An archetype is a universal idea or concept, un-manifested as yet into visible form. A true and gifted artist can render, through the medium of paint, music, sculpture or prose, a less than perfect but nevertheless a reasonable facsimile which would suggest this eternal idea. Any person, anywhere would relate to such a piece of work, whether they were aware of the intent behind its creation or not. Most artists, in fact, would probably not even know themselves that they had touched a universal chord, until after the fact. Truly inspired art is never contrived and when this perfect note is struck it surprises the artist as much as anyone.
Because the nature of inspiration is so elusive, this occurrence is rare for most artists although there have been thousands in the course of history where this has transpired many, many times. For example, Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, William Blake, Rembrandt, Rubens, just the tip of the iceberg creativity-wise but in our present time, recognized all over the world as inspired artists. In their time, of course they were celebrities within their own immediate circle of influence. Had telecommunication been available then, they would have reached global celebrity status and reached a much wider audience even though they have done that in modern times because of the advent of mass media, and electronic technology.
Painters in our modern world are now faced with a great opportunity to share some of their inspired visions with the world in general through originals, lithography, Gicleé fine art iris prints, and the internet exposure. Inspired art doesn’t come everyday and when it does, everyone wants to share it. Without the opportunity to reproduce their master works visual artists are not able to share to the degree that musicians or authors can.
Through recording companies, musicians can get their message out through videos or CD’s, which reproduce their music for a global audience. The original score is retained by the artist and copyrighted, but the music can be enjoyed by millions. Authors, in the same way, introduce their work to the world at large through world-wide professional publishers. Because of the inroads that musicians and writers have made, it is now possible and acceptable for painters to use the same criteria that these other artists have enjoyed.
21st century art, in general, will undergo tremendous transformation as technology becomes more fine-tuned. This is well and good and will benefit collectors and artists alike. Art has become available to everyone and through the medium of fine art printing, artists can reach a wider audience with their work. Reproductions give the artist the time to do better and more inspired work and even printing technology has progressed to the point where the quality sometimes surpasses the image. However, even professional artists know that not every painting is a masterpiece and needs to be replicated.
The fine art publishing market is as varied as the recording and publishing industry and quality can range from a corner grocery store copy machine to the finest continuous tone large format printers. Professional artists tend to use canvas or paper and inks that will best replicate their original work and take pride in the quality they can achieve in their reproductions.
Internet technology has opened a new door for artists as well. Now artists can have a presentation of their studio to the world at large. The applications for fine art are as infinite as the taste and style of the artist.
In honor of all artists and their contribution to societies throughout the world, a special day, October 25th has been officially designated as INTERNATIONAL ARTIST DAY – (Pablo Picasso’s birthday). If you would like more information please check the official web site: www.internationalartistday.com
We encourage everyone to participate everyday in honoring artists by visiting galleries, studios and collecting art for enjoyment and inspiration.