‘I can do better than that!’ You guessed it, that was the adult.
‘Eww, that looks like chicken scratch! Hahaha’, Yup, that was a kid, talking to my kid.
I could not believe my ears when I first heard that about my kids’ abstract artworks that I adored. I remember feeling so furious, especially that it would make my kids doubt their work, but then I realized, that is probably something they heard at school, or from a family member, who knows? Those are the things people say about abstract, and I used to be one of them.
Yes I agree, we can all stick a banana with duct tape on the wall, but when it comes to abstract masterpieces, it is not as easy as it looks, so I dare you, go make one now, and let me know if you created a memorable shape, that can stick in someone’s mind, and they can recall it later when it is no longer in front of them. Or a painting that can make them feel something, or see something. Or that you made colors so magically mixed, it would impossible to imitate.
Art is used to express oneself, it is that simple. To me, that is the best art, the art that is felt and not planned, and it is just my taste. If it happens to be a masterpiece, great, if not and it expressed an opinion about something to a greater audience, then that is also success. Not every piece my kids made was amazing, I had to choose from piles and piles, and lots ended up in the trash. Sadly, I was the only choosing, and maybe some of the ones that did not make it, could have been enjoyed by somebody out there. Oh well.
So since art is so subjective, why are some pieces more famous than others? The pieces that everyone says ‘Waw’ about, are the ones that everyone agrees are the best. But sometimes, not everyone has to like the piece you like, maybe it will just be you and the artist, and that is as good, because in the end, you will be the one living with it, and loving on it daily.
I remember disliking my mothers’ abstract art, I used to be embarrassed by it, and my friends who probably felt the same way, would sometimes make fun of her minimalist work and ask: ‘When is your mom going to finish her paintings?’ But at the same time, she was winning prizes, and selling her work to many people around Europe and the Middle East. That kept me curious. I remember a couple of scenarios, when a client would sit in front of her piece, and just stare at it, and then would say: ‘I cannot leave without this painting. I do not want to wait until the end of your exhibition to pick it up, can I please take it with me now?’
As I grew older and became more open minded, and started seeing more art during the art fairs and group shows she would take me to, I would feel so overwhelmed by all the walls around, and then come back to her booth, and feel a sense of peace. The simplicity in her work eventually got to me, I saw it from another perspective, and eventually, during my twenties, I decided to leave everything and become her sales and marketing manager. We worked together for years after that. It was a beautiful, yet tough journey, and I will cherish it for life. If you were to ask me who my favorite artist is, I would say it is her.
‘What is it?’ Is another thing people might say about abstract, and the response is always the same: ‘What do you see, what do you feel?’ You can see something different everyday, or the same thing forever. I love all art really, and there are many stunning masterpieces out there, abstract is its own category, and it happens to be my favorite, it is just my taste.
We recently visited a mountain in North Carolina named Grandfather Mountain. When I heard the story of why they picked this name, it gave me fresh eyes, and I realized that abstract may be the basis of creativity and imagination.
A synopsis from AI: Grandfather Mountain got its name from early European settlers and pioneers who noticed that certain cliffs and rock formations on the mountain resembled the profile or face of an old man (with features like a beard or aged contours). This gave it the appearance of a wise, ancient "grandfather" figure, evoking a sense of timelessness and wisdom. The name stuck because of this distinctive visual resemblance, visible from various vantage points.
We have neighbors who paint rocks, and they determine what they are going to create based on the shape of the rock.
The beauty of abstract, is that it is not something that you can name, nor is it something we can all agree on, but it surely is something necessary for the mind to enjoy.
The abstract realm is a place that helps one escape from everything that is, from what does have a name, and one can feel a sense of freedom during that moment.
It is coloring outside the lines, it is expressing through undefined strokes, it is creating without rules or regulations, and you want that on your wall, because you need an escape, a moment of escape in your own space, in an unfree world.
Do not get me wrong, your home needs to be super tidy, minimalist, organized, with straight lines, and lots of discipline, and to contrast that orderliness, decorate your walls with vibrant, bold, inspiring pieces of art that ignite your own creativity.
If you can afford original pieces, go for it because that is the ultimate, but it is also okay to have a poster or an art print from a well known artist, an unknown artist, or a talented young kid. Hope you find the right pieces that you can enjoy for a long while!
Here are some of Salwa’s artworks, let me know if you can recall those shapes later on ;)
Winning piece at Florence Biennale, Italy.
Best wishes,
Racha Zeidan
