A friend of mine recently sent me a link about an artist confronting the idea that an artist must suffer to create strong work. This made me want to discuss this idea of the tortured artist in my blog which I have neglected until now.
We all know Van Gogh's trials as an artist and a human. Hollywood likes a good story about a tragic sacrifice of body and mind to a higher goal. So does the art world. But does an artist really have to suffer in a romantic despair to be able to create powerful, engaging work? I have many artist friends and a lot of them are functioning quite well and create strong work with meaning. This being said, to be an artist is generally to be hyper sensitive to the world more than the average person and sometimes this sensitivity comes with no filters. And the modern pace of life and the difficulty in surviving off ones artistic gift can create much tribulation. In fact the practical issues confronting a person in the art field is what causes a large portion of their grief. And from this instability can sometimes spring powerful emotions, that give impetus to personal expressions of deep insight, revealing this dark maelstrom. This brings to mind some of my portraits as the one shown. But just as many times, this instability, causes paralysis and an inability to create due to depression which sucks out the life and energy of a person. There is nothing romantic about depression.
So what is one to think ? Well I believe that suffering can be transformed into great art with deep passion and vision. But great art can also be created from the sublime, the mysterious, the humorous, without all the heart wrenching, earlobe cutting madness. Some artists can separate their struggles from their art. Personally my art has sprung from both wells, from a tortured soul and a soul immersed in the sublime (although sometimes both). I strive not to dip from the darker waters but will if they are the only ones flowing . So I wish to not suffer and don't think most artists enjoy suffering and don't believe it is vital to creating powerful art BUT in the end much of my strongest work has been dredged from the depths, when creating a painting seemed to be my only lifeline.