Art Communicates

When Words Can't

The basic facts of life are often overlooked. We only have so many words in our dictionary. A word does not exist for everything we feel or want to express. Sometimes, we have to rely on other forms of communication.

Art on the other hand is boundless. You can not limit your scope of expression because art doesn't need words. You can only limit your scope of expression through your own imagination. When you run out of foreseeable options is when you reach your limits. But, you have to remember words George Bernard Shaw once said. "You see things and you ask, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were and I say, 'Why not?'"

That's why so many artists take to the canvas. They want to express something that we have not yet invented words to communicate. We strive to invent words all the time. Kids love doing it when they try to invent a word that they hope will catch on and make them popular. Adults struggle with a more complex purpose. With the higher minded thinking, we constantly struggle with the ways to express concepts growing in our minds.

Taking to the canvas, artists start out blank. They know what is on their minds. It's getting their thoughts out onto canvas for others to experience that is the ultimate achievement. So, they spread their paints out on to their palettes and they grab all their brushes. Staring at the blank canvas, the images start to form.

The thoughts that express such concepts in the mind can come out in many ways. Icons are quick visuals for concepts we recognize without much thought at all. Symbols are also quick visuals, but they often take more time to register. Some have several meanings. Some have different relationships with each viewer. So, there is no way tell how an art enthusiast is going to take a certain work of art given all the different ways the symbols can be viewed. Then there are plenty of general notions that speak to everyone even when you don't know.