The real value of Art

I’ve been watching the Netflix show Broken about the impact of the choices we make as a consumer. It made for difficult watching. (Some) Governments are corrupt, (some) companies will sacrifice everything for profits and we are a nation that want more for less.

The overriding message - we the consumer have the power to change this situation if we choose who we give our pounds to.

All this resonated heavily with me as I was once an obsessive consumer. It was my drug of choice and for years I was oblivious to the fact that it was a symptom of being unhappy. But since focusing committing to an Art practice and fostering my creative spirit I need that shopping fix less and less and as I explore a world of living with less and cherishing fewer procession, this sentiment is showing up in my work. How much can I remove so we can stop and take in the subtle beauty in each mark before there is too little?

I work in series to explore ideas but over time less are making the cut as I aim for each work to feel precious and therefore difficult for me to part with but still I question how much value my work has. As we are all waking up to the damage our greed is having on our planet I wonder if making Art a worthy venture. And then I purchased (another) 2 poems by GOMMIE today. The more I become familiar with his work to more I am moved by it. As I bought these poems about love, intended for my young daughters it made me realise the importance of Art. Sometimes what others create speaks to us in ways we are not able to verbalise for ourselves. Then I tried to imagine what a day would feel like devoid of any Art: No pairings, drawings, prints, sculptures, ceramic or poetry. No music, no theatre, no books, no poetry, no dance. Where would our souls find nourishment? Buying Art today reminded me that Art is not always about simple decoration and that my small offerings have value. To someone. To me.

So think about buying some real Art this Christmas ana well make the the world a better place, one poem and one painting at a time.

You can find GOMMIE at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/GommieShop

@gommie_poem