A reader asks Matt whether he will take a look at her artwork and tell her what he thinks of it. Matt responds:
In a number of cases, people have asked me to look at and critique their work. Sometimes this is possible when I’m working with artists in a collective and we meet regularly. When they know what I am trying to do, and I have some idea what their missions are, then we can jointly critique and comment on each other’s work. But it isn’t the kind of comments you’d get in a show. It isn’t “This is bad, or this is good.”
On the issue of what is good art, I never feel qualified to praise or detract from what somebody is doing as an artist, because I believe that an artist consciously or subconsciously knows when they’re doing their best work and when they aren’t. The thing that comes across to me when I’m speaking with artists is the problem of being afraid, getting caught in a rut, worrying too much about what other people think, when the real question is: What do you really think? What are you trying to do? Are you working to your fullest extent to say what you’re trying to say through your art?
I find the best thing for me in dealing with my art, is to meditate, to let it roll around in your head. I had one project that took me almost 10 years to really work out. Luckily, I lived long enough to do it. I’m not comfortable with trying to build a car when all I know how to do is honk the horn and pump the tires with air. My work comes from experimenting in my mind or with materials, and coming to trial-and-error conclusions. I’m not a great one for rules and regulations or books that tell you how to make great art. Deep down, I probably don’t give a damn.
It’s very pleasing to hear that artworks are liked by people and admired, but I believe if an artist only manufactures art to please others, it can become contrived. But if so many people want the work to continue that way, then the artist is besieged to do only that kind of manifestation, and they lose their whole process of exploration and digging through themselves to find the next step... We always think about Rocky Balboa climbing up the steps before he became the great boxer in the ring. Well, to me, some artists are the ones sitting on the second step, eating an ice cream cone, crying that they’re too fat to keep going.
I believe that art is not primarily for the beholder; it’s for the maker. That’s probably a long answer, but the question has many implications. There are many very credible art teachers and critics, but I don’t look on that as being a strong point in my resume.
Matt