Moving beyond the surface

Moving beyond the surface

For hundreds of years art students have developed their skills through copying. Art students would copy the work of their teacher.  Students could also purchase permits to copy paintings in museums. With the advent of a high quality photographic images it was inevitable that students and artists alike began copying them. It is by all extents and purposes a natural progression. Copying is a natural way of learning, but something else lies beyond the surface of our subject.

What is the next step?

The next step is to make art. There is of course no consensus on what is art and what isn’t. The Oxford Dictionary defines art as “The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.“

What is art?

If we are to rely on The Oxford Dictionary’s definition, then the keywords we are interested in are: creative, expression, and imagination. There certainly  is skill required in copying a photograph, but the activity lacks in creativity, imagination and expression, so by definition copying something isn’t art in the true definition of the word.

From student to artist

To progress from student to artist requires work that contains your own creative, expressive and imaginative ideas.  This means that you need to move beyond the exercice you’ve been given and to make the work your own.  Therefore, it is necessary for you to move beyond what only is seen into what also is felt.  It perhaps requires less emphasis on a demonstration of mechanical skill and more of an emphasis on emotional and intellectual skills.

Can you see the difference?

The difference only becomes apparent once you transition into the next stage of your creative development.  It can be a difficult thing for anyone to do especially if you are receiving accolades for your copying and your mechanical dexterity.  Many people get trapped in the circle of praise only to miss out on the creative journey entirely.

It is what lies beyond the surface that is the most beautiful.

Image credits

Winslow Homer, (American, 1836-1910): Art Students & Copyists in the Louvre Gallery. 1868. Wood engraving. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. USA