking freely and sharing several hours of their lives with me.
I've come away from every interview with knowledge that has served as food for thought and growth in all respects. My life is richer because of you.
I am also writing to share some thoughts and realizations that I've had during this period or that I've always harbored.
While the faces change weekly, behind the words I write always lay the belief that every human being has creativity, not just practicing artists.
Art is a process people can incorporate in their lives in a variety of ways. Art is a verb, not just a noun or end product.
Generally, I approach each subject as a spectator rather than a critic. I use my fine-art education as a tool. Its language helps me bring the stories back to you, and being an artist myself gives me insight. But I don't believe education or familiarity gives me the right to critique another's artistic journey.
I've noticed a frustration some people have over understanding art, especially what's referred to as abstract. If a painting is not easily recognizable, sometimes it's scoffed at. The visual world is composed of lines, dots, dashes, shades and sweeps of color. When you add the human elements of deep emotion, spirituality, intuition and complex intellect, who can really say what is real and what is abstract?
I've worried over statements I've heard concerning abstract art, like: ``What's that supposed to be?'' Or, ``Anyone can do that!'' The content of these statements bothers me less than their tone. More frustration.
These statements cause me to approach each column as if I am unraveling a mystery. The artist is always the key, so I put more focus there than on their individual works. It is easier to understand art if you have an inside line, but you don't have to fully understand it to appreciate it.
And you don't have to like the art to respect the technique or the artist. There is always something to appreciate within the artists and their work - if not the final product then the courage that allows them to paint their innermost selves on canvas, carve them in wood or bend them in wire.
Their desire to share that personal world is the real gift.
It is amazing how a work can come to life before your eyes when you spend a little time with its creator. For what you are actually viewing when you look at visual art is the physical manifestation of a period in the artist's life.
But if you don't have the chance to speak with the artist, if you are frustrated when you view art that seems foreign, you might try some of my techniques.
I try to approach the work with no expectations. I clear my mind, then soak it in. I take in the form, rhythm, texture or the way colors work together or against each other. These elements can house great feeling that is not always describable in words.
My sole purpose in writing is not to put art or artists on a pedestal, for that would only separate creativity from the people. I write to enhance understanding or to further the experience of art.
I consider my job an honor. Special thanks go to Ron Speer for giving me this incredible opportunity and to Perry Parks for his respectful approach to editing and his keen observations. I also thank Drew Wilson for his constant encouragement and optimism.
And thanks again to the creative folks who share their lives with me. I have grown this year in ways I did not expect because of you. by CNB