What is the Artist's Role? An Art Talk with Levie Ritz Abel
What is the artist's role in our society? I think we don't ask this nowadays.
We spend our days watching films or reading books but are oblivious to the artists behind them.
Artists seem distant geniuses making us wonder how they create artworks.
When we think of them this way, however, artists' role becomes ambiguous to us. It makes us forget they are our fellows, living and striving within society.
To delve deeper into this topic and explore other art questions, I reached out to one of my artist friends to get opinion.
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| Courtesy: Levie's Facebook page |
Levie practices painting, drawing, and photography.
Like other artists, she always makes me wonder how-with a few strokes of pencil or brush-she creates lifelike art.
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| Courtesy: Levie's Facebook page |
I can only watch her from afar, but knowing Levie as a friend, beyond just admiring her art, has given me a unique perspective on the artist's role in our society.
Art and subjectivity
We began our talk by asking: why is a thing considered art by someone and not by another?
Levie recalled a memory about an artwork she made in high school.
Her teacher critiqued it by saying: "If for you this can be considered art, there are people who'll consider this garbage."
This statement epitomizes the dictum, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
"Art is subjective, that's what makes it great. We each get to love or hate something on our own terms."
-Kasie West
Levie agrees that art depends on viewers and that its value is subjective.
However, she also knows that this subjectivity is prone to further questions.
For instance, it can be argued that if art is subjective, anyone can declare anything as art, without regard for craftsmanship.
This could put doubts on standards set by masters like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, or Raphael.
Levie maintained subjectivity but claimed that artists are the best judge of aesthetics because one, they have direct experience of the creative process, and two, it is through them that artworks came to be.
"The artist is the one qualified to criticize his art, because only the artist knows what he was trying to express and how satisfied he is with the attempt."
-Ron Brackin
I agreed with her stand. We both asserted that while art is subjective, it is artists that are the most reliable critics.
Art as expression
The next question we pondered is the purpose of art.
Levie deeply believes that art is pure expression. It is a medium not only for artistry but also for individuality.
"The maximum value of art is that it allows the artist to express himself."
-Irving Stone
Frida Kahlo painted to express anguish about her unstable health.
In the same rein, Vincent Van Gogh expressed himself to gain solace from mental health issues.
There are also abstract artists like Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko who disregarded form altogether for raw expression.
"There really is no such thing as art. There are only artists."
-E.H. Gombrich
In this light, art's purpose is to allow expression of artists' quirks and unique visions.
What is the artist's role?
Given our realizations, we proceeded asked our main question: what is the artist's role?
For Levie, as counter-intuitive as it might seem, artists have no role but expression.
However, she sees that dealing with the complexities, the politicking, and the manipulations in business can grind an artist's enthusiasm.
It could even culminate to psychological crisis like in the case of Swedish DJ, Avicii.
Here's a statement from his family after his suicide:
"Tim (Avicii) was not made for the business machine that he found himself in; he was a sensitive guy who loved his fans but shunned the spotlight."
Stuck in a situation where everything was about material success, Avicii lost touch with art.
Coupled with his struggle to answer existential questions, this cost him his life and career.
Levie shared that flourishing as an artist requires freedom of expression, and that external pressures-whether societal or business-must not sever this quality.
By having creative freedom, artists become spontaneous channels for expression. This is when the artist's role opens up.
An artist who has free expression becomes a living medium to which art itself speaks.
Rethinking art and artists' roles
My talk with Levie's gave me a deeper appreciation for the role of artists in our society. It was helpful because this time, I am not alone with books and ideas in investigation.
She also made me re-evaluate art's role in our lives, a reflection I hope many people will also be inclined to do, as we immerse in the diverse art of the 21st century.
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| Me and Levie after our insightful talk. |
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Levie does not compile her works but shares them sporadically on social media.
To view her art, you may follow her pages:
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