Art is a fundamental right
There are countless opinions about what art is, what it may be, what it should be, what it must be.
Definitions and judgments. Schools, trends and standards.
For a long time, I thought I had to listen to everyone, to adapt to them or at least to one of them. Some things inspired me, others rather paralyzed me.
Especially at the beginning of my artistic work, these voices were often so loud that my own inner tone was barely audible. I couldn’t find myself in everything. In the search for the “right” path, you can get surprisingly lost – even though the most important starting point is much closer than we think.
Art is perspective.
Art is perception.
And every point of view is as unique as the person who adopts it.
Your own perspective as a starting point
I bring my view of the world with me – shaped by my experiences, life circumstances, background, body, relationships, wishes, fears and hopes. My own point of view is not a deficiency that I have to overcome. It is my starting point.
Not in the sense of: This is who I am.
But in the sense of: I start from here.
My perspective is not fixed. I can explore, question, compare and expand it. It is flexible, adaptive, alive. And it is sacred to me – not as an end point, but as a foundation.
Art makes visible
Not just at exhibitions or in front of an audience.
Art is the mirror in which I encounter myself – with all my facets.
It is more than that: Look what I have done beautifully.
Art is an examination of my experience.
With my living conditions and circumstances in which I find myself – or from which I want to break out.
I often encounter myself more clearly and honestly in my artistic work than in everyday life. Not because art provides me with ready-made answers, but because it forces me to take a closer look. That is sometimes uncomfortable. But extremely revealing.
Something essential emerges from this close look: my inner position.
And from this position, attitude grows.
Attitude is not style, but substance
Art becomes convincing when work and presence speak from the same source.
It is not their outward appearance, for example, that makes art convincing. YaYoi Kusama unmistakable, but the consistency with which she forms her work and presence into a unity.
And perhaps the Mona Lisa’s smile still irritates us today not because of its mystery, but because of the self-confident attitude with which she confronts us.
When the art world obscures the view
The established art world can be inspiring – and at the same time completely obstruct your own view.
Comparisons, evaluations and market logics seemed to set standards before I could even find my own language.
It was only after many trials and tribulations that I was able to clearly recognize that my own point of view was the best one I could take, especially in the beginning.
Not the highest, the smartest or the only right one.
But the most honest.
From there, movement became possible. Development and growth. Of course, I also took detours and ended up in dead ends. These are obviously part of the process, whether you like it or not. And every supposed mistake brought me new insights.
Art as language
I learned art like a language.
Over time, new “vocabulary” was added: Techniques, materials, experiments and forms. My expression became more differentiated, more precise and more complex. I continued to develop my own profile.
Unlike the spoken word, in art I am much freer to develop my own forms of expression – beyond clichés and fixed rules. That is liberating. Sometimes exhausting, but definitely worth it.
The comparison with other artists is valuable for me. Not to align myself, but to locate myself:
What touches me? What repels me? What am I missing?
And where do I definitely not want to go?
The power of art
Art has power.
Not because it is loud – but because it makes things visible.
It makes me capable of acting because it creates clarity:
about my needs, my limits, my wishes and my goals.
It creates connection – to other people, to other ways of thinking and common questions.
In this sense, art is not a luxury for me. It is my right to expression and personal perception.
An invitation to take your own perspective seriously – and to develop it further.
Art is a fundamental right.
Art takes me out of consumption and into my own creative work.
A year’s journey in impulses
This text marks the start of a series of monthly impulses throughout the year. Each month will have its own focus – as an invitation to explore one’s own path in life – artistically, exploratively, reflectively or experimentally.
Not as instructions or a recipe, but as an invitation.
Trust your own creativity.
Because:
Every path is different, and your creative urge unfolds exactly where you are right now, step by step on your own path.
Click here for the monthly impulses:
November – Art is dead! Long live art!
Every now and then I also like to experiment with film. You can find a link to this, for example, in my blog article on the question of the definition of art.
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