Connecting

As an artist it can be a struggle to know whether your work is connecting with anyone else out there, but ultimately this is why I create, to say 'Look, I'm human, and I saw and felt this and if you did too then you are not alone'. But its finding that point of osmosis in a subtle yet striking way, where the message in the piece permeates the viewers conscious mind both superficially and fundamentally, that has become the crux for me as an artist at this present time.

So I have been thinking about this a lot recently and I have found that music, especially pop music reaches this level of connectivity that I am talking about in a very unassuming guise, engaging massive audiences. I want to really understand this process and to be able to channel it into my work. I have read theories on it such as 'Ways of Seeing' by John Berger but theories are just that, and real people listening to their radio happily singing words that talk about their deepest darkest emotions is something totally different.

I guess the ultimate reason for this contrast is that speaking, listening and seeing are all very different behaviours and connect with us in very different ways. Perhaps the intangible words and the upbeat melody of a song are the perfect segue for talking about emotions, but seeing a physical image of that same emotion is too much for most people to deal with.

This is an ongoing exploration and I do not have many answers at this present time, but I will continue on my journey, continue making art and continue trying to connect. This image is a summary of all of this, its a piece of art about my art, about my audience, about other artists, about popular culture, about my questions and about myself.

'Connecting' by Kate Barry