“Never seek perfection. You will always be disappointed. Seek discovery instead. You will always be rewarded.” (Al Nash)

Toward an Artist Statement …

… Kinda

As an artist, Al has a really bizarre confession to make:

“I don’t know what art is!”

“Now that is bizarre and perhaps a little disturbing; but, wait … who really knows what it is? If we had the opportunity to ask anyone from Michangelo to Claude Monet to Picasso to Bob Ross, we’d get different answers.

Andy Warhol once said, “An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have.” I am pretty sure I don’t agree with that. On the other hand, he also said',”Art is what you can get away with.” I am pretty sure that I do agree with that. Though I have admitted my own ineptness, let me try to give an answer:

Above all, art should stir the emotions.  It should leave the beholder feeling something … fear … anxiety … compassion … something!  I think art should also tell a story.  The story doesn’t have to be the same for everyone.  In fact, it is better if each person who sees a work of art can overlay it with his own experiences, dreams, and values.  Each person will see a different story.  Art should, whenever possible, be visually appealing.  It should never leave the beholder repulsed for repulsion is not an emotion, but a reaction

A simpler response from this artist might be… I draw and paint. I do it because whatever poor ability I may have, it is a gift from God. “