Intention matters to the artist—the act of creation by nature is intentional. While art can be serendipitous, overall it is not accidental, we go into the studio with the intention to make art!
The prevailing advice given to many artists, particularly those starting their journey is to avoid thinking, evaluating, judging or pre-conceiving . Spontaneity and playing with process are seen as paramount, whilst thought and intention are seen as inhibiting challenges to be overcome. The common belief being that play and intention oppose rather than support one another.
I’m sure one reason why intuitive* work is promoted is because it is easier to access, considered more fun, and is undoubtedly easier to teach. Play is vital to our creative development, and the best way to learn about media, but if all we do is play, our work is in danger of lacking a personal connection. If artists seek a deeper more personal experience then an informed, balanced approach reaps far greater rewards. This only comes about by bringing in an element of intention, a few parameters, ideas and concepts.
I would argue that without intentions, without ideas and thoughts underlying the work it can become at best a series of happy accidents, at worst a self indulgent often derivative process. In my experience work that follows a line of enquiry, that is related to a concept is ultimately the most powerful. It comes from a solid base, enabling development and potential for growth.
Ideas and intentions need to be seen as starting points; launch pads rather than straight jackets, the last thing we want is to be hemmed in by preconceived outcomes! The ideas behind the work need to be expansive enough to allow for experimentation, exploring, testing, and breaking new ground, but clear enough to provide a guiding hand.
There is no doubt that it’s hard to step back and see objectively what the our work lacks in terms of composition, meaning, or resolution. It can be difficult to recognize when analysis has slipped into over-thinking, when strong ideas or judgments have led to limitations that are stifling the work, killing the energy! But a balance exists between having parameters and intentions for the work, and at the same time remaining open to exciting new directions and developments. With practice and a full understanding of our media, a vocabulary of meaning and intentional form begins to grow.
For me, the key to being in the zone where play and intention are balanced is to listen out for a few signs as I work. If I start to have negative feelings, or if I start to get bored, distracted frustrated, or impatient. This usually means that I am either over-thinking, or else I’m too caught up with process, nothing is resolved by carrying on and I’m just reaching for more materials. I need to stop, step back and reflect.
At this point I take a few photos, have a tidy up and sit quietly with a cup of tea and my notebook. It’s good to stop sometimes, look at my work and reflect: Is this representative of where I want to be? If the answer is no, then I consider my options. The more I reflect, ask questions and identify my preferences, the easier it is to see a clear pathway. Once I see a direction I’m happy with I feel better about the work and more likely to win the battle!
The other side of the coin is when it’s working well, when play and intention are in balance, when things feel right and the work represents what I want to communicate. Those moments are easy to let slip by unnoticed, they also need witnessing and reflecting upon, in order to see the patterns that lead to those paths so I can’t find them again!
How does this work in practice? My studio is strewn with references; I dedicate sketchbooks to certain themes I work with. I fill the walls of my studio with photos, drawings, sketches and collages and select from them as I am working. It is the experiences of a place and the reference material, that feed the work as much as my processes. But I also write a lot, I use my written intentions to guide and motivate, to encourage action and serve as a map. It’s not a fixed ‘manifesto’, rather a valuable resource; having a strong foundation down in writing can help me prioritise, and keep me focused. The very act of writing is in itself a statement of intent. Seeing words of aspiration and commitment helps to embed these affirmations and to create neural pathways that will help keep me on track.
But what of the viewer, do they need to know what our intentions were? Knowing the artist’s intention isn’t necessary for art to function. Artists have little control over what their art becomes; once we create a piece of art, anyone seeing it will interpret that art through the lens of their own life experiences. Our original intention as an artist will likely get lost along the way. At that point, who is to say that our own interpretation of the work is any more valid than someone else’s?
We have control over our ability to convey our original intention during the creation process. The more abstract a piece of art, the more interpretation is involved. The more realistic a piece of art, the more clear the artist’s original intention is. Many artists I teach wish to maintain an element of realism, for the work to be seen as having a subject over and above just the processes. That is an intention, a way an artist can maintain a degree of control over the perception of their work.
Once released, a piece of art is its own entity. Creating a piece of art is like raising a child. You can have big dreams for that child and you can sweat, bleed, and suffer for it. But the moment you send that child off into the threshold of adulthood- it is its own person and your intentions for it hold little water.
Notes
*In general, “instinct” – is something we are born with, something we do naturally without thinking. On the other hand, “intuition” is something we gain through experience, it suggests or conveys an idea with some amount of knowledge and awareness gained through experience. When artists say they work ‘intuitively’ they mean they have such a deeply embedded understanding of their media they no longer have to stop and consider. Those of you who have done my Confident Composition course will know my analogy is driving a car. At first it is clumsy, we are aware of the choices we are making but in time it becomes intuitive. …like driving, making art is not an innate talent, it can be learnt, it just takes time!
If you want to explore intention further, then my Approaches to Abstraction course will enable you to learn about the concept of abstraction and develop a personal line of inquiry. One of the modules from this course is now available as a self paced course! Creative Themes is a short course designed to help artists explore ideas and find their creative theme. The cost of will discounted when enrolling on Approaches to Abstraction is an annual scheduled
I agree with everything you say here Sally. You are expressing well what has been on my thoughts over the last few months reflecting on things so it is good to know I am going in a good direction.
Thanks! Aware it may not be the approach that suits everyone, but wanted to articulate it as an option 😉
Excellent food for thought. I found this very helpful.
Thanks Deb! 😊
I’m so glad you said this! It seems that much of the emphasis nowadays is on intuitive painting, and there seems to be an awful lot of paintings online now that seem to be just colour (sometimes quite muddied) – no thought to contrast and composition or an end result. I’ve also found that those of us who do realistic paintings can be ‘put down’ (for want of a better phrase). I do wonder if some artists, particularly those starting out, will have the skills or the mindset to develop and grow.
Thanks, yes without the skills…not just media but the skills to compose and analyse we are not fluent in our creative language.😊
Thank you, Sally, this is so interesting. If I’ve understood you correctly, your approach to your work is quite different from someone like the Philadelphia abstract artist Mary Nomecos, who insists in her various interviews on YT that her work is an entirely process-driven response to her materials. She doesn’t reveal very much about how she assesses her work in progress. Lots to ponder here!
Hi, Yes, there are a lot of artists for whom subject matter is purely related to ’emotion’ or process, we call them non-objective adstract artists. There would undoubtedly be a lot of reflection during the course of creating though, responding to the shapes, colours etc, and evaluating the composition is common to all of us. When I am painting I am also responding in a similar vein, asking the painting what else it needs and much of my work is equally abstract, but the difference is the starting point, the intention, the driving force that keeps me grounded?
Thanks Sally it sounds so relevant to me just now. Having been away on holiday for a few weeks with lots of activities and not much actual art work done, I feel slight panic at returning to painting and although I understand the concept of play in art I always feel I need to put it aside and get painting!
Thanks…its not so much about putting it aside, there needs to be plenty of play and responding! For me its about keeping that intention on my shoulder, guiding me and keeping me grounded… 🙂
5 star article, will print this to hang in my studio. So do agree. The word intuitive is so misunderstood and over used. Almost an excuse for not really bringing resolution to a work.
Thanks Debbie….yes it’s become a catch-all term!
A few years ago I needed to make a statement about my work. Before that time I would have said I was an ‘intuitive’ painter. But, really thinking about it I came to the realization that is is more than that for me. This is my statement and I still think it holds true for my work and process.
“To make my paintings I have come to the realization that I use what I call the ‘Three I’s” of INFLUENCES, INTUITION. and INTENT.
If I only used influences, I would consider my work not much more than a mimetic copy or totally derivative of someone else’s work.
If I only used intuition, I would wonder (and rightly so) if I left too much to chance or mood. It is important to have a consistency of quality and meaning in my work.
If I used only intent, I would more than likely be disappointed because my imagined intent is always elusive. I get more than I imagined by not setting too many rules about how to get there.”
“Using all of these factors, I can use the knowledge of formal issues that comes from viewing a lot of art and, also, from being in the studio making art all of the time. Using that comprehension of formal design as an aid to intuitively know what is the right relationship of color, mark, space, etc. is the intent. Intention is necessary to direct you to explore the former two. Intention also demands you delve more into your own reasons for making art.”
Cheryl D. McClure
Oh my!!! Cheryl that’s it 💯% Thank you
I used to have a list that was my guide not just for my work but for when looking at the work of others, I’d ask myself if it was SINCERE, CEREBRAL & SKILLED ….
Love that! Many things to ponder thank you. As someone who has had to squeeze their art into spare time around the day job, I have often felt that most of what I create is play and is often a result of happy accidents and self indulgence as you suggest. When I have had time to pursue a ‘line of inquiry’ the connection and ‘result’ is indeed more powerful. So yes! I relate to your post and will continue to investigate the above.
Thanks… yes its that digging deeper, we need the time for that! Sx
You opened a great conversation, Sally. Thank you for all of your posts. They are eye-opening and generous.
😊