Blog: There Should Always Be Choice and Freedom

Featured image: Talisman

A couple of days ago I stated, “For the most part, art has become an object to possess and not something to treasure like an aged wine. Art today has become objectified.
Remove objectification and have art be valued for its creativity, and authenticity.”

There is a difference between and objectified art object and the objective reason of the middle. Art was never meant to be part of reason, let alone objective reason. That is why the individuals in the middle are unique and one-of-a-kind.

But the question becomes, how do all of these unique individuals work together? (Again, I state, "Objectively.") For me, I believe that there is no need to like all the people in the middle. There is only a need to respect them and their individuality.

Morals and values suggest that there needs to be one truth and that this one sized truth should fit all. Once we realize that that is an impossibility and that as individuals we make individual choices based on what we know and our histories, we recognize there is no one size truth in the middle.

What color would you paint freedom? It exists in the middle. What color would you paint happiness? It exists in the middle. What color would you paint uniqueness? It exists in the middle. My guess is that each of these concepts would be many colors. Don’t let others choose what colors you are – and don’t let others choose who you are as an artist and what you should create. These things are all part of your uniqueness and cannot be objectified.

What do I mean by objectified? Objectified and objective are the same but they are now the same. Objectified means that an object has been given superficial value by their culture. Visual culture has become very objectified. Appearance is objectified. An example I use frequently is to have your artwork match your interior décor – ie have teal be the main accent in a room – and your artwork has teal in it. Choosing art this way makes art objectified. Other examples would be: who owns the biggest house, the nicest yard, the most expensive car or the biggest diamond. Frequently women become objectified, they are objects or possessions of another and not themselves. For example, they are the prettiest in the a group, their hair is blonde, their nails painted, their jewelry top-shelf. When women become objectified they have lost their authentic, real self. I am sure it is the same way for men but I have no experience there.

To be objectified is different from being objective. For a decision, a statement or a concept to be objective, the only value placed on it is that its value is not determined subjectively or through emotional states. Rather, the value of these decisions, statements, concepts or objects comes from facts, from the evaluation of the facts present in reality according to a rational standard of value. Rational means derived from the facts of reality and validated by a process of reason not subjectivity or emotional sentimentality.

The middle can be objective. The middle should not be objectified. A universal value in the middle should not be based on the idea that one size needs to fit all. That should be understood. If one size does not fit all and objective reasoning prevails in the middle, then universal respect for the individual and the choices the individual makes can exist and rather than painting the middle grey, it can be painted many colors.

Art and creativity live in the middle space.