I had the good fortune to meet Trevor Southey and hear a few of his thoughts on art at the Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery in Park City. For those unfamiliar with Southey’s work, take a look at his website here .
A couple of his thoughts really struck me. The first:
“A work of art is a conversation between the artist and the viewer, each confessing their sins to the other”
That approach certainly helps me when exploring themes that are emotional and possibly divisive (see a review of the Ammo Table here, which made me realize I missed some very enlightening conversation(s) with people who were frustrated by my work).
Another:
“I have found it very rare that honesty needs to be cruel . . . ”
Art is honest if it is nothing else, and perhaps while cruelty is effective (see Francis Bacon’s portraits of the pope), there may be other approaches that invite conversation.
Trevor’s work will be on exhibit through Dec 13, 2011.
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