THE STRUGGLE OF JACOB the-struggle-of-jacob | Page 14

Creativity manifests itself - by its very nature - spontaneously in
innovative forms and content which are sometime transgressive.
But to communicate it must represent itself through finished
artifacts, legible, refined just enough to be recognized as
“works” and not just as arbitrary outpourings. The right frame
for a finished painting, though ancillary, becomes an integral
part of the painting itself, conferring dignity upon it, in the same
way that a base does for a sculpture. And an appropriate
expository context, performance or publishing should be equally
considered. And so, any artist who is not egocentric to the point
of being wholly self-absorbed, cannot excuse themself from
these considerations.
- Fruition: finally, and as mentioned above, this is the true
destiny of a work. It makes sense of the whole process. It
doesn’t matter whether it is slight or massive - on the contrary,
I am personally wary of offhand and excessive consensus -. All
that really matters is that it occurs, and the ethical and aesthetic
quality of the evolution that it produces.
If just one of these aspects is missing, then most
certainly we are not dealing with a finished work of art.
- If there is no conception, no true inspiration, if it does not result
from the soul in its game of mirrors with outer reality, then it is
pure rhetoric, not creativity. It is plagiarism, unfortunately very
widespread, even among the currents of the avant-garde. They
are works without substance that abuse mediocrity in exchange
for little personal gratification.
- If there is no overarching design then we are dealing with mere
sketches. The project is created eventually from sketches, but
those sketches are not in themselves the completed work.
Instinctive, arbitrary, or superficial expression remains an
excellent creative exercise for a child, for a teenager in crisis, as
an antidote to boredom, or as psychotherapy. And Art certainly
encompasses these recreational and cathartic activities, but not
only these.
- Execution is a practice of awareness, a very serious game. A
complete openness, total participation and a sense of
responsibility are all essential. Besides, of course, ability.
- Without the finishing touch the work is self referential. It
exhausts itself wholly in a personal creative process that is not
predisposed to communication.
- Without fruition - the novel closed in the drawer, the drawing
forgotten in the attic – it serves no-one. And Art exists to serve.